A sprawling new neighborhood destination has arrived in the Heights. Long Weekend, the ranch-inspired restaurant from husband-and-wife team Paige and Andrew Alvis, opened Wednesday, March 4 at 2044 E. TC Jester, bringing wood-fired Western cooking, craft cocktails, and an expansive indoor-outdoor gathering space to the area.
The concept was born from Andrew’s childhood weekends on his family’s ranch, where long trail rides often ended around the fire with country music, storytelling, and shared meals. Drawing on those memories—and their own experience raising three young boys—the couple set out to create a restaurant that captures the spirit of those gatherings: a place where kids have room to play and explore while adults settle in for wood-fired cooking, cocktails, and unhurried time together.
“We built Long Weekend around the idea of bringing people together the way the ranching lifestyle always has—great food, drinks, music, and time with family and friends,” the couple said, in a release. “Everything is centered around hearty, wood-fired meals, modern cocktails, and a relaxed country-western setting that feels welcoming to everyone. Whether you’re a local or visiting Houston, we wanted Long Weekend to feel like a place you’ll want to settle in and stay awhile.”
With its prime location near the TC Jester Hike and Bike Trails, Long Weekend is poised to draw families and large groups, offering 8,000 square feet of indoor dining—including a dedicated café—and 20,000 square feet of outdoor space to spread out and linger. Designed in collaboration with London-based architecture and interior design firm Harrison, the restaurant channels a modern take on ranch style. Warm woods, canvas details, and layered natural textures set the tone throughout the space, balanced by rich leather seating. A custom hide installation—based on a photograph taken during a trail ride at the Alvis family ranch—anchors the room, alongside carefully selected taxidermy that nods to the surrounding landscape.
On Houston’s many pleasant-weather days, guests will naturally gravitate to the sprawling outdoor space, complete with a state-of-the-art playground, a flowing stream stocked with fish, a stage for live music, and plenty of TVs for catching the game.
At the center of the restaurant is a custom-built wood-fired kitchen outfitted with Demant grills, including a rotisserie, open hearth, and vault smoker, alongside a cherry-wood-fired pizza oven from Forno Classico. Executive chef German Mosquera (formerly of Verdine and Café Brasil) leads both the main kitchen and the café’s bakery program, shaping a menu rooted in cowboy-style comfort food.
Dishes range from hearty standouts like the Ax Breaker elk burger, Wagyu tomahawk steak, and rotisserie heritage chicken to playful bites such as Texas quail and bacon jalapeño poppers, rabbit-topped deviled eggs, and “Fancy Saloon” caviar potatoes. Wood-fired pizzas round out the savory offerings, while desserts like skillet cookies and cast-iron bread pudding trigger campfire nostalgia.
The beverage program keeps pace with the restaurant’s laid-back, ranch-inspired spirit. A cocktail lineup dubbed “From the Saloon” leans into Western flair, with house margaritas, tequila and mezcal drinks, and whiskey classics like a Texas Old Fashioned. Wine is available by the glass or bottle with a mix of reds, whites, and sparkling selections, while the beer list balances local brews with familiar national favorites.
Earlier in the day, the on-site café anchors the morning-to-midday scene for the neighborhood. The menu features breakfast staples like migas, omelets, breakfast burritos, tacos, pancakes, French toast sticks, and breakfast sandwiches. A complete coffee program—featuring espresso drinks, cold brew, matcha, chai, and specialty lattes—makes it just as suited for a quick weekday break as a slow weekend morning.
Long Weekend is now open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The café operates Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Long Weekend, 2044 E. TC Jester, longweekendtx.com
