A party barn, multiple bars and a whiskey collection with over 200 bottles are just a few features at Haywire, a “Texas-inspired” restaurant from a Dallas hospitality group set to open in Memorial City May 20.

The 20,000-square-foot restaurant spanning two floors in Memorial City is the largest project yet in Houston for FB Society, which operates chains such as Velvet Taco, Whisky Cake and Sixty Vines across the state.

“It’s a contemporary take of Texas but it’s not hokey,” FB Society CEO Jack Gibbons said.

Haywire first opened in 2017 in Plano before coming to Dallas several years later. The Houston location, however, has the largest footprint and will be the flagship location.

A two-story building houses the main part of the restaurant. It will feature bars on each floor, an open kitchen and a room dedicated to high-end spirits, especially rare whiskies. There’s also a 2,000-square-foot “party barn” seating over 100 with its own bar, which can be booked for private events.

For a so-called contemporary take on Texas, the Haywire team filled the space with a mix of metals and woods that feel Marfa-esque, according to Gibbons, who notes the space is divided into various bar areas, lounges and dining room.

The plan is to open for lunch, dinner and brunch from the beginning, Gibbons said.

Haywire’s Southern menu is slated to include Gulf Coast seafood such as crabs, shrimp and redfish. A 33-ounce tomahawk ribeye is sourced from cattle raised in East Texas. Other dishes included elk tacos, oxtail stroganoff and queso blanco.

The Memorial area has been a hotbed for new restaurants lately with the buzzy opening of Bar Bludorn last week. Earlier this year, pizzeria Via 313 and Pincho Burgers + Kebabs opened in the area.  

For Gibbons, the Haywire opening has personal ties. He graduated from the University of Houston with a business degree, worked for Pappas Restaurants for 25 years and met his wife in Houston.

“We think of Houston as coming home,” Gibbons said. “We hope to bring an authentic, true taste of what Houstonians love about Texas.”