MEvy Park, the leafy, family-friendly park on Eastside Street just off Richmond Avenue in Upper Kirby, has another new rotating restaurant. Hearsay Levy Park is the latest Hearsay restaurant developed by Landmark Houston Hospitality Group. It has taken over the former home of the Woodshed Smokehouse in Levy Park and is now fully open after first being hinted at nearly a year ago. It has hours that keep it open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
If the name sounds familiar, you’ve probably heard it before. This is the seventh Hearsay in the greater Houston area, the very first opening in 2008 in the historic WL Foley building downtown. In the years since, three more Hearsays have opened in the city (including one in Saks Fifth Avenue at The Galleria mall), another in The Woodlands, and one on Galveston’s famous beach. (Ambitious future plans call for Hearsay to expand to Austin, Dallas, and Beaumont as well.)
Chef Carlos Bautista’s lunch and dinner menu includes tantalizing-sounding shareable dishes, including a handmade bread board ($7) with jalapeno cornbread fritters, challah and pretzel bread with fresh herb butter, and spicy kung pao shrimp and calamari ($17). There are handmade pizzas, with options ranging from a pie topped with fig jam and arugula ($15) with a drizzle of balsamic to a steak pizza with chimichurri sauce, caramelized onions, and blue cheese crumbles on top ($18). Pairings include smooth wines, beer, and craft cocktails like the Whitney ($13), made with raspberry vodka, cassis, champagne, and crushed blackberries. There are also mocktails, including the flameless Leah ($8), made with strawberries, lime, mint, and coconut water.
The “great dishes” (read: mains) at Hearsay include Shiner Bock-braised beef short rib with cheddar grits and bacon-studded Brussels sprouts ($29) and crab-crusted red snapper ($30) with red pepper coulis and garlic-scented green beans. For vegetarians, there’s the obligatory veggie burger ($16), as well as dishes like fettuccine and “meatballs” ($16), the latter a plant-based protein covered in a tangy tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.
When I pass by, I’ll be sure to try the marinated watermelon with avocado, jalapeño and crumbled tofu, topped with a gochujang aioli ($18).
If you wouldn’t dream of spending a day (or evening) at Levy Park without your kids (or pups), Hearsay not only has a kids’ menu, but one for your furry friends too. Pups can enjoy a “quarter hounder” ($6), made with a 4-ounce Wagyu beef patty, or the Frenched salmon en papillote ($10), which translates to a baked salmon fillet fit for any pampered pet.
“Hearsay Levy Park marks the evolution of our brand,” Hearsay CEO Joseph Natale said in a statement. “It features upscale design elements, our largest bar with stunning views of the patio and park, high ceilings and garage doors that open to the outdoors. We also created two private dining rooms, expanded our culinary menu and a diverse selection of handcrafted cocktails.”
Hearsay Levy Park is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to midnight, Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. While parking at Levy Park can be challenging during the busiest times, there is free parking on Wakeforest Street and Eastside Street. Another option is paid parking in the garage at 2925 Richmond Avenue.
