This New Heights Bar and Restaurant Is an Island Retreat

We’re going to choose the circa 2000 reference for this intro: You can now go to the Heights House Hotel and take a space ride with the cowboy, baby. Space Cowboy, the new concept from Houston hospitality veterans Lyle Bento and Greg Perez, is now open and will host a grand opening on Friday.

Space Cowboy combines island grub with tropical drinks, but it isn’t quite a tiki thing. Think more The Toasted Coconut than Lei Low.

Bento, who is overseeing dining operations, has created a menu influenced by his Hawaiian upbringing. You’ll find poke with gem lettuces and boom boom sauce, coconut shrimp bao with sweet chili sauce, and rice with Spam, kimchi, miso corn, American cheese, and egg. There’s also a boom boom burger, fish tacos, lechon, and chicken wings.

The cocktails are boozy and bright, like a banana-starring drink with crème de banane; a white rum, mezcal, and Campari beverage; and something called Cream Fortress, which includes aguardiente, mango, kiwi, coconut, and boba. 

Space Cowboy will seat 35 inside a 1,500-square-foot space with eight seats at a wraparound bar. A 2,000-square-foot patio and 4,000-square-foot green space with lounge furniture is sure to be the star, adjacent to the hotel’s pool. For guests, poolside service is available.

This is the first of four concepts planned for 2021 by Bento and Perez’s new company Night Moves Hospitality. Next is Trash Panda Drinking Club, planned for 4203 Edison St. in Northside Village.

Space Cowboy is open 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Why-yi-yi-yippie-yi-yay-yippie-yi-yo-yippie-yi-y-yo.