Classic, grungy, poppy Spoon bangs out of overhead speakers and the best gourmet hotdog place in Houston is slumbering. The sun is still Dear-God-it’s-the-hottest-summer-ever hot, but that’s OK — there are cold local brews on tap waiting quietly for your selection, with rare and delicious cans and bottles out of proud craft and micro-breweries from all over the states.
Next time you need to eat and want to get off campus, look no further than the Moontower Inn, located on Canal Street. Sit back with a pitcher of Southern Star Brewery’s Bombshell Blond Ale and a gourmet boar, pheasant, elk, venison, bison or gator hotdog and you’ve got it — a $15 meal for you and friends, and the selections are endless.
When I say gourmet hot dogs, I mean local, semi-exotic, always-revolving smoked meats stuffed in a true sausage casing. There’s the Tali-Lamb, the Piggie Smalls and other regular guests that can be dressed to your liking with toppings galore. The country mustard is grainy with a little heat, while the Cajun mustard has a little of that funky stuff from our nextdoor-neighbor to the East. The result is simple, phenomenally tasty, classic gourmet eating at an affordable price. Seriously — Food Network was just filming here last month. This is good stuff.
All the dogs are $6, there’s a hamburger option, and usually at least one vegetarian varietal for the picky and ill-fed among us. At the very least, the vegetarians can eat a hot pretzel dough bun and be satisfied. I mean it; these buns are supreme, smelling and tasting like a childhood dream, and they come from a bakery in the Heights. You can put jalapenos, feta, cheddar, kraut, Dr. Pepper-soused grilled onions and whatever else you want on that dog. Or, you can wrap it in bacon and stuff it with cheese for just $1 more.
With horseshoes, a ping-pong table and a basketball hoop available for drunk carousing, this place is optimal for dogs, families, parties — you name it. The Moontower Inn is as relaxed as it gets, except when there’s someone with a vinyl table setup and the adults are moving and grooving in front of the stage.
Dress is casual. Jeans and a T-shirt are cool; heels are a no-never-why-would-you. Makeup doesn’t need to be apparent and a clean-shaven face isn’t necessary.
Recommendations: The venison dog with country mustard, pepper ketchup, and jalapenos. A pitcher of the Bombshell Blond is the common go-to libation for $9, but you could start with something higher on the shelf and revert to the less-expensive standby later in the evening.
Pros: Everything.
Cons: I’ve never seen a special on beer. I wish they would run a daily deal on pitchers or singles of the high-budget brews so we could all appreciate the quality of a well-loved one-off.
$2 bombshell blonds everyday is a great deal on beer! i love MoonTower!
hey ur not brian, i'm brian
Great, now all the kiddies are going to flood the place. . . maybe it'll give them some legitimate character traits instead of the synthetic crap they pick up at the shopping mall.
This place is alright. The beer selection is the real specialty here. For over hyped, not that great food, try one of the dogs or a $6 dollar sandwich that has almost zero filling and a waste of money in my opinion.
This place is alright. The beer selection is the real specialty here. For over hyped, not that great food, try one of the dogs or a $6 dollar sandwich that has almost zero filling and a waste of money in my opinion. Expect to wait for a hot dog. Expect a bad attitude from staff when questioning why service and food is the way it is. "If you dont like it, get the #$$# outta here." I also asked for a cup of ice and the guy picked the ice out of the cooler with his hands fill the cup. I just laughed at him and walked away. I would personally skip this place unless you want to socialize with some friends and smoke a doobie while enjoying a brew. The beer here is cool and the lawn is chill but for food? No thx.