Outside view of Hendy’s on Henderson. Photo by Madelyn Edwards.
It’s difficult to pin down the vibe at Hendy’s on Henderson.
The new restaurant, the name of which is slang for Henderson Avenue, opened in place of Sfuzzi this week, and you may get a different experience depending on where you sit.
The bar has big screen TVs hanging over it like a sports bar. In other areas, there’s tables and couches that would feel appropriate in a lounge, including the patio with its boho-patterned pillows. One corner of the restaurant looks like it was pulled out of your grandma’s house with stained-glass standing lamps, a brown leather (or leather looking) couch and various memorabilia on shelves.
This section of Hendy’s on Henderson is designed with antiques. Photo by Madelyn Edwards.
Right next to it is a pool table, a staple of the dive bar.
The pool table at Hendy’s on Henderson waits for someone to start up a game. Photo by Madelyn Edwards.
One of the partners who opened Hendy’s, Chris Carpenter, says that variety is part of the point, getting people to come in and find their spot.
“We wanted to create a lot of areas that people would like, so it’s kind of like having multiple venues in one venue,” he said.
Carpenter also added, “I’ve always appreciated bars where no matter where you’re at you can look across and see everybody. There’s no place in here where you can’t see anybody, and there’s no place where you don’t feel like you’re in the action. There’s no spots where you feel like you’re in the corner or whatever else. Everyone’s in the mix of things.”
A big change from Sfuzzi is that some of the walls on the perimeter of the building were replaced with sliding glass doors that can be opened up when the weather is nice and create easier access to the patio.
Another indicator of the Hendy’s vibe is the staff uniform. The waitresses, dressed in short black dresses with white trim and chunky white sneakers, look like modern cheerleaders. Carpenter said the original uniform plan was cocktail dresses, but his team decided to simplify the outfit to make it more approachable.
Despite its bar and lounge vibes, Hendy’s is more than a place to grab drinks.
“With Sfuzzi making the transition to Hendy’s, we wanted to make sure that we had not only a great bar program for everybody that frequents the area for cocktails, but we wanted to make sure that it had a very good food program as well,” Phil Schanbaum said. He and Brandon Hays own the company This & That Hospitality that produced Hendy’s and the Henderson iteration of Sfuzzi.
Schanbaum said his team partnered with chef Peja Krstic of MộT Hai Ba (recipient of Michelin’s Bib Gourmand award) to create the menu.
“This street is fun and loud, but the whole goal here is really to be food forward, and the street needs good food,” said Rachel Scoggins, who heads up marketing and public relations.
Speaking of food and drinks — My night started with a virgin Orange Julius ($12) after I asked the waitress what she thought would be a good nonalcoholic drink. It tasted sweet, creamy and reminiscent of summer with notes of coconut and vanilla.
Virgin Orange Julius at Hendy’s on Henderson. Photo by Madelyn Edwards.
Overall, the cocktail program, curated by one of Burger Schmurger’s operators Jeremy Koeninger, is meant to be approachable and broadly appealing, Schanbaum said. There’s also more nonalcoholic options, like Liquid Death, canned water ($4).
Can of Liquid Death at Hendy’s on Henderson. Photo by Madelyn Edwards.
Next, I tried a “small plate” — the burrata ($19) that included Texas peaches, peach vinegar, red onions, celery, radish and mixed herbs. You’d think a dish where peaches are the star would be really sweet, but nope — vinegar took center stage. It was fresh and bright, more like a salad that just happened to have peach slices instead of romaine lettuce. My serving also had mozzarella, which was a nice touch.
Burrata (slightly eaten) at Hendy’s on Henderson. Photo by Madelyn Edwards.
Rigatoni ($22), off the “large plates” part of the menu, continued the comfort food vibes. The pasta was thick and chewy, and it was served with Calabrian chili in vodka sauce with stracciatella and garlic panko. Altogether, it tasted warm and flavorful with a mildly spicy aftertaste. (You also have the option to make this dish more spicy as well.)
The last plate I tried was the fried chicken sandwich ($17) in the “hand helds” section of the menu. The sesame buns seemed huge, and the portions were big enough to fill a whole dinner plate. The fries were crispy yet still thick. The sandwich itself surprisingly had a sweet and tangy taste to it, thanks to the hot honey sauce, although it seemed to have a little more bun than chicken at times. The sandwich was dressed with pickles, mayo and cabbage as well. Be prepared for the experience to feel a little messy.
Fried chicken sandwich at Hendy’s on Henderson. Photo by Madelyn Edwards.
Schanbaum described the Hendy’s menu as “new American classics done better than you’ve ever had them.”
“It’s going to be a lot of familiar looking items done exceptionally well,” he said. “I would say that the menu reads a little social. That area is very active, and we want people to be able to socialize and enjoy the food while enjoying the environment.”
Hendy’s on Henderson is located at 2401 N. Henderson Ave.
Full disclosure: The food items mentioned in this article were provided to me for free for the purposes of this review.
