Ante up, Houston, it’s Christmas. In honor of the most wonderful time of the year, some of our favorite locals have decked their halls with lights, banners, and a stock-full of yuletide libations. Read on to discover the 12 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 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.
2. Winnie’s Houston Midtown
Opened recently in Midtown, Winnie’s is a vibrant new bar and patio 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.
3. Porch Swing Heights
The halls are 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.
4. Toasted Coconut Montrose
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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.
5. Anvil Bar & Refuge Montrose
When looking for a cozy place to warm up with a whiskey, seek refuge at Anvil bar. Billed as Houston’s first bar devoted to classic cocktails, Anvil Bar and Refuge on Westheimer has plenty of holiday spirits to go around – precisely 100, in fact. Plus, with enough holiday decor to bring a twinkle to an elf’s eye, Anvil makes a perfect place to warm up this holiday season.
6. Julep Washington Ave
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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.
7. Wonder Bar Midtown
Quoting their Facebook, Wonder Bar is “an interactive and imaginative bar that will feature unique installations.” In the same vein as The FOMO Factory, or the Color Factory, Wonder Bar in Houston features a variety of whimsical installations, but with the added bonus of snapping selfies over rounds of sweet colorful cocktails. For the holiday season, the bar has decked their halls with a quirky assortment of festive decor.
8. Betelgeuse Betelgeuse Washington Ave
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Washington Ave’s cosmic new bar has turned its quarters into a constellation of Christmas lights. With pizza and cocktails to boot, Betelgeuse is a good a place as any to cozy up for the holidays in Houston!
9. Lei Low Heights
Known as the tiki bar that started a movement in Texas, Lei Low is an over-the-top Hawaiian haven tucked inside a strip center in The Heights. Now for the holidays, the tiki tinseltown is turning into something of an island winter wonderland. Seasonal cocktails include: the Frosty Bastard, Jamaican Polar Bear, Ol’ Saint Nip, Mai Ugly Holiday Tai, and more!
10. Riva’s Italian Restaurant Montrose
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.
11. Shiver’s Ice Bar at Moody Gardens Galveston
While other cities might have the advantage of snow and cozy traditional weather, here in south we make do with what we have. If you haven’t already hit the ice this season, can really do so at Moody Garden’s Ice Land – a holiday experience complete with ice sculptures, characters, decor and more, not excluding a crystal ice bar. At Shivers Ice Bar. Here, visitors can order from a frosted brew or a shot of an optional spirit. Beverages are priced at $12 for 1, or $20 for 2.
12. Post Oak Ice House
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The holidays are alive and well at neighborhood hangout, Post Oak Ice House. Throughout the holiday season, the brilliantly illuminated ice house features a bill of festive drinks, cookie shots, Santa visits, and weekly live music.