Welcome to DiningOut’s Plate Full of News, your weekly serving of Houston restaurant, bar and culinary news. From buzzy openings and chef moves to can’t-miss events, menu debuts and industry updates, here’s everything happening in Houston’s dining scene this week.
The 411
Magnolia Hotel Houston has debuted Press & Pour, a new all-day coffee and cocktail bar in Downtown open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Located at Texas Avenue and Fannin Street, the 52-seat café starts the day with espresso drinks, iced coffees, fresh-baked pastries, and a signature colossal cinnamon roll before transitioning to cocktails, mocktails, and shareable plates in the evening. Drinks include a smoked old fashioned and the bourbon-based Black Gold, while a daily happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. features $5 specials. The concept also nods to the hotel building’s former life as home to the Houston Post-Dispatch, with vintage photographs, a 1920s typewriter, and other historical details throughout the space.
Spectators Bar & Grill has opened its fourth location at 25140 Kingsland Blvd. in Katy. The 6,500-square-foot, family-friendly sports bar seats 275 and features 45 TVs, private event rooms, and a patio with a 19-seat bar. The menu ranges from the Spectators Famous Prime Beef Cheeseburger and hot honey crispy chicken sandwich to wings, Texas Twinkies, and Southwest chicken egg rolls, complemented by more than 60 cocktails. Weekend brunch runs Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and happy hour is offered throughout the week, including late-night reverse happy hour Monday through Friday.
Happenings
Thompson Houston is giving Sundays a rooftop upgrade with its Sunday Social series at Sol 7. Guests can book private poolside cabanas with skyline views, happy hour cocktails, bites, and a resident DJ spinning from 6 to 9 p.m. For an earlier reset, Sunday Social: Flow, Plunge & Chill pairs an all-levels yoga class at 10 a.m. led by Jas of Vibes with Jas with a sound bath, assisted stretching, an optional cold plunge, wellness treats, a complimentary beverage, and rooftop pool access.
On Friday, August 14, chef Ryan Lachaine will join chef Marcos Juarez of Hidden Group at Sip & Skewer to debut an exclusive six-course tasting menu inspired by late-summer ingredients, Japanese technique, and traditional binchotan charcoal grilling. Priced at $75 per person, the collaborative menu will be served at Sip & Skewer’s four-seat chef’s counter and remain available through Wednesday, September 30, though Lachaine will be in the kitchen only for opening night. Featured dishes include masu crudo with grilled peach ponzu, cold somen with snow crab and ginger vinaigrette, and binchotan-grilled sawara with sweet corn dashi beurre blanc and trout roe. Reservations can be made at sipandskewer.com.
On the Menu
JINYA Ramen Bar is powering up its summer menu with new chef’s specials and a Dragon Ball Z collaboration. Available through Monday, August 31 at participating locations, the limited-time menu includes creamy tonkotsu ramen with pork chashu, seasoned egg, crispy garlic, and garlic spicy miso, plus a Hokkaido mille crepe served with vanilla ice cream, strawberry sauce, and raspberry. Diners who order the creamy tonkotsu ramen in-store will also receive a collectible Dragon Ball Z pin featuring Goku, Vegeta, or Shenron while supplies last. The specials are also available for online ordering, but the pins are exclusive to dine-in orders.
Kolache Shoppe has partnered with Coastline Pizzeria for its August collaboration. The limited-time OG Pizza Kolache is $4.75 and packs Coastline’s signature pizza flavors into Kolache Shoppe’s dough with mozzarella, Italian sausage, pepperoncini, ricotta, basil, and house tomato sauce. It’s available on weekends at the Greenway, Heights, and Memorial locations through Saturday, August 29 at Greenway and Sunday, August 30 at Heights and Memorial.
Buttermilk Baby is leaning into summer nostalgia with three limited-time specials available throughout August. The Campfire Crush blends toasted-marshmallow soft serve with Hershey’s chocolate and graham cracker crumbles for a s’mores-inspired shake, while the Heath Bar Sundae Dasher combines vanilla soft serve, chocolate, Heath Bar pieces, whipped cream, and toffee. On the savory side, the Tex-Mex Dog tops a wagyu beef hot dog with onions, tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, cilantro, and chipotle aioli.
Tipping Point at Hotel Zaza Memorial City is making weekday lunch a little easier with its Power Lunch, available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The $16 menu features a choice of four entrées, including the Southwest Power Bowl and Thai Black Rice Power Bowl. Those looking to make it a martini lunch can add a Za’Sper Martini or Dirty Zing ‘Tini for $12.
Hearsay Gastro Lounge and Tavern By Hearsay have rolled out a new weekday happy hour, available Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. Drink specials include $6 cocktails, $5 spirits, $4 house wine, and $3 domestic beers, with shareable bites like ahi tuna nachos, Wagyu meatballs, cheesesteak eggrolls, and street corn casserole also on the menu.
