Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Bar Buena

    4.6 (17 reviews)
    Closed • Closed

    Bar Buena Photos

    BAR BUENA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Bar Buena

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Enamorada - mexican prickly pear gin, genepy, lime, guava, honeydew & egg white
    Maggie J.

    Really enjoyed this new neighborhood bar in River Oaks Shopping Center. We stopped by for a drink with friends on Friday around 6pm. Upon arrival there was not a table available but we were able to order drinks at the bar until a table for 4 opened up. The bar itself is very moody and dark and cool. Vibes are great and the service was exceptional as well, but as some other reviews have mentioned, it is LOUD. Like really really loud. Hard to hear your friends, hard to hear your server, hard to hear the voices in your own head. Despite how loud it was, I would still recommend. My husband tried the Enamorada because he saw the bartender making one for someone else and it wasn't his favorite because he said it was quite "smoky", but I really enjoyed my tequila flight and they make a solid negroni.

    Brandi B.

    Bar Buena is brand new and already bustling! We stopped by right after 5:00 and were greeted right away by the bartender. We did hang out in their standing room area for a little bit but were able to order drinks and snag a table pretty quickly. When I tell you this is the friendliest service I've ever had at a bar or restaurant, I mean it! All different members of the staff were checking in with us to make sure we were having a good time and enjoying everything. We tried out three of their drinks: enamorada, uno amargo, and their classic frozen mezcal margarita. I say this as someone who is stupid about cocktails, but I think if you're a fan of old fashioneds you'll be a fan of the uno amargo - it'll put some hair on your chest! I loved the frothiness that the egg white brings to the enamorada but I think the frozen margarita was our winner. Imagine your favorite frozen marg but better - the mezcal brings an earthier flavor to a cocktail that us Texans all know and love. Finally for food we had the pato tinga memela, gulf crab tostadas, and carnitas flautas. I genuinely loved them all so much, every protein was so juicy bursting with flavor, which makes sense considering everything is made to order. If I had to pick a favorite I would struggle (I'm not kidding, it was all that good), but I think the crab tostadas won us over with their freshness. We had such a great first visit to bar buena and I can see this quickly becoming a cozy date or after dinner drink spot!

    Cheers to good company!
    Jose L.

    Quick stop in before catching a movie at the River Oaks Theatre that's across the street. Somewhat easy to miss, it is located on the side corner of Goode Co. They specialize in tequila and mezcals, but offer other spirits. Ambiance: 4/5 Parking is available at the River Oaks Shopping Center Garage making it convenient to walk over. Walking up, there was a door man monitoring the entry. Once inside you are met with mood lighting and lively music. Loved the smell of leather throughout it as their menu and coasters were made of leather. For a small space it was pretty loud, I could barely hear the bartender explain some of the items. It's like a speakeasy, but loud. Service: 5/5 From the doorman to the bartender everyone was friendly and attentive. While I couldn't hear the bartender, he made recommendation based on what I enjoy and suggested the "Bee's Knees" Food/Drink: 5/5 They do offer a selection of food, but I didn't try any. Bee's Knees: 5/5 - the gin drink was made just right. Majority of the drinks are on the pricier side here so be prepared and they also do offer beers and wine.

    Interior
    Robert W.

    The same ownership as Good Co. Kitchen and Catina and pretty much in same building this dark and moody tequila and mescal retreat is a great place for small groups or one on one dates. The design is old mexican vibe with dark chocolate hues and specs of lighting for mood setting. Normally on weekends later in the evening you'll need to get reservations otherwise the door man won't let you in, but you can wait about 10 mins or so and get on the list before they seat you. All if not most of their cocktail drinks have some tequilla or mezcal in them. It was toward the end of the evening for us, so we went with the Enamorada that is composed with mexican prickly pear gin, genepy, lime, guava, honeydew, egg white. Wow what a great drink! Bar Buena is another nice add to Houston coctail scene would recommend adding this to you list of choices to try out.

    See all

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joshua T.
    50
    133
    312

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Krystle C.

    Krystle C.

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jose L.
    320
    258
    2397

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 3
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Julie N.
    137
    16
    11

    1 month ago

    Great drinks and vibes. Hector was great with recommendations and took good care of our group!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mark M.
    72
    88
    124

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bonnie F.
    99
    55
    37

    11 months ago

    So so so dark inside which was cool but hard to adjust to. Drink selection was varied

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Carrie W.
    60
    77
    126

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Bar Buena

    You might also consider

    Sante - Covered Patio seating

    Sante

    3.9(162 reviews)
    1.4 mi•Upper Kirby
    •$$$

    Love the vibes here! House music & good drinks! They have…read morefire drinks which are so cool. Valet parking or uber def Quick and easy to get a drink! Lychee and pineapple shots were amazing!!

    The ambiance at Santé was beautiful, and the food was good, but unfortunately, the service was…read morequite possibly one of the worst experiences we've had at a restaurant. Our server, Camille, took our order and then would disappear for 30+ minutes at a time. At one point, when we asked where she had been, she simply said she was "walking around." Her overall approach to serving us felt extremely nonchalant and inattentive. The atmosphere also made us feel as though the level of attention you receive depends on how much you're spending--particularly whether you're purchasing bottles. The servers seemed more focused on creating a bottle-service experience than providing attentive restaurant service. It gave the evening a very transactional, "pay for attention" feeling rather than genuine hospitality. What really sealed the experience for us happened after we had already paid our bill. A host approached our table and essentially said, "Can you leave now? We need to seat someone right now." There was no gracious transition, no "thank you for dining with us," and no polite explanation--just an abrupt request to leave. For a restaurant with such a beautiful ambiance and good food, the service and hospitality were incredibly disappointing. Guests should feel welcomed and valued from the moment they sit down until the moment they leave, regardless of whether they're ordering bottles.

    Photos
    Sante - On Richmond

    On Richmond

    Sante - Bar

    Bar

    Sante - Bar outside

    See all

    Bar outside

    Kanpai Club - Late night bites

    Kanpai Club

    4.5(73 reviews)
    2.6 mi•The Heights

    Great drinks, friendly service, and delicious HH appetizers! We enjoyed our first time here and…read morehope to come back again!

    After enjoying a late night snack at Handos, we decided to mosey on over to Kampai Club. I had…read moreheard good things for years, and I remember driving past it a couple times and not seeing it or any signage. Even this time the GPS took us to an entrance that had us going the wrong way down a one-way, but we eventually figured it out I will say that the parking isn't all that great, but we were able to find a spot. If the parking lot is full you should be able to find street parking nearby Kanpai Club is a sister location to Handos. They share a kitchen and you can walk through an inside door access either. You can find the same cocktails and bites from Handos on the Kanpai menu, but there's also additional drinks and bites The bar feels like a Japanese Izakaya. It's a narrow space resembling a Japanese outdoor bar. It's intimately lit and well decorated. We did have to wait for two spots to open up, but that didn't take too long The bartenders were friendly, professional, and efficient. We went on a Friday night (fairly late), and they had two dedicated bartenders The cocktails were fun and were beautifully crafted. Most were served in novelty glassware. You can order classic cocktails, but both Kanpai and Hando offer a variety of signature cocktails. Most having some sort of Japanese or Asian fusion. They have beer, wine, and extensive sake list, as well as green tea and other nonalcoholic options The cocktails were tasty. The only one I was iffy on was their Espresso martini. It was poured from a machine and I guess there were having issues with it. The presentation was phenomenal. There was a roasted marshmallow garnish. The drink itself was far too Smokey in flavor than I like, or at least in terms of my espresso martinis The Yuzu Kosho fries were incredible. The flavors really hit the spot. The Okinawa Potato salad was both questionable to looks and and to eat lol. This purple mound of potato's had an interesting taste, look, and consistency. It wasn't bad, just... interesting and new Some tips: If you can't find this spot from the street, look for Handos. It's part of this restaurant Ask the bartender about the happy hour menu. And most nights they're open until 12am, but on Fridays and Saturdays they are open until 2am If you order food online (technically from Hando's) you can get 10% off using code: HANDO10. This is part of their "Hando and Chill" special Cheers!!

    Photos
    Kanpai Club - Welcome to yam rock

    Welcome to yam rock

    Kanpai Club
    Kanpai Club

    See all

    Hidden Bar - More mini cranes!

    Hidden Bar

    4.6(64 reviews)
    2.1 mi•West University

    Now THIS is a speakeasy. I had no idea that I was going to get this experience when coming to…read moreHouston, but I couldn't be happier. The origami ceiling, lively bar, friendly staff, unique cocktails, fun bathroom, and photo booth in the corner made for an unforgettable experience. My friend said it was the busiest he had ever seen the place, and it was loud. But we got some awesome drinks that I swore I could've taken pics of -- the lighting was a little crazy, so I think I ultimately changed my mind with that. One was the periscope which was a refreshing and summery gin drink... And I think I tried the naked and famous too because I like mezcal. I had already eaten so I skipped the restaurant the speakeasy's connected to, but I cannot wait to return to Houston outside of a Con so I can really go all out on exploring. It was an amazing way to end my first night!

    Super cute speakeasy hidden inside a sushi restaurant. We went on a weekday evening and had no…read moretrouble getting a table. I ordered the Side to the Sun Rises (gin, yuzu, mint, cucumber) which was light, refreshing, and well balanced. I would recommend it if you enjoy gin-based cocktails with a slightly fruity flavor. My friends really enjoyed their drinks as well. They have all day happy hour on Sundays/Mondays. We did not get a chance to try the food, but the menu looked great. Overall, a fun spot with great vibes and definitely worth checking out!

    Photos
    Hidden Bar - Love the decor!

    Love the decor!

    Hidden Bar - Ceiling

    Ceiling

    Hidden Bar

    See all

    De Fortune - Front entrance

    De Fortune

    4.1(40 reviews)
    0.4 mi•Montrose, River Oaks

    went back again and absolutely loved it! Recommendation:…read moreReserve a table online Try the English rose if you like it sweet!

    If you want overpriced cute drinks and a vibe, this is the place to go…read more I came to De Fortune with my cousins for a little girls' night, and the aesthetic and ambiance are definitely the highlight. It's cute, moody, and has that feeling like you're not even in Houston anymore. It's not a big space, so it does get pretty loud between the music and everyone talking. The music was just okay. If you like house music, you'll probably enjoy it here. The DJ did mix in some popular hip-hop, R&B, and reggaeton songs throughout the night, which I appreciated. We started with shots that were really good. They tasted almost like a shot of honey, but unfortunately I can't remember the name. We all ordered the Dolce Limone next, which was sweet and refreshing. For the next round, my cousin got the Mango something, and I ordered the French Connection. The French Connection was awful. It tasted like straight-up cough syrup, and I couldn't even pretend to finish it. Our last round was Palomas, and those were good. In between drinks, we ordered the meat and cheese board. It was cute and made for a nice little snack, but there was nothing particularly special about the selection. The waitresses were nice, and overall we had a good time. I genuinely don't have much bad to say about the place other than the drinks. They're not bad across the board, but they're also nothing particularly special, especially for the price. There are definitely better cocktail lounges in Houston if you're looking for actual mixology and cocktails that justify the price.

    Photos
    De Fortune - Tiramisu Martini

    Tiramisu Martini

    De Fortune - Bar

    Bar

    De Fortune

    See all

    Bar Buena - cocktailbars - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...