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    see you at the saloon

    Ben Berg kicks it up a notch for RodeoHouston return of The Ranch Saloon + Steakhouse

    Eric Sandler
    Jan 22, 2024 | 4:00 pm
    The Ranch Saloon Steakhouse interior

    The Ranch will return for its third year.

    Photo by Jenn Duncan

    The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s only sit-down restaurant will return for its third year. Berg Hospitality’s The Ranch Saloon + Steakhouse will ride for the entire run of RodeoHouston, February 27 - March 17.

    First introduced in 2022, the Ranch is a dual concept, more than 16,000-square foot restaurant that’s constructed out of climate-controlled tents and decorated with Western-inspired touches that include contemporary southwestern art from Southern Kindness Gallery. The Saloon is a more casual setting that also includes The Porch patio, while The Steakhouse is a 240-seat fine dining restaurant that requires reservations. Notably, the Ranch is the only venue outside of NRG Stadium to offer cocktails on the Rodeo grounds.

    For 2024, they’ll be joined by The Skillet, a walk-up window serving kicked up versions of classic carnival food. Think bacon with truffle honey, wagyu corn dogs, or chicken fried steak on-a-stick; smash burgers and hot dogs; and deep-fried, churro-crusted “Cowboy Croissants” filled with nutella.

    Also new this year will be four satellite bars devoted to one drink or spirit — Cosmopolitan, whiskey, Aperol spritzes, and a tequila bar that will serve margaritas and “The Ranch” waters.

    The Ranch has also expanded its “The Ranch After Dark” live music offering. Pitched as a post-concert nightclub and lounge that starts at 9 pm, the venue will host DJs during weeknights and live bands on Saturday and Sunday. Bottle service will be available for a $500 minimum.

    The restaurant’s menu pulls from a number of Berg concepts, including B&B Butchers, The Annie Café & Bar, and B.B. Lemon. At the more upscale steakhouse, look for B&B Butchers signature dishes such as Chef Tommy’s Bacon, Carpet Bagger oysters on the half shell, and a full lineup of USDA Prime steaks. Those looking to splurge will find caviar, fresh seafood, and Japanese wagyu beef.

    The menu at the Saloon starts with favorites from B.B. Lemon such as campechana, blue crab beignets, and wagyu beef burgers. Other items include a lobster roll, pork chop, and steak frites. Food from both concepts is available at the Saloon, but Saloon dishes are not served in the Steakhouse.

    Those looking for the ultimate experience may purchase one of The Ranch’s Steakholder tables. Priced at $15,000 for a six-seat table or $20,000 for a 10-seat table, Steakholder access brings a number of perks, including branded signage, a private bar, private restrooms, and dedicated service staff.

    “In our third year of the Ranch and second as an official sponsor of RodeoHouston, I’m honored that Houstonians keep enthusiastically welcoming us back to NRG,” Berg Hospitality founder Ben Berg said in a statement. “This year, The Ranch is even better with a new layout and upgraded décor, specialty cocktail bars, more food options, and larger music acts. Come kick up your boots with us for a great meal and good time.”

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    a major award

    California-inspired Houston restaurant makes Robb Report best new list

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 16, 2026 | 3:30 pm
    Zaranda restaurant exterior
    Photo by Paula Murphy
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    A Houston restaurant is basking in the national spotlight. Robb Report named Zaranda, chef Hugo Ortega’s California-inspired downtown restaurant, to its list of The 10 Best New Restaurants in America.

    Published Tuesday, June 16, Zaranda ranks No. 10 on the list. Culinary editor Jeremy Repanich hails Ortega and his wife/business partner Tracy Vaught, writing that Zaranda “may be their best restaurant yet,” which is lofty praise considering their H-Town Restaurant Group also includes Hugo’s, Caracol, Urbe, and Xochi. It's the only Texas restaurant on the list, which is topped by Lilo, a 24-seat tasting counter in Carlsbad, CA.

    “Their take on Las Californias cooking incorporates influences of Asia: In the aguachile negro, for example, lime-cured shrimp has the salty punch of soy sauce,” Repanich writes. “At this seafood-focused restaurant, the whole-grilled fish is a must. It’s served with a trio of excellent sauces, from the salsa verde with its sharp acidity to the charred-tomato salsa that has a rounder, fruitier, and smokier flavor profile.”

    Ortega and Vaught opened Zaranda in October 2025. Located next to Discovery Green in the Norton Rose Fulbright Tower, the restaurant is named for a wire basket used to cook seafood over an open flame. It has earned significant praise, including a nomination for Best New Restaurant in the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, a spot on Texas Monthly’s list of the state’s best new restaurants, and an honorable mention on Texas Monthly’s list of the state’s 25 best new taquerias.

    Repanich writes that the restaurants that intrigued him most over the past year were smaller and more intimate than places he’s selected in previous years. He mentions Perseid, Aaron Bludorn’s restaurant in Houston’s Hotel Saint Augustine, as one example of that style of restaurant that just missed making the list.

    “Nevertheless, plenty of kitchens that did make the cut share that same intimacy, with artful, unfussy cooking; even the handful of tasting-menu spots revealed a softer, lighter side of fine dining,” Repanich writes. “Ultimately, that’s what the 10 best new restaurants in America for 2026 have in common: a refined sense of play that stays with you long after the meal is over.”

    Robb Report frequently includes Houston restaurants on its best new list. In 2024, upscale sushi restaurant Katami made the list, as did Navy Blue and Jūn in 2023 and March in 2022. It also named James Beard Award winner (and CultureMap wine columnist) Chris Shepherd the best chef in the world in 2019.

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