Pub Grub and Patios – Get Ready for Nice Weather and Good Eats
For almost half a century Rudyard’s (2010 Waugh Drive) has been known as the Living Room of Montrose.
“It’s a fun vibe, good people watching, with the comedy show upstairs, and the food is always good and better than most bar food,” says customer Liz Gorman Jones.
They also have trivia nights, bingo, darts, karaoke, and open mic poetry nights. The above-pub grub includes some with Tex-Mex flair and the bar serves an impressive array of brews on draft. Bring your pooch by and grab a table on the porch because when it comes to the pub life, it doesn’t get any more traditional than this. Think of it as a British pub in Texas.
Pubs, short for public houses, came over from England during Colonial times. The difference between a pub and a bar, originally, was that pubs offered food while bars didn’t. But today the lines have blurred between pubs, taverns, and bars.
Now if you’re looking for an authentic British-style pub in Houston, one of the oldest is Red Lion Pub (2316 S. Shepherd Dr.) in River Oaks. Open daily, and you’ll often see regulars here almost daily, the Red Lion Pub offers a wide selection of beers, wine, cocktails and single malt scotch along with traditional English pub food. Besides the bangers and mash, Sheperd’s pie, a delicious beef Wellington, and the always popular fish and chips — $14 for a large half portion on Fridays — you’ll also find authentic Indian dishes. Indian is the Tex-Mex of Britain, and the chicken tikka and lamb vindaloo are quite yummy. There is almost always a soccer match on the multiple TVs, and the place loves to decorate for the holidays, and we do mean decorate.
Another spot serving up mouthwatering crispy fish and chips with malt vinegar is McGonigel’s Mucky Duck (2425 Norfolk St.). If you only think of the Duck as a place to hear great singer songwriters and knock back a few brews, then you’ve never eaten here. You can pop in here for a semi quite lunch Monday through Saturday. Enjoy a brew and check out their pub lunch and dinner menu which, beside the fish and chips, has such iconic items as Scotch eggs, Welsh Rarebit, and steak and mushroom pie. The Duck also specializes in Texas steaks, big burgers, and even a black bean queso.
So basically, pub food is more casual food, be it Texas or British staples, served in a social atmosphere. So, then what do they serve in a gastro pub or lounge? That’s just a fancy term for fancy pub food. Hearsay Gastro Lounges touts basic American food that’s a cut above with high-end ingredients, like Wagyu beef, and exotic spirits. The local chain also decorates in chic antique style fusing historic architectural elements with a modern twist. One of the most popular locations is Hearsay Levy Park (3728 Wakeforest St.), with its walls of glass and huge chandeliers. Grab a craft cocktail and peruse the menu: perhaps a vegetarian watermelon poke tostado, a handmade pizza, or a bistro steak? Excellent cheeseburgers and redfish tacos. And talk about a great patio, there’s an entire urban park outside where you and your canine friends can dine. This Hearsay sits in Upper Kirby’s Levy Park, an award-winning city park featuring activity areas, a dog park, rain garden, Children’s Park, and lush landscaping. There are always family fun activities from sunset bingo to Bollywood dance classes, and an art cart coloring station. Come and let Fido romp in the dog park, then leash him up and settle on the tables outside Hearsay to enjoy a cocktail and a burger and order off the special dog menu so your four-legged friend can relish a Hot Diggity Dog — a Wagyu beef hot dog — or the Salmon en PUPillote — baked salmon filet.
And the newest, opened just the first of May, is Solarium (820 Holman Street). Pub cum sports bar cum entertainment center, this Midtown establishment from Rex Hospitality Group will be packing in the pickle ball fans with its courts.
“Solarium is more than your standard recreational sports facility – it’s a place where sport, social connection and luxury seamlessly come together,” said Nina Quincy, president of Rex Hospitality Group. “We’ve taken a familiar recreational experience and transformed it with high-end hospitality, thoughtful design, and an atmosphere that feels both vibrant and sophisticated.” They describe the menu as elevated pub grub with such classics as a burger, patty melt, and po boys. Come for the pickleball but stay for the alfresco dining.
