A Dallas restaurant that serves up classic American fare will soon make its Houston debut. Drake’s Hollywood will open Thursday, August 29 in the former Underbelly/Georgia James space at 1100 Westheimer.
Courtesy of Vandelay Hospitality
Expect to see an order of Vin Scully fries on every table.
Part of Vandelay Hospitality, the restaurant group behind East Coast-inspired River Oaks restaurant Hudson House, Drake’s takes inspiration from retro Hollywood glam. The interior features red leather booths and a colorful mural that depicts movie stars past and present.
“I always like to say Drake’s is the greatest third date spot in America,” Vandelay founder Hunter Pond says with a laugh. “Our restaurants fit certain moods. When you’re in the mood to go to Drake’s, it’s a unique mood. You’re ready to go out, have fun, have an extra martini than you usually do, and have good American food made with classic recipes.”
Although that “good American food” includes a selection of dry-aged and wagyu steaks, Pond doesn’t think of Drake’s as a steakhouse. After all, the restaurant also serves pizza, sushi, and entrees such as the signature Pasta Za Za, a baked rigatoni in a spicy tomato sauce. Pond notes that nearly every table opts for a plate of Vin Scully Fries — curly fries topped with smoked cheddar, bacon, jalapenos, chives, and ranch dressing.
“It’s a gluttonous dish, but it’s awesome,” he says.
Of course, the same “World’s Coldest Martinis” that have been so well received at Hudson House are available at Drake’s, too.
The decision to bring Drake’s to Houston came after Pond and his business partners purchased the property at 1100 Westheimer. They’ve transformed the space, claiming most of what had been Underbelly and Hay Merchant for the new restaurant. However, they left approximately 2,000-square-feet for a piano lounge that will open later this fall, Pond reveals.
“When the opportunity was brought to me by my real estate partners, they said, ‘it’s an iconic piece of real estate, should we buy it?’ I said, ‘hell yeah, we should buy it.’ I love the location,” he says. “We appeal to such a wide variety of diners that I thought the central location was a great fit for that concept.”
Vandelay initially brought its East Hampton Sandwich Company to Houston in 2017. While that effort didn’t succeed, Hudson House has been a smash hit. The company has already signed a lease to bring a second location to Rice Village in the coming months.
“It’s exploded. We’ve been so fortunate that it’s been received the way it has,” Pond says. “It’s really confirmed my initial though that Vandelay could succeed in Houston.”
