The space at the Woody’s Hideaway at 11623 Katy Freeway, just off of Kirkwood in the Energy Corridor, is, as the Doctor Who joke goes, bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside. Anchored by a covered patio, golf simulators and a cocktail bar with big TVs in the front, the space stretches way back and is filled from middle to back with 21 pool tables — really nice ones. On the Sunday afternoon of our visit, many were taken with practicing league players. Woody’s Hideaway just opened in August 2024 and it still has a fresh, polished feel. (There’s a second location in Midland at 5701 Starboard.)

I always have fun playing pool, but I don’t get to do it often, so I never got good at it. Food and drink is my real game, and that was what I’d been invited in to try. Pub grub has a spot in my heart as big as dramatic fine dining, and I found myself very at home at Woody’s — pool player or not. 

Two facts about Woody’s Hideaway might surprise you. The first is that it’s owned by Woody’s Brands LLC, the same company behind Little Woodrow’s. The latter is a huge local success story, as it started in Houston in 1995, and since then has grown to 23 locations across Texas. The second fact that might surprise you is the food programs at each are led by Culinary Institute of America graduate and Houston native, chef Tim Griffin. Griffin’s prior experience with multi-unit operations such as Kona Grill and Luby’s was a boon to Woody’s Brands, and the opening of Woody’s Hideaway was his chance to come back to Houston. 

While you’ll find all the types of food you’d expect at a nice-but-laidback bar, such as burgers, hot dogs, fries and tater tots, there are other dishes that break the stereotype, such as Philly Cheesesteak Eggrolls stuffed with steak, peppers and melted cheese with seasoned fries and ranch alongside, shrimp cocktail with smoky cocktail sauce and Cheese Bites — really, breaded-and-fried cheese curds — with Buffalo-ranch sauce. The eggrolls cost $12 and the Cheese Bites are $11. The Ranch Chicken Skewers — simply seared chicken meat with Buffalo ranch alongside — are $12 and a great option for your pickiest meat-eating Neanderthal friend. 

Even with the tried-and-true, Griffin aims for quality. The $13 Hideaway Burger is an excellent rendition of a classic — and a good value. It sports an R-C Ranch Wagyu patty with a generous amount of melty American cheese that nearly envelopes the top of the patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and “secret sauce” on a toasted Martin’s potato roll. Griffin conceptualized the $12 Chardog exactly how I like my hot dogs. A grilled beef frank is nestled in a toasted New England-style brioche bun (the type used for lobster rolls) and it’s topped with queso, bacon, jalapeños and a drizzle of ranch. I would be hard-pressed to not order either the burger or the hot dog on every single visit. They’re just that satisfying. 

When it comes to drinks, I’m mainly a cocktail aficionado, so I started with Tee Time with Tanqueray Gin (an excellent selection for a mixer when you want quality but nothing too distracting), St-Germaine elderflower liqueur, grapefruit and lemon juices and basil. This would be a good drink anytime, but it’s going to be a refreshing rockstar as the temperatures climb to their typical oppressive levels this summer. I completely imagine kicking back on the patio with one of these in July. To wrap up, I selected the nightcap-ish Bourbon Bliss, a straightforward old-fashioned with Maker’s Mark, Angostura bitters and simple syrup. 

If beer is more your speed, you’ll find friendly national-brand domestics like Montucky Cold Snack and beloved local brews such as 8th Wonder Cougar Paw, Eureka Heights Buckle Bunny and Saint Arnold Art Car. The wine selection is small but sturdy. You won’t find any small-batch vineyards represented, but the big brands on display are still fairly respectable. These include Miraval Rosé, Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc and Josh Cellars Cabernet. 

Woody’s Hideaway is perfect for gathering over a pool table or in one of the virtual golf lounges with friends and fueling up. Perhaps most importantly, though, I could be perfectly content there at the end of a hightop table with my laptop, a burger and a cocktail. Our writers have recently been discussing bars you’re comfortable going to alone and bars quiet enough on weeknights where you can still have a conversation. Woody’s Hideaway fits the criteria for both while still being a social space. For those reasons, I envision that someday I’ll take that Kirkwood exit off of I-10 again and once again nestle with that hot dog in a toasty bun laded with queso and jalapeños. 

Phaedra Cook

Phaedra Cook has written about Houston’s restaurant and bar scene since 2010. She was a regular contributor to My Table magazine (now closed) and was the lead restaurant critic for the Houston Press for two years, eventually being promoted to food editor. Cook founded Houston Food Finder in November 2016 and has been its editor and publisher ever since.