University City's entertainment strip, packed with Blueprint Coffee, Salt + Smoke BBQ and the Moonrise Hotel's rooftop, walkable end to end.
Salt + Smoke smokes brisket over post oak for 16 hours in the Delmar Loop and pairs it with a deep bourbon list. The city's leading new-school BBQ name.
Order: Post-oak brisket with the fried pimento-cheese balls.
Tip: Brisket sells out, so save a spot on the waitlist or come early. The bourbon and beer list is as much the draw as the meat.
Lu Lu has run cart-rolled dim sum and Cantonese seafood on the Olive Boulevard Chinese strip for years. The weekend dim sum draws regulars to University City.
Order: Cart-rolled dim sum at lunch and the salt-and-pepper shrimp.
Tip: Come for weekend dim sum before noon for the fullest carts. Salt-and-pepper dishes and steamed fish are the standouts off the menu.
Blueprint's Delmar cafe is the roaster's original home, a bright design-forward room serving precise filter coffee and espresso. A cornerstone of the Loop.
Signature drink: Filter coffee and seasonal espresso
Tip: The bar seating faces the brewing; ask the barista to talk you through the day's filter. Quieter on weekday mornings.
Blueprint is a roaster known for clean, precise coffee, supplying its Loop, Watson and Washington cafes from a design-forward operation in the Delmar Loop.
Tip: Each cafe pours the day's filter on the bar; ask the barista to walk you through the rotating single origins.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Guatemala
How they serve: Filter, Espresso, Whole bean retail
Eclipse at the Moonrise Hotel pours a galaxy of wine and beer alongside an award-winning cocktail program in the Delmar Loop, with a rooftop bar above.
Signature pour: A glass paired to the modern American plates
Wine focus: Wine, beer and award-winning cocktails
Food: Modern American menu
Tip: Pair a glass with the modern American menu, then head to the rooftop for a nightcap. Handy before a Loop show.