Bovine & Barley is quickly becoming downtown Houston’s go-to Gastropub! With over 40 taps and casks, a hearty “beef-centric” menu, great music and a prime location in the heart of the city, this is where you should consider unwinding after a hard day or “turning up” on the weekend with friends.
B&B is a collaborative effort between restaurant owners Michael Collins (The Fish, The Refinery Burgers & Whiskey) & Jason Lowery (former owner of Proof Rooftop Lounge). It’s their vision that’s reflected throughout the entire concept. The decor is all about Houston & local craft beer with a massive HTX sign along the wall (Jason’s idea), famous beer quotes from Edgar Allan Poe and a line of local taps that almost span the entire back wall of the bar.
(L) – Saint Arnold – Elissa, (R) Lone Pint’s – Gentleman’s Relish
The great part is that the environment isn’t over-douchey. You can come in, pull up to the bar or grab a table, check out the screens to see what beers are available (they alternate about every 2-3 days)..should you have a hard time choosing what beers to try, don’t fret – General Manager Matt or any of the knowledgeable bar staff can help guide your decision.
Matt, personally selects a bulk of the beers at Bovine & Barley, so he knows his stuff and is great to chat with should you need a little help. He is also the go-to guy should you have a suggestions of beers to add to the lineup.
The food at Bovine & Barley is just as dope as the righteous beers and pairs perfectly with them! Under the tutelage of Chef Harold Wong, what more could you really ask for? Given his background at The Fish, Azuma and Uchi I was interested to see his vision played out in this particular setting. The conclusion I am came to was simple “when you got it, you got it” and Chef Wong has the culinary skills to masterfully create and serve tasty food anywhere he goes!
The menu consists of hearty starters, classic sandwiches and burgers, salads and yummy sweet treats! It’s pretty stacked though and with quite a few things to choose from you might be overwhelmed. Should this be the case, let me highlight some of the delicious items I tried.
We started with the Jalapeno Bacon Bites and were totally wowed when we realized that the main ingredient was a chunk of juicy, ripe pineapple wrapped with apple-wood smoked bacon and cream cheese that’s baked to a crisp and topped with katsuobushi (Bonito flakes). The sweetness from the pineapple complimented the saltiness of the bacon perfectly. I could have easily eaten all 6!
Jason suggested we try Mama’s Southern Fried chicken Lolipops. They were good, I could have used a bit more flavor in the fry batter but the lemon pepper jam was tasty. If you like the lemon pepper wings at wing-stop you will love this jam!
H.T.X. Sloppy Joes
I can honestly say that I have never seen sloppy joe’s on a menu at a restaurant. Maybe because they are “sloppy” or viewed in the same light as say, spam – you either like them or you don’t! In my opinion you have to really be in the mood (or a child) to crave one. For all of these reasons I had to order The H.T.X. Sloppy Sliders . Was I blown away? No, but I was satisfied with this throwback from my childhood. The added provolone and pickles made me feel somewhat like an adult.
The Bovine Burger
After all those starters we really didn’t have room for much more, so we made someone else order the Bovine Burger and watched them eat it.. like “food creepers.” It’s a 1/2lb of certified Angus beef, topped with apple-wood smoked bacon, thick cut cheddar cheese and crispy fried red onion strings.
We ended the evening with some items from the “sweet tooth” section. The Cronut Holes & the Fried Apple Milk Shake were too good for words..even on top of the beers .. which I won’t do again.. for me it’s either one or the other, beer or milk (never “bilk” or “meer”).
I love how everything is served in a glass, especially the ice cream. There is nothing worse than a big bowl of melting ice cream. In this scenario when the ice cream melts, grab a straw and keep it moving! The frosted cronut holes, vanilla ice cream and crumbled pecans topped with chocolate syrup was yummy to my tummy. The Fried Apple Milk Shake was scrumptious and had a fried apple in it! You have to try it.. especially if you never had fried apples.
The entire gang at Bovine & Barley is super sweet and are all about beer, good food and fun. They offer happy hour daily from 5-7 featuring $3 pints from *local breweries. Stop in and say hello.
*They highlight local brews from all over the country, not just Texas!
- Jalapeno Bacon bites: $6
- H.T.X. Sloppy Sliders: $9
- Mama’s Southern Fried Chicken: $10
- Bovine Burger: $14
- Cronuts & Fried Apple Milk Shake: $8
Bovine & Barley is hosting their grand opening on May 7 from 6:30 – 9:30 pm. See the official invite below!
This looks fantastic. Can’t wait to visit .
Thanks for visiting Linda!