Houston Offers Entertainment and Food for 2024 College Football Playoff Championship Game
Houston Ready to Shine with Diverse Options for Dining and Entertainment
The 2024 College Football Playoff Championship Game at NRG Stadium is quickly approaching, and Houston is ready!
WHERE TO EAT:
Candente, 4306 Yoakum Boulevard, 346.867.1156: Visit Montrose Tex-Mex hotspot, Candente for the ultimate championship game watch party on Monday, January 8. Stop by for first-come first-serve seating in Candente’s large private dining room where the game will be shown on their big projector screen. Plus, when you sport your favorite Washington Huskies or Michigan Wolverines college football gear, receive happy hour specials all day long including $6 house margaritas, palomas, well drinks, sangria, and wine. Enjoy gameday favorites including Brisket Nachos, Smoked Pork Ribs, and Fajitas while cheering on your favorite team at Candente!
Photography (credit: Duc Hoang)
Le Jardinier, 5500 Main St., (713) 714-3015: Le Jardinier – the seasonally-driven, modern French restaurant from The Bastion Collection – is located at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, one of the city’s most iconic arts institutions. Open for lunch, brunch and dinner, Le Jardinier is the perfect spot for those looking for an upscale dining experience after a visit to the museum. If you’re taking the rail to NRG Stadium for the championship game, Le Jardinier is conveniently located off the Houston Museum District rail stop. The restaurant’s new bar bites menu lends itself to the perfect pre-game snack – from toasted nuts, mixed olives and smoked salmon dip with purple potato chips to a divine lamb burger with date jam and yucca tots with caviar. Special pricing on cocktails and house wine and beer is available Monday – Thursday from 5-6:30 pm. Photo: Alex Montoya
Los Tios (multiple locations): Don’t have tickets for the big game? Head over to your nearest Los Tios to cheer on your favorite team with $5 house margaritas and $6 gold margaritas all day. Plus, enjoy some of your favorite gameday snacks like Katie’s T-Sip Dip with chile con queso, topped with house guacamole and ground taco beef or their signature Nachos Los Tios topped with refried beans, taco meat, chile con queso, guacamole, and jalapenos. Photo: Adair Concepts
Skeeters Mesquite Grill, 5529 Weslayan, Houston & 4121 W Lake Houston Pkwy, Kingwood: Head to neighborhood favorite, Skeeters Mesquite Grill, for $5 house margaritas, beer and wine all day long on Monday, January 8, and watch the big game! Plus, indulge in some classic gameday shareables like mild, hot, or BBQ wings, Cheese Fries, or their Deluxe Super Nachos with taco beef, queso, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo. Photography (credit; Becca Wright)
WHERE TO PLAY:
Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney St.: Discovery Green, the 12-acre urban park in the heart of downtown Houston, is one of the city’s must-visit attractions for locals and tourists alike. Located across the street from the George R. Brown Convention Center (the site of Playoff Fan Central), Discovery Green offers countless programming, such as its signature art installations. Guests can take a stroll through the Brown Promenade and experience Winter White Lights presented by PNC Bank, or glide through the city’s only outdoor ice-skating rink, Green Mountain Energy Ice at Discovery Green. The park also offers two dining options: The Grove, the Schiller Del Grande concept specializing in fresh, New American cuisine, and The Lake House, offering burgers, tacos, hot dogs and more. For tickets to the ice-skating rink, please visit: https://www.discoverygreen.com/signature-experiences/green-mountain-energy-ice-at-discovery-green/. Photo: J Vince Photography
Museum of Fine Arts Houston: Robert Frank and Todd Webb: Across America, 1955, ongoing until January 7, 2023: In 1955, two photographers received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation for U.S. survey projects: Robert Frank and Todd Webb. Frank’s cross-country trip by car would result in the celebrated book The Americans. Webb was awarded a grant to walk, boat, and bike across the United States to depict “vanishing Americana, and the way of life that is taking its place.” Frank’s resulting work became a landmark text in the history of photography, and Webb’s project remains almost entirely unknown. Robert Frank and Todd Webb: Across America, 1955 brings together both 1955 projects for the first time. Ultimately, comparing the work of these photographers reveals the complexity of their projects and the impossibility of capturing a singular vision of “America.” Visit www.mfah.org/exhibitions/robert-frank-todd-webb-across-america-1955 for more information.
POST Houston, 401 Franklin: A hub for cultural events, art exhibits, international cuisine, and more, Post Houston is a must-see destination for out of town visitors. The perfect destination for football fans looking to get a one-stop taste of Houston, POST includes an international, diverse food hall, with over 30 restaurants, including sustainable seafood market and restaurant Golfstrømmen, authentic Thai street food spot Thai Kun, globally inspired Japanese purveyor East Side King and Filipino hot spot Soy Pinoy, among many others. Enjoy happy hour specials all day on Saturday and Sunday, as well as $5 designated cans and bottles at Return to Sender located within POST. After your meal, head up to the five-acre rooftop park with sweeping views of downtown Houston and the Winter Wonderlawn holiday activation, running through January 14th. Visitors can take advantage of 50% off tickets through January 14 with code CFP. Photo credit: POST Houston.
Sloomoo Insitute, Marq-E Entertainment Center: Looking for a fun activity while visiting Houston for the college football playoffs? Immerse yourself in a mesmerizing world of slime at the recently opened Sloomoo Institute located at the Marq-E Entertainment Center. Designed not just for kids, but the kid in each of us, the new 23,000 square foot space features over-the-top installations that engage the senses of sight, touch, smell and sound including: the world’s largest DIY Slime Bar, Sloomoo Falls (where you get slimed!), #satisfying ASMR experiences with immersive video, sound, and scent, and all-new experiences like Slimey Fossils where guests explore slime imprints. Tickets start at just $39 which includes a custom DIY slime to take home and may be purchased by visiting https://sloomooinstitute.com/. Photo: Sloomoo Institute