morning to late night

Historically-minded new coffee shop perks up downtown Houston hotel

A downtown Houston hotel has opened an inviting space for guests and locals to sip coffee in the morning and cocktails at night. Press & Pour is the latest addition to the Magnolia Hotel Houston.

Open daily from 6 am-11 pm, Press & Pour takes inspiration from the Magnolia Hotel’s history as the former home of both the Houston Post-Dispatch and Shell Oil. “Press” refers to both the media and the act of using a tamper to press espresso prior to brewing. Design details include vintage photographs, a 1920s typewriter, and a copper still.

In the morning, the shop serves espresso beverages, iced and blended coffee drinks, and match. Food options include French toast and a giant cinnamon roll that the hotel becomes a signature item.

Beginning at 3 pm, the shop shifts to happy hour and cocktail service. Bar bites include snapper ceviche, crab avocado salad, deviled egg trio, short rib sliders, chicken quesadillas, and short rib sliders. Pair them wine, beer, or cocktails such as a margarita and the Black Gold, a whiskey sour riff made with bourbon, blackberry, basil, lemon juice, and simple syrup.

Press & Pour has 52 seats, plus a covered, pet-friendly patio with 10 seats. Wifi and outlets should appeal to remote workers, while five TVs ensure patrons can follow the night’s action.

“Press & Pour was created to meet a need in downtown Houston for an inviting space where hotel guests, business travelers, and the local community can start the day with a quality cup of coffee, settle in for a work session, or unwind with a cocktail,” said Justin Sides, director of operations at Magnolia Hotel Houston. “We look forward to welcoming guests for morning coffee, happy hour, or to gather before and after a game at nearby Daikin Park.”

Located at 1100 Texas Ave., the Magnolia has 314 rooms and over 14,000 square feet of event space. In addition to Press & Pour, its also home to The Dispatch, a contemporary American restaurant named for the newspaper that once called the building home.

Courtesy of Magnolia Hotel Houston

Press & Pour is now open at the Magnolia Hotel Houston.

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Welcome KIH 5

Successful Houston patio bar Kirby Ice House now open in Clear Lake

Courtesy of Kirby Ice House

Kirby Ice House is now open near Space Center Houston.

The newest location of Kirby Ice House is now open in Clear Lake.

First announced in July, the expansive new bar is conveniently located near the Johnson Space Center and Space Center Houston at 530 Bay Area Blvd. Like its siblings in Upper Kirby, Memorial, The Woodlands, and near the Heights, the Clear Lake location features Kirby Ice House’s winning formula of 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.

It also offer Kirby Ice House’s daily specials and happy hour discounts. They include $1 off draft beers on Tuesday, $5 select Texas drafts and liquors on Wednesday, Ladies Night on Thursday, and daytime specials on Saturday and Sunday.

The bar customized its interior for Clear Lake. For example, the design nods 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.”

Beverage choices start with dozens of beers on tap 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.

Kirby Ice House arrives just in time for football season. It opens at 11 am on Saturday and Sunday to ensure fans catch all the day’s action. It opens at 2 pm Monday-Friday.

Kirby Ice House welcomed hundreds of people to a pre-opening party on Labor Day. Alongside its full menu of drinks, special guests Lupe Tortilla and Eastbound Barbecue served food.

Courtesy of Kirby Ice House

Kirby Ice House is now open near Space Center Houston.

openings nightlife cocktails kirby ice house clear lake