Touch of whimsy
Colorful spot in Montrose is an Instagrammer’s paradise
At Montrose bar, it’s Present Company accepted.
THE CONCEPT
A whimsical new bar-with-food from Shawn Bermudez, who also owns Boondocks, Pistolero’s, Stone’s Throw and The Burger Joint in the same Montrose area.
THE SPACE
In a nutshell: color heaped on textures piled on motifs swirled in kitsch. Painted birdcages hanging from the ceiling hold twinkling chandeliers. Wallpaper features pink flamingos, palm fronds and retro iconography, such as “Barbarella” and Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie. Bold velvets and floral chintz cover chairs and couches. Neon messages (“Welcome to the jungle”) do a slow burn on the brain. There are expansive patios on two levels, kitted out with verdant walls of live plants (we’re told more than 8,000), potted palm trees and book case like installments holding more plants.
THE FOOD
Matthew Pak, chef/partner of The Burger Joint, offers a menu of crowd-pleasing bar food: wings, nachos, queso fries, pork belly bites and green chili macaroni and cheese. There are more substantial salads, burgers and pizzas, too.
THE DRINKS
Whimsy carries over to the cocktail menu. The Stranger Danger, for example, is watermelon vodka, lime juice, honeysuckle liqueur and watermelon-kiwi soda served in a slim LaCroix sparkling water can. The frozen Once Bitten (gin, grapefruit liqueur, hibiscus syrup, orange bitters) has its ’80s counterpoint in the Twice Shy (coconut water rum, Falernum, pineapple juice). The beer selection skews easy-drinking and classic (8th Wonder Dome Faux’m, Modelo, Karbach Love Street) and the 20 or so wines include reasonably priced California reds, crisp whites and bubbles.
THE WORD
“It’s a simple, three-letter word: FUN,” Bermudez said of his ethos for Present Company.
ONE MORE THING
Despite it’s obvious Instagram friendliness, Bermudez named the bar to suggest being “present” with the people you’re with.
THE DETAILS
1318 Westheimer, 281-9744752; present company htx.com. Open 3 p.m.-midnight Mondays and Tuesdays; 3 p.m.-2 a.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; noon-2 a.m. Fridays; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturdays; 11 a.m.-midnight Sundays.