Back Table Gets a New Menu, a Major Chef Win & Yappy Hour Fun — The Woodlands Resort’s Signature Restaurant Makes Bold Moves

Back Table Kitchen & Bar in The Woodlands has a lot to celebrate. Chef Ivan Rodriguez’s victory at Taste of the Town, a new spring menu and the start of  Yappy Hour on the patio. Rodriguez is a kitchen veteran who came to Back Table from sister restaurant Sorriso Italian Kitchen and is already making the menu at Back Table (which is located in The Woodlands Resort) his own.

While a handful of Back Table’s most popular items have stayed, Rodriguez has broadened the menu thanks to his background that spans from New American to South American food.

Rodriguez’s recent victory dish at the Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce’s Taste of the Town event showed off his skills. He expertly prepared a short rib, which is available on the everyday menu at Back Table, served with mashed sweet potatoes.

Rodriguez operated the successful Houston food truck Mr Porco HTX — known for its delectable tortas — before becoming the chef at Sorriso and then Back Table. He is no stranger to The Woodlands or The Resort. He worked as The Woodlands Resort’s banquet sous chef and the sous chef for The Woodlands’ True Food Kitchen restaurant. Rodriguez also served as the head chef at the well regarded Ambriza Social Mexican Kitchen, creating the menu for its Houston, Cypress and Katy locations.

Now, he’s working his magic by doing something different at Back Table.

Spring Food and Yappy Hour at Back Table

Highlights of Back Table’s new menu include starters such as fried green tomatoes with lobster, chives, poblano crema and avocado; a smoked trout dip with extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, pickled red onions and fried saltines; a kale salad with green apple, Marcona almonds, golden raisins and a lemon vinaigrette; and Texas corn chowder with potatoes, crème fraiche, bacon and chives.

Entrees include steak frites with house chimichurri and a smothered cowboy ribeye with black garlic potatoes, sauteed broccolini and peppercorn Shiitake gravy. You will also find seafood, veggie and chicken dishes, including grilled salmon with hot honey glaze, cilantro pesto and corn succotash and a baked lobster mac with four cheese sauce and parmesan breadcrumbs. Other highlights? Polenta & vegetables with Creole lemon butter and Dr. Pepper can chicken with a teriyaki glaze, creole potatoes and collard greens.

Back Table’s new menu carries over to the bar too. Expect some tasty spring cocktails. The Split Decision is already an early favorite.

The dessert menu brings comfort classics — with a twist. The pineapple upside down bread pudding is a treat, and don’t sleep on the seasonal cobblers. Then again, you don’t even have to be human to enjoy Back Table. The restaurant now celebrates Yappy Hour from 5 pm to 7 pm every Thursday.

Pet parents and their four-legged companions get a beautiful, waterfront setting with both table and lounge seating overlooking the 18th hole of The Woodlands Resort’s North Course. There are some extra treats during Yappy Hour, but pets are welcome on the patio at any time.

Back Table Kitchen and Bar at The Woodland Resort can be found at 2301 N Millbend Drive. Reservations are available, but not required. You can reserve the patio and indoor seating. Back Table is open 4 pm to 10 pm Mondays through Thursdays and 4 pm to 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays.