Dive bars are becoming a preferred vibe for me for late night drinks, and Black Magic, a completely…read moreunexpected discovery, did not disappoint. It was not the exterior that drew us to this far out Eado spot as the outside is almost completely unmarked. It's on the far end of a neighborhood plaza, and is easily missed aside from a small neon sign with the bar name. We all love Yelp, but Google maps reviews actually led us here after searching for a dive in the area (maybe a couple more reviews and this would have popped up!) The inside is dark with red light accents just barely illuminating a long bar, pool tables, and a fairly large stage for presumably, live music or a DJ, enough to keep the mood somewhat mysterious and interestingly, a bit satanic. Maybe it was also the large barely-dressed women painted in the walls or the red pentagram in the corner of the room. The bartender was very attentive and even offered one of their more "top shelf" liquors for our mixed drinks, possibly seeing that we were dressed fairly nicely having just come from a dinner. A beer, a couple of tall Jim Beam whiskey diets and two pickle shots because, why not, brought us to $39. Overall, a great find. I'm always on the hunt for a new dive and this did not disappoint.

If you are looking for a Satanic dive bar look no further. Attended several burlesque shows here…read moreand enjoyed the drinks and company. Red walls, flickering candles, metal on the juke box- wouldn't change a thing. The wall of skulls behind the stage is something you need to see in person to fully appreciate. The red neon pentagram makes for a great photo op to send your mom. Girls- the potty is clean! Which in places like this can be hit or miss. Amazing people watching and a vibe of acceptance and appreciation of the bizarre. Highly recommend the burlesque shows!

Great place to grab a beer and watch the game or just hangout with the guys. Very inexpensive with…read moregood music, what more can you ask for!!

This place has the best fooood and vibes ate great check em out in the heart of downtown!!!! Love…read morethe drinks!!!! Friendly and amazing staffff love it !!!! Check em out check em out Much love

On my recent trip to Houston!…read more When I was searching for dowtown bars and dancing, Behind Closed Doors popped up. It looked dark, clubbish, and fun (exactly what I was looking for) and I couldn't wait to come here. After a 25 minute Uber ride we were downtown and walking to our destination. At first we could not find it but thankfully a nice gentlemen showed us where it was. Upon walking in, darkness with these bright lights paved our way. We sat down at the bar, but realized dancing did not start until 10pm. The bartender came over and said to us "we have a speakasy behind door #3" we were like WHAT! Let's go. So, we walked down the dark hallway and pushed open door #3 (hence the name) to find this super cool speakeasy bar. Dim lights, really modern decor, comfy suede chairs and best of all, some really great cocktails. If you are ever in Downtown Houston, I highly recommend you coming here. I promise you will have the best time. We did not stay for dancing.

I had my birthday party there when they first opened! Great daiquiri's and cocktails and strong…read moreshots. The owners did a great job with the concept, art, and it's the drink names on the menu for ME, the whole vibe is HTOWN! If you drink daiquiri's and margaritas this is definitely the spot!

From the owner: We specialize in a master mix of flavorful and legendary Houston themed frozen drinks and cocktails.read more

Social Beer Garden is a great spot with Beer flight options, pool tables in the upstairs area and…read morebig screen on outside patio to watch games etc. There is no food options unless there is food trucks. There is a parking lot available across the street with a sign saying "Social Beer Garden Parking" Good and fast service. There is also different fun events that they have on Fridays or weekends.

Social Beer Garden just doesn't do it for me. I've been once or twice years ago and recently…read moredecided to give it another try, hoping for a different experience, but unfortunately I still left unimpressed. To start out, the concept feels like a blend of accents from other popular bars in the area - the hammock chairs from Axelrad, the Adirondack chairs from Truck Yard, and the string light back patio from 8th Wonder. This blend makes it hard to give the bar a true identity. While they do have a large selection of beers on tap, their cocktail menu leaves me feeling lost. I appreciate the attempt to create unique flavor combinations but the options are just...confusing. For example, mezcal with citrus and prickly pear, or a highball with black currant, tequila and apricot. I'm holding on for dear life with all of these ingredients! Going along for the adventure, I tried their pickle cocktail that was on the menu and it was honestly, terrible. While they do have a happy hour that goes until 8pm, the service this last visit just wasn't the best. The server who helped me told me it was his second day and was clearly struggling to keep up with the cocktail combinations, referencing his phone many times while preparing the drink. I ended up not liking this drink and brought it back to the bar with just one sip gone and rather than offering to make me another drink, they kept it on my bill. Ok, whatever. That being said, just before this happened, the couple in front of me went to pay for their bill, prepared drinks in hand, at 8:02pm and the bartender refused to honor the happy hour prices, just two minutes past the official end time. With these two instances, it seems like the priority is maximizing every dollar of profit rather than investing in the customer experience. Given the number of other original concepts in the area, I would pass.

Tipsy Sloth definitely feels more like a neighborhood bar. We dropped in today and went straight to…read morethe be to order their version of an old fashioned (made with peppercorn simple syrup)... And another drink, which I can't remember. They had about four food stands, a DJ (female DJ, woot) playing some great club hits... Also, this bar is woman-owned. Yessss!

Kept seeing this place, so decided to finally visit. There is ample parking in the back and dogs…read moreare allowed inside and outside. The sloth artwork is fitting! They have some food options too.

Axelrad is one of those spots that show up on every must visit in Houston list. After visiting a…read morefew times I can see why. Vibes are chill, beer selection is vast, they have some nice frozen drinks and cocktails as well. There's almost always some sort of event going on so it's a nice place to just stop by and check out if you have some time to chill. I've liked that there are random events and they can be hit or miss. Sometimes there's interesting musical guests, sometimes there are various vendors, sometimes there's a movie night. Regardless, I know I have a pretty good time and will be treated kindly by all the staff.

Axelrad is a chill spot, over the years I've been here several times. They have a Photo Booth,…read moreboard games, an upstairs area for karaoke nights. Also a big screen tv outside which they recently increased in size. They host Latin or Cumbria night and all sorts of different events. You can often find food trucks for food options. Or next door is a pizza spot you can walk to.

I went to Z on 23 for a date, and the overall vibe was perfect for it. The rooftop felt intimate…read moreand had beautiful views of the city, especially while watching the sunset. It's definitely a nice spot to sit back, have a drink, and enjoy the Houston skyline. They even offer valet. The food was really good! We shared the sliders and charcuterie board, and both were great for snacking while having drinks. I do wish the bar had a little more variety when it came to specialty cocktails. For a rooftop bar with such a great atmosphere, I was expecting a more creative drink menu with more options to choose from. And it was bar service only, no wait staff. Between the city views, sunset, and intimate setting, this place is great for a date night spot. I'd come back for the views and vibe alone!

Extremely disrespectful and aggressive staff, with clueless security…read more My friends and I came to celebrate a birthday. From the moment we arrived, one employee was unnecessarily rude and confrontational toward my friend while checking IDs by saying "are you going to show me your ID or not?!" Later, she grabbed my friend by the arm and made comments like, " Are you ok? Are you sure? Yeah, because I don't play that." When we were leaving, the same employee confronted my friend again simply because my friend looked at her. My friend tried to walk away and get into the elevator, but the employee followed her inside and cornered her. Instead of removing the employee or de-escalating, security blocked the rest of us from entering the elevator while our friend was being confronted. The employee tried to claim that my friend was "trespassing" which made no sense because we were all leaving. We repeatedly explained that we were only trying to get our friend out of the situation, but security did nothing to help. The employee continued following my friend even after she left the elevator. Like I said, disrespectful, aggressive staff and security that seemed completely clueless about how to handle the situation.

My favorite neighborhood bar, hands down, Heights Hideaway, somehow manages to feel both upscale…read moreand completely authentic. Amazing drinks, incredible bartenders, and always good energy. If Von or Adam is in the building, you already know it's going to be all love, great music, and even better vibes. This isn't just a bar, it's a destination. You come for the cocktails, stay for the people, and somehow leave with your energy a little higher. Cheers to Heights Hideaway and the beautiful community they've curated. My favorites: the Cucumber Gimlet, the Tequila Old Fashioned, the Paper Plane, and the Elvis Presley Old Fashioned if you're in the mood for a sweeter but tasty beverage.

This is a beautiful space The staff is kind and helpful…read more Pictures worthy!!! Food was amazing I love it Check em out Thank you !!!