come as you are

LA bar vets open casually stylish new cocktail lounge in Montrose

Montrose residents have a fresh new option for cocktails. Jethro’s Cocktail Lounge opens this Tuesday, April 30.

Photo by Robert Campbell

Jethro's Cocktail Lounge opens April 30.

Located at 95 Tuam Street, which is across ElRo Pizza & Crudo, Jethro’s aims to be a casual bar with a tidy menu of well-executed drinks. It comes from owners Russell Malixi, Wade McElroy, and Andrew Corbett. Malixi and McElroy are native Texans who found success in Los Angeles with bars such as Good Housekeeping, Bar Bohemien, and The Arroyo Club, but decided to return to Texas after the pandemic.

“Texas was calling me home, and Montrose seemed like the perfect place to launch Jethro’s,” Malixi said in a statement. “The welcoming vibe reminded me a little of LA, but the bustling nightlife scene and neighborhood feel is really what sealed the deal.”

The 10 cocktail menu includes the La Dulcita (a watermelon margarita), Not Your Dad’s Old Fashioned (rye, fernet, luxardo, simple syrup, and bitters), and the Coffee in the Morning, an espresso martini-style drink that swaps the familiar vodka for mezcal. A few classic cocktails join a limited selection of beer and wine to round out the beverage options.

Jethro's Cocktail Lounge The Coffee in the Morning uses mezcal instead of vodka.Photo by Becca Wright

For food, the bar is hopping on the smash burger trend. No details on the exact formula, but the bar’s website promises burgers are “coming soon,” along with a vegan option and fries.

Overall, the 2,200-square-foot space has a casual vibe with open seating on a first-come-first-served basis. As if to emphasize the point, press materials note the bar doesn’t require reservations, which seems a little odd since very few bars in Houston do. Take it as a sign that the California guys are still readjusting to the more casual pace of life in Houston.

“We wanted to bring an elevated but approachable bar to the area,” Malixi added. “Our cocktails are desirable any time of day from lunch to a happy hour sip or after dinner nightcap. Come in and unwind. That’s what we like to say.”

Jethro’s will open at 4 pm Tuesday through Friday and noon on Saturday and Sunday.

one last squeeze

Ben Berg's New York-inspired, fancy burger joint will soon shutter

Photo by Leah Wilson

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The original location of Ben Berg’s fancy burger joint will soon serve its last meal. B.B. Lemon on Washington Avenue will close after service on Sunday, June 1, the restaurant announced on social media.

In response to CultureMap’s request for comment about the decision, a representative provided a statement that reads in part:

“It is never an easy decision to close a restaurant,” Berg said. “The love Houston has shown B.B. Lemon-Washington over the years is what made it such a special place. Thank you for making us part of your everyday moments and life celebrations.”

The statement continues that the restaurant is “no longer part of our strategic plan,” referring to Berg’s company, Berg Hospitality Group. However, the location of B.B Lemon that opened last year in the downtown tunnels will remain open.

Open since late 2018, B.B. Lemon takes inspiration from iconic New York City restaurant JG Melon, including its signature green-and-white checked tablecloths. Thanks to a spacious patio and a lively atmosphere, B.B. Lemon soon found favor with area residents and downtown office workers, who made it a happy hour favorite.

Like its decor, B.B. Lemon’s menu also takes inspiration from the East Coast. In addition to a diner-style, wagyu cheeseburger, the restaurant serves an array of comfort food that includes fish and chips, a lobster roll, and blue crab beignets.

Berg’s decision to close B.B. Lemon follows last year’s closure of Benny Chows, its New York-inspired Chinese American restaurant. In January, the company closed NoPo Cafe to make way for a new location of Bagel Bob’s HTX.

The group also opened three new concepts in 2024: live fire steakhouse Prime 131, retro diner Buttermilk Baby, and upscale steakhouse Turner’s Cut. It will open a second location of Buttermilk Baby in Sugar Land this summer.

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