Owner Hugh Lazenberry came up with the idea after taking his vehicle in for a hand wash and walking over to a nearby restaurant for a margarita while he waited. He left his career in the medical field and opened Hugh and Jeff’s in 2008. The “Jeff” in Hugh & Jeff’s was a general manager of the grill, but he has not been with the business for several years. Hugh decided to keep “Jeff” in the name because he’s always liked the sound of two-name brands like Ben & Jerry’s or Vic & Anthony’s.
For first-timers, an old barrel with a sign sits out front with instructions. “Please park and come inside for car wash services.” Walk in, pay and hand over the keys, while a runner pulls the vehicle over to the wash line. No machines are used here. All washes are by hand, so guests should expect to wait an hour or more.
These guys do an outstanding job, and washes cost only $29 for cars and $35 for trucks and SUVs. Hugh and Jeff’s also offers an unlimited wash VIP program for $59-$79 a month. Unlimited washes. One rate. Enough said. If time is an issue, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons are the best.
Several spots are available for guests to relax while waiting. A traditional carwash lounge area is in the front with big, comfy chairs and a television. Hugh and Jeff’s has Wi-Fi, so bring a laptop or iPad if stopping by just for a wash.
If sports, grub and booze are on the mind, head over to the other side of Hugh’s, a sports fan's dream with 35 HD televisions with full surround sound mounted all around. Sports and rock and roll memorabilia is hung throughout.
Hugh is a huge fan of Mötley Crüe, so check out his cool collectibles on display. An autographed Tom Petty guitar hangs in the lounge area, and several electric guitars are mounted to the ceiling above the inside bar. Football jerseys and autographed photos from Hugh’s personal collection make this wide-open sports bar feel like a deluxe man cave — yes, of course women are welcome and even children until 9 p.m. — as do a nice little row of eight-liners lined up on the back wall, right next to an old-school cigarette machine that still works.
Smoking is allowed in the back bar only.
Hugh and Jeff's will celebrate its ten-year anniversary in March 2018. As business has grown over the years, so has Hugh's. A couple of additions have been incorporated. The bars are sometimes referred to as bar one, bar two and bar three, in the order they were added to the original building. All of these lounge areas are connected and indoors.
The back of the building is a palapa paradise. Fancy columns hold up mounds of beachy palm leaves, while colored lights are strung from one side to the other. This area is located just through the brown French doors located at the back of the indoor grill.
The large garage doors are opened during business hours, keeping the back bar nice and breezy. This area overlooks the line of vehicles waiting to be washed. Watch those guys wash a car in about six minutes and then send it down the line to be detailed. The detailing station is where most of the time is spent.
Every Friday and Saturday night, join Hugh’s for live music. A large stage sits inside the grill area, with ample seating, perfect for groups to enjoy local bands. No, it’s not mandatory to get a car wash while visiting this place. That’s just a bonus. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, come by and enjoy a DJ playing music video jams.
Hugh and Jeff’s offers traditional sports bar cuisine such as tacos, wings, burgers and pizza. The wings are made fresh and many of the salad dressings are made in-house. The burgers are full of flavor and the buns are purchased from Colosseum Italian Bakery in Webster. The fries are hand-cut and the pizzas are made in a brick-lined oven.
Pizzas come in two sizes, ten-inch and 14-inch. Standard toppings are available, as are some odd ones, including Wheat Thins and cream cheese. Check out the ultimate munchies pizza, topped with pepperoni, Italian sausage, bell pepper, black olives, candied jalapeños, bacon, onion and smashed Wheat Thins and drizzled with cream cheese. Philly cheese steak and buffalo chicken pizzas are also on the menu.
If meat is on the mind, try one of the big burgers, like the mushroom-Swiss. This third-pound patty is topped with cheese, mayonnaise, tomato, and sautéed onions and mushrooms. Sides include onion rings, hand-cut fries sprinkled with house seasoning, or a side salad. A fried chicken sandwich, sliders and a Fiesta Burger with pepper jack cheese and sautéed jalapeños are also on the menu.
Lots of appetizers are offered as well. Chips and salsa, loaded baked potato fries, and nachos, to name a few. The fried pickles aren’t the usual thin slices of pickles. These are chopped-up pickle spears, which makes them nice and plump, and gives each bite a burst of tangy pickle juice. Dunk these babies in Hugh’s homemade ranch and go ahead and let out a moan or two.
Fresh, made-to-order chicken wings come in orders of ten or 20, naked or breaded, with sauces such as barbecue, teriyaki, hot rod, redline, mango habanero, garlic parmesan or Ricky Bobby.
Bacon-wrapped chili cheese hot dogs are sinful: deep fried and topped with chili and queso. What’s a game without a deep-fried hot dog?
Enjoy the cool vibe of this place over a beer or frozen cocktail. The blueberry hurricane is a bright blue grown-up slushy made with Bacardi rum, Malibu black rum, and regular Malibu and is topped with sliced oranges and juicy cherries.
Hugh’s is even more popular during crawfish season, which starts at the Super Bowl and ends mid-June. Hugh manages to price crawfish low enough to keep competition at bay. Cars are lined up around the corner during this time of year. Hugh’s also airs UFC fights, so keep that in mind when the next one rolls around.
With a love for the military, owner Hugh Lazenberry receives a Gulf Coast Guardians plaque from the United States Air Force.
Photo courtesy of Hugh Lazenberry
281-614-1812
Hours: Sunday 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. Monday, 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. Tuesday 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Kitchen closes at midnight. Car washes stop at 7 p.m.
