Houston’s New Western Restaurant Sets a Big Scene — Long Weekend’s Indoor/Outdoor Wonderland Is Parent & Kid Friendly

Giddy up, partner, and follow us to Houston’s new Western-style restaurant. Inspired by life on their 30,000-acre family ranch in New Mexico, the husband-and-wife duo of Paige and Andrew Alvis, have opened a sprawling country restaurant called Long Weekend. The 8,000-square-foot interior space, coupled with more than 20,000 square feet of outdoor space, is situated near the TC Jester hike and bike trails, offering a respite for travelers of the trail and their kids in tow. It has taken over the sprawling old King’s Bierhaus space at the intersection of TC Jester and 18th Street to be percise.

For the Alvis family, the ranching lifestyle revolves around a crackling fire after a trail ride, with country music as the soundtrack, and lots of storytelling over meals shared with family and friends. At Long Weekend, you’ll find lots to do for the littlest ones, from a hands-on arts-and-crafts area to a Western-themed playground and green space.

There is a lot going on at Long Weekend, including live music.

Long Weekend’s version of cowboy cuisine served at lunch through dinner comes courtesy of ambitious chef German Mosquera who stokes the live fire of burning embers of live oak, hickory and cherry in a custom kitchen which includes an open hearth, vault smoker and rotisserie. It’s no wonder Mosquera estimates nearly 70 percent of the menu is subtly smoked or licked by the flames of fire.

The Long Weekend Menu

More than just steak and potatoes, the Long Weekend menu features game such as elk, rabbit and quail, and all the breads from humble biscuits to complicated laminated doughs like croissant are all made on premises. Standout starters include what undoubtedly will become the new Houston restaurant’s signature dish — fancy saloon potatoes ($20). That’s three specialty grown potatoes that are poached in 100 percent European-style butter, their centers scooped out and emulsified with heavy cream before the mixture is piped in again and topped with a generous dollop of Osetra caviar.

The prairie side deviled eggs ($12) are crowned with smoked rabbit and bacon jam, while Long Weekend’s version of jalapeno poppers pairs quail and bacon with a strawberry-pepper glaze ($26). Entrees include rotisserie chicken, made with Greener Pastures organic heritage chicken, dressed with a mustard-and-black-pepper crust, and served with warm potato salad ($28). Carnivores can dig into a chicken-fried Wagyu steak ($34), an elk burger with cheddar and tomato jam ($24), and go whole hog with a crosshatched pork belly steak ($28), or a mighty 28-ounce Wagyu tomahawk.

Drinks “from the saloon” bring an array of wines and a lineup of handcrafted cocktails with Western flair, including house margaritas, mezcal and tequila-based cocktails, and classic whiskey cocktails such as the Texas old fashioned.

Early risers longing for breakfast can also hit Long Weekend’s cafe, which serves as a morning-to-midday hub for the neighborhood. Proffering tempting plates such the miner’s breakfast ($12) — simply buttermilk biscuits, creamy gravy and campfire baked beans — and pancakes ($9) dressed with Vermont maple syrup made from a storied family recipe handed down through generations. Of course, there’s an expansive array of coffee drinks, matcha, chai, tea and the like, as well as sweet bakery options.

Long Weekend, is located at 2044 E. TC Jester. It is open 11 am to 10 pm Tuesdays through Thursdays, 11 am to 11 pm Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 am to 10 pm Sundays. It is closed on Mondays.