Attention to all fans of 70's funk, attractive women, and man food: Brick House Tavern & Tap has opened a location on Highway 290 in northwest Houston.
Following in the footsteps of Hooters, Brick House is a new example of the "brestaurant" concept that is gaining in popularity. Combining guy-friendly comfort food, a "man cave" atmosphere, and an attractive, all-female waitstaff, Brick House is positioned as a guy's home-away-from-home, a place where he can relax with his buddies and behave in an un-politically-correct manner.
Beer selection includes tableside micro-kegs, 40 ounce bottled beers, 100 oz beer bongs, and hand-pulled cask beer.
Brick House Tavern & Tap, 12910 Hwy 290, Houston, 77040, 713-462-0576, brickhousetavernandtap.com
Luby's, the Houston-based cafeteria chain, is celebrating its birthday by offering a present to its customers.
On Fridays and Saturdays in February, Luby's famous LuAnn platter will be half price, making it a legitimate bargain, and less expensive than the combo meal at your local McBurger place.
Grimaldi's Pizza, the legendary Brooklyn pizza joint, has opened its first establishment in the Houston area. Located across the Southwest Freeway from Sugar Land's First Colony mall, Grimaldi's has been delighting local residents with their three types of pizza: Red (traditional margharita) White (with garlic) and Green (with pesto). Prices aren't cheap, but for those seeking NY-style pizza, it's a lot cheaper than a plane ticket to La Guardia.
Closer to town, Russo's New York Coal-Fired Pizza has opened their second location on I-10 at Echo Lane. Befitting it's Memorial location this is a higher-end pizza joint, with a beautiful interior that complement the crowd-pleasing coal-fired pizza.
Thelma's Bar-B-Que, the landmark Houston BBQ spot was seriously damaged over the weekend by fire. They are closed until further notice, and there's no word about when and if Thelma will rebuild and reopen.
We at H-Town Chow Down wish Miss Thelma the best during this difficult time, and look forward to her reopening her legendary establishment.
Robb Walsh gives us the sordid details.
In a burst of generosity, Denny's is offering a free Grand Slam breakfast from 6am to 2pm today. The promotion was announced in an advertisement during the Super Bowl.
The free meal is available for dine in only.
Mia Bella, the popular downtown restaurant, has opened a branch in the Vintage Park shopping center, Hwy 249 at Louetta. Vintage Park is a themed outdoor shopping center along the lines of Market Street in the Woodlands or Town Square in Sugar Land.
Mia Bella is part of Youssef Nafaa's Bella Restaurant Group, which also operates Collin's Chop House, Cava Bistro, CoCo's Crepes & Coffee, Saffron Moroccan Cuisine and Cielo Mexican Bistro.
Another Mia Bella is planned for the new Pavillion center in downtown Houston.
More info: bellarestaurants.com
Mi Luna, the popular Woodlands-area Tapas bar, is gone. We stopped by recently and found the door locked, and a notice from the landlord that they had been locked out because of failure to pay rent.
Apparently the Woodlands location is the only one closing.
Following on the heels of the smashing success of SmashBurger, the California-based The Counter burger chain has Houston in its sights.
The Counter's concept features a design-your-own burger menu that's filled out by the customer. Options go far beyond the usual burger joint, with ten different cheeses, 28 different toppings, 18 different sauces, and three bun choices, totaling over 312,000 different combinations.
Denver's Magazine named The Counter among Denver's best new restaurants for 2008.
In a struggling economy, there are some companies that succeed. Offer a good product and a good price, and value-conscious consumers will reward you.
Chick-fil-A enjoyed another year of double-digit sales growth in 2008. The company has reported 2008 systemwide sales of $2.96 billion, representing a 12.17 percent increase over the chain’s 2007 overall sales performance. Same-store sales increased 4.59 percent.
Chick-fil-A's record sales performance marked the chain’s 41st consecutive year of systemwide sales gains – a streak that the chain has sustained since its inception in 1967 – and its 16th straight year of double-digit sales growth.
"Chick-fil-A was able to endure a number of challenges that could have been detrimental to any other chain, including targeted product competition among our quick-service rivals and a challenging economic environment, but our restaurant operators and team members remained committed to excellence which resulted in another solid sales year," said Chick-fil-A president and COO Dan T. Cathy.
Citing the weak economy, Houston restaurant icon Tony Vallone announced that he's put on hold his plan to open an Italian bistro and wine bar on West Gray.
"I'm going to wait until the economy gets better," said Vallone.
Tony Vallone is the restaurateur behind Tony's, the landmark Houston restaurant known both for its European cuisine and its famous patrons.
Vallone and his son Jeff were going to operate the restaurant together. Jeff currently operates Amici, the popular Italian spot located in Sugar Land's Town Center.