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A new cocktail bar serving Havana-inspired eats and tropical-tinged drinks will open this fall in the Montrose.
The bar, Idle Hands, was born during the pandemic on Austin’s Rainey Street, the nightlife hub full of homey bungalows that have been renovated into bars. In Houston, Idle Hands will open at 910 Westheimer Road, the same building that houses Uchi and Aladdin Mediterranean Cuisine at the intersection of Montrose Boulevard. The business has already applied for a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission permit, and started a nascent Instagram page.
The menu is inspired by Cuban and Colombian cuisine, says Matt Wolski of parent company Midas Willum Hospitality, with dishes like Cubano sandwiches, a chorizo burger, arroz congri, and vegetarian-friendly plates like black bean hummus and plantain chips. The drink menu includes tropical fruit-based cocktails, like a variation on the French 75 made with guava, and a passionfruit spritz. There is, of course, rum, in the form of frozen mojitos and pina coladas; plus beer, wine, cider and boozy seltzer.
Wolski says the vibe will be “relaxed but curated,” inspired by the founders’ travels through the Caribbean, Latin America, and more. The bar, which is going into the space vacated by Rosemont Social Club, will have a rooftop patio, and live music seven days a week.
When it opens, Idle Hands will be joining a host of other new restaurants and eateries at the intersection of Westheimer and Montrose, including cult-fave NYC ice cream brand Van Leewan, which is opening in the Montrose Collective next door later this year, and the second location of FM Kitchen, which opens on June 23 just across the street.
