BRC
This entry was posted on 5/31/2010 10:33 AM and is filed under New American Casual.
The folks from Glass Wall have brought us this new Houston hotspot. These guys clearly had some fun thinking about their latest endeavor, starting with the name. BRC stands for "big red cock." That's a rooster (as evidenced by the large red chicken sign out front) for those who might have thought otherwise. The fun continued with the restaurant's concept -- a gastropub -- a popular style that has been cropping up around the country as of late. More casual and less trendy in feel than nearby Max's Wine Dive, BRC does evoke a pub environment. Only beer and wine are served. The beer choices are particularly expansive. And there are housemade wine coolers.
Casual is the order of the day. Although they'd likely invoke a no shirt, no shoes policy, shorts and t-shirts are quite acceptable. We dined early on a recent Saturday evening, and there were a number of kids eating with their parents. Old and young alike seemed to be enjoying the experience. Reservations are taken for six and more. And parking is ample. No valet.
The menu is large and quite varied. We saw so many things that interested us, we had trouble deciding what to order. We ultimately started with the homemade roasted pimento cheese dip with homemade potato chips. The chips could have been a crisper, but the cheese dip was delicious. We then tried the housemade smoked pork shank for two. We know that charcuterie plates are becoming commonplace, but we love them. Like a milder version of ham, the meat was wonderful. Attractively served on a large board, with parker house rolls (slightly dry), a soft cheese (tasty but didn't really go with the meat), yellow mustard, and homemade pickles. We had alot of fun cutting the moist meat off the large bone that, regrettably, was a little too large for gnawing in public. Who can resist mac and cheese, and BRC has a daily version. On our visit it was blue cheese and bacon; appropriately creamy, and the cheese was not overpowering. The women sitting next to us said they very much enjoyed the open faced brisket sandwich and steamed mussels (also a daily version).
We're ready to go back.
519 Shepherd Drive
713/861-2233
(No Website; on Facebook)
