cheap beer, good booze

Celebrated Austin-based neighborhood bar finally opens in Houston's East End

The East End’s new neighborhood bar is finally ready to open its doors.

Houston’s outpost of acclaimed Austin-based bar Nickel City will begin its soft opening Friday, March 8 with a grand opening to follow on Friday, March 15.

Courtesy of Nickel City

Get Buffalo wings and beer at Nickel City.

Owner Travis Tober tells CultureMap that he sees Houston as the logical next location to join Nickel City’s existing locations in Austin and Fort Worth.

“In my opinion, Houston is not only the best food city but the best service city, the best cocktail city — not just in Texas but in America. To us, it’s the big leagues,” Tober says.

“You gotta bring it all. You have every type of cuisine, every type of bar, dive bar heaven. It’s the show, as far as I’m concerned, in Texas.”

What he’s bringing is an homage to the bars he grew up going to in Buffalo, New York — “Nickel City” is a nickname for Buffalo. That means a come-as-you-are establishment that’s open daily from noon until 2 am, even on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“We say it’s the any time, everyone bar. We have regulars from 21 to 91,” Tober says. “It’s important to me that someone can get a beer, a shot of whiskey, and something to eat for under $20. That’s a really good feeling.”

Tober describes the food as “bad for you good food” that’s centered around a Detroit-style slider made with two smashed burger patties and topped with onions, pickles, and mustard. Of course, the Buffalo native has to serve wings; Nickel City’s are brined for 24 hours and tossed in a rotating roster of sauces. Detroit-style coney dogs and fries round out the offerings.

On the cocktail side, the menu starts with “Well Known,” which are the bar’s take on classics like the Old Fashioned or negroni. “Lesser Known” cocktails are recipes sourced from, and credited to, Tober’s favorite bars around the world. Highballs, tiki-inspired tropical drinks, and “Unknowns,” which are more obscure house originals, are also available. Critically, none of them cost more than $13. Then there’s the signature frozen Irish coffee, which can be ordered in a collector’s cup.

“It’s my homage to Erin Rose, which is my favorite bar in New Orleans,” Tober says. “We make our own coffee liqueur [and add] Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey and cream. It comes out perfect.”

Located at 2910 McKinney St., the space has been divided into different rooms, including a covered patio made by removing part of the exterior wall. Tober refers to his interior design aesthetic as “Rust Belt Chic.”

“My grandfather often hung out at these type of bars. He would take me in there. Grab a beer and give me a roll of quarters to play pinball in the corner,” Tober says.

Each Nickel City location has one unique feature. In Austin, it’s a cash-only charity bar. Fort Worth has a second bar with an extensive selection of tequila and mezcal.

For Houston, Tober created the Florida Room, a second bar in the space devoted to rum-based and tiki cocktails. It’s still under construction, but will eventually be open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Expect to see a retro, ‘80s-style design along with plenty of the pink flamingos that Tober says he saw everywhere while growing up in the Buffalo suburb of Cheektowaga.

Nickel City will celebrate its grand opening with a 99-cent Jim Beam highball for each patron. That promotion will continue during baseball season, when anyone wearing Astros gear or holding a ticket to the day’s game will be rewarded with the same special.

“I’m a Bills fan, but Buffalo doesn’t have a baseball team. I love the Astros. It’s gonna be a good season,” Tober says.

east end openings

Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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