Staff at the Boom Boom Room, Jackie Harris’s funky wine bar and music venue at 2518 Yale St., will pour their last glasses of Pinot noir and dish out their final paninis Friday night. Harris, an artist and doyenne of Houston’s art car movement, tells Swamplot that a “great new restaurant-bar†— one run by “real good Heights–Montrose restaurant people you all know and love†— will be setting up shop at the location in the not-too-distant future, but adds that she is not at liberty to disclose any further details.
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After 8 1/2 years in business, Harris will say bye-bye to the Boom Boom with mixed feelings, but she is looking forward to having more time behind her easel. “I will be painting in my studio where I should be,†she tells Swamplot. “I just wish more people in the Heights would support live music and small businesses or it all goes away.”
Photos: The Boom Boom Room (patio); Swamplot inbox (all others)
whenever i fail at anything i also blame heights residents.
I moved to the Heights over a year ago and never went in there because, with that name, I thought it was a go-go bar. I figured that ‘panini’ was something you would find at UrbanDictionary.com.
I will miss you. Loved the vibe, the always awesome lineups and closeness of the room. Why don’t Houstonians care for live music!! Now where do I go? So disappointed.
When this place opened, there was a “oh no, here come the yuppies” reaction. Now, years later, it is closing and people are complaining about how the Heights is losing its character. Basically, a reprise of “oh no, here come the yuppies.” It is really just the process of yuppie sedimentary rock formation. Yuppies get older, have kids and become boring. Their hangouts go out of style and go out of business. Then, the next layer of yuppies comes in and opens new businesses and the prior layer of former yuppies groan about the neighborhood losing its character.
Celina: Continental Club in midtown?
@spiteful – I literally loled.
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…I honestly had no idea that the Boom Boom Room had live music. I hear “wine” and “panini” and veer off in the other direction. No one has ever suggested the Boom Boom Room as a place to go, especially for live music.
I used to live in the Heights and it’s not in the best area of the Heights. Close to the street, not much parking. The name Boom Boom Room to me would mean strip club or a place to get your dance on. Whenever I’d drive by, I’d laugh and thought the name was great, but it’s probably misleading to a lot of people, including me. I would have changed the name and take out Panini out of the name. Live Music and Wine is a better selling point than Panini’s. If you want people to know you for LIVE MUSIC, then make that a staple in your signage, not Panini’s. A lot of the Heights is primarily 35-45 year olds now who have settled down. Their best BOOM BOOM days are behind them. They’d rather chill out on a patio somewhere and booze and hang out with friends.
There was good entertainment at the Boom Boom. I saw Johnny Falstaff play there about a dozen times and he always put on a good show. The Heights is changing and in many ways not for the better. It has imported Austin’s pretentious vibe.
I loved the concept, but how can you have Boom Boom Room and not have a full bar with martinis? I know it’s a bunch easier to his do a wine bar, but… Anyway, good luck to Jackie and the new venture!
Thank goodness this terrible establishment is gone. Glad to see Harria fail and then have her blame the residents for not supporting local businesses. When you are a capital B who would want to support you?