What's Eric Eating Episode 262

Sneak peek of Houston's new live fire steakhouse, plus the latest food news

andiron chefs for farmers michael sambrooks louis maldonado

Michael Sambrooks, left, and Louis Maldonado, second from right, are this week's guests.

Courtesy of Andiron

On this week's episode of "What's Eric Eating," Sambrooks Management Group founder Michael Sambrooks and executive chef Louis Maldonado join CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to preview Andiron, the company's new live fire steakhouse that will open in December in the historic Star Engraving building on Allen Parkway.

The conversation begins with Maldonado, who competed on the New Orleans season of Top Chef and was named People magazine's sexiest chef in 2018, discussing the roots of his culinary career and his decision to move to Houston to work at Andiron. Sambrooks talks about the decision to open a steakhouse and how he thinks Andiron will distinguish itself from other restaurants, particularly in terms of ingredients and its use of a range of life fire techniques.

Sandler notes that steakhouses aren't typically chef-driven restaurants. He asks Maldonado what he adds to the restaurant that will help Andiron stand out.

"Honestly, it's questioning the steakhouse standard. The creative side is obvious, but also questioning, what is it? What is a steakhouse? We're going to have a sauce program. We'll have a saucier to do beautiful sauce work," he says. My role is driving the creativity, the vision."

Listen to the full interview to hear Sambrooks discuss the restaurant's different dining rooms and his expectations for the experience. Maldonado also shares some of his favorite meals in Houston so far.

Prior to the interview, Sandler and co-host Linda Salinas discuss the news of the week. Their topics include: a quick recap of the best bites at this year's Southern Smoke festival; chef Christine Ha's plans to open a new sandwich shop in Spring Branch; and Niko Niko's opening a new location in The Woodlands.

In the restaurant of the week segment, Salinas and Sandler share first impressions of Wild, the tropical-themed restaurant that just recently opened in the former UB Preserv space. Tune in to hear their thoughts on chef German Mosquera's menu and the CBD-infused cocktails.

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

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an offer he couldn't refuse

Exclusive: Killen's Barbecue will soon shutter in The Woodlands

Killen's barbecue meat platter with sides

Photo by Robert Jacob Lerma

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Fans of Killen’s Barbecue’s location in The Woodlands have a days to make one last visit. The restaurant will close this Sunday, December 7, chef-owner Ronnie Killen tells CultureMap.

Open since 2021, Killen says that he’s in final negotiations to sell the location at 8800 Six Pines Dr. to Whataburger for a new location of the iconic Texas fast food restaurant. Neither the original location of Killen’s Barbecue in Pearland nor its Cypress location are affected by the closure of The Woodlands and will remain open.

“Whataburger made me a deal I couldn’t pass up. It would take 10 years to do that kind of revenue,” Killen writes in a text, adding that the company recently made a significant payment to keep the deal’s window open through the end of the year.

He added that the costs to operate the restaurant have gone up significantly. As one example, a cord of wood cost $175 when he opened the first Killen’s Barbecue in 2013. It costs $475 now, he writes.

If the deal falls through, Killen states that he could look for a new buyer or convert the restaurant into a second location of Killen’s Burger, the retro-styled burger joint he operates in Pearland.

The restaurant’s closure had been expected since February, when Killen sold The Woodlands’ location of Killen's Steakhouse. At the time, Killen said he also planned to find a buyer for his barbecue joint in the bustling suburb. He cited the driving distance from Pearland to The Woodlands as one reason he chose to divest both locations. He still operates Killen's Steakhouse in Pearland, comfort food restaurant Killen's near the Heights, Killen's Burger, and three other locations of Killen's Barbecue.

As it approaches its 13th anniversary in the spring, Killen’s Barbecue remains a vital part of Houston’s barbecue scene. The restaurant recently earned an honorable mention from Texas Monthly and holds a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide. In July, it opened a new location at Hobby Airport.

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