The Kirby Group, the successful hospitality company behind Heights Bier Garten, Holman Draft Hall, and others, has debuted its newest patio bar. Bayou Heights Bier Garten is now open on Washington Avenue with coffee in the morning and drinks all night.
Located on the site of a former drive-thru bank near the intersection of Washington and Yale (3905 Washington Ave.), Bayou Heights adds a couple of new twists onto Heights Bier Garten’s successful formula. Like HBG, Bayou Heights offers a dedicated cocktail bar and a separate craft beer and wine bar that are united by a common patio.
At Bayou Heights, the cocktail bar features a 36-foot long bar, lounge-style seating, and a list of 28 drinks in categories such as “Refreshing & Balanced,” “Spirit Forward,” “Refreshing & Spicy,” and “Tropical & Tiki.” The wine and cocktail bar, located in the adjacent silo, features 74 beers and 16 wines selected by beverage director Joel Ramirez and general manager Dave Minda.
Where the new bar distinguishes itself is a third building that’s devoted to coffee. Open daily beginning at 8 am, it serves all the usual drip and espresso options, including some flavored with housemade syrups, along with pastries that are also baked onsite.
Similarly, the food offerings have received an upgrade courtesy of chef Teddy Lopez, who spent several years as a top chef at Ronnie Killen’s restaurants such as upscale steakhouse Killen’s STQ, Tex-Mex concept Killen’s TMX, and comfort food restaurant Killen’s. At Bayou Heights, Lopez’s menu includes shareable snacks such as smoked chicken wings, sweet potato tots, smoked queso, and a flatbread topped with vegetables and hummus.
Fittingly for a Killen’s Restaurants veteran, his offerings also includes a limited barbecue menu with meats such as beef brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, and five different sausages. Those meats can be served as plates or sandwiches and paired with barbecue-style sides like queso mac and cheese, German potato salad, and crispy Brussels sprouts.
Lopez’s menu is available beginning at 3 pm on weekdays, when the beer bar opens, until 10 pm with a few items served as late as midnight on Friday and Saturday. A separate brunch menu is served Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm (both bars also open at 11 am on weekends).
Bayou Heights is only the Kirby Group’s first opening of 2023. This spring, the company will launch Verde Garden, a Mexican-themed bar that will be part of the Harlow District, which is the new name given to the Montrose property that previously housed Italian restaurants Nino’s and Vincent’s.