where to watch the world cup

Where to watch the World Cup in Houston

Pitch 25/Facebook

Soccer fans all over the world are turning their attention to Qatar where the World Cup will take place from November 20 through December 18. The 32-team field includes the world’s top squads, including the US’s first appearance since 2014.

For those whose knowledge of international soccer is limited to playing FIFA, check out this handy guide from The Verge that explains the controversies surrounding the event, lists a few teams to watch, and offers other tips for newbies.

A number of Houston bars and restaurants will be showing many of the matches, some of which kick off as early as 4 am. Look for plenty of opportunities to root for all the participating squads, with some establishments offering themed food and drink specials to champion individual countries.

Betelgeuse Betelgeuse
Washington Avenue’s cocktail bar and pizzeria will open at noon November 21-28 to show the 1 pm matches. Drink specials include $15 domestic buckets and happy hour pricing until 6 pm — $7 32-ounce drafts, $6 wines by-the-glass, and $8 World Cup-themed cocktails.

Bosscat Kitchen & Libations
The whiskey-obsessed comfort food restaurant will serve special dishes for all matches by the USA, Mexico, England, and France. Look for dishes such as the All American Dog (chili cheese hot dogs), fish and chips, birria tacos, and steak frites. Each menu comes with drinks specials such as $10 Maker’s Mark bourbon, beer specials, and $25 glasses of Veuve Clicquot champagne.

CounterCommon Beerworks & Kitchen
Bellaire’s new brewpub rolls outs its brunch menu this week, which is just in time to show the opening match on Sunday. Look for food specials for the 1 pm matches in the first, such as fish and chips for Monday USA vs Wales tilt and a Sonora hot dog for Mexico vs Poland on Tuesday.

Drift
The popular sports bar will open at 10 am November 20-28 to show World Cup matches on 50 TVs. Expect daily drink specials to put fans in the proper rooting spirit.

The Flying Saucer Downtown
The craft beer destination will open at 10 am this Sunday, November 20 for the opening match and at 10 am on Tuesday for Mexico vs Poland. Look for drink specials such as $4 Houston drafts on Sunday, $4 drafts and $4 cocktails on Monday, and more.

Lyric Market
Downtown’s newest food hall will show all matches that take place during its operating hours of 7 am - 10 pm on both a projector screen and its TVs. Bar manager Andy Charlton has created a menu of $8 cocktails inspired by each of eight groups in the round of 32. For example, consider Group B’s Best of Enemies (Pimm’s, bourbon, lemon and mint syrup) or Group F’s Second Time’s a Charm (rye, cold brew coffee, Maraschino liqueur, and bitters).

Monkey’s Tail
The north Houston bar will open at noon for all of the Mexico and USA games that start at 1 pm. In addition, the kitchen will serve two-for-$12 birria taco during Mexico’s matches and $7 Frito pies during USA matches.

Patterson Park
The Heights-area bar will open at noon for the USA matches on November 21, 25, and 29. It will show the games on its 40 TVs with full sound.

Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House
San Leon’s waterside restaurant will show World Cup matches on the TVs at its bar and patio. Get $4 drafts during weekday matches, and fans sporting team gear will receive 10-percent off their bills.

Pitch 25 Beer Park
Naturally, Dynamo legend Brian Ching’s massive, soccer-themed bar in EaDo will open as early as 7 am for select matches. The indoor-outdoor bar’s World Cup parties will feature a 20-foot screen, more than 45 TVs, six pop-up bars, food trucks, and appearances by soccer players including former members of the Mexican National Team.

Those looking for a more premium experience may opt for VIP passes that come with a dedicated seating area, separate entrance, and a private bar.

The Richmond Arms
The beloved, Galleria-area pub will open at 7 am November 21-28 and at 9 am November-December 18. As everyone knows, watch soccer is more fun with English pub grub and properly poured pints.

The Upside Pub
Garden Oaks’ newest neighborhood bar will offer different drink specials during the 1 pm matches. Some days will feature discounts on specific breweries while other days will feature early happy hour pricing.

William Price Distilling
Head to Garden Oaks where this distillery will be showing all of the 7 am, 10 am, and 1 pm games on a 20-foot indoor screen on its production floor and on multiple TVs in its tasting room and lounge. Fans can catch all of the USA, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina matches, including the one that starts at 4 am.

Attendees can sip coffee, beer, wine, or cocktails, and food will be available. Plus, the distillery offers fast wifi for anyone who needs to get a little work done. Reservations available via Eventbrite.

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NYT best dishes

Houston Mediterranean restaurant makes NY Times' best desserts list

Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen/Facebook

Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen is the only Houston restaurant on either list.

The New York Times included four Texas restaurants among its favorite dishes of 2025. Divided into two lists — The 23 Best Restaurant Dishes We Ate Across the U.S. in 2025 and The 14 Best Restaurant Desserts We Ate Across the U.S. in 2025 — the dishes are:

Bad Honey Bunny at Mercado Sin Nombre (Austin)
Ketan Hitam at Yeni’s Fusion (Austin)
Konafa Naama at Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen (Houston)
Picadillo Macaroni and Cheese at 2M Smokehouse (San Antonio)

Times food writer Priya Krishna, who authors the entries for all four Texas dishes, traveled to far west Houston to visit Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen. “The konafa, a signature here, arrives with a molten layer of cheese under a sticky-sweet layer of golden, nutty semolina. The craft is evident, the konafa gone in a few bites,” she writes.

Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen Konafa Naama Don't skip dessert at Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen.KSayad Mediterranean Kitchen/Facebook

In Austin, Krishna praises the rice pudding at Yeni’s Fusion. “This barely sweet version, lush with coconut milk, aromatic with pandan and as soothing as warm porridge, is the gentlest way to end a meal,” she states.

Already hailed as one of America’s best breakfast spots by Bon Appetit, Krishna singles out a honeybun at Mercado Sin Nombre. “The coiled honey bun at this semi-clandestine cafe looks almost cartoonishly perfect, and the heady scent of cardamom and honey hits you before you even take a bite. Somehow, it tastes every bit as plush and elegant as it appears,” she writes.

The picadillo mac and cheese at 2M Smokehouse showcases how the San Antonio restaurant incorporates Mexican flavors into traditional Texas barbecue. “Imagine Hamburger Helper, but spicier, punchier and even more luxuriously creamy. It’s not easy to one-up the singular, thickly spiced brisket here, but the picadillo mac and cheese — which runs as an occasional special — holds its own and then some,” Krishna writes.

The New York Times regularly shines its spotlight on Texas restaurants, In September, it named four establishments — ChòpnBlọk (Houston), Isidore (San Antonio), Lao’d Bar (Austin), and P Thai’s Khao Man Gai & Noodles (Austin) — to its list of America’s 50 Best Restaurants.

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