Local Pour – graced by an abundance of positives – looked like a winner even before it opened earlier in the month in The Woodlands.

The American tavern concept, already a hit in River Oaks, is the work of Hospitality USA, the wildly successful company that is the largest British pub operator in North America with 25 locations and concepts including Baker St. Pub & Grill and Sherlock’s Baker St. Pub & Grill.

That team was smart enough to couple their corporate chef Pablo Gomez with Randy Evans (formerly of Haven), who has been putting his magic touch on a number of dining projects as a consulting chef.

And for its brand expansion into The Woodlands, Hospitality USA decided to go big and to come in first. It built a 7,500-square-foot dazzler on Lake Woodlands and was the first restaurant to open there in the Hughes Landing development (other restaurants being readied for Hughes Landing include Truluck’s, Del Frisco’s Grille, Fogo de Chao, Escalante’s and California Pizza Kitchen).

Winner, winner? Let’s step inside. click here for complete story