Alba Huerta opened Julep in late 2014 with a simple idea: tell the story of the American South through what people drink there, with the Gulf Coast and her own Mexican American roots woven in. The room is pale, airy and quietly glamorous, the kind of place where a weeknight drink feels like an occasion. In 2022 Julep won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program, the first for Houston, and landed on the North America's 50 Best Bars list the same year. The juleps are the obvious start, built in frosty cups with plenty of crushed ice, but the menu runs deep, and the staff is happy to talk you through it. Book a table on a weekend, or aim for a quieter early evening.
What to expect
- The food list is short, mostly bar bites like oysters, so plan dinner elsewhere.
What to order
- One of the house juleps in a frosted cup
- A seasonal cocktail from the current menu
- Something with sherry or an aperitif if you want a lighter start
- Late 2014Opened
- Alba HuertaOwner
- Outstanding Bar Program, 2022James Beard Award
- Named to the list in 2022North America's 50 Best Bars