Hole out in these low-key Houston hideaways.
Whether to escape the weather, shoot a round of pool, drink craft or cheap beer, eat nachos, or to play a song on a jukebox, slide into one of these Houston dive bars. From probably haunted wine taverns, to DIY watering holes, here are the best dive bars in Houston. [Featured image: @somanycorgis]
1. Grand Prize
Grand Prize is tucked in the east edge of Montrose north of Museum Park. Driving by, the bar first gives off the vibe of a low-key house party – what with the front porch, music, and the colorful array of lights twinkling in the front window and all.
Here, bar patrons can be seen having a couple beers on the second story balcony. On cold, dark, and wet days, Grand Prize is the ultimate hole-in-the-wall to crawl into and stave off the storm.
📍1010 Banks St.
2. Poison Girl
As with its moody interior, deep red walls, scant lighting, and shrine of spirits, so does the Westheimer haunt offer an idyllic atmosphere for various drinking moods. Whether you want to take the edge off after a day at work, straight drown your sorrows, smooth over first date jitters, or catch up with friends – all forms are doable at Poison Girl.
The bar is stocked with a proper whiskey selection with bartenders that know how to mix a cocktail. Plus there’s pinball machines and a spacious back patio.
📍1641 Westheimer Rd. B
3. Big Star Bar
Good music, good people, and ridiculously cheap beer: that’s Big Star Bar. The retro-fitted late-night dive in the Heights is fitted with pool tables, a dance floor, and a big back yard when the weather’s fair. If you’re winding down for the night or turning up, Big Star is the place to do so.
📍1005 W 19th St.
4. Lola’s Depot
Lola’s has been a Montrose institution for the past 30 years. A no-frills down and dirty dive with cheap drinks, vibrant crowds, good tunes, a back patio, and a couple of pool tables.
📍2327 Grant St.
5. Neil’s Bahr
The gamer-themed East Downtown bar is Houstonian’s place to geek out. Fit with a library of comic books, free play-arcade games and “all the Simpsons” – not to mention a full bar – the 21+ bar makes for a solid place to hang out, converse with like-minded people, and play Mario Kart. Neil’s Bahr hosts movie nights on Mondays, video game tournaments on Tuesdays, karaoke on Wednesdays, and general antics the rest of the week.
📍2006 Walker St.
6. Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top Lounge
The Big Top Lounge is the colorful extension of The Continental Club. Befit with vintage circus paintings, kaleidoscopic lighting, and a hodgepodge of festive memorabilia, Big Top offers a carnival-like atmosphere to enjoy a live band, cheap beer, and good people.
📍3714 Main St.
7. notsuoH
notsuoH is part bar, part performance art venue, part vintage art gallery in Downtown, Houston. Our last memory of the dive goes back a few years. That night the bar showcased an experimental noise rock outfit. During which, the band played and recorded a number of loops, after which the keyboardist and guitarist sat down crosslegged on the stage and played a game of chess as the loops fed through the monitors.
And that pretty much sums up the energy of notsuouH – a DIY watering hole where artists, poets, and performers can express themselves without the pretense of impressing, or even entertaining, anyone. 10/10 would go again.
📍314 Main St.
8. La Carafe Wine Bar
While not a speakeasy, La Carafe Wine Bar on Congress St. largely flies under the radar of Houston’s bar scene. Housed in a building built in 1847, the historic – and probably haunted – dive is believed to be the oldest bar in Houston. La Carafe offers an intimate and ambient atmosphere, fit with a chandelier, wax-crystallizing candles, antique relics of times past, and one damn good jukebox. Take the stairs up to their second-story balcony for an enchanting view of downtown.
📍813 Congress St.
9. D&W Lounge
Filled to the brim with antiques, knick knacks, and general bric a brac, the historic East Downtown hole-in-the-wall is regularly packed with an eclectic crowd for cheap beer and live bands – no cover necessary. If you need a breath of fresh air, or a cigarette, there’s also a back patio. D&W offers $1.50 beer Mondays, and karaoke on Saturdays.
📍911 Milby St.
10. Lil Danny Speedo’s Go Fly A Kite Lounge
Lil Danny’s is another classic dive from the people behind Big Star Bar and Grand Prize. The “human-friendly” dive is stocked with a full bar with rotating seasonal drafts and other local craft brews. Their patio is dog-friendly and oft features a variety of tasty food trucks to complete the experience.
📍823 Dumble St.
11. Rudyard’s
Otherwise known as the living room of Montrose, Rudyard’s is a neighborhood gastropub where patrons can enjoy a wide selection of craft beer on tap, a round of pool, and a side-splitting comedy show in a single night.
The first floor of the Montrose dive bar features numerous tables and booths as well as a room dedicated to darts, shuffleboard, and pool. Upstairs is an intimate live venue and home to the Riot Comedy Club. Rudyard’s also has a full kitchen, offering elevated gastropub fare ranging from Spaghettie Grilled Cheese to Fish & Chips.
📍2010 Waugh Dr.
12. The Shiloh Club
The Shiloh Club in The Heights has been serving Houstonians for over 50 years. At one of the oldest Houston dive bars, patrons can enjoy pool, darts, and free, fresh made popcorn. Cheap drinks, daily specials, shots, and a breezy patio are also all here and accounted for.
📍1321 Studewood St.
13. Lightnin’s Good Times
Housed in the space formerly occupied by Miss Carousel in East Downtown, Lightnin’s Good Times is an electric Houston dive that houses a stage, dance floor, pool tables, TVs, and series of pinball machines. The neon-saturated dive features a menu of elevated pub grub but also encourages visitors to pop by the neighboring Vinny’s for a slice of pizza.
📍1201 Emanuel St.
14. Catbird’s
Open from 3:30 pm to 2 am 365 days of the year, Catbird’s is another unpretentious dive bar in Montrose. Service is top-notch, drinks are well-made, and a patio is there if you need it. Daily events range from Astros watch parties, trivia, DJs, and free-pool Sundays.
📍1326 Westheimer Rd. Suite C.
15. EZ’s Liquor Lounge
Opened in White Oak in 2022, EZ’s Liquor Lounge is a laidback dive imbued with the charm of a small Texas town. Outfitted in hand-built furniture, neon lights, and plenty of Americana, EZ’s Lquor Lounge features a no-frills menu of cheap drinks as well as a selection of wine, frozens, and craft cocktails. The bar also serves an assortment of southern comfort foods, including hotdogs, tacos, chili, and more.
📍3302 White Oak Dr.
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