Houston’s New Mega Patio Bar
You’ve heard of megachurches and megamalls but now let us introduce the Height’s latest “Patio Bar”. This long-in-the-works venture from serial entrepreneur Lonnie Schiller and company encompasses over 9,000 square feet, offers sports viewing on over 40 TVs and 40 craft beers, and is likely a haven for Gen X, Y, and baby boomers alike.
Lonnie Schiller of Schiller Del Grande Restaurant Group has had this property and idea in the works as far back as 2018 before it finally came to fruition in April. The spacious venue features excellent views of downtown, a firepit, and plenty of spaces to chill, but the food is limited to food trucks. This new locale tucked away just south of I-10 is about the beer and cocktails and laid-back atmosphere. It is truly a family affair as Schiller’s wife and partner Candice is the designer, and their daughter Caroline Murphy and son-in-law Brendan Murphy are co-owners.
The cooking comes in the form of the ever-popular food trucks that come and go with names such as Mama’s Latin Kitchen, Hoopz BBQ, and my favorite Hidden Garden Tacos. The specialty drinks rule with drinks such as the Schwayze, made with Deep Eddy Lime Vodka, Pomegranate syrup, and soda. My favorite is the Figit About It with Basil, Hayden Vanilla Liqueur, Fig, and Lemon.
Let’s face it, this is a giant ice house, albeit a fancy one a la Kirby Ice House and longtime Heights hang out at the Cedar Creek Bar & Grill.
Schiller was the original creator of Culture Map (a digital publication launched in 2009) and some say along with partner Robert Del Grande the inventor of “Tex-Mex.” Yes, of Schiller Del Grande/Cafe Annie fame, and notorious for creating Cafe Express, which they sold to Wendy’s and yet later repurchased and sold again. Back in the summer of 2020, Schiller told anyone that would listen that the new normal and the COVID economy could render a “corporate restaurant wasteland,” adding that Houston “will be a different city” if it loses its independently owned staples. Unfortunately, the dust has still not settled, and the restaurant casualties continue to mount. While many bars have suffered a similar fate, the prohibition detracters had it right, and we as Americans love to imbibe. Not only that, but we love money and the jobs and tax revenue it creates.
Before making this proclamation in 2020, Schiller and his Schiller Del Grande group, along with a team of investors and restaurant veterans, purchased the land in 2018 and began construction in the fall of 2019.
Dog-friendly Patterson Park offers organic wines and nitro brewed coffee. For food the plans are to have two food trucks, one serving American food and another serving international fare.
It is on Patterson Street along White Oak Bayou just north of I-10.