JŪN is raising the bar in Houston—literally—with a long-awaited expansion of its beverage program. On the heels of its third anniversary, the Heights restaurant from Top Chef alums Henry Lu and Evelyn Garcia has secured a full liquor license for the first time since opening its doors, unlocking a long-anticipated evolution of its beverage program. It’s a milestone that feels especially meaningful for a restaurant that has built its identity on storytelling, cultural nuance, and constant reinvention.
When JŪN first opened, a denied liquor license forced Lu and Garcia to get creative. They leaned into a wine- and sake-based cocktail program that became a defining feature of the restaurant—low-ABV, globally inspired drinks that matched the kitchen’s cross-cultural lens. The constraint, in many ways, became a catalyst.
Now, with a full liquor license approved at the end of last year, the duo is expanding that vision rather than replacing it.
“We have always seen JŪN as a novel. As each year passes, a new chapter opens. This year offered us an opportunity to expand our horizons with the beverage program, and we took it!” explained Lu, in a press release. “Heading into our fourth year, this chapter is really about the bountiful cultural roots that have made Houston home to so many people, as we work even closer with local farmers and ingredients. The beverage program is growing with us to add another dimension of storytelling.”
That storytelling shows up in a cocktail list that blends familiarity with personal history. The Post/Shift, a spicy ginger tamarind margarita, nods to Lu’s go-to drink after years working the line, while also reviving elements of the beloved Ginger She Hot, a fan-favorite from JŪN’s opening menu. A Carajillo made with Tenfold espresso and Licor 43 is smoked with palo santo, a reference to the team’s nightly ritual of resetting the space before service. Even a classic like the White Lady cocktail gets a JŪN-style remix, called the Pink Lady and crafted with beet-infused gin, citrus, and egg white.
Elsewhere, the menu leans into both tradition and play: a “Very Dirty Martini,” a reworked Manhattan dubbed The Bronx, and a dedicated selection of mezcal.
New cocktails will debut in phases through the end of the month, culminating in a full launch on Tuesday, March 31. On that evening, JŪN will celebrate the launch of its new bar program along with its third anniversary with a party at the restaurant, open to all. Attendees can expect a DJ, mariachi band performance from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., drag bingo hosted by Queen Persephone at 7:45 p.m., and a menu of a la carte dishes concocted by guest chefs including Suu Khin, Ivan Chavez, and Nina Canete.
The celebration continues in April when the restaurant will host a series of Monday night guest bartender takeovers. Proceeds from the weekly events will benefit I’ll Have What She’s Having, a Houston-based nonprofit supporting hospitality workers through health care access, education, and mentorship—an organization Garcia actively serves as a board member for.
With its new liquor program, JŪN gives Houstonians one more reason to pull up a seat, raise a glass, and toast to what’s shaping up to be its most exciting chapter yet.
JŪN, 420 E. 20th St. Ste. A, Houston, junbykin.com
