Historic Sterling house, built in 1905, converted into midtown bar and restaurant

The Sterling House as it looked in 2015. The Sterling House as it looked in 2015. Image 1 of / 56 Caption Close Historic Sterling house, built in 1905, converted into midtown bar and restaurant 1 / 56 Back to Gallery

When Amir Ansari took on the arduous task of converting a 111-year-old structure into a bar and restaurant, he may not have anticipated just how complicated the years-long process would be.

The once dilapidated, 2,850-square-foot house at 3015 Bagby required extensive improvements to meet the city's standards for a dining establishment. Now Ansari, a Houston bar owner who bought this property in 2009, is just weeks away from launching his bar with restaurant, Sterling House.

After purchasing the place and contacting Houston's Historic Preservation Office, he learned that the home once belonged to the Sterling family (former Texas Governor Ross Sterling, along with his brother, Frank, were among the founders of Humble Oil, a precursor to ExxonMobil). Ansari, whose late mother, Fay, had urged him to restore the home and honor its history, said he hopes to have it designated a landmark in coming months.

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The owner himself worked on some of the exterior renovations and construction, even dealing with a termite infestation that forced him to replace all of the building's siding and exterior features. The interior was handled by Ansari's good friend and local interior designer Kim Atlas Harrington, who transformed the historic residence into a sleek, stylish space.

Construction and the lengthy process of obtaining the appropriate city permits – add to that the personal struggles with which Ansari was contending – led him to consider leasing out the property rather than debuting his own establishment.

So a few years ago he began shopping around the building – Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) permit included – to potential tenants who might want to set up a bar or restaurant. The problem was that most of those who showed interest were first-time operators, and Ansari was seeking an established restaurant owner with a brand. That encouraged him to scrap the leasing option and pursue this endeavor.

Karaoke and trivia nights

"Sterling House will be a neighborhood bar with amazing food," Ansari says. "A healthy fresh twist on finger and bar food with one of the best burgers I've ever had. No freezer, everything is prepared daily."

Ansari, who's helped to launch nightlife establishments Eighteenth Cocktail Bar, Vintage and Antique, brought on chef Lindsey Lee Hirsch, a French Culinary Institute graduate, to consult on and design the menu. His childhood friend Paul de la Cruz, who's already been integral in helping to manage construction, will lead front-of-house operations. Also helping lead the operations team are Joy Kennedy and Ansari's cousin, Kamyar Ansari.

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Sterling House will offer 12 to 16 mostly local beers on tap, a large Prosecco and rose selection and about 10 to 14 specialty cocktails.

"Upstairs we will have DJs, Karaoke, Trivia nights, bingo, and rent the space out for private events," Ansari adds. "We are (also) talking to many local chefs about doing pop ups."

Following a soft opening phase, Ansari says he hopes to have a smoothly running operation within four to five weeks.

"We are so, so happy we were able to save this house for our community," he says.