Brenner’s Steakhouse on The Bayou is not what you’d except. Take Ruth Chris Steakhouse and mix in a little New Orleans and and you have Brenner’s. Although it’s located smack dab in downtown Houston, Brenner’s still seems to fit right in. It occupies the lodge once home to the Rainbow Lounge and is even located on a bayou! I confess I didn’t realize a bayou existed in Houston!  I was in town for events related to Houston’s first ever beer week and arrived at Brenner’s for their 2010 Fall Beer Festival.

A Perfect Day For A Festival (photo courtesy of Jeremy Banas)

As I walked into the restaurant grounds, I was immediately taken aback. I was greeted with a large backyard that was partially on a hill, beautifully landscaped with trees, a gazebo, native plants, bushes, a winding walkway  and yes, a small creek. It was amazing during the day, I can’t imagine house breathtaking it would be in the evening. The perfect sight for a romantic dinner.

Brenner’s on the Bayou is apart of the Landry’s family of restaurants and the second Brenner’s location in Houston. As I was there to attend their 2010 Fall Beer Festival, I did not have the opportunity to dine inside and would love to on a future trip to Houston. Brenner’s did a fantastic job of setting up the festival. All booths were set up just the right locations for the approximately 15 breweries represented. As this was not just about the beer, but about pairing food with the beer, Brenner’s had multiple booths set up with gourmet prepared foods, giving me a taste of what Brenner’s does everyday.

The Blue Bar (photo courtesy of Brenner’s)

As I moved from booth to booth, navigating the massive amount of people that showed up, I took in the wonderful weather while enjoying miniature potato pancakes with sauerkraut and grilled chicken shish kabobs. My meandering took me through to the restaurant itself, so I took the opportunity look around. Elegantly designed with plenty of seating, they boast quite a menu that includes more than just steak. They have incredible seafood as well. I walked back down to the festival and passed what an area known as the Blue bar. Beautiful during the day, I can only imagine what it would be like at night.

The festival reminded me of something I might see in Colorado or Southern California. Beautiful atmosphere, plenty of food, wide variety of breweries represented and well thought out pairings. A lot of planning had to have gone into this. What impressed me the most was that representatives of each brewery were on hand for questions about the beer. Favorites there were the Southern Star, Dogfish Head, Real Ale and Stone Brewing Company. In fact, I spent a little more time at Stone than the others, I could not resist!

Brenner’s Fall Beer Festival is another in a recent trend of high end restaurants getting involved in the craft beer movement. It finally seems to be becoming as well respected to have a beer dinner as it is a wine tasting. Nice to see the finer restaurants, like  Brenner’s, are catching on. You’ll definitely need to stop by for a bite to eat, a good beer and spectacular view the next time you’re in Houston. While you’re there, visit the Space Center!

ith