Montrose Itinerary: Bites at Nite
School’s out and long daylight hours keep us up much later [not to mention scorching summer heat makes us nocturnal creatures June through August]. Some parts of Houston are ghost towns after dark. But if you find yourself in this part of town – and you should – after dark we have a plethora of places that will welcome you. Montrose doesn’t sleep when the sun goes down – and neither should you! What’s one to do when you’ve been boogying the night away and all of a sudden your stomach reminds you it’s been 8 hours since you last had a bite? It’s after midnight and you need some sustanance stat. Hit up one of these establishments that cater to the after midnight to morning patrons.
Absinthe: Don’t expect to find a sign marking this dimly-lit Montrose gem, but do keep an eye out for the big wooden doors and green lights beckoning patrons for potent libations and late-night bites. The menu is surprisingly gourmet, with snacks like smoked salmon carpaccio and homemade thin crust pizzas. Drinks are more bourgeois, including bottled beer and standard well drinks. And, yes, their namesake. Food is served until 2 a.m., Tuesday through Saturday. [from visithoustontexas.com]
BB’s Cajun Cafe: New Orleans and Houston cuisine collide on BB’s Tex-Cajun-inspired menu. Think: Over-stuffed po-boys, boudin balls and classic red beans and rice. Get it to go, have it delivered or dine-in at BB’s 1,100-square-foot Montrose outpost. The personality-filled spot is open seven days a week, serving it up until midnight Sunday through Wednesday and 3 a.m., Thursday through Saturday. [from visithoustontexas.com]
Chapultepec Lupita: More than five-dozen varieties of tequila and 17 different margaritas draw party people to Montrose’s 24-hour Tex-Mex mainstay, but it’s the wallet-friendly fare keeping them there late into the night. Expect hearty, headache-diminishing dishes like quesadillas, enchilada plates and tamales, as well as bottomless chips and salsa. Chapultepec Lupita is open 24 hour a day, except Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when it closes at 2 a.m. [from visithoustontexas.com]
Hay Merchant – The newcomer to the late night Montrose set up and brainchild of famed Anvil founders Kevin Floyd and Bobby Heugel, this craft beer-lover paradise also serves up a to-die-for menu including chicken and waffles, poutine, and creole gnocchi nightly til 2am.
Hollywood Vietnamese & Chinese: Come for the people-watching, stay for the late-night Vietnamese grub. Montrose’s offbeat Hollywood Vietnamese & Chinese packs the party crowd in, all hours of the night. Enjoy your spring rolls, soups and stir fry from the comfort of a booth, out on the patio or take it to go. Also, be sure to check out the solid assortment of crowd-pleasing pastries on display in the revolving cooler. Hollywood is open until 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 4 a.m., Friday and Saturday. [from visithoustontexas.com]
Katz’s Deli & Bar: Late-night noshers purr over this all-hours Montrose eatery with a city-slick atmosphere. Crave blintzes at midnight or corned beef and cabbage at sunrise? Katz’s is your place. Cops from next door rub shoulders with families, politicos and all walks of colorful Montrose life at this brick paved double-decker. Come hungry for one of more than 20 hefty, kosher-style sandwiches or daily specials like Yankee pot roast and meat loaf. Open 24 hours a day. [from visithoustontexas.com]
La Tapatia: Oh queso flamiado and quesadilas, cheese coma’s never felt to good between midnight and morning . Sometimes even the emptiest of dining rooms perks up after 2am at La Tapatia. It’s where most post-parties end up. And with good reason. The tolerant staff and extensive menu til 3am [weekends til 5am] serve up [and sober up] visitors and residents alike nightly. Equally resourceful for those mornings you find yourself awake at 4 am and craving breakfast tacos.
Little Bigs: On Friday and Saturday nights, Chef Bryan Caswell’s casual burger joint is busy turning out much-buzzed-about sliders, hand-cut French fries and classic milkshakes to hungry Montrose patrons until 3 a.m. Get ready for hot buns (fresh from Little Bigs’ oven every few hours) and juicy, hand-formed, all-beef pattys topped with caramelized onions on a fresh-baked yeast roll. LB’s has chicken sliders, vegetarian black bean sliders and Carolina-style pulled pork varieties, too. [from visithoustontexas.com]
Theo’s Restaurant: The Servos family takes a cozy, low-key approach to Mediterranean food in it’s 2-story shopping center end cap on Montrose. Dig into plates of octopus broiled in wine vinegar, a feta-dotted pizza or anything involving the sautéed spinach. In the mood for breakfast? Theo’s delivers a mean line-up including Greek omelets, waffles and pork chops. Open 24-hours a day. [from visithoustontexas.com]
West Gray Cafe: Should you find yourself hungry in Montrose in the middle of the night, hit West Gray Cafe for wallet-friendly soul food served in a homestyle-diner atmosphere. Although the laid-back, 24-hour restaurant does boast an eclectic menu filled with everything from chicken and dumplings to gyros and spaghetti, fight the urge to order them. Regulars know that West Gray Cafe is all about the breakfast. Come hungry for tried and true staples (eggs, bacon, hash browns and chicken fried steak) served any time of the day. [from visithoustontexas.com]
