here comes the sun

Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr serves up a new pickleball bar in Midtown

A new destination for cocktails, bar bites, and social gaming has arrived in Midtown. After a quiet soft opening this weekend, Solarium is now officially open for service daily.

Located in the former Holman Draft Hall space, Solarium unites Rex Hospitality — the group behind Maven at Sawyer Yards that includes Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. as one of its founders — with the Kirby Group, the veteran bar operators behind Heights Bier Garten, Pitch 25, and more. Together, they’ve transformed Holman into a luxurious new sports bar built around pickleball.

At the heart of the renovations is a glass-walled indoor/outdoor bar area — the eponymous solarium. It offers a range of seating options, including community tables for large groups and more intimate bar-height tables. Design details include velvet chairs and and an “earthy palette,” according to a release, that features “Rolex green” fabric.

Next to the bar, patrons will find six outdoor courts — four pickleball and two padel. They’re available via reservation beginning at 9 am daily for rates that vary from $10 to $30 for pickleball and $20 to $40 for padel. An adjacent pro shop offers all the gear necessary to play either for rental or purchase.

Surrounding the courts are five private rooms. Made from repurposed shipping containers, they offer glass walls with a view of the games, as well as servers who will bring food and drinks. These VIP-style suites are part of how Rex Hospitality and The Kirby Group aim to distinguish Solarium from other, similar pickleball bars that have been opening around the Houston area. That’s consistent with the company’s approach with Maven, which adds cocktails to the familiar coffee shop model.

“Though the concept isn’t related to Maven in a direct way, it is in in line with the Rex vision and the ethos of Maven an indirect way,” Rex Hospitality president Nina Quincy tells CultureMap. “It is a unique take on a common pastime. We have taken something and added a unique and elevated twist, so in that sense I think it meshes well with the overall Rex vision and shares a similar ethos with Maven.”

A menu created by Rex Hospitality culinary director Nico Baizán features takes on familiar pub fare such as burgers, po’ boys, skewers, wings, and “bang bang” shrimp. At brunch, the bar’s menu includes pancakes, shrimp and grits, and shakshuka. Dessert options include a banana split and a build-your-own sundae.

Pair them with cocktails, beer, wine, or nonalcoholic sips. Brunch cocktails include mimosas and spritzes.

The bar and restaurant opens at 11 am Monday-Friday and at 10 am on weekends.

$Solarium \u200bowners Lance McCullers Jr., Juan Carlos de Aldecoa, and Jimmy Doan$

Photo by Swiggard Creative

Rex Hospitality partners Lance McCullers Jr., Juan Carlos de Aldecoa, and Jimmy Doan

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a laugh riot

Houston comedy club perks up Washington with new coffee shop and cafe

Courtesy of The Riot Comedy Club

The Riot Cafe seats 50 people inside.

A recently-relocated Houston comedy club is adding a daytime component to its offerings. Beginning this Saturday, October 17, The Riot Comedy club’s cafe will be open daily for coffee, meals, and more.

Beginning at 7 am Monday-Saturday and 8 am on Sunday, the Riot Café will serve coffee made with beans supplied by Houston-based roasted Katz Coffee alongside a menu of pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and similar fare. At lunch, dinner, and late night, the menu will include items such as pizza, panini, and shareable dishes.

General manager Seth Fair also created The Riot’s beverage program, which includes coffee, beer, wine, and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. The Roast, the venue’s signature cocktail, is made with mezcal, tequila, cold-pressed pineapple juice, lime juice, agave, and fire tincture. Zero-proof options include the Open Mic, made with Fever-Tree ginger beer, Southern Style Lemon Up, lime juice, and pineapple juice. Specialty juice shop MEP Cold-Pressed Juice supplies all of The Riot’s juices.

On a recent episode of CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast, The Riot owner Brian Grendon explains how the cafe sets itself apart from the other coffee shops on Washington Ave.

“We have wi-fi. We encourage you to stick around,” he said. “It’s really set up for comedians to come and write and congregate. Use our podcast studio. We are incentivizing people to come and hang out with us.”

Not only does the cafe offer 50 seats inside, it has a 20-seat covered patio that’s lit at night. In addition, online ordering and dedicated parking spots expedite picking up to-go orders.

“We wanted the café to have its own personality while still feeling like a natural part of The Riot,” Fair said in a statement. “The menu brings together a mix of familiar favorites and nostalgic items, along with comedy-inspired drinks, and partnering with Katz Coffee and MEP Cold-Pressed Juice was a great way to bring Houston local businesses into the mix.”

On Saturday, The Riot will celebrate the cafe's opening withcomplimentary light bites, coffee tastings and cocktail samples, a DJ, photo opportunities, and free refillable Riot coffee tumblers — good for $1 off coffee on future visits — for the first 50 people.

Courtesy of The Riot Comedy Club

The Riot Cafe seats 50 people inside.

The Riot occupied the upstairs room at Rudyard’s from 2022 until this summer, when it moved to a new home at 1925 Washington Ave. (next to Julep). The 2,200-square-foot room seats 170 people and hosts a mix of local, regional, and national acts.

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