Mack Allen’s Takes the Classic Steakhouse To Another Level In Houston, With Sushi From a Master Disciple, Precious Wines By the Glass and Much More

Restaurateur Mack McDonald likes thinking big — like 16,000 square feet big. Known to those who frequent the four suburban locations of his Creole-inspired Rouxpour restaurants, McDonald has ventured into Houston with his new outsized restaurant dubbed Mack Allen’s.

Taking up residence on the entire first floor of the 28-story office building called the 5Pop (at 4400 Post Oak Parkway), Mack Allen’s stands at the convergence of River Oaks and Uptown.

“Mack Allen’s represents everything I’ve learned over the past 15 years in hospitality and the opportunity to take that experience to another level,” McDonald says. “My goal was to create the kind of restaurant that becomes part of people’s lives — a place where you can celebrate a milestone, close a deal, enjoy an incredible meal with friends or simply have a great night out.

“We’ve taken the spirit of the classic steakhouse and expanded it with exceptional seafood, sushi and a raw bar, all within a setting that feels distinctly our own.”

With seating to accommodate up to 500 diners, a groaning 50-seat bar and three private dining areas, McDonald tapped award-winning Houston architecture firm Montgomery Roth to fashion the Mack Allen’s restaurant space with a contemporary edge.

It’s hard not to notice the gleaming glass-fronted wine storage, displayed from floor to ceiling, a collection that numbers 1,600 bottles and counting, with room to grow to nearly 4,000. Mack Allen’s wine program has been developed by Anthony Salazar, who has a particular focus on American-made wines, small and large producers alike. With a wine markup of just two times, they aim to bring not only value and more.

Mack Allen’s Icon Collection make precious bottles readily available by the glass, from a bubbly 2013 Dom Pérignon ($100) to a big Napa cab like the 2022 Inglenook ($80).

Cocktails include the paper plane, a bourbon and amaro tincture-tinged orange with the vibrant addition of Aperol ($28), while on its rim, an origami-styled paper airplane stamped with the PaperCity logo takes flight. And speaking of whiskey (and whisky), fans should note that Mack Allen’s has custom-bottled Eagle Rare Single Barrel bourbon and has stocked a rare 1954 vintage bottle of The Macallan single-malt Scotch whisky. The latter gives a nod to McDonald’s birth year.

Sophisticated drinkers can also get a three-liter bottle of Rémy Martin Louis XIII cognac, presented tableside on a custom-branded cart and poured with white-glove service.

Mack Allen’s Food

Back behind the pass, executive chef Carlos Andrade and regional chef Manuel Viveros are serving up a new American-style cuisine. While USDA prime steaks coupled with imported Australian Wagyu draw many, I’m partial to the appealing apps and starters on the dinner menu.

These include tuna cakes ($22), marinated yellowfin built upon a small brick of crisp rice, accented with unagi and spice aioli sauces, and the smoked pork belly ($24) glazed with a subtly spiced adobo glaze with a carrot mole and, to top it off, a crumble of crunchy chicharrón. Another standout is the tomato and crab salad dressed with a lavender vinaigrette ($34), compiled as the end of tomato season draws to a close.

Don’t skimp on the chunks of colossal lump crabmeat either. Here East meets West and McDonald has brought sushi chef Matthew Mui into the fold, trained under Houston’s iconic Kata Robata chef Manabu “Hori” Horiuch. At Mack Allen’s, Mui is serving an array of crudos, specialty rolls, nigiri and sashimi.

Entrée options include pan-roasted Chilean sea bass ($68) with jumbo lump crab and sauce Américaine; braised bone-in beef short ribs with a Luxardo cherry reduction and caramelized onion purée; rack of lamb ($52) perfectly cooked to a medium rare, accompanied by foie gras fondue and potato gnocchi; and a cacio e pepe pasta ($36), gilded with fresh shaved black truffles from Périgord.

Finally, pastry chef Karen Romero looks like she’s having fun in the sweets kitchen. Particularly with her sweet trilogy ($16), a trio of banana-studded tiramisu, chocolate cake and carrot cake, each scooped into a waffle cone and adorned with their particular accoutrements.

BTW, a discernible difference you can’t help but notice is the sleek service statement where shared plates are placed on the table and then the contents are served to each diner. A nice touch. It’s also worth noting that in an effort to restore decorum, like at Rouxpour, Mack Allen’s does enforce a dress code,

Mack Allen’s is open 11 am to 9 pm Mondays through Thursdays, 11 am to 10 pm on Fridays, and 5 pm to 10 pm on Saturdays. Parking options include curbside valet or self parking in the 5POP garage with skybridge access to the second level of Mack Allen’s lobby. For reservations, go here.