Toss back a cold one, then toss a bean bag
Order a burger. Grab beers. And don’t forget the side of corn. As in cornhole.
If you’re not familiar with cornhole, the bean-bag-toss lawn game, then you haven’t been frequenting new restaurants and bars throughout Houston. Whether it’s bocce or washers, outdoor pingpong or pool, giant Jenga or Connect Four, bar games are becoming a must-have accessory on many of the city’s buzziest patios.
These eateries serving up casual food and drink with a healthy dose of customer participation suggest a dining trend built on an old-school way of socializing: active interaction, beyond your smartphone.
“If you’ve been in the office all day sitting, it’s nice to move around,” said James Zhao, who works in energy in Houston and recently met friends at Heights Bier Garten, where he played cornhole. “It’s just a good feeling. It adds to the experience.”
All around town, games seem to be doing that. The new King’s Bierhaus, a massive Ger-
man-style beer garden in the Heights, offers cornhole, pingpong and giant Jenga. Balls Out Burger, also in the Heights, sports a 4,000-square-foot patio where guests can dabble in cornhole, giant Jenga, giant Connect Four and darts. Patrons can play pingpong, cornhole and bocce at FM Kitchen and Bar along the Washington Corridor. Nearby, NettBar has three bocce courts, cornhole, washers, ladders, Jenga, Connect Four and even dominos.
The newbie establishments join a slew of other bars already catering to those who like a cold beer and a hot patio where friendly games play out through the night. To name a few: Beaver’s on Westheimer, Kirby Ice House, Axelrad Beer Garden, Cottonwood, The Boot, Liberty Station and Brooklyn Athletic Club on Richmond, which offers bocce and croquet and bills itself as a “hip eatery and bar with upscale comfort classics.”
“We try to be the backyard nobody has in the area. All the condos that have come up have no backyards,” said John Caravello, a partner at NettBar. “We want to be everyone’s bar — a calm, relaxing atmosphere that’s close, a friendly place where you can have a few cocktails and play games.”
The outdoor gaming component was especially important to the proprietors of NettBar as a way to distinguish it from other neighborhood bars. And they realized customers were spending more time (and money) at the bar because there were games to share.
“Everything got stale. The same restaurants, same bars, same happy hours. It’s not interactive, and people aren’t paying attention to each other,” Caravello said. “Now people put their phones down because they’re actively engaged with each other. The whole time you’re laughing and happy, and nobody’s looking at the phone. At least for an hour a day, maybe we can provide you with an escape from the computer
you hold in your hand all the time.”
Before Ian Tucker opened Balls Out Burger, he knew his large, gameladen patio would be a draw. He was right. Customers are returning not just for burgers but for the social atmosphere. “(Games) keep people here and give them something to do other than just sitting,” Tucker said. “Playing games is different from watching sports on TV. You’re communicating. You’re being interactive.”
It wasn’t just the beer that brought customer David Skahn to Heights Bier Garten; it was cornhole, too. “It’s fun to talk trash with your buddies,” he said.
That drinking-pal camaraderie has been ratcheted up by the availability of games, said Steven Salazar, beverage director for the Kirby Group, which owns Wooster’s Garden and Heights Bier Garten. The latter, a boozy playground sporting two bars and a generous patio, has been mobbed since it opened two months ago.
“It’s one of those places that offers something for everyone,” Salazar said. But the games — including card and board games — have been a particular hit. So much so that Salazar is thinking of adding an outdoor pingpong or pool table.
Even a set of swing chairs can be considered a gamelike feature for adults. “When people drink,” he said, “they turn them into games.”