Plonk! Bistro & Wine Cellar

If someone DIY-renovated a backyard pool house with items only found at a local big box hardware store, it would probably look a lot like Plonk! Bistro. It’s not a particularly stylish place, but both the wine and food—especially the braised short ribs with savory polenta—make the lackluster surroundings a moot point.

Instead of the expected wine menu headlines of red, white, or sparkling, Plonk! breaks down by-the-glass options starting with approachable wine and moving down into more esoteric choices. So choose something lower on the list and feel cool, like saying, “film” instead of “movie.” And the small snacks like crispy grilled shishitos and charcuterie, pizzas, and juicy burgers with rich guanciale and a half rack of lamb chops, make unexpectedly great compliments to a casual glass of wine at a bar in the back of a strip center. 

Regardless of the over-decor, Plonk! works best as a casual date spot in Garden Oaks, or as a hideaway to drink wine and veg out with a whole pizza on the patio.