After years of planning, Brennan’s of Houston has finally unveiled a long-awaited project: a striking reimagining of its Courtyard Bar. The full renovation and expansion, quietly completed over the past year, is the result of exhaustive attention to detail, culminating in a stylish space steeped in nostalgia. Personal touches, bespoke decor and historic influences converge to create a more relaxed atmosphere for guests to enjoy the storied Creole house. Brennan’s has also rolled out a new bar menu featuring New Orleans-inspired dishes and cocktails.
“For 58 years, Brennan’s has been a place where special memories are made, and our goal with this redesign was to create a space that continues to inspire,” says co-proprietor Alex Brennan Martin in a statement. “The Courtyard Bar is an extension of our hospitality—fine dining, fine casual, if you will. Now we have an inviting haven to unwind, celebrate and indulge, whether on date night or coming straight from the golf course.”
To realize the ambitious project, proprietors and cousins Alex Brennan Martin and Brad Brennan enlisted Studio Red. The architecture firm led the restaurant’s rebuild after the 2008 fire (a casualty of Hurricane Ike) as well as numerous other projects, among them Alley Theatre, Lakewood Church, the Houston Farmers Market and local restaurants, including Poitin, Ostia, Goode Co. and Ninfa’s Uptown.
After years of envisioning, Brennan Martin drew inspiration from his favorite watering holes: Parisian bistros, New York cocktail bars, beloved New Orleans haunts and even the homes of his youth, where his mother—the venerable Ella Brennan—and Aunt Adelaide hosted legendary gatherings of high-profile guests.
The restaurant’s century-old mottled brick extends into the new bar, where the walls are painted a dusky Parisian blue that’s echoed in tufted bar stools and French toile wallpaper. The large black-and-white Carrera tiles reference a style popular in New Orleans, where Alex and Brad grew up and could be found in their childhood homes. Black-and-white vintage photos of the family, Brennan’s celebrated guests and more hang throughout the space.
The bar itself is the result of much contemplation. Its horseshoe-like shape is designed to maximize space for guests’ favorite spot—bellied up to the bar, right in the middle of the action.
The galvanized zinc bar top reflects Brennan Martin’s love for the well-worn bars of Parisian bistros, where years of use create a rich patina. Newly installed and gleaming, with decorative stamped B’s and twisted rope detailing, Brennan’s bar will develop its own timeless character over time.
“We have a real zinc bar top because it’s something I’ve always loved, going back to my days in France,” says Brennan Martin. “If you found yourself in a new neighborhood, you would ask someone where is le zinc, rather than where is the bar because they all had zinc bar tops.”
Chandeliers shimmer above the coffered ceiling, while striking mermaid lights draw the eye above the bar and into the casual dining room. These handcrafted mermaid fixtures are a faithful recreation of those that once hung in Brennan’s wine room before being lost in the 2008 fire. A nod to New Orleans’ pirate lore, mermaid figureheads were a popular motif in the Crescent City. After years of searching for a suitable replacement, Brennan Martin enlisted a skilled craftsman—renowned for his work on Mardi Gras parade floats—to bring the cherished heirlooms back to life.
Along the far wall, intimate dining alcoves adorned with black molding, black glass tilework, antiqued mirrors, and quilted silver and blue banquettes create a sultry, speakeasy vibe. Above tables dressed in crisp white linens, custom light fixtures crafted from Waterford crystal decanters and held aloft by golden cherub figurines create a warm glow. Drink rails along the outer wall provide additional space to linger.
The barroom has relocated to where the “Terms” dining room used to be (so named for its appearance during the oyster scene between Jack Nicholson and Shirley Maclaine in the film Terms of Endearment.) Meanwhile, the former bar has become a casual dining room outfitted with wicker-backed Parisian cafe chairs. Both rooms look out on the New Orleans-style courtyard, which gained lounge seating in addition to its vintage wrought iron table sets.
Naturally, musical entertainment will find its way into the watering hole. In addition to hosting live sets, Brennan Martin plans to introduce Vinyl Nights, when guests can bring their own records or play selections from the restaurant’s collection.
The Courtyard Bar will serve as the backdrop for more laid-back gatherings, including the new Casual Wine Tasting Series, during which Wine Guys Rich Carter and Marcus Gausepohol will explore different wine styles and regions with guests. Courtyard crawfish boils are also set to kick off later this spring.
In addition to its refreshed surroundings, the lounge now boasts a splashy new bar menu. Guests dining in the bar may order from the regular dining room menus during lunch and dinner hours. They’ll also find a selection of bar-only appetizers, shareable small plates, and entrées—including Brennan’s bold take on New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp.
Pascal’s Manale made this dish of sautéed, head-on shrimp bathed in butter, garlic, and bold black pepper a Big Easy classic. Brennan’s uses Mr, B’s version as a jumping off point. Jazzed up with spices, it still honors tradition. That means it’s all about embracing the delectable sauce and getting your hands dirty.
“The shrimp comes out swimming in sauce,” says Brennan Martin. “We’ve got the bibs. We’ve got the French bread. We’ll offer them peeled and unpeeled, but half the joy is diving in, getting wrist-deep in it. Licking your fingers is encouraged and part of the experience.”
Other newcomers include red bean hummus, savory beignets served with a four-cheese fondue, Creole ceviche lettuce wraps, muffuletta sliders, pickled deviled eggs, flatbreads and the epitome of luxe-meets-low-brow—Seafood Nachos, stacked with a half-pound each of fried oysters, Gulf shrimp, crab meat and, optionally, Osetra caviar. Naturally, the restaurant’s raw bar selections, including chilled oysters and seafood platters, are on offer, as well as its iconic Snapping Turtle Soup and a Gumbo du Jour.
New cocktail offerings are shaking up behind the bar, too. Classics such as a Ramos Gin Fizz, Sazerac, Vieux Carre and an Eccentric Manhattan, are restyled with a modern touch alongside a rotation of inventive seasonal cocktails. With space for frozen drink machines, they’ve rolled out a frozen Brandy Milk Punch and The Irish Channel, a boozy blended coffee that’s a nod to the family’s roots.
Wine Guys Carter and Gausepohl have curated a full page of wines by the glass, which they regularly update with exciting new pours. There’s also beer on tap. Wander in, and you may find rotating specials on featured wine and cocktails.Designed by architect John Staub a century ago for the Junior League, the mansion at 3300 Smith St. was serendipitously modeled after the Rillieux House in New Orleans’ French Quarter. That building would later become the original Brennan’s. Brennan’s of Houston has called this landmark home since 1967, undergoing multiple renovations—both planned and in the wake of fire, flood and hurricanes. This latest transformation introduces an inviting new way to experience Brennan’s signature Texas-Creole cuisine and world-class hospitality.
“Immense care and thought have gone into making our new space a destination bar and another way to enjoy Brennan’s of Houston,” says Brennan Martin. “We can’t wait to see you there.”
Brennan’s of Houston is open daily, serving lunch Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., dinner daily from 5 p.m., Saturday brunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday Jazz Brunch, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Courtyard Bar operates daily, from open until close.
