This is a cute little date spot. The outside area is huge. The lighting and setup is really cute. They have parties and poetry nights here. No food but there has been a taco truck and pizza maker on site depending on the day I'm guessing. Free parking is street parking and very scarce but they do have a valet lot. Bartenders are nice. Drinks are average priced. read more

Went to the Speakeasy Burlesque show Friday night and had a blast. This is a very small and intimate venue area which made the show an even better show as the ladies were able to interact a bit with the audience. Loved the New Orleans speakeasy vibes of the place. The ladies were beautiful and funny will definitely be coming back as they did inform us there are different ladies each night. read more

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I enjoy the poetry on Wednesdays and the taco truck has great tacos shall I dare say one of the best in the city. The ambiance is real sexy for a date night and the Burlesque show is a cool vibe on Fridays and drink specials everyday. Bartender was really cool and crafted me a drink on the spot. read more

Avant Garden BAR - Lounges Near Me - Houston, Texas

I didn't try food. The drinks were decent, service friendly and a great atmosphere. We went on open night for musicians. One stood out who I've posted below. Cool fun thing to do! read more

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This place has a beautiful aesthetic. The vibes are on point. Came here for an open mic poetry event and throughly enjoyed myself. The staff was welcoming. The drinks were good and the poetry was hittin! I know they have other events here also and I look forward to coming back again. read more

Avant Garden BAR - Lounges Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Mariana was the most helpful wedding coordinator around I would definitely recommend her. We had an LGBTQ+ wedding and she was so compassionate to our crowd. I would recommend her and whoever is helping her. The venue is beautifully decorated and right in the center of Houston. Please schedule your next wedding here!!! read more

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This is one of our favorite bars to go to hang out and chill. Every Tuesday is open mic and a nice environment overall. Recently I went on a slow Tuesday evening but generally it's quite nice here anytime I have visited. I haven't tried the food ever here but there's a taqueria food truck in their parking lot, the parking lot is quite tight here but there are some spots to park. This place has lights everywhere and two bars one inside and one outdoors there's plenty of space outside and limited seats inside. If you want to have a nice chill hangout with drinks and music, this is the place to go to! read more

Avant Garden BAR - Lounges Near Me - Houston, Texas

Great service! Clean bathrooms. Nice atmosphere. Love the indoor/outdoor space. The event we were there for went very well!

We had a beautiful wedding at AvantGarden. My partner and I were looking for aesthetically pleasing and queer friendly wedding venues. When we emailed AvantGarden to see if they are comfortable with LGBT weddings, Mariana swiftly replied, "At AvantGarden, love is love." We went to tour the venue because it was beautiful online and we could not have been more pleasantly surprised by the fact that they do all inclusive weddings! The florals, cake, food, and DJ were all excellent. Pizza, cocktail hour charcuterie and the taco truck were all big hits with our guests. We're very thankful to Mariana and her team! read more

My friend and I were wondering the good through a few different places and ended up here. We stayed in the garden bar, though they do have an indoors as well, so my review is strictly for the outdoors area. I let the bartender take the wheel on my drinks. This is one of those times where being indecisive wasn't a bad thing, you just told him what you wanted and he would make something you would like. Excellent service! On this particular evening there was live music, so as we were sitting a group started up and more people started coming into the patio. It never got crowded, and it was a very chill crowd. The music was good, the drinks were good, and the place had a really nice vibe. Will definitely come back. read more

Avant Garden BAR - The patio bar - Lounges Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Went to the Burlesque show last Friday... absolutely amazing! Host, staff, and performers were incredible. Didn't expect to have so much fun! Such a cute, intimate vibe. Will definitely be recommending and coming back for other events. read more

Great bar/venue! The staff are super knowledgeable and friendly, and the drinks (they serve absinthe) are great. Been going here for two decades! Parking is a bit tricky, especially if you drive a van like I do. Check it out. read more

I had the pleasure going to avant garden for a poetry night. And it was such a great vibe. Like. Oh my God, the whole ambience. It was so laid back with like just Christmas lightning through the whole top. When you get there, it's like they have a little club at outside. So that's the first part of it. That's where they had the poetry And then when you go inside of the actual building, they do have 2 additional bar/clubs where they do. 2 additional DJ, so it's 3 Dj's total. and each setting is like different. It's kind of cool. You get like techno music at one bar, but then you go upstairs. It's like hip-hop music. Outside the music changes. I definitely recommend and I recommend Uber and lyft. I do not recommend parking there at all because the parking is ridiculous with the high possibility of getting towed . Anywhere around that building you are in high risk for getting towed So that is the only down Fall about it. I do recommend Uber or lyft. Just be very, very careful if you do intend on driving to that place. But other than that, I had such a good time with my friends, everything was super fun and yeah, I definitely recommend this place its a 10 out a 10.. and for all my smokers that do smoke. They are smoke friendly for whatever smoke . they do have a machine there too for smoke purchase. So yeah, it's pretty pretty cool. read more

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had an amazing time amazing welcoming vibe and service cade was an amazing bartender me and my friends had the best time cant wait to be back and have good drinks read more

My daughter had her wedding reception here last night. The most incredible wedding /reception /party of my life. Avant-garde provided delicious food and out of this world, fun ambience and the bartenders were top-notch. Really great drinks. This place has real character. Reception started with exceptional nighttime meal on outside terrace decorated with lights and hanging decorations, followed by music and dancing that lasted until 12AM. The " after party' find going another floor up to the karaoke bar, which was a blast and lasted until 2 AM. Incredible energy. They were very helpful and accommodating to our special dietary needs. read more

Really a super cool place with an outdoor area that was so beautifully decorated ! Attached is 2 story business with a cool bar downstairs and and another cozy bar upstairs w a balcony! Limited parking ... but a great place for a venue! read more

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Instagram did its thing with reaching target audience. The ambiance here was simply breathtaking taking! The service was amazing as the bartender was so friendly and sweet. I went on poetry night and I can say that I have to go back! read more

Beautiful place!! Great events nightly!! Live music, karaoke, variety shows with burlesque... amazing bartenders... truly, what more could you ask for?? Oh... FOOD!! True...they've got that covered with literally the BEST taco truck in Houston in the parking lot!! read more

This place is so freaking romantic. I love the free shows and the drinks are pretty strong! Parking however. Is absolutely terrible. I'm lucky enough to live close by.... But I would Uber here to avoid parking. Amazing date spot read more

This place was cute. In an old building . There's also a garden area. I attended one poetry night here. It was very cute but it started to rain so we moved upstairs inside the building. I believe the poetry sessions are typically held here so I would definitely frequent it. The location is good. There's a food truck outside and just up the street you'll find many other restaurants as well. I didn't get anything from the bar inside, but I did order a drink from the bar outside, which was very good and strong. The parking lot is very small so if you have an event here, get there early or find street parking. read more

I left this venue mortified and embarrassed this evening. I've been a Montrose resident for almost ten years now. I've celebrated birthdays, weddings, and regularly pop in for the house made sangria/ poetry nights here. Tonight, I sat upstairs with a date to find somewhere to relax and talk. We are both homosexual men and shared a few intimate kisses. This seemed to disturb the dj on duty who felt it was necessary to come over and ask us to "leave and get a room". We were also asked "to be respectful" of the other 3 people he was "entertaining " upstairs. We took this as homophobia at its finest. As we left we couldn't help but notice the heterosexual couple cuddled up in a corner downstairs (which was in a much more crowded area) seemed to be enjoying their evening without any disruption by staff, so why us? At the very least, this was blatant disrespect. No one else came to us and asked us to stop, and we didn't notice anyone in a disturbed or agitated state because of our actions...except him. I refuse to support a business that condones the employment (temp or regular) of a person with this much disdain for the homosexual community living authentically in MONTROSE. If you're up to having to hide yourself and have your date night ruined go to Avant Garden. read more

Not to be missed: Houston's premier poetry, open mic every Wednesday, Doors open & show begins promptly at 7:30 PM. A veritable parade of outstanding talent you won't soon forget. Cover charge is a bargain at just $10, ($7 with WAN membership. available at https://www.writeaboutnowpoetry.com/ ) read more

Avant Garden BAR - Write About Now Poetry Event @ Avant Garden, We'd. Night 7:30PM Opening - Lounges Near Me - Houston, Texas

Came here on a weekday evening and was surprised they didn't have a menu. They had some cash deals for beer, sangria, etc, but no cocktail or wine list. I opted for a cosmo, which I enjoyed. They have indoor, outdoor (covered), and 2nd floor balcony seating. I enjoyed the balcony very much. Careful, the spiral staircase can be difficult to navigate if you've had one too many. They have live music and burlesque shows on certain days of the week. Parking was limited, and spots were quite tight.Service was friendly. Overall, a great venue for a casual drink. read more

Went for a Burlesque show and everyone was super friendly upon arrival. A bit lost at first where the entrance was but once we figured that out; everything else was amazing. Before and after the show the ambiance was super chill and relaxing, you are able to hear the other person chat. Jazzy music though was told it changes depending on the performers. Food wise there's none but there is a food truck though was closed on the day we were there. But across the street and close by was told we can but food and bring it along so we can continue our drinks. Highly recommend to catch up with friends, family or date. read more

Avant Garden BAR - Gin and tonic and Margarita - Lounges Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Live jazz on spacious patio under string of lights. Order drinks from the outdoor bar, and enjoy some tacos from the food truck in their parking lot. Second floor had a drag show going on so something for everyone. No parking whatsoever so Lyft it there or walk. Overall, a nice job! Will be back if I find myself on that side of Westheimer. read more

Avant Garden BAR - Live jazz on spacious patio under string of lights - Lounges Near Me - Houston, Texas

AvantGarden is the perfect wedding venue! The grounds are gorgeous and Mariana (the owner) and her team do a great job to decorate it up on wedding day. They have lots of plants around the venue, making for some nice picture backdrops. The historic house is also gorgeous and has a lot of character. There is lots of space with different areas for mingling and dancing, from the covered back patio area, front garden, and upstairs with a balcony. Covid disrupted our initial plans (more on that later), so we had a small, 25 person wedding instead, with pizza from the wood burning oven, which is SO GOOD! We keep going back on Mondays to get more pizza and chat with Mariana. They also have a taco truck that will cater the wedding, which is really good too.  Mariana and her team are professionals at throwing weddings. They will handle pretty much everything for you - all we had to do was find a photographer and officiant.  Mariana serves as your wedding planner also and she does a great job with pre-wedding planning and logistics during the ceremony and reception. She made the planning process so easy, calmed all our nerves and gave us a perfect wedding. She genuinely cares about getting to know the couples and enjoys her work, which shows in the flawless execution. Mariana was also very helpful and accommodating during Covid. We were originally scheduled for April 2020 and Mariana immediately rescheduled us for November 2020. When Covid didn't slow down, she suggested a small wedding Nov 2020 for a nominal fee and then pushing the big wedding back to our one year anniversary in 2021. And we are so glad we did! We still had a wonderful ceremony and mini reception in 2020, but can have our dream wedding with all our friends and family after everyone is vaccinated. All of this just to explain how great Mariana is. Overall, it was a perfect wedding and we wouldn't have changed a thing (except no Covid of course..). From the flowers, to the pizza & drinks, the gorgeous venue and even the DJ. Everything was perfect. We can't wait to do it all again this November! read more

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Great place, great servers, lovely atmosphere, fabulous owner. Highly recommended. Visit them and you'll see what I'm talking about

I could not say enough good things. Mariana and her team are exceptional! She was so calm which kept me calm the day of the wedding. We went the with more expensive all inclusive package and it was worth every penny. Our friends and family loved the venue and the tacos were amazing. We can't wait to go back to celebrate our many anniversaries! read more

Avant Garden BAR - Lounges Near Me - Houston, Texas

Absolutely the best wedding. Mariana and her staff made the planning and execution of our wedding easy and stressless. The recommended vendors were also spectacular (especially the photographer and the food truck). Mariana was patient with us as we postponed the wedding several times due to the pandemic. A lot of my friends saw price hikes and canceled plans, but Mariana thoroughly explained the differences in cost and worked with us to keep the cost at the original price although her and her staff were affected by the pandemic. read more

I've been to this place twice for their poetry nights on Wednesday and I love it! They bring out some of the most talented performers and the energy is great! It was about $10 for entry and the venue is beautiful. It is decorated with greenery and lights everywhere, so it is definitely worth coming photo ready lol. During the shows, they have drinks available at the bar. There is also a delicious food truck in the parking lot of the venue. I'm definitely intrigued to return to the venue on another day of the week, but for now, this might be my go-to Wednesday chill spot! read more

Really neat bar and venue. Went on a date on Tuesday during open mic night. Good music & friendly people! Lots of options at the bar inside and outside. There's a legit brick oven for at the front and it was amazing. Would recommend this spot for a chill low key night. read more

Avant Garden BAR - Pepperoni Pizza - Lounges Near Me - Houston, Texas

Wednesday nights are a vibe. Outside, inside downstairs, upstairs as well. This was the first time I had been in a long time. You get different genres of music everywhere you go, and I thought that was really cool. They had a food truck out there if you wanted food. The bartenders were pretty darn good. They made some of the strongest cocktails. I've had around that area, most certainly. They also had hookah, which was pretty good as well. I definitely will come back, especially on a Wednesday. read more

Avant Garden was everything we could have imagined for our May 1 wedding and much, much more! Buckle up for a full review. (I'm on my honeymoon now but had to get this out now!) We stumbled upon Avant Garden while searching for the perfect venue for 150 guests. The pandemic, however, forced us to scale down and the owner Mariana worked with us, reassuring us that we could have just as beautiful and fun of a wedding with less people. As you can imagine, this felt like such a tough decision for me and my husband. We had our doubts, but thanks to Mariana, we regret nothing! First off, the ambiance of this space is so beautiful and has a classic, antiquated feel. Having a mansion with an outdoor patio with a bar, and two bars indoors was like a playground for our guests. We went with an all inclusive package, in which Mariana takes care of everything and acts as a day of coordinator! This took off a load of stress while planning. I sent her photos of my dream bouquet, flowers and wedding arch -- she matched it to the T! The table settings were gorgeous. She truly went above and beyond, helped seamlessly guide us through the day's events and incorporated any personal decorations I brought. The guys loved the cigar bar on the balcony! (Mariana is also very laid back and does a lot of correspondence through text and email, which is great to keep track of things -- both for you and her. She also does select in-person meetings but she really does not need hand-holding. You can tell she's done enough weddings. Just tell her what you want and she will deliver and offer you suggestions!) Food: Mariana set up a lovely charcuterie board and appetizer platter for guests. We went with the taco truck for dinner (the al pastor tacos, rice and beans are my absolute favorite!). This truck was important to us because my husband and I had tacos on our very first date lol. It was a hit!! The guests loved this and keep telling us how good the food was. Music: Mariana also hired DJ Forte, who kept our guests dancing all night with many of our requests (guests who were live-streaming the wedding loved our playlist and his song choices!). DJ Forte fit the changing moods of the wedding perfectly, kept the after party jumping (literally! We were jumping up and down) and he was able to make last minute changes for our official dances with our parents. I will never forget asking Mariana if our dance floor was ready -- Yes, my grandmother was already on the floor dancing by herself! Drinks: We went with an open bar up to a certain limit and then cash bar. Mariana worked with us to determine that limit. The bartenders were phenomenal, accommodating and so sweet! It was lovely seeing them interact with my family and having lively conversations. We were completely satisfied. Inclusivity: It was really important to me to be in a space that values diversity and inclusivity. My family and friends are comprised of people of color and people from the LGBTQ community. I nearly went with a venue that was in a Texas town known to not be as welcoming or diverse. And when the pandemic was at its height, I nearly opted for a small dinner in a space that would have been pretty boring in comparison. Avant Garden is and has been a lovely space for a long time that has welcomed and given space to all types of people with its open mics; comedy, drag and burlesque shows; and jazz nights (we came to a jazz and burlesque show before the wedding and also came for pizza night. So fun! The wood fire pizza, crafted by Mariana's talented daughter on the back patio, is SO good.) Another thing: while I was sad to scale back my wedding from 150 to 30, this was one of the best parties I have ever been to. I would choose a small wedding at Avant Garden over and over again. I'm also excited that now my husband, our family and friends can come back to Avant Garden basically any day of the week to relive some of our big day again and again and eat the delicious tacos. With the hectic past year that we've had, I am SO glad that we went through with our wedding at Avant Garden. Mariana, thank you! And to your staff, BRAVO. You have left me, my husband, friends and family with memories that we'll cherish forever! read more

I agree with Crystal L. I so want to like this place. It has it all: two great patios, multilevel, welcoming decor ... but ... I just can't put my finger on what's missing. Maybe it's a good cocktail menu--or even drink specials. They've got the live music going on, but... dang. I dunno. The only times I've been were for big "events," like a wine tasting, live shows, and that's about it. I need to revisit and see what Dr. Sketchy is all about. read more

Avant Garden is a chill bar on Westheimer that feels a million miles from Montrose despite being down the street from its popular haunts. If you're tired of "the scene" and want that feeling of drinking a beer on a porch with friends, this will fit the bill perfectly. The bar itself is tiny, but there's a big and charming patio area with a mixed crowd. We were here on a Friday night during peak hours and it never got very busy. Music at a reasonable volume but pretty outdated. Smoking friendly, in all senses of the word... smelled cigarettes, Juuls, and skunk. Despite the laid back feeling outside, the inside bar can be a little stressful. There was only one bartender working and he was constantly slammed, so getting a round was always a ten minute affair. My friend had left her card here and had to come back a couple times because he was "too busy." Drink-wise, prices are reasonable. I would go for beer as there's a wide selection, and you can't go wrong with well drinks here, but it doesn't feel like a wine or cocktail spot. Bathrooms are decent. They have limited parking but there's plenty on side streets. read more

Avant Garden BAR - Garden wall - Lounges Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This place is really unique and quaint, which I love. I'm not a big bar person, so I'm not a fan of huge crowds and this place is just the right size for me. Plenty of people, but not crazy and I love the events this place hosts! Went to a burlesque show this Halloween and had an absolute blast! Abby Cadabra was tons of fun, an amazing singer, and her comedy was a great way to ease burlesque virgins to the show. Peter Pecker, Ghoulia Child, and Emma Vauxdevil all put on such spooky, sexy, and sometimes funny performances. I loved it and had such a great time! Wish I had taken more photos of the night, there were several costume changes that were really cool. Only knocked off one star because parking is limited and cramped when it's full, so even if you do get a spot, it's sketchy to maneuver to get out. Place itself is perfect! read more

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My wife and I had our wedding here on 10/20/2018. We decided to do it at Avant Garden because we loved the venue's quaint and intimate feel, the cost was in our budget, and Mariana (owner) was very informative when we inquired. Since neither of us had ever planned an event like this, Mariana made sure we had all our ducks in a row. We had communicated via emails, text messages, and meetings about the details of the venue. We simply talked to Mariana about what we wanted and she made it happen! She really paid attention to the style we were looking for and executed it perfectly. The only thing we had to arrange was the food (she gave suggestions), valet (we used her recommended provider), and the photographer. Mariana was also very flexible with our requests. She even allowed us to have our small dog present all night. The day before the wedding we had a rehearsal and everything was pretty straight forward. On the day of we basically just arrived and Mariana and her staff were outstanding! Mariana handled all of the details flawlessly. The night could not have gone better, I would highly recommend Avant Garden. read more

Very nice ambiance and decor. They have a special place in my heart because they host so many interesting events and classes. I took a rogue improv class here and spent ten Mondays upstairs in the intimate space read more

I went for the comedy show last night and it was a fun, unexpected, outrageous, entertaining and memorable show... definitely one of the best that I have ever attended. There was no cover charge and the drinks were cheap. We were still replaying the highlights and laughing about it today. I am not withholding five stars because of the problems they had with the credit card system. I am withholding the fifth star because I scraped my car's front spoiler going into the driveway. I had to back up into Westheimer traffic and come in at a different angle...super slowly... to avoid damaging it. My car is not that low. They could fix that with the valet fee that they collect. read more

monday jazz was perfect. the building is beautiful, the jazz band was sweet, the bar was priced VERY affordable for a young crowd as well.