New Magnolia bar Hound Hauz draws people and dogs from across the Houston area

Magnolia resident Cindy Hitchcock walked around her newly opened ice house, preparing to capture a black pug with her green Polaroid camera — adding to the wall of photos of dogs that have visited the bar. 

“We like dogs,” said Hitchcock, who works at the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office during the week. 

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In August, Hitchcock opened Hound Hauz, a family-owned ice house off FM 1486, creating a space for people to bring their furry friends to run around. 

Hitchcock runs the bar with her two daughters, Magen Olmstead and Kaleigh Nunn. 

About five minutes away from downtown Magnolia, the ice house is just off the beaten path. Food trucks are often sitting in front, varying from burgers to Asian fusion. The outside area is roughly two acres, with outdoor games scattered across and a small shack. Live folk or country music plays outside. 

If it’s a Saturday night, local musicians could also be playing on a small stage inside of the bar, Hitchcock said. 

Walking into the bar, pictures of the Hitchcock family’s dogs, past and present, hang above the entrance.

“Most people that come in here, it’s because of their dogs,” Hitchcock said, noting that the bar has seen visitors from as far away as Katy. 

Eventually, Hitchcock wants to add an area for dogs to socialize with one another and host shelter dogs for adoption, she said. 

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Creating a space for local vendors

Hitchcock said she is big on bringing the community together.

Most products in her bar are local, from the beer to the food trucks. Even the bar is customized, with wood used from a tree that fell near the property during Hurricane Ike, she said. 

On Saturdays and Sundays, the bar hosts flea and farmers markets at no cost to visitors. 

The bar also hosts local food truck vendors, such as Texpino, an Asian fusion food truck from Willis. 

Owners Mora and Carl Wright also recently opened their food truck business. The food truck officially started selling food in March, Carl Wright said. 

“We like supporting local business,” he said, noting that it was the first time the food truck had partnered with the bar to sell food.  

The bar is currently open Friday evening and all day Saturday and Sunday.