TOP TABLES

Posh Houston steakhouse books spot on OpenTable's best hotel dining list

Courtesy of Mastro's Restaurants

As Americans increasingly make travel plans around dining, hotel restaurants have blossomed from handy amenities to destinations in their own right. Now, OpenTable says one Houston standout in particular is worth adding to the itinerary.

Mastro's Steakhouse at the Post Oak Hotel has been named among the reservation platform’s Top 100 Hotel Restaurants in America. It was the only Bayou City spot to be named in 2026, despite high-profile options like the Michelin-recognized French restaurant Perseid at the Hotel Saint Augustine, Italian restaurant Hypsi at the stylish Hotel Daphne, and James Beard Award winner Hugo Ortega's Xochi at the Marriott Marquis.

Still, Mastro's stands out from Houston's other steakhouses. Its lively, see-and-be-seen atmosphere draws an eclectic crowd, including its owner, Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta. The restaurant is known for its dramatic seafood tower presentations, bone-in steaks, decadent sides, and signature warm butter cake.

Hotel restaurants have come a long way since legendary food writer Richard Olney famously sneered at “international hotel cooking.” OpenTable’s research says onsite dining by travelers is up 13 percent year-over-year.

"Restaurants aren't just an itinerary line item anymore; they're the anchor,” said Matt Davis, Head of North America Hotels at OpenTable, via a release. “Our research backs this up, as half of Americans have booked a hotel specifically because of its restaurant.”

Overall, Texas boasted nine of the entries on the top 100 list, more than any other state save for Florida and Nevada. The full list of Lone Star restaurants includes:

Dean's Italian Steakhouse (JW Marriott Austin) — Austin
Kappo Kappo (Austin Proper Hotel) — Austin
Lutie's (Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection) — Austin
Mastro's Steakhouse (The Post Oak Hotel) — Houston
Signature (Signia by Hilton La Cantera Resort & Spa) — San Antonio
Sister (Casa Duro) — Dallas
Stillwell's (Hôtel Swexan) — Dallas
97 West Kitchen & Bar at Hotel Drover (Hotel Drover, Autograph Collection) — Fort Worth
Trick Rider (Omni PGA Frisco Resort) — Frisco

rankings hotels opentable lists

Kirby Ice House 5

Houston's modern ice house plans fall opening for new Clear Lake outpost

Courtesy of Kirby Ice House

A rendering previews Kirby Ice House's Clear Lake location.

Houston’s growing chain of modern ice houses is heading to the Bay Area. Kirby Ice House will open a Clear Lake outpost in September.

Located near the Johnson Space Center and Space Center Houston at open at 530 Bay Area Boulevard, the new Kirby Ice House will build on the brand’s winning formula — a huge indoor-outdoor bar with an extensive selection of beer and cocktails, lawn games, space for food trucks, and plenty of TVs for watching sports. The Clear Lake location will also offer Kirby Ice House’s daily specials and happy hour discounts.

The bar is customing its interior for Clear Lake. For example, the design will nod to NASA with a neon sign that depicts its signature cowgirl riding a rocket.

“One of the things we enjoy most is creating spaces that reflect the communities they serve,” co-owner Danny Evans said in a statement. “We never want our locations to feel copied and pasted. We want them to have their own personality, and we hope guests feel that from the moment they walk in.”

While the construction team is building the bar, Kirby Ice House has already begun recruiting the 100 or so employees who will be necessary at opening by setting up a hiring facility adjacent to the construction site.

Those employees will be pouring beers from dozens of taps alongside wines by-the-glass or bottle. Kirby Ice House also serves cocktails such as a cucumber-lime Moscow Mule, blood orange paloma, and lemonade Old Fashioned. A rotating roster of food trucks serves customers who want a bite with their beers. Taken together, the extensive selection and massive footprint have helped each location of Kirby Ice House rank among the highest’s grossing bars in Texas.

Over time, the concept has grown to four Houston-area locations in Upper Kirby, Memorial City, The Woodlands, and a Heights-adjacent location that opened last year.

“The Kirby Ice House team is excited to become part of Clear Lake’s vibrant, historic culture,” added vice president of operations Margo Axton. “We’re looking forward to being a neighborhood gathering place that supports local businesses, welcomes casual groups, and gives the community an easy place to meet up before, during, or after whatever the day has planned.”