Since taking over the restaurant formerly known as Pour Society, restaurateur Lee Ellis and Cherry Pie Hospitality’s Jim Mills have been hard at work transforming the space into State Fare, a Texas-inspired comfort food concept.
A renovation is currently in the works to accommodate changes to the decor, including removal of the restaurant’s massive rope display, but the menu here has already gotten a serious facelift.
"When we were thinking about this place, the idea was to be reflective of the region, but that sounds real cut and dry," says Mills. "The line that we used was "the food that we all grew up lovin’. Good hamburgers and a good bowl of gumbo and a good bowl of chili. And some of them weren’t restaurant dishes they were family dishes."
Mills brings an intense level of thoughtful care to his dishes, many of which are inspired by the food of his past. The menu’s Sabine Pass Gumbo is made using the same seafood/chicken/tomato base of his Dad’s take on the classic Texas dish.
Other highlights include incredibly tender and moist fried catfish, hearty smoked double pork chops, shrimp and grits, and several crave-worthy mac & cheese offerings like the one with short ribs & roasted shallots or shrimp, crabmeat, and Andouille sausage.
Eater photographer Ellie Sharp headed to State Fare to catch a first look at some of Ellis’ homey new dishes. Scope out some of the choice offerings above, and prepare to drool.
