As 2024 drew to a close, Michael Sambrooks, a prominent restaurateur in Houston, faced a challenging choice. The founder and proprietor of Sambrooks Hospitality Group, celebrated for its array of Texas smokehouse eateries focusing on live-fire cuisine, had launched Andiron restaurant in 2023—a lavishly appointed, upscale steakhouse.
But in late 2024, after much consideration, Sambrooks decided to transition this fine dining concept into a more relaxed fine casual format, embracing one of last year’s national restaurant trends. After all, there was no need to reinvent the wheel. His other concepts in the city, classic barbecue outpost The Pit Room and fantastic Tex-Mex hit Candente, are incredibly successful, catering to a wide audience that ranges from young professionals to families.
Sambrooks recognized that a friendly, tavern-like neighborhood restaurant would better fit the overall brand and cater to the desires and preferences of his devoted clientele.
Casual dining takes on a lively twist at Andiron.
The new Andiron Grille & Patio, which opened in early November 2024, retains its live-fire promise and top-level hospitality commitment while embracing a concept that’s more accessible to a larger slice of the Houston dining pie.
“Our new vision is the result of listening to our customers as well as our neighbors,” says Sambrooks. “While traditional fine-dining elements remain in place, most notably in terms of quality of ingredients and level of kitchen execution, Andiron Grille & Patio reflects a more wallet-friendly proposition where great food, drinks and everyday dining come together in a more inviting atmosphere.”
The menu features shareable dishes at more approachable prices, creating a relaxed atmosphere where guests can feel comfortable. With a lively new cocktail patio and a casual approach reflected in the service and table arrangements, it has quickly become popular among local patrons. For those desiring a more upscale experience, fire-grilled prime steaks and thoughtfully prepared entrees remain available, making the venue suitable for both casual and refined dining experiences.
At Andiron Grille & Patio, the kitchen’s custom, 22-foot-long woodfire grill burns a variety of wood including post oak and hardwood charcoal (such as binchotan), overseen by executive chef Michael O’Connor. Live-fire technique continues to enhance the new menu of American Prime steaks and Japanese Wagyu steak frites, prime rib sandwiches, burgers and roasted bone marrow.
“We envision this as a spot where you can swing by for a delicious meal and a warm drink at any hour, on any day of the week. This marks a fresh start for Andiron,” Sambrooks explains. He crafted this vision while maintaining his distinctive influence on Houston's culinary landscape – the charred, live-fire cooking that he pioneered with his inaugural establishment, The Pit Room.
Creating a lasting legacy through barbecue and Tex-Mex cuisine.
Opened in 2016, the wee barbecue joint was an enormous hit, establishing itself as a major player in the Lone Star State’s booming barbecue movement. Within its first year of operation, The Pit Room scored a place on Texas Monthly’s influential list of the top 50 barbecue joints in Texas – a pivotal achievement for a fledgling smokehouse and for Sambrooks, who spent years behind the scenes at other barbecue spots before staking out his own pitmaster prowess.
In keeping with the rich traditions of legendary Central Texas barbecue, The Pit Room offers a foundational menu featuring brisket, beef ribs, pork ribs, turkey, chicken, and an assortment of house-made sausages. These dishes are infused with the aromatic smoke of burning post oak, a native Texas wood celebrated for its unique flavor and exceptional bark-forming qualities. This wood is renowned for delivering subtle, smoky sweetness and maintaining a steady high temperature. Smoking with post oak perfectly embodies the beloved low-and-slow philosophy that defines the most revered barbecue establishments in Texas.
The smoky experience continues beyond that. The Pit Room made waves with its introduction of breakfast tacos crafted on handmade flour tortillas infused with the rich drippings of smoked brisket fat. This triumph prompted Sambrooks to launch a second location, which debuted in April 2024, boasting a bigger space than the first – a testament to the significant impact his smokehouse has had in Houston.
For his upcoming venture, Sambrooks channeled his passion for fire and smoke into a Tex-Mex eatery, positioned conveniently down the road from his original barbecue establishment in Houston’s Montrose area. The sister restaurant, Candente, launched in 2019, blending classic barbecue features with the distinctive campfire scents of mesquite wood, a cherished flavor enhancer in the barbecue traditions of south and west Texas.
Named to evoke the essence of brilliance, Candente’s grills expertly char fajitas crafted from prime cuts of skirt steak and ribeye, enriched by the bold, smoky, and earthy characteristics imparted by mesquite smoke.
These flavors make their presence felt in other popular dishes as well: smoked brisket nachos and tacos, smoked seafood campechana, smoked birria de res, mesquite-grilled redfish served on the halfshell, along with smoked chicken flautas and enchiladas. Even a simple classic like queso is transformed with rich smoky notes, creating a version so delightful that it can be enjoyed straight from the bowl, paired perfectly with the irresistibly zesty salsa verde that accompanies warm tortilla chips.
While The Pit Room and Candente have a firm grip on the city’s dining allegiances, Andiron Grille & Patio is firing up its new attitude as Sambrooks keeps giving Houston diners what they want, how they want it.
