Back 2 the Video Store

Video Rental-Themed Speakeasy Back 2 the Video Store Opens in Houston | Eater Houston

"A new speakeasy in Houston recreates the video rental-store experience inside Junction HTX, serving a 21-and-up, reservation-only nostalgia trip that launched June 28. The experience begins at a side entrance where guests climb stairs, enter a code at a speakeasy door, and step through a beaded wall into a mock rental store where a welcome attendant hands each visitor a drink ticket disguised as a membership card. Guests pick from VHS-style cases on the shelves tied to cocktails, then “check out” their selection at the bar where a “videotender” crafts the drink; highlights include the dark, tropical Men in Black (ube, spiced rum, cachaça, lime and pineapple juices, and coconut) and the playful NBA Jam shot (Fireball and RumChata served with a miniature basketball hoop and a candy Whopper). A themed food menu includes a meatless K-Impossible burger (named after Kim Possible), Y2K grilled cheese, Sandlot hot dogs, and Clueless ice cream (vanilla topped with raspberry sauce and gummy bears). The decor leans heavily into nostalgia with neon lights, lava lamps, glow-in-the-dark accents, and old movie posters, and patrons can play retro arcade games like Pac-Man and Mortal Kombat or watch old films on a projector. Standard tickets are $22 for a 90-minute reservation plus one Y2K-themed cocktail or mocktail; upgrades include a 1990s vs. 2000s Blockbuster brunch ($45) with bottomless mimosas and brunch specials and a Video Killed the Radio Star DJ Party ($28) featuring four hours of throwback music videos and a welcome cocktail. The pop-up is open for reservations on Thursdays and Fridays at 8200 Washington Avenue through August 10." - Brittany Britto Garley