We are in patio dining weather, thankfully. Do you have a favorite place to dine outside?
Today I grabbed my father and went and sat on picnic tables at Live Oak Grill in Sugar Land. This place is jammed during the weekday lunches, but we got there early today and I enjoyed a nice hamburger in this glorious weather. It has tons of outdoor seating, both in front and in back.
Like virtually every favorite restaurant in Houston my favorite patio places have closed or moved.
Examples, Mardi Gras Grill on Durham, poached oysters in a wine butter sauce, crawfish and made to order cream gravy.
Magnolia Bar and Grill, oyster toast, catfish pieces, and crawfish. One time they had jumbo boiled crabs something that has disappeared from Houston menus.
Pico’s Bellaire Boulevard where I courted the Wifeacita. The best straight up margaritas in a shaker, chilorio, camarones al ajillo, the fajitas were tasteless and terrible.
I’d like to come up with a new place but I know it will be met with demise.
That looks really nice. We have a freaking north easter here in nj. It’s windy as hell and rain is blowing sideways. Do you guys get to eat outside all year round?
In theory yes but you won’t catch me outside eating from May through most of October when it’s 90 plus virtually every day.
Memorial Day also marks the end of grilling season for me. I don’t like sweating and flies while I grill.
Good luck with the north easter and looming winter.
Ditto all that. Truth is, there’s only a couple of weeks in the fall and spring when the weather is perfect: 60s with low humidity. It makes me giddy each time. And I’ve just started grilling again also.
I don’t know whether to put this under patio, sandwiches or new restaurants, but I like the patio so maybe I’ll remember it has one if I put it here.
BB Lemon opened a couple of weeks ago and is owned by the same fella that has B&B Butchers across the street. This eatery is small and casual with a nice patio, meant to evoke memories of neightborhood eateries in Manhattan. Remember that? Ah good times. Well Mr. BB does remember. Walk into a tiny alcove dining area and long bar with a door to the patio, apparetly there is a larger dinng room out of sight. I opted for outside and ordered the patty melt, which was really good and I’d order it again. Sides are extra. The meat was juicy and the grilled onions and swiss were plentiful.
I also ordered the cup of chili, which was okay, those orange things are cheese chunks. I asked for hot sauce, Cajun Chef, Tabasco, Cholula, anything, but they don’t have it. They brought me a housemade sauce in a condiment cup that was really just seasoned ketchup tasting of cinnamon, but with no heat. They also brought us a bowl of spicy popcorn to snack on.
Unfortunately and due to no fault of the restaurant, several cars were vandalized during daylight at the height of lunch hour and with constructions workers in the parking lot!! That is brazen, 'tis the season, I guess. 
This happened between the time we went in and an hour later when we returned, and cars on both sides of my car had busted windows. I don’t know why they skipped me, maybe because I only keep an unbrella in my car, but I felt terrible for the others and so did the managers.
But patio:
Side note: Last December, the BB Butcher group also bought the 30+ year old Carmelo’s on Memorial in west Houston and have been upgrading the menu. Now this is reported:
“In December [2018] Berg will open a kid-friendly food truck across the street from his Carmelo’s Cucina Italiano, 14795 Memorial. The Ashford Dairy will serve burgers, fried chicken, fried clams and root beer floats.”
Did I spy beans in that chili? Please tell me no.
They have some really good looking French onion soup on yelp. I haven’t had any since the demise of Mason Jar.
Nary a one, but too meaty for me. I like a soupy chili and finely ground beef, not chunks, but then again, I wasn’t birthed here so I get no notice on these issues.
To be sure, this soup is what I went for but became distracted.
French onion soup is also terrific at Cafe Brussels down the road a piece.
I’m a local yocal and that’s how I like my chili as well, gasp!
When winter returns I’m all over that French onion soup, and if it doesn’t, a distinct possibility, I’ll force the issue and order it anyway.
