Katy's massive new bar

Blockbuster beer paradise raises Katy's scene to Bavarian brew garden levels — with a Texas twist

Katy Beer Garden promises a Texas twist on the world-famous Bavarian beer gardens.

A Houston hospitality veteran with experience running some of the Inner Loop’s most popular bars is taking his talents to Katy. Steven Salazar is leading the team that will open Katy Beer Garden.

Set to open in the fall, Katy Beer Garden will occupy approximately 25,000-square-feet at The Dryer, a new mixed-use project located near Katy Mills Mall on the property of Katy’s historic Cardiff Rice Dryer. The bar’s approach draws upon Salazar’s experience working for the Kirby Group, where he worked as director of operations when the company opened projects such as Holman Draft Hall, Pitch 25, and Heights Bier Garten.

Anyone familiar with those concepts will recognize the plans for Katy Beer Garden. The bar will offer a 10,000-square-foot indoor space and a 15,000-square-foot outdoor patio and landscaped beer garden that’s shaded by 45-foot tall oak trees. Its selection of drinks will include 100 beer taps, a 100 bottle wine list, and a wide range of spirits and cocktails. A tidy menu of bar food will help drinkers satisfy their hunger.

Katy Beer Garden property This property will soon be home to a massive new bar. Courtesy of Katy Beer Garden

“Our mission is to recreate the ambiance and aesthetics of Munich's beloved Bavarian beer gardens, marrying it with our own unique Texas hospitality,” Salazar writes in a release. “The result? An unrivaled beer garden experience for Katy and beyond.”

Other plans for The Dryer development include a three-story building called Main Street that will have an eight vendor food hall, co-working spaces, and a banquet facility. The property will also be home to the Katy Heritage Society's museum, a full service restaurant, an outdoor event space with a stage, and a children’s play area — complete with a functioning railroad track, according to press materials.

Katy Beer Garden siteplan The photo shows the future locations of a parking lot (A), Katy Beer Garden (B), Main Street (C), and the rice dryer (D). Courtesy of Katy Beer Garden

General manager Taylor Percle brings experience from both Heights Bier Garten and MAD to her role. The bar is already looking to start hiring. Interested parties are encouraged to email careers@katybeergarden.us for more information.

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the more things change

Houston's essential Jewish diner looks better than ever after refresh

Photo by Sergio Trevino

The dining room has more light than ever.

It’s tricky to renovate a restaurant that’s as essential to its community as New York Deli. A staple of Houston’s Jewish community for almost 50 years, the tiny restaurant near Meyerland will serve as many as 400 people during a busy Sunday brunch.

Still, the time had come, as the tape on the deteriorating banquettes and peeling wallpaper illustrated. With the restaurant’s lease up for renewal, co-owner Michael Saghian saw an opportunity for some updates.

“I couldn’t be the new guy who ruined the place by moving it,” he tells CultureMap. “We worked out a deal with the landlord [to stay] and did a big refresh.”

The most noticeable change is the removal of the restaurant’s front door and vestibule. Instead, diners enter through the restaurant’s companion bagel shop. Separate entrances made sense when the bagel shop was certified kosher by local religious authorities, but now that designation only applies to the Bellaire location that opened in 2020. Not only is the new setup easier for people with mobility issues to navigate, it allows more light into the dining room, brightening the place considerably..

Saghian and co-owner Riana Sherman worked with interior designer Erin Hicks on the refresh. Tables, chairs, and banquettes are all new, but the color scheme remains the same. The process yielded 10 more seats, and the furniture is a little more durable, too.

“People have flipped chairs because they’re so lightweight,” Sherman says. “We got a sturdier chair.”

Behind the scenes, an expanded kitchen allows for the restaurant’s cooks to work faster and more efficiently. An additional egg cooker should cut down the amount of time people wait for their food to arrive.

“The kitchen had one of everything. Now we have two of everything. We can pump out a lot more food,” Saghian says.

Photographs on the walls honor longtime customers such as the “bagel girls,” a group of woman who’ve eaten breakfast at the restaurant since the ‘80s. A piece of old wallpaper has been framed and hung on the wall, too, as a nod to the space’s history.

New York Deli interior changes Photographs on the walls honor longtime customers.Photo by Sergio Trevino

Photo by Sergio Trevino

The dining room has more light than ever.

Saghian says he suffered from sleepless nights as he worried about people’s reactions to the changes, but so far his customers have been effusive.

“It still feels like an old school diner,” Saghian says. “It has pieces you remember. Even the new stuff is old school.”

While the physical environment is new, the staff remains the same. To ensure he kept the same team of cooks and servers, Saghian paid their wages for the two weeks the restaurant was closed for renovations.

Even more importantly, the prices are the same. That’s something that will make even the oldest regulars happy.

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