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Their Instagram has been silent all month and if you read their comments for the last two it mentions they are closed. Not sure what happened but I hope whoever is next has a little more of a casual/ take out vibe. I would love a top notch BBQ place (like Truth but obviously they aren’t coming) or even something like a Torchy’s (would be hysterical next to Ninfa’s and Tiempo)would be a welcome addition to the neighborhood and bring something a bit different. If it’s not something like that, I think a concept that involves a bar would work well there. I selfishly would love a revival of pastry war.

Eh, there have been plenty of bars on Main Street. COVID caused a bit of a lull, but I think the difference between Main and Washington has more been about the types of bars/clubs rather than the quantity. Washington has *never* had much in the way of what I personally would find interesting other than the Julep - Liberty Station - Darkhorse trio. Main St has/had Deans, Notsuoh, Bad News Bar, Pastry War (RIP), Little Dipper, Secret Garden, and a few more places scattered on Congress, Franklin, and Travis. Definitely a noticeable loss since before COVID, but still much better than the early 2000's club scene on Main. Though again, I've never personally been a "club" person. And that's within like a 300' radius of the 300 block of Main as opposed to like 2 miles of Washington.

Last fall, hospitality group the Hospitable Viking (Cherry, Zenaku, The Commoner, the Rosemont), announced plans for a new bar at 310 Main. The bar's name and other details weren't shared at the time, but it will occupy the first floor that was previously home to the Pastry War. I think the name of the bar may be Maneater. A few days ago, the bar appeared under suggested accounts to follow on Instagram. One of the followers is the owner of the Hospitable Viking. I'm assuming Maneater is probably the company's latest concept opening at 310 Main. Maneater's Instagram: @maneater_on_main

I tried to locate past discussions about 310 Main using the search. There were some posts here and there but not many specifically about 310 Main. Other posts pertaining to the mezcal bar Pastry War, the last occupant leasing the first floor. https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/search/?q="pastry war"&updated_after=any&sortby=newest&search_and_or=and And others about Tongue Cut Sparrow on the second floor. https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/search/?q="tongue cut sparrow"&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy&search_and_or=and

I have spent a lot of time on the road in hotels. I would typically be the most likely of my colleagues to want to check out local places - most of them just wanted to get whatever was easiest and go back to their hotel. If it was an extended stay we might plan something once or twice a week. Traveling for work can be weirdly exhausting, and the novelty can very quickly get old. My wife lived at the Rice when we met. Places downtown quickly became regular haunts. Public Services (RIP). The sushi place on the ground floor of the Rice. Honeymoon/Boomtown. Pastry War. La Carafe. I was 100% in favor of more hotels downtown, but we have them now. And if that's all we get from now on, downtown will just get more touristy, generic, and boring. We need people who live there and have a stake in it. People who are willing to try a place twice or go somewhere they don't recognize.

Yeah, I think this is one of the few streets most driver's couldn't care much about. Unlike closing the Spur access in Midtown, which got a lot of resistance from drivers and local business, I don't think any driver will care because no one uses that street to go anywhere fast. And so few businesses, if any, use Main street as their main entrance/access point (the Hotels, maybe?). Pre-Covid people walked in the street for those three blocks of Main where the bars are anyway, making traffic miserable. These bars are going to need the street space real soon when more people get vaxxed and all of a sudden every person over 21 will be wanting to get a drink again at a bar. Its already sort of happening, which is why we're seeing Pastry War re-open finally. Big fan of all of this.

Just so we're clear - this means that the following places are all within two blocks of each other: Fusion Taco, El Big Bad, La Calle, Chupacabra, and Main Street Taco Concept. You can also get tacos at Christians, Bovine and Barley, Live Sports bar and tamales at Pastry War.

This Starbucks will be a good addition to the area. I personally wish it was not a Chain but a locally owned business going in here but, I can see that this will fit well with the convention crowd. Christians Tail gate was busy Saturday in the early afternoon. In the lat afternoon Pastry War was a tad empty. Early evening Moonshiners was quite full.

Pastry War also doesn't even have anything visible from the sidewalk that says "Pastry War."

Public Services doesn't either. Moving Sidewalk. Pastry War.

I've only lived in Houston and downtown for two years and I am amazed by the amount of change that has occurred on the restaurant / bar scene. When I moved here, OKRA was not even open / even hinted at. Since then there has been a number of successful openings and it's hard to keep up with the pace of change. I've also been very pleased with the quality of each opening - these establishments are nothing like the typical Midtown / Wash Ave bars where the bartenders do not even know what Campari is. Here are recent openings in no particular order: Prohibition (1008 Prairie). A burlesque event space in back (A beautifully restored theater. You would have no idea that it is in this building. Drop in and ask to take a look) but the front restaurant serves excellent lunch and dinner. Pricey with some entrees > $50. Absolutely worth checking out for the smoked fried chicken alone. Chef Ben McPherson.http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2014/06/27/foodie-friday-whos-cooking-up-restaurant-news-in.html?page=allMain Kitchen (806 Main). In the new JW Marriott. It's been discussed in the JW thread a lot so won't rehash it here. Chef Erin Smith.https://www.facebook.com/MainKitchen806Bombay Indian Grill (806 Main). Indian lunch buffet.http://bombaygrillhouston.com/Honeymoon Cafe (300 Main). Serves upscale sandwiches for lunch. Downtown's only good independent coffee shop. Always packed for lunch and surprisingly packed for Sunday brunch.http://thehoneymoonhtx.com/Springbok (711 Main). South African restaurant and sports bar serving lunch and dinner.http://www.springbokhouston.com/Nightingale Room (308 Main). Bar and live music space. I visited and the cocktails are high quality. Part of the Anvil mafia.https://www.facebook.com/NightingaleRoomPublic Services Wine and Whiskey (202 Travis). Run by the former Oxheart sommelier with interesting wines and whiskeys. It's in the restored / renovated Cotton Exchange building.http://publicservicesbar.com/New Hearsay Location (1516 Dallas) Also, looks like a formerly empty location on Main Street is taped over with the business named "Beef and Barley" and District 7 Grill is taking over an empty space that spans half a block at Main and Texas. There is some sports bar opening on Main as well. As MAB noted in another thread, a new BBQ restaurant set to open by Brian Caswell (Reef), Bill Floyd and Greg Gatlin (Gatlin's BBQ) is set to open in Q1 2015 on Jackson and Congress near Minute Maid Park. There is now a liquor store downtown called Posh Liquors (http://poshliquors.com/). Based on the name, I'm assuming they are trying for an upscale clientele base. All these join the first wave of restaurants (El Big Bad, Batanga, Fusion Taco) and first wave of bars (Captain Foxheart's Bad News Bar and Spirit Lounge, OKRA, Pastry War, Clutch City Squire, Little Dipper, Dean's Credit Clothing re-opening). Yes it would be nice to get a full service grocery, a Target and some retail downtown but I am so grateful for everything that has happened to downtown recently, that I have no absolutely no complaints. I also have nothing but optimism for further development as more residential opens.

El Big Bad is a good place. Irma's is one of the better Tex-Mex places in town. Guadalajara in Greenstreet, Fusion Taco (kind of Tex-Mex), crappy chain Ninfa's if you want food poisoning, the queso and tamales at Pastry War, and the taco stand across from the old courthouse are some of the others there.

Okay, Little Dipper (new bar from Poison Girl people) is now open in the former Cava Bistro space (the second one, next door to the former Cielo Mexican Bistro/Pete's Dancing Marlin space). Dean's Credit Clothing has re-opened and has a cocktail list and a good beer list. In the last year, we've got: Clutch City Squire OKRA Pastry War Goro & Gun Little Dipper Batanga Fusion Taco Barnaby's Brewery Incubator and Dean's closed and reopened.

It's from the owners of El Gran Malo which is a Heights restaurant / bar specializing in infused tequilas. The food scene is eagerly anticipating it and I'm curious to see how the downtown superblock handles two tequila / mezcal bars (it is near the recently opened Pastry War from the Anvil crowd) Here's coverage on Houston Eater: http://houston.eater.com/tags/el-big-bad