Downtown Restaurant And Bar Market

[HtownWxBoy]

2 hours ago, bookey23 said:

They should extend it the entire length of downtown. Main street is such a pain to drive on Downtown anyway, let's try to spur some development along Main closer to Toyota Center and into South Downtown

Wouldn't be surprised if that happens in the future.  The businesses along Main where it's happened are all for it which means other businesses along Main would like it.  Combine that with the fact that drivers just don't use Main Street that much... it's not like they would be displacing a ton of vehicle traffic. 

Edited March 23, 2023 by HtownWxBoy

[nate4l1f3]

Love this and was excited the first time they did it but I got an ask— does anyone actually use the outdoor dinning space? It always looks like no one actually uses the pace when in drive by. 

[jhjones74]

34 minutes ago, nate4l1f3 said:

Love this and was excited the first time they did it but I got an ask— does anyone actually use the outdoor dinning space? It always looks like no one actually uses the pace when in drive by. 

During lunch when it’s nice out there will be people working downtown who use the space. On weekends it makes complete sense to have the roads shut down as people bar hop, some get used more than others. But at night during the week, I hardly see them being used at all. I reckon at least partially because it’d be impossible to have any kind of experience there without including 2 or 3 homeless people in your plans

[j_cuevas713]

1 hour ago, nate4l1f3 said:

Love this and was excited the first time they did it but I got an ask— does anyone actually use the outdoor dinning space? It always looks like no one actually uses the pace when in drive by. 

I've seen a few people using it, especially late at night when more bars start to fill up. 

Edited March 23, 2023 by j_cuevas713

[staresatmaps]

5 hours ago, HtownWxBoy said:

Wouldn't be surprised if that happens in the future.  The businesses along Main where it's happened are all for it which means other businesses along Main would like it.  Combine that with the fact that drivers just don't use Main Street that much... it's not like they would be displacing a ton of vehicle traffic. 

I'm sure there's a few Hotels and Offices with no ground floor retail that would be big haters/complainers.

[editor]

18 hours ago, jhjones74 said:

But at night during the week, I hardly see them being used at all

It depends on the night.  Some nights, it's dead.  Some nights — even weeknights — it's pretty busy.  It's all about how full the hotels are, and what events are going on downtown. 

I've seen plenty of nights when Main Street has a good number of tourists wandering around looking for something to do and somewhere to eat, but everything is closed or hard to find (underground, unsigned, scary looking).

17 hours ago, staresatmaps said:

I'm sure there's a few Hotels and Offices with no ground floor retail that would be big haters/complainers.

My guess it they wouldn't complain.  For the office building owners, the more amenities there are, the more rent they can charge.  For the hotels, it means higher prices and occupancy rates because visitors are lured away from the Galleria Area.

[jhjones74]

12 minutes ago, editor said:

I've seen plenty of nights when Main Street has a good number of tourists wandering around looking for something to do and somewhere to eat, but everything is closed or hard to find (underground, unsigned, scary looking).

This is a great point I think most people don’t realize. I’ve sat next to a number of people from Europe and Australia visiting Houston for business or just to explore. One guy from London just came to Texas to explore around, started in Houston. After chatting a bit we went to a few more bars downtown, but I ultimately ended up taking him to the heights. He was shocked by how far we drove, and basically the suburbia we got to in order to find the most popular bar spot. Bottom line is that any visitor is organically going to stay downtown not only because that’s where the hotels are, but that’s where the action should be. I hope Houston 5 years from now is more like what most visitors imagine it to be

[j_cuevas713]

50 minutes ago, jhjones74 said:

This is a great point I think most people don’t realize. I’ve sat next to a number of people from Europe and Australia visiting Houston for business or just to explore. One guy from London just came to Texas to explore around, started in Houston. After chatting a bit we went to a few more bars downtown, but I ultimately ended up taking him to the heights. He was shocked by how far we drove, and basically the suburbia we got to in order to find the most popular bar spot. Bottom line is that any visitor is organically going to stay downtown not only because that’s where the hotels are, but that’s where the action should be. I hope Houston 5 years from now is more like what most visitors imagine it to be

I agree! Downtown is where most people are going to stay for the most part. The neighborhood still has a way to go but it's def becoming more and more lively 7 days a week. 

Edited March 24, 2023 by j_cuevas713

[editor]

23 hours ago, jhjones74 said:

This is a great point I think most people don’t realize. I’ve sat next to a number of people from Europe and Australia visiting Houston for business or just to explore. One guy from London just came to Texas to explore around, started in Houston. After chatting a bit we went to a few more bars downtown, but I ultimately ended up taking him to the heights. He was shocked by how far we drove, and basically the suburbia we got to in order to find the most popular bar spot. Bottom line is that any visitor is organically going to stay downtown not only because that’s where the hotels are, but that’s where the action should be. I hope Houston 5 years from now is more like what most visitors imagine it to be

I can concur. 

I know of a group of people who were in town a couple of weeks ago from Paris.  Their company put them in a big downtown hotel.  After their meetings during the day, they were shocked that there wasn't anything for them to do or see after work.

Bar-hopping and taco trucks at Discovery Green are fine, but not to everyone's taste.

[hbg.50]

23 hours ago, jhjones74 said:

This is a great point I think most people don’t realize. I’ve sat next to a number of people from Europe and Australia visiting Houston for business or just to explore. One guy from London just came to Texas to explore around, started in Houston. After chatting a bit we went to a few more bars downtown, but I ultimately ended up taking him to the heights. He was shocked by how far we drove, and basically the suburbia we got to in order to find the most popular bar spot. Bottom line is that any visitor is organically going to stay downtown not only because that’s where the hotels are, but that’s where the action should be. I hope Houston 5 years from now is more like what most visitors imagine it to be

Business travelers will stay near their offices.  A lot of business travelers stay in The Woodlands / Spring Woods

5 minutes ago, editor said:

I can concur. 

I know of a group of people who were in town a couple of weeks ago from Paris.  Their company put them in a big downtown hotel.  After their meetings during the day, they were shocked that there wasn't anything for them to do or see after work.

Bar-hopping and taco trucks are fine, but not everyone lives like they're in college.

I guess you mean “do or see” downtown.  There is plenty to do or see in the city.   My experience while being on business travel is long days working and then a group dinner.  We never had time for sightseeing during the work week.

[BeerNut]

13 minutes ago, editor said:

After their meetings during the day, they were shocked that there wasn't anything for them to do or see after work.

Bar-hopping and taco trucks at Discovery Green are fine, but not everyone lives like they're in college.

I'm always curious what others suggest to do for out of town visitors. Food and drink are my usual go to unless there is an event happening.

[editor]

2 hours ago, steve1363 said:

Business travelers will stay near their offices.  A lot of business travelers stay in The Woodlands / Spring Woods

I guess you mean “do or see” downtown.  There is plenty to do or see in the city.   My experience while being on business travel is long days working and then a group dinner.  We never had time for sightseeing during the work week.

Not everyone who comes to Houston on business works in the oil industry, and for these people from Paris staying in The Woodlands or Spring would put them very far from what they came here for. 

You are correct — I meant downtown.  

These people, being European, are used to going out and doing things after work and eating late.  As you know, what little there is in downtown Houston buttons up after 4pm, and sometimes after 2pm. 

But let's pretend these people were likely to rent a car (not really likely), or take a ride-sharing service (even less likely), what would they go to see in Houston after 5pm on a weekday?  

 

[nate4l1f3]

Sorry if this was already mentioned but it looks like Bovine & Barley and 416 Main St. has permanently closed. Google maps mentions it as permanently closed as well. 

[hbg.50]

5 hours ago, editor said:

Not everyone who comes to Houston on business works in the oil industry, and for these people from Paris staying in The Woodlands or Spring would put them very far from what they came here for. 

You are correct — I meant downtown.  

These people, being European, are used to going out and doing things after work and eating late.  As you know, what little there is in downtown Houston buttons up after 4pm, and sometimes after 2pm. 

But let's pretend these people were likely to rent a car (not really likely), or take a ride-sharing service (even less likely), what would they go to see in Houston after 5pm on a weekday?  

 

I’m not in oil and gas and my company is in Spring Woods.  Anyway, I know, the Europeans pride themselves on walking everywhere!  …until they move here.

It obviously depends on the time of year regarding things to do…Houston Grand Opera has mid-week performances…I’m sure there are other shows going on at the Alley and the Hobby Center…MFAH is open late on Thursdays?

My co-workers from other countries always want to go shopping!  And finding the outlet stores, no matter how far away, is always a priority! 

[asubrt]

5 hours ago, nate4l1f3 said:

Sorry if this was already mentioned but it looks like Bovine & Barley and 416 Main St. has permanently closed. Google maps mentions it as permanently closed as well. 

Bummer, was a good spot. But it was empty the last time I was there on a Saturday night, so not exactly surprising. 

[nate4l1f3]

1 hour ago, asubrt said:

Bummer, was a good spot. But it was empty the last time I was there on a Saturday night, so not exactly surprising. 

It was the place to be when it first opened but it slowly died over the years.  I watched the Astros win the World Series here so it’ll live on forever in my memory!

[editor]

I saw another one of those gaps between potential customers and downtown's offerings.

Last night I was walking home from church and went through Greenstreet.  There were a hundred or so (that I could see) people hanging around.  Maybe waiting for a concert?  Dunno.

A number of them were wandering the streets looking for a place to eat.  Some were looking at their phone apps, and a small group was bugging the Greenstreet valets.  No luck.  The valets say this happens  all the time.

These weren't Alley Theater people, so The Palm wasn't an option.  I don't know what M&S is like, but I guess the dress code is similar.  And even if it isn't, based on what I was listening in to, they weren't looking for a sit-down steak dinner experience. 

Some enterprising food trucks could make a pretty good penny parking near GS during events.  It's not an ideal solution, but it would be a step in the right direction considering the dearth of dining options at Greenstreet, and the fact that what exists there isn't open full-service hours, or caters to a very specific clientelle.

 

[nate4l1f3]

3 hours ago, editor said:

I saw another one of those gaps between potential customers and downtown's offerings.

Last night I was walking home from church and went through Greenstreet.  There were a hundred or so (that I could see) people hanging around.  Maybe waiting for a concert?  Dunno.

A number of them were wandering the streets looking for a place to eat.  Some were looking at their phone apps, and a small group was bugging the Greenstreet valets.  No luck.  The valets say this happens  all the time.

These weren't Alley Theater people, so The Palm wasn't an option.  I don't know what M&S is like, but I guess the dress code is similar.  And even if it isn't, based on what I was listening in to, they weren't looking for a sit-down steak dinner experience. 

Some enterprising food trucks could make a pretty good penny parking near GS during events.  It's not an ideal solution, but it would be a step in the right direction considering the dearth of dining options at Greenstreet, and the fact that what exists there isn't open full-service hours, or caters to a very specific clientelle.

 

I wonder what The Shops at Houston Centers hours will be once they’re fully open. There needs to be some signage or something to let people knows what’s inside that building. 

[jhjones74]

3 hours ago, nate4l1f3 said:

I wonder what The Shops at Houston Centers hours will be once they’re fully open. There needs to be some signage or something to let people knows what’s inside that building. 

While I’d love more of the restaurants to be open later, I doubt there’s enough traffic yet for Potbelly or Chick-fil-A as an example to stay open later past the lunch rush. Around 10,000 people live downtown, plus let’s say on average another 5,000 visiting downtown each night (might be generous). Would any of those restaurants, let alone all of them, be able to thrive in a city of only 15,000 people? Because likely nobody from outside of downtown will come to grab something to eat there unless they’re visiting for some other reason, especially if it’s just chain restaurants that exist elsewhere. Will be interesting to see if Puttshack brings in more people, I have yet to see anybody using Immersive Gamebox, though I haven’t been on a weekend night

[editor]

23 hours ago, jhjones74 said:

I doubt there’s enough traffic yet for Potbelly or Chick-fil-A as an example to stay open later past the lunch rush. Around 10,000 people live downtown

The Chick-fil-a at Pennzoil Place and Allen Center are open until 5pm M-H.  For some reason at Highlight it's only open until 2pm, even though there are more people living near there than the other locations.

I think Downtown Houston is more than 10,000 people.  I think there was a newspaper article in the last couple of months that put it at 20,000 with a goal of 30,000.  But my memory on that topic is weak.

[jhjones74]

1 hour ago, editor said:

I think Downtown Houston is more than 10,000 people.  I think there was a newspaper article in the last couple of months that put it at 20,000 with a goal of 30,000.  But my memory on that topic is weak.

Below two links put the population at 10,000 with a goal to get to 20,000. And yeah thinking about all the other restaurants in other parts of downtown, imagine a town of 10,000 having two chick-fil-a’s…

https://www.downtownhouston.org/resource/residential/

 

[hbg.50]

2 hours ago, jhjones74 said:

Below two links put the population at 10,000 with a goal to get to 20,000. And yeah thinking about all the other restaurants in other parts of downtown, imagine a town of 10,000 having two chick-fil-a’s…

https://www.downtownhouston.org/resource/residential/

 

Latest milestone achieved was 11,000 downtown residents.  Daytime downtown population estimated at over 300,000.  Every Chick-fil-a I’ve ever seen has been packed at all hours of the day or night…somehow I think they’ll do just fine.

[Moore-to-it]

On 3/27/2023 at 10:55 PM, steve1363 said:

Latest milestone achieved was 11,000 downtown residents.  Daytime downtown population estimated at over 300,000.  Every Chick-fil-a I’ve ever seen has been packed at all hours of the day or night…somehow I think they’ll do just fine.

I'm just glad they stop using the prison population to boost the numbers 

[staresatmaps]

3 hours ago, Moore-to-it said:

I'm just glad they stop using the prison population to boost the numbers 

Hey I always see newly released prisoners looking for something to eat downtown.

[bobruss]

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/22/dining/dallas-luxury-restaurants.html

Heres a story in today's New York Times that will make Houstonians wonder why we dont get some of this stuff. Like two new Ritz Carltons going up at the same time and all of these incredible new restaurants.

Maybe 92,300 millionaires has something to do with it.

I dont know how many we have, but this article compares Dallas to the Dubai in terms of expensive and fancy eateries.

Edited May 22, 2023 by bobruss
added art.

[Houston19514]

18 minutes ago, bobruss said:

Heres a story in today's New York Times that will make Houstonians wonder why we dont get some of this stuff. Like two new Ritz Carltons going up at the same time and all of these incredible new restaurants.

Maybe 92,300 millionaires has something to do with it.

I dont know how many we have, but this article compares Dallas to the Dubai in terms of expensive and fancy eateries.

Kinda funny that in the paragraph immediately preceding the one where they (falsely) state that they have two Ritz-Carltons being built, the New York Times writer says:  "In a city [Dallas] whose dining scene has often dwelled in the shadow of Houston's diverse cuisines..."

And no, they do not have two Ritz-Carltons being built in Dallas. The former Four Seasons in Irving is being converted to a Ritz-Carlton.  A third Ritz-Carlton has been announced for Frisco near the new PGA HQ and golf course, but it is unclear when that one will be built (or IF it will actually come to fruition).  Typical Dallas hype and over-announcement.

FWIW, yes they have a Ritz-Carlton (and next year they, meaning Dallas-Fort Worth, not Dallas) will have two and we have none.  But we have both a Four Seasons and St. Regis, neither of which has a flag in DFW.

Edited May 22, 2023 by Houston19514

[nate4l1f3]

The Big Casino Bar has opened at 908 Congress replacing the old Batanga

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsulAnogBo8/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[Texasota]

Hmmm. Batanga wasn't great, so I'm happy to see it replaced, but...

Not like this. Not like this.

[TacoDog]

This does not feel like Houston to me. 

[editor]

On 6/1/2023 at 6:44 PM, nate4l1f3 said:

The Big Casino Bar has opened at 908 Congress replacing the old Batanga

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsulAnogBo8/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==