One of Texas country’s rising stars has brought his lively bar to Houston. Koe Wetzel’s Riot Room opened last month in Midtown.
Located at the former Electric Feelgood space (2416 Brazos Street), the Houston location of Riot Room builds on the success of the Fort Worth original that opened in 2023. Known for his outlaw country swagger, including his 2022 release, Hell Paso, that debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, Koe Wetzel partnered with Fort Worth hospitality veteran Emil Bragdon to bring the Riot Room to life. It consistently ranks as one of Fort Worth’s highest-grossing bars.
At over 8,000 square feet, the Houston Riot Room has considerably more space than the original. Wetzel and his team have used that to their advantage, expanding on the country music dance hall theme with details such as:
- A seating area made from a full-sized pontoon boat
- A DJ booth in the engine bay of a Ford pickup
- Photo ops in a “jail cell” and a life-sized bucking bull
- Neon signs that display Wetzel’s song lyrics.
A full kitchen allows the bar to serve a menu of Southern-inspired bar fare such as chicken wings, Texas chili, potato skins, Southwestern egg rolls, burgers, salads, and more. Signature dishes include smoked beer can chicken and the Trailer Park Sandwich, featuring two breakfast sausage patties topped with cheddar cheese and served on a biscuit with strawberry jam. Houston will also be the first city to experience the bar’s take on weekend brunch.
Bragdon told CultureMap that the bar’s name references someone who’s fun to be around, as in a laugh riot.
"It's about who Koe is and what he represents," he says. "He has a carefree party attitude, that whole persona, which is so infectious. He's a true Texas guy, a good old country boy who's hospitable and likes to have fun - that’s what the place is about."
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Teresa Gubbins contributed to this article.
Photo by Motion Theory Media
A portrait of the man himself.
