A Pop-Up Bar Inspired By ‘The Office’ Will Open in Houston

Welcome to AM Intel in the time of coronavirus, a round-up of the city’s newest bits of restaurant-related intel. Follow Eater on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date details on how COVID-19 is impacting the city’s dining scene.

The Office-inspired pop-up bar coming to Houston this month

Stares directly into camera. An Office-inspired pop-up will be landing in Houston on January 15, bringing cocktails and food inspired by the supremely awkward American version of the comedy television show. The pop-up will be located at 711 Main Street in Downtown, the same spot that recently hosted a holiday pop-up and a Harry Potter-themed bar last year. Details on the menu are scant, but expect office karaoke, Dundie Awards, and plenty of photo ops to show how hot you look eating a cupcake. The pop-up runs through January 30. Tickets go on sale at 3 p.m. January 4 and are expected to sell out.

Protestors target North Houston cafe over masking rules

A group of anti-masking protesters gathered outside a Houston cafe this weekend to protest the restaurant’s requirement that all customers wear a mask when not eating. Video shared with ABC13 shows about a dozen flag-waving, chanting protestors outside Miller’s Cafe, at 3800 Shepard Drive. The protesters were apparently angry that Miller’s, like most restaurants, was enforcing a statewide mandate requiring Texans to wear a mask when inside a business. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted his support of the restaurant on Sunday, saying he planned to visit the business for a meal this week.

Mala Sichuan now open in Sugar Land

The fourth location of popular restaurant Mala Sichuan has finally, quietly opened in Sugar Land. The restaurant, at 3412 Highway 6 in the new Jusgo Supermarket shopping center was originally supposed to open in May of 2020, but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. In a press release, owner Cori Xiong said the restaurant is one of the first to bring Sichuan’s signature spicy cuisine to the Houston suburb. The restaurant’s 2300 square foot interior evokes the architecture of Sichuan’s capital, Chengdu, with jade walls and open latticework paneling. Mala Sichuan Sugar Land is open Wednesday through Monday, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Take-out and pick-up orders can be placed online through Mala Sichuan’s website.