Co-owners Joe Copus and Chris O’Donnell, friends for more than 20 years, opened Craft Grill in Tomball to fill the void of locally owned eateries in the Kuykendahl Road area.
“We want[ed] to create a place we [would] want to go—a place our families [would] want to go—in this neighborhood where it’s not a chain and it’s [made-from-] scratch food that you’d be proud of,” O’Donnell said. “We want to craft the restaurant this neighborhood wants. Our mission statement is to be this neighborhood’s favorite restaurant and tap room.”
Copus and O’Donnell opened Craft Grill in February with the help of their respective wives, Patti and Connie.
The Nashville hot chicken ($12) is fried, seasoned and served on a Belgian waffle.[/caption]
In addition to craft beers, craft cocktails and signature drinks, the restaurant and bar offers made-from-scratch Southern cuisine, such as shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, and a special-blend burger, O’Donnell said.
“It’s comfort food,” he said. “[The] Louisiana cooking is spiced up. Our recipes are bolder than the average restaurant, but since we make everything to order every time, you can take [the spice] up or down.”
The restaurant also features live music each Wednesday on the outdoor patio and flexible seating is available throughout the restaurant to accommodate parties of all sizes, he said.
“We wanted families to come in with their babies and their grandma and have a really comfortable environment [and] look through those windows [to see] a high-energy bar and want to come back without the kids later,” O’Donnell said.
Co-owners Joe Copus (left) and Chris O’Donnell opened Craft Grill in February.[/caption]
Copus, a first-time restaurant entrepreneur, said the small size of the restaurant allows Craft Grill to adapt its practices and menu offerings to best fit the customer and employee while providing a tight-knit environment for both.
“We can meet our customers’ needs and our servers’ needs,” Copus said. “It’s kind of a family.”
Craft Grill 25219 Kuykendahl Road, Ste. G110 Tomball 281-255-2396 www.craftgrillrestaurants.com Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
