Located on FM 1488 in Magnolia, 242 Pub & Grill is just one of four brand locations in the Houston area, General Manager Cooper McClain said.

The original restaurant opened in September 2017 on Hwy. 242 in Conroe—hence the name—but the Magnolia storefront opened in July 2018, he said.

“We really liked the Magnolia area and what’s going on with the growth here, but also the people,” McClain said. “These are probably some of the nicest people I’ve ever met.”

McClain, who is also the beverage program director for the 242 Pub & Grill brand, said almost the entire menu is made from scratch.

“We go through a lot of taste testing to really get our food right,” he said. “We’ll look at the products we have on hand and see how we can combine them to create new dishes.”

The menu is a labor of love, McClain said, and the staff aims to use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. All sauces are made from scratch and in-house, McClain said.

“A lot of places will use premade sauces or recycled recipes, and we just don’t do that here,” he said.

While the menu is consistent across all 242 Pub & Grill locations, McClain said the Magnolia employees try to be hyperlocal by getting involved in the community and hosting events.

“We’ve hosted a summer party for one of the Magnolia junior highs, we had Magnolia West High School students that volunteered to come paint our fences,” he said. “We just want to give back to the community the same way they give back to us.”

With about 20 TVs surrounding the restaurant’s tables and full-service bar, there is a little something for everyone, McClain said.

“Our motto is, ‘Your pub just down the road,’ and we truly mean that. Without the community, we have nothing,” he said. “We’re a big family here, and our customers are an extension of that family.”

242 Pub & Grill
9201 FM 1488, Ste. 250, Magnolia
281-908-1321
www.242pub.com
Hours: 11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily