Ante up, Houston, it’s Christmas. In honor of the holiday season, some of our favorite locals have decked their halls with lights, banners, and a stock-full of yuletide libations. Read on to discover the 15 most cheerful places in town to have an eggnog.
1. Johnny’s Gold Brick Heights
Home to the wildly festive Miracle pop-up, the friendly Heights neighborhood bar brings over-the-top holiday cheer to Houston when the most wonderful time of the year comes around. This year’s themed libations are set to include: Yippie Ki Yay Mother F****r!, Christmas Carol Barrel, Jolly Koala, On Dasher, Snowball Old-Fashioned, Christmapolitan, and Jingle Balls Nog. For a short burst of the holiday spirit, patrons can also enjoy the Nice and Naughty Shots.
📍2518 Yale St.
📅 November 23 – December 30
2. Winnie’s Houston Midtown
Winnie’s is a vibrant new bar and patio in Midtown that serves up tantalizing libations, an amazing array of sandwiches, oysters, and po-boys, as well as a trove of flights packed in treasure chests. This holiday season, the venue will also host the Miracle holiday haven as well as the Club Candy Cane Lane private holiday lounge.
📍3622 Main Street
📅 November 23 – December 30
3. Holiday Hideaway at Chicken N’ Pickle Webster
The new Chicken N’ Pickle pickleball, restaurant, and yard game “eatertainment” venue is hosting the new Holiday Hideaway cocktail pop-up bar this merry season. Here, visitors can enjoy a cozy, ski lodge experience complete with nostalgic vibes, summit views, seasonal cocktails, martini flights, and more.
📍210 Blue Heron Drive
📅 November 22 – December 31
4. Porch Swing Heights
The halls will be decked of this friendly neighborhood bar on the corner of Heights and Washington. Find lifesize nutcrackers, a throne fit for a Claus, lights galore, and other very merry decor inside Porch Swing Pub. Additionally, the pub is hosting Christmas trivia on Thursday nights as well as DJs on Fridays and Saturdays.
📍69 Heights Blvd
📅 November 29 – December 21
5. Toasted Coconut Montrose
Inspired by the 20th parallel north, The Toasted Coconut is a laid back, rum-swirling tropical outpost in the heart of Montrose. Their libation menu courtesy of award-winning bar director, Sarah Troxell, features refreshing, tropical, and “Big N’Boozy” cocktails.
Order a Vamos A La Playa with Del Maguey Vida mexcal, Uruapan Charanda-blended rum, pineapple shrub, and lime juice, to accompany their delectable tiki-inspired bites. With no official dates yet announced, the venue is set to reprise their annual holiday takeover with sleigh bells and sea shells.
📍1617 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77006
📅 Undisclosed
6. Heights & Co. Heights
Heights and Co.’s & Co Fireside is back for the holiday season. Here, Houstonians can enjoy seasonal cocktails, s’mores boards over tabletop fireside pits, as well as holiday movies screened on a big screen, and a cozy dinner.
📍1343 Yale St.
📅 Ongoing
7. Wonder Bar Midtown
The imaginative and interactive Wonder Bar, known for its rotating over-the-top displays and colorful cocktails, are back with an immersive holiday experience. Enjoy Christmas cocktails, radiant lights, and plenty of photo-ops to capture your next Christmas card.
📍2416 Brazos St Suite C, Houston, Texas 770066
📅 November 20 –
8. Betelgeuse Betelgeuse Washington Ave
Washington Ave’s cosmic new bar – with a second location in Montrose – is prepared to turn its quarters into a constellation of Christmas lights for the holiday season. With pizza and cocktails to boot, Betelgeuse is a good a place as any to cozy up for the holidays in Houston!
📍2101 Washington Ave
📅 Undisclosed
9. The Chifley Hotel Galleria
The Chifley Hotel at Galleria Houston is hosting a Tinsel Town Pop-Up Bar this holiday season. Taking place from November 20 to January 2, the Tinsel Town pop-up will feature seasonal cocktails, holiday DJ tunes, and all of the tinsel. Tinsel Town takes place from 5 pm to midnight on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
📍2400 W Loop S.
📅 November 20 – January 2
10. Post Oak Ice House Post Oak
The North Pole is coming to neighborhood hangout, Post Oak Ice House this December. Throughout the holiday season, the brilliantly illuminated ice house will feature a bill of festive drinks, cookie shots, Santa visits, and weekly live music.
📍5610 Richmond Ave
📅 December
11. Shiver’s Ice Bar at ICE LAND
ICE LAND at Moody Gardens is back for the holiday season! In addition to arctic slides, train rides, ice skating, a Festival of Lights, Christmas buffets, and more: ICE LAND will also reprise the Shiver’s Ice Bar where visitors can get their fill of holiday spirits including vodka shots off of blocks of ice.
One Hope Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77554
November 23 – January 1
12. Jingle Bell Bar
Aero Cocktail Co. in River Oaks, home of the passed Cursed Cauldron, will host a special new holiday pop-up this season. Jingle Bell Bar promises to be an immersive, multi-sensory cocktail haven with multiple themed rooms including Candyland Lounge, Apres Ski Lodge, and Classic Christmas as well as seasonal cocktails, live performances, festive eats, hands-on seasonal workshops, and more.
📍2031 Westcreek Lane
📅 November 27 – December 28
13. Frosty’s
The two-story Christmas pop-up Frosty’s has made its way to the south! After opening in New York and Chicago to beloved Xmas lovers, Frosty’s has opened in Houston at Lustre Pearl with over-the-top holiday spirit! Here, Houstonians can enjoy holiday-themed cocktails, singing Santas, and other popular Christmas characters!
📍2106 Dallas St Suite 100
📅 November 29 – January 1
14. Julep
Named one of the best bars in North America, and landing a prestigious James Beard award, Julep has established itself as a cocktail institution in Houston. With a holiday-themed menu dropping soon, it’ll be hard to say there’s a better place to find Christmas spirits in Houston than Julep.
📍1919 Washington Ave, Houston, TX 77007
📅 December
15. Riva’s Italian Restaurant
Although we’ve never been to the North Pole, but we imagine its local dining scene to be a lot like the Riva’s experience – albeit with shorter servers. Located at 1117 Missouri St. in Montrose, Riva’s Italian Restaurant is a neighborhood bistro that specializes in classical Italian dishes.
📍1117 Missouri St, Houston, TX 77006
📅 December
See also: 10 enchanting Christmas lights displays in Houston to see 2024