Favorite
Sipping on a drink while looking out at a horse’s pasture and new townhomes in the background is a unique Houston experience. East End Hardware’s outdoor space is also great if you’re looking for picnic tables and lawn games like cornhole. The bar’s cocktails lean on classics like Aperol spritzes and Pimm’s cups, but it’s also famous for its boozy snowballs Read more...
Favorite
Since it’s named after a song by psychedelic rock pioneer Roky Erickson, it goes without saying that this Midtown bar has a bit of a free-spirited vibe. Owned by former Grand Prize bartenders Lindsay Rae and Billy Boyd, this little tucked-away bar is as divey as they come, with a regularly updated cocktail menu, including a slew of creative frozen Read more...
Favorite
Normally, if a foodie, a cocktail snob, and a sports fan walk into a random Houston bar, one of them will end up unhappy. Unless that bar is this one—housed, as the name suggests, in a large white bungalow, in, you guessed it, the Heights. This new gastropub offers crowd-pleasing apps including a “big ass pretzel,” fried green tomatoes, flatbreads, Read more...
Favorite
Located on the busiest corner of The Woodlands Waterway, this suburban gem exaggerates the best of Texas and Ireland to create an upscale pub where paintings of longhorns are illuminated by elaborate chandeliers fashioned from Jameson bottles. The place often draws big crowds, who converge here to enjoy nightly live music and interesting Tex-Irish takes on dishes ranging from bangers Read more...
Favorite
Some people tackle a midday slump with Starbucks; others prefer The Clutch City Buzz, a cold brew–based tequila creation that drinks strangely similar to a seasonal stout, right down to the foamy head, but with a dash of green-mint bitters for a Grasshopper-sweet touch. If you’re too comfy perched in your booth at this quiet lounge atop busy Finn Hall, Read more...
Favorite
You’re more likely to be seated next to a bedazzled tween cheer team and their diehard moms than a bunch of day drinkers at this popular year-old sports bar in Katy. That’s because the locals know that the food here rules. One must-order? The bacon flight—referred to on the apps menu as “Did We Just Become Best Friends?”—features candied, spicy-jalapeño, Read more...
Favorite
Come for the cleverly obscure name (referencing a 1943 classic survival guide), stay for the fascinating array of wines at this new, Italian vinoteca-inspired bar on the edge of the Second Ward, in the space that previously housed Admiral Linens. Under the guidance of Mike Sammons (the mind behind 13 Celsius and Mongoose versus Cobra), the place has been transformed Read more...
Favorite
The recently remodeled, retro-cool bar at Del Mar Lanes in Garden Oaks remains a classic of the genre—all hand-scripted fonts and deodorant-sprayed bowling shoes—tastefully brought up to date with 21st-century touches like nighttime laser lights and Camila Cabello music videos projected on 150-inch screens. The crowd is similarly eclectic, with birthday parties complemented by a robust bowling league featuring team Read more...
Favorite
Small enough to feel intimate but not cramped, this dark and sexy bar is everything you want in a hotel watering hole. Its location inside the opulent Post Oak makes for unparalleled people-watching; flickering candles and red roses on low tables with lounge-like seating set the mood; and clubby music makes even a Tuesday night feel like Saturday. Once you Read more...
Favorite
This dive bar staple has a pool table, arcade games, nightly food pop-ups, and some of the friendliest bartenders in Houston. We love coming here when “Pupusa Mami” is slinging her Salvadoran treats. Read more...