What's Eric Eating Episodes 320 and 321

Meet the dynamic duo behind Houston's rockin' Southern kitchen, plus our trip to Dough Zone Dumpling House

Rockhouse serves an eclectic menu of Southern-inspired dishes.

Photo by Brandon Holmes

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Rockhouse Southern Kitchen chef Jabril Riddick and co-owner Rob Wright join CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss the restaurant, sports bar, and live music venue that opened earlier this year in the former Billy Blues space on Richmond Avenue.

The conversation begins with Riddick discussing his career that included stints at Feast, hotels, and a range of other restaurants. From there, he and Wright discuss the development of Rockhouse, including favorite dishes, its musical lineup, and more.

Rockhouse is one of the nominees in CultureMap’s Ultimate Sports Bar Showdown and will be serving pulled oxtail sliders at the Tailgate, our celebration of sports culture. It’s happening Wednesday, October 25 at Silver Street Studios, and tickets are already on sale.

Sandler asks Wright about operating sports bars. He’s a partner in Prospect Park, the game-changing bar and restaurant that paved the way for a wave of imitators. As Wright notes, being open to a wide variety of fans sometimes brings unexpected results.

“Even with Prospect Park, there may be a thought process that we’re primarily African-American driven, but believe it or not we gave some of the best World Cup events you can imagine,” Wright says. “One of the best events of those nine years is when Brazil played Colombia. You had people walking out there crying after their team lost. It was incredible.”

Listen to the full episode to hear Riddick’s hilarious story about his time at Feast working alongside chef Richard Knight. Wright offers some observations about the future of The Warwick.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Linda Salinas discuss the news of the week. Their topics include La Cruderia opening a new location in Spring Branch; Dumpling Haus closing its location in Sawyer Yards; and chef Jane Wild’s new dinner series.

In the restaurant of the week segment, the two friends share their thoughts about Dough Zone Dumpling House, the Seattle-based restaurant that recently opened its first Houston-area location in Midtown. Listen to hear what they liked and what they think could use improvement.

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Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify. Listen to it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

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a spoonful of sugar

New Mexican eatery sweetens Houston with 150 spirits and bold flavors

Courtesy of Mexican Sugar

Mexican Sugar is coming to Regent Square in December.

A Dallas-based Mexican restaurant is coming to Houston. Mexican Sugar will open its first Houston location in Montrose this December.

Located next to Georgia James in the Regent Square mixed-use development, Mexican Sugar will occupy a two-story, 13,000-square-foot building. All that room offers seating for 375 as well as two private dining rooms with full audio-visual capabilities. Both the upstairs and downstairs patios will have a view of nearby Buffalo Bayou Park.

Its part of FB Society, the Dallas-based hospitality group behind Whiskey Cake, Sixty Vines, and Haywire, the Texas-inspired comfort food restaurant that opened its first Houston-area location earlier this year. Mexican Sugar has three locations in the Dallas area: Plano, Las Colinas, and Uptown Dallas.

In a release, Mexican Sugar touts its use of seasonal ingredients. It also makes its tortillas by hand. Menu highlights include skirt steak, lobster fundido, and a bone-in pork chop. At brunch, look for options such as cajeta French toast, Benedictos Rancheros, and vanilla-cinnamon pancakes.

Agave fans will find plenty of choices courtesy of more the 150 tequilas and mezcals. They’re available in individual pours as well as in flights that allow customers to compare the flavors of the different spirits.

“Our goal is to create a dining experience that blends bold Mexican flavors with our signature style of hospitality that stays two steps ahead,” Justin Beam, Mexican Sugar’s director of operations, said in a statement. “We’re excited to offer Houstonians an immersive Mexican experience in a fresh, light, and approachable way.”

Courtesy of Mexican Sugar

Mexican Sugar is coming to Regent Square in December.

news-you-can-eat openings mexican sugar

What's Eric Eating Episodes 320 and 321

Meet the dynamic duo behind Houston's rockin' Southern kitchen, plus our trip to Dough Zone Dumpling House

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a spoonful of sugar

New Mexican eatery sweetens Houston with 150 spirits and bold flavors

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
Get Houston intel delivered daily.