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City Post Chophouse -
Chef Adi flips Wagyu Burgers on open-flame woodfire grill. -
Wagyu Burgers with House-Cut Fries. -
Country White Cake- buttercream frosting between each layer, lemon citrus glaze on top
When City Post Chophouse owner Kevin Cummins first toured the old Georgetown Post Office and city hall space at 113 East Eighth Street in 2018, he said he instantly envisioned the building becoming a high end steakhouse and oyster bar.
He wasn’t looking for a space to open a high-end restaurant, but Mr. Cummins said the concept just came to him. It was as though the building spoke to him.
“I think the fact that it wound up being a steakhouse and an oyster bar was really the building saying, ‘Wouldn't it be amazing if we did this here?’ rather than ‘here’s a concept, where could we put it?’ ” he said.
The City of Georgetown moved its city hall chambers to MLK Jr. Street in 2018 and placed the post office building up for bid proposals. Georgetown declared the building as the east anchor of the Square in their downtown master plan.
“These anchors are supposed to be destination venues,” Mr. Cummins said. “It’s not just for locals. It’s also for this burgeoning tourist business. Georgetown is really coming into its own. That whole vision for what downtown is and can be really was important and is important to us, we just wanted to be a part of it.”
He and his wife Rachel Cummins both love the historic buildings in Georgetown and believe in their preservation. Ms. Cummins owns and runs Sweet Lemon Kitchen, located inside of a historic house on Church Street in town. Mr. Cummins said customers frequently tell her that Sweet Lemon feels like being at grandma’s house.
Mr. Cummins said that the goal for Sweet Lemon was to create a very comfortable atmosphere, much like the old restaurant Shady Grove in Austin. Sweet Lemon is intended to be a casual place where one may drop into lunch on a whim.
With City Post Chophouse, Mr. Cummins’ set out to make the restaurant a destination and somewhere to celebrate special occasions with a formal atmosphere. A part of creating this atmosphere was instituting a dress code, which he called “Texas Formal.” The restaurant is a place where cowboy hats and boots are welcomed, and shorts and flip flops are advised against.
The restaurant opened in late 2021, but over the past year and a half has expanded its offerings. Currently, the restaurant has an oyster bar, a butcher shop, a main dining room and a private event space upstairs.
For congratulatory events such as graduations, anniversaries and retirement dinners, there is a private dining room located inside the main dining area called The Mailroom— that is sealed from the rest of the restaurant by a sliding door.
Another space, named Ada Talbot Hall, is available to rent for private events such as wedding receptions. Named after Georgetown’s first female postmaster, the room is complete with a private bar, restroom and a stage that can be used for concerts.
Mr. Cummins recommends that customers make a reservation for the main dining room a week ahead of time. The seared Chilean sea bass and the filet mignon are popular items on the dinner menu. At lunch, fan favorites include the lobster roll, which uses a butter-poached North Atlantic lobster, and the CP Wagyu Burger.
The dessert menu features key lime pie and cheesecake that are courtesy of Sweet Lemon Kitchen.
City Post Chophouse also has specials and events throughout the week such as the reservation-only “Tuesday 2 Dozen event.” Mr. Cummins thinks of it as a “small bites” night. During the event, 24 people dine at the restaurant for $24. The small-bite menu is the chef Adrian Corkill's choice. A popular option for diners, there are no reservations available for the Tuesday 2 Dozen event for the next two months.
On Saturdays, there is a piano performance in the main dining room. Sunday Brunch is a recent addition.
City Post also offers a membership option. Every member is assigned a box and is given a monthly gift like a steak carving set or a bottle of wine. Members also receive a discount and can attend special member-only events.
In the future, Mr. Cummins said he’d like City Post Chophouse to have a speakeasy in the basement of the building and an outdoor patio