Today we’d like to introduce you to Henry Dillmann.
Henry, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I graduated from University of Houston, Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. While working a couple of Casual Dining restaurants I learned the ropes. In 2011, after 18 years of loyalty I was fired from a large Casual Dining Chain. I accepted a job as a consultant with a restaurant software company. I felt I would either become a rich software guy or I would be looking for a job again soon. While working the software job, I stopped to see my mother on the way to work and she was not doing well. What I did not know at the time is that was God’s providence. He gave me the ability to stop to see my mother 5 days a week to make sure she got up and was ready to live another day. Nine months later I was looking for another job as I suspected. God had given me what I needed, the opportunity to have an income and take care of my mom. Then God gave me what I wanted, my own restaurant. I was looking at a restaurant space and after looking at the space three times, I told the listing agent I was not going to make an offer. The listing agent then asked if I was interested in buying Gordon Street Tavern. I had dined at the Tavern before but I did some secret shopping and decided to buy it. It previously was run like a night club so I had to rebrand it on the inside. My land lord Joe Schneider was very helpful. He never gave me anything for free except for advice and every once in a while, I still go to him for advice. So now we have a hometown tavern with an eclectic menu, a brewpub (although broken right now due to pandemic), Texas wines, and spirits in a casual dining environment. We are located in historic downtown Alvin, next to the train depot in a 100+ year old building.
Has it been a smooth road?
There have been a lot of blessings and a lot of struggles. The first year was staffing issues. I had kept the entire previous owners’ team. Some were on board, some were not, and some were not capable. After the first-year things improved. More focus on quality, more focus on craft. We began to make our own root beer and then we opened the brewpub. We made a lot of beer. As others have also had, we have had weather related problems and pandemic related problems. Overall, more blessings than obstacles.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Gordon Street Tavern story. Tell us more about the business.
We have the best staff in town because we have the best customers in town because we have the best staff in town because…… A couple of our unique food items include the Go Pig, Scotch Egg, Toast au Champignons, RC Ranch Wagyu hamburgers. Go Pig is a korubuta cut pork short rib that we smoke and sous vid. A Scotch Egg is very simple but super tasty, a hardboiled egg wrapped in breakfast sausage, battered and fried served with honey mustard. Toast au Champignons is exotic mushrooms and a creamy garlicy sauce served with crusty baguettes. RC Ranch Wagyu hamburgers are locally sourced from Angleton.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Man, that is a super unknown. There are some suggestions that technology and delivery will take us in many different directions. My focus is to make sure we provide genuine employees giving genuine service.
Pricing:
- from $8 hamburger to $22 NY Strip
- beer from $3 to $7, some interesting craft beers, mostly local
- M-F lunch menu
Contact Info:
- Address: 114 N. Gordon Street Tavern
Alvin, TX 77511
281-968-7402 - Website: gordonstreettavern.com
- Phone: 281-968-7402
- Email: info@gordonstreettavern.com
- Instagram: gordonstreettavern
- Facebook: Gordon Street Tavern
Image Credit:
One of the photos is from Stacy Anderson photograghy
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
