"Justin Yu and Bobby Heugel's Heights bistro: hand-rolled pasta, a pork neck schnitzel worth ordering, and a small room that holds its Saturday nights."
About Squable
Squable opened in the Houston Heights in May 2019, a partnership between chef Justin Yu, who won the James Beard Best Chef Southwest award in 2016 for Oxheart, and bar operator Bobby Heugel of Goodnight Hospitality. It sits at 632 W 19th St, on the neighbourhood's main restaurant row, and reads as a casual European bistro with American accents rather than a tasting-menu room.
The day-to-day kitchen belongs to chef partners Mark Clayton, a veteran of Yu's Oxheart, and Drew Gimma, the baker behind the bread and pasta. For the wider field see the Houston dining guide.
The Kitchen
The cooking is European-leaning and ingredient-driven: a much-photographed Dutch baby pancake with fresh cheese and honey to start, hand-rolled pasta from Gimma's bench, and a pork neck schnitzel that has become the menu's signature plate. The French cheeseburger, raclette and pickles on a stout patty, runs about 17 dollars and is the bar's calling card.
Clayton and Gimma change the menu often around the seasons, and the wood-fire and pasta sections anchor it through the year. See more of the city's modern-European tables.
The Room
The dining room is small and restrained: exposed brick, a long bar down one wall, banquettes opposite, and a kitchen that is part of the show. It seats couples at the counter as easily as a group of eight in the back, and the mood is sociable rather than hushed. Weekend tables go quickly on Resy, so book a week or two ahead.
What to Order
Start with the Dutch baby, take the pork neck schnitzel or a plate of Gimma's pasta as a main, and sit at the bar with the French cheeseburger if you want the casual version of the evening. The wine list leans small-producer Italian and Loire. For other neighbourhood options, see the fine-dining picks across Houston.
Best for a First Date or Team Dinner
Squable suits a first date at the bar or a working dinner in the back room: a lively, chef-driven Heights bistro that handles couples and groups of eight with the same ease. See more first-date tables and the Houston dining guide.
Not for
Not for a hushed tasting-menu evening or a quiet special occasion: Squable is a busy neighbourhood bistro with a hard-working bar, and the room runs loud and sociable on a weekend night.
Frequently Asked
Who owns Squable in Houston?
Squable is a partnership between James Beard Award-winning chef Justin Yu and bar operator Bobby Heugel of Goodnight Hospitality, who opened it in the Houston Heights in May 2019. The day-to-day kitchen is run by chef partners Mark Clayton, a veteran of Yu's Oxheart, and Drew Gimma, the baker behind the bread and pasta programme.
Where is Squable located?
Squable is at 632 W 19th St, Houston, TX 77008, on the main restaurant row in the Heights neighbourhood north of downtown. It is a small bistro rather than a grand dining room, set among the boutiques and bars of 19th Street. Weekend tables book up well ahead on Resy, so reserve a week or two in advance.
What should I order at Squable?
Start with the Dutch baby pancake with fresh cheese and honey, then take the pork neck schnitzel or a plate of Drew Gimma's hand-rolled pasta as a main. At the bar, the French cheeseburger with raclette runs about 17 dollars and is the house signature. The wine list leans small-producer Italian and Loire bottles.
Is Squable fine dining?
Not in the tasting-menu sense. Squable is a casual European-American bistro with serious chef pedigree, not a hushed special-occasion room. The cooking is ambitious and the wine list is considered, but the format is a-la-carte, the bar is busy, and the mood is sociable. It suits a first date or a team dinner more than a silent celebration.
