Controversial Drinking Destination Bottled Blonde Is Almost Ready to Make Its Houston Debut

Arizona-born bar Bottled Blonde is just about ready to make its Houston debut, bringing a beer garden and a checkered past to the Washington Corridor.

The first area outpost of Bottled Blonde is set to open its doors at 4901 Washington Avenue on September 17, after nearly two years in the works. The Houston location will occupy a sprawling 10,000 square feet, complete with a massive outdoor beer garden and “Italian-inspired cuisine,” according to a press release.

It’s the second Texas outpost for Bottled Blonde, joining a Dallas location that’s been the source of some major controversy during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Eater Dallas, the Bottled Blonde location in the city’s Deep Ellum neighborhood obtained a license to operate as a restaurant earlier this summer, but is under investigation by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for allegedly violating capacity limits instituted by Gov. Greg Abbott. The investigation came after photos and videos of the bar, packed with people who were definitely not wearing masks, went viral on social media.

Bottled Blonde’s also been the source of tons of legal drama in Chicago, where officials revoked the bar’s business license after neighbors complained that it was operating as a nightclub, not the “family-friendly restaurant it presented itself as,” according to Eater Chicago. The Chicago location was also besieged with lawsuits, criticized for a dress code that many patrons described as racist, and finally closed its doors for good in July of this year.

When Bottled Blonde makes its Houston debut, the restaurant will be open Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

• Notorious Deep Ellum Bar Bottled Blonde Under Investigation Over COVID-19 Capacity Limits [EDFW]
• Bottled Blonde Permanently Closes in River North After Five Years of Turmoil [ECHI]
• Bottled Blonde: Five Years of Controversy in Chicago [ECHI]
• Buzzy Beer Garden Bottled Blonde Will Open on Washington Avenue [EHOU]