New bar and grill Summer Camp is now serving in the former Pearl-area location of Hello Paradise, swapping the former’s Thai food and frozen tropical drinks for smashburgers, all-beef coneys and specialty cocktails.
Summer Camp opened quietly this week at 520 E. Grayson St., posting Instagram photos of its eats and drinks. Along with the summer camp-worthy fare, the spot is pouring tipples such as a fiery Hot Pants Margarita, which includes blanco tequila, orange liqueur, passion fruit, lime, jalapeño and hibiscus salt.
Hello Paradise, operated by local cocktail expert Jeret Peña, closed in February after a little more than a year in business.
According to earlier reports, a “Texas-centric” spot from local chef Matt Garcia of recently-shuttered Bandit BBQ was poised to take over the location and serve up burgers and hotdogs. At press time, it’s unclear who’s helming Summer Camp’s kitchen. We’ll update the story once we learn additional details.
The Google Business page for the mostly outdoor Summer Camp lists operating hours of 4 p.m. to midnight, Wednesday through Sunday.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
This article appears in Nov 16-29, 2022.

