Heights' El Cantina site won't be a brewpub after all

The El Cantina Superior restaurant in the Heights closed in August. It is set to open in mid-March as a casual restaurant focused on Texas farm-raised meats. The El Cantina Superior restaurant in the Heights closed in August. It is set to open in mid-March as a casual restaurant focused on Texas farm-raised meats. Photo: Steve Gonzales, Staff Photo: Steve Gonzales, Staff Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Heights' El Cantina site won't be a brewpub after all 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Plans for the El Cantina Superior site near the White Oak dining and entertainment area have changed again. Rather than a brewpub that makes beer on site, the space is slated to open in mid-March as a casual restaurant called Ritual with an in-house butchershop and an extensive craft-beer lineup.

Delicious Concepts Restaurant Group, which owns Lola, Shepherd Park Draught House, Witchcraft Tavern and seven Pink's Pizza locations, announced the changes Monday.

Erik Ogershok, a veteran of the Texas beer scene who left Real Ale Brewing Co. to launch brewery operations at the restaurant, said later that the group is in negotiations to lease another site where it still intends to open a brewpub, possibly by the end of the year. He said the group already has purchased a brewhouse and will move it down from Pennsylvania once the new property is secured.

But he said the immediate priority is to get Ritual up and running.

In a news release Monday, Delicious Concepts said Felix Florez of Black Hill Meats will be involved "to bring a revolving lineup of Texas' finest farm raised meats to be featured exclusively on the menu at Ritual."

Jordan Asher was named as executive chef.

Ogershok will oversee the restaurant's beer lineup, which he described on Monday as a mix of approachable brews and more adventurous fare.

After El Cantina Superior launched last summer, Delicious Concepts brought in the management team from F.E.E.D. Texas, including the well-regarded chef Lance Fegen, to retool the menu and supervise kitchen and service.

The ambitious restaurant with colorful, quirky decor earned a positive review from Chronicle critic Alison Cook. But in May, the two restaurant groups suddenly parted ways.