This Week's Food News: Burgers, Bourbon and End-of-Summer Specials

This Week's Food News: Burgers, Bourbon and End-of-Summer Specials

The 'Daiquirí Clásico,' available one night only at Julep

SCHOOL MAY BE in session — but summer ain't over for these Houston restaurants. They're still celebrating the season with frozen cocktails, live music and tons of bourbon. (But Hopdoddy's Back to School Burger does look quite tasty, too.) Read on ... and bring your appetite!


Hopdoddy Takes Over Grub Burger in The Woodlands

The Back to School Burger

Hopdoddy Burger Bar took over another Grub Burger location earlier this month, this time in The Woodlands. The Austin-based chain, which for years boasted lines wrapping around its buildings hours before opening, is also shilling a Back to School burger, topped with fried bologna, muenster cheese and a fried egg. Yum!

Cool Off with a Frozen Watermelon-Mint Cocktail at Brennan’s

Watermelon Mint Freeze

Forego the frozé and instead opt for the new Watermelon Mint Freeze at Brennan's, available through the end of the month. It's $12, and makes the restaurant's charming courtyard bearable in August. Worth it!

Feges BBQ Hosts Bourbon-Splashed Pop-Up

Feges BBQ is partnering with Treaty Oak Distilling to host a five-course dinner with cocktail pairings at the end of the month. It will be served family-style — think peach-and-feta panzanella, and smoked beef shank with cast-iron grits and Korean-braised greens — and in addition to cocktails, there will be a whiskey tasting and a party favor of Ghost Hill Texas Bourbon. Tickets are $130 per person.

Paccha Nikkei Now Open on Westheimer

Pacha Nikkei dining room (photo by Marco Torres)

Located in West Houston near the Beltway, Pacha Nikkei is a first-of-its-kind concept, melding the flavors of Peru and Japan in sharable small plates and craft cocktails boasting sake and pisco alike. Helmed by chef Masaru Fukuda and operator Sebastien Laval (an alumnus of La Table, Le Colonial and Musaafer), it opened last week, promising heaping helpings of seafood-heavy dishes like pulpo a la parrilla and Peruvian-spiced-infused sushi rolls. For more, click here.

‘World’s Best Bar’ Takes Over Julep

Julio Cabrera

On the heels of her James Beard Award win, Alba Huerta is inviting some of the best bartenders in the world to shake things up at Julep. Julio Cabrera of Miami's Cafe La Trova will be pouring some Cuban-inspired cocktails on Monday, Aug. 29, from 7-10pm. His bar came in at No. 28 on the list of the World's Best Bars in 2021, and No. 6 on the list of Best Bars in North America this year (Julep was No. 46). Expect five signature cocktails from Cabrera, who'll also have Julep's kitchen whip up some of Cafe La Trova's bar bites. Outside, find a cigar bar and live Cuban-jazz music!

Food

IT’S A MILESTONE year for Houston PetSet, a local nonprofit organization working to end Houston’s homeless animal crisis. The much-needed organization will celebrate 20 years of advocating for the animals of Houston with its biggest Fierce & Fabulous Soirée yet!

Keep Reading Show less
People + Places

Hungry's Tanglewood

THE SUMMER RESTAURANT scene has been hot, hot, hot — and August is, unsurprisingly, no exception. Favorite cafes are rapidly expanding, while others are staying put — but giving their menus a mega overhaul. Read on for this week's most delicious food news!

Keep Reading Show less
Food