eT Craft Burgers & Beer
19841 Northwest Freeway, Houston
Tel: 281-807-0200
Designer: Michael Hsu Office of Architecture
Carving out a niche within the saturated market of burger joints these days is no easy feat, but that is just what eT Craft Burgers & Beer has set out to do with the recent opening of its gastropub-inspired flagship store on Highway 6 in Houston. Having successfully tested the waters with its first 800-square-foot restaurant in downtown Houston, the eT team, which is also responsible for Alonti Catering, commissioned Michael Hsu Office of Architecture (MHOA) to design its second location.
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With a focus on fresh seasonal ingredients and craft beer, this fast casual restaurant concept called for a space that offers an organized and efficient take out area, while also providing a warm, relaxed setting where “you could grab food quickly but hang out with your friends and have a drink,” said Maija Kreishman, partner architect at MHOA.
Inside the roughly 2,800-square-foot restaurant, customers line up against a bold graphic wall bearing a red and yellow geometric pattern to place their food and drink orders. Custom beers taps are visible from the queue, set against the kitchen’s white ceramic tile and copper accents. The space is clad in White Oak, with a latticed, yellow tinted wood ceiling. A wall composed of steel plate panels offers a sleek juxtaposition to the rustic wood backdrop. The 1,100-square-foot dining area is outfitted with custom perforated and steel lighting fixtures, brick-topped communal tables, and leather ottoman seating.