Houston’s Massive New Restaurant Brings Old Hollywood Glamour and a Real Dress Code To Post Oak — Mack Allen’s Lives Large

Houston’s movers and shakers turned out in force and in style for the grand opening of the bigger than big Mack Allen’s restaurant. So big that at 16,000 square feet, this new restaurant consumes the entire ground floor of the 5POP office tower at 4400 Post Oak Parkway.

The Old Hollywood-inspired creation from restaurateur Mack McDonald is so vast that the 500 opening night attendees swanned through the various dining/party spaces sans elbow bumps and drink spills.

Glamour exuded the evening on all levels, beginning with the Mack Allen team members who were dressed by Cheeky Vintage in throwback finery, while costumed lampshade ladies and feather fan dancers circulated through the crowd.

The energized throng flowed through the 2,000-square-foot lobby lounge of the new restaurant, some deciding to hang at the phenomenal 50 seat U-shaped bar. The wave of partygoers rolled on to the Champagne Room where Veuve Clicquot kept the bubbles flowing and on into the clubby Board Room, where everyone sipped Old Fashioneds crafted with Eagle Rare 10-Year bourbon, which was  drawn from McDonald’s own barrel at the award-winning Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Throughout the night, the party food represented offerings on the sophisticated steakhouse/seafood restaurant’s menu. Diners grazed across buffet stations featuring specialty sushi, seafood, Domus caviar bumps, steaks and more.

The ultimate landing pad for the party was the stunning patio — a near-quarter acre garden replete with Japanese Maple and Magnolia trees and lavish plantings of star jasmine, gardenias and holly. Courtyard visitors will soon be awed by a 10-foot tall fire and water feature that at the moment remains under construction.

Setting the stage on this night for Old Hollywood glamour, a gleaming 1941 Cadillac Series 62 from DriverSource Fine Motorcars welcomed arrivals while Sinatra tribute artist Rickey Davis crooned Ol’ Blue Eyes favorites. Nodding to the era forevermore are vintage photos of Old Hollywood stars that line the walls.

Take note: Mack Allen’s dress code calls for an expectation of high style. Diners can leave behind their sweatpants, baseball caps and most other headgear, exposed underclothes, sleeveless shirts, flip flops and more. This opening night crowd was clearly dressed to impress, embracing that ethos.

“We prefer a polished yet comfortable style that complements the refined ambiance of our dining rooms” is how Mack Allen’s promo materials put it.

PC Seen: Ashley Kearney, George Lancaster, Rachel Regan, Sarah and Reza Ebrahimi, Annie Amante, Cookie and Lee Centracco, Courtney Hopson, Joyce Echols, Samira Salman, Preet Paul Singh, Sanford Steinberg, Rob Rutherford, Josh Espinedo, James Sivco, Lauren and Kyle Courville, Debbie Elias, Washington Ho, Marcy de Luna, Jennifer Howard, Amy Blumrosen, Shelley Ludwick, Coco Dominguez, Russ Morgan, and Jack Massing.