This is one of Rice Village's only real bar scenes, and it's slightly off the beaten path The exterior looks appealing with a nice patio. The interior is dimly lit with a variety of interesting pieces of decor. One thing that I love is this used to be an old bank, and the location has gone through a handful of owners and bars, but the old bank vault still remains, and is even an area where you can play games and sit and enjoy your beverages They have board games, a lane for darts. There's also a popcorn cart in the middle of the bar with complimentary popcorn The staff is fairly pleasant and efficient. The drinks were fine. The ambiance just wasn't my thing. It was fairly dark and the bar, darts area, and a couple other spots just felt crowded and congested. This is also a Rice Owls bar, and many of the clientele are rice students or alumni, and when we went it was very "bro-y" for lack of a better term Come tips: If you can, get reservations for the speakeasy that is located directly above the Owl Bar. Much better vibes, drinks, and service Cheers!! read more

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Rice Village isn't exactly known for having a bunch of cool bars so it was nice to find this spot. Had some friends in town for a conference that were staying in the Galleria area. They looked up bars and suggested this spot. I had never heard of it but rolling up, I recognized it as where Kelvin Arms used to be. It was a cool spot back in the day and still a cool spot now. It shares a lot with other businesses and parking wasn't an issue when we went during the day. Inside is dark with an old bar feel to it. I believe this used to be an old bank and the original vault is still there. You can go in there and chill in a lounge like atmosphere. We ordered drinks and sat out on the spacious patio. I started off with an Old Fashioned. It was strong but tasty. What I didn't like was the used of regular ice as opposed to a proper, large ice cube. We then switched to espresso martinis which was done very well here. Overall, this is a solid spot in the Rice Village area. I'd come back if in the area. read more

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Owl Bar exudes a relaxed and laid-back atmosphere. It's a great spot to stroll to or stop by after dinner. While the drinks aren't particularly exceptional, it's a nice place to chill. The beer selection on tap is limited, but the attentive and friendly service makes up for it. read more

Love Claudia! I wish the bar stools height was better for the height of the bar outside of that great place for drinks after work!

Although it is a smaller venue, they have great staff and some fantastic beer options. Their center price is definitely the repurposed safe as a private room. Came here for a private event and it's perfect for this type of gathering. I am so grateful to have all of these German beer options on draft. However, it would be nice to have their tap handles updated, but I understand that's really a vendor issue, not the venue. read more

The Owl Bar - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

Cool vibes, the have a small vault room with lava lamps. It was busy 6pm on Thursday and only 1 bar tender. Order at the counter Service was good though and I liked my drink until I found plastic in it read more

My favorite bar of all time !! Love the vibes, great games to play. Amazing drinks! I've been going to this bar for over 4 yrs now and they never disappoint. Gives me a homey feel read more

Come on down come on down! The owl is located in the Local food group complex and it is a part! This is a chill bar that offers great drinks and good bar food plus pizza! They have a unique menu of pizza varieties that ya should check it out. I tried the take a trip pizza while down to the bar anddd it was sooo goodd! None it made it home! There was only one bar tender and she was quick and attentive! If you've had one of them weeks check this place out for a bev in rice village! read more

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Good decent sized neighborhood bar. Espresso martinis were so good. Was a good spot for us to lounge and talk, but speaking on behalf of coming early around 3pm. Plenty of parking in the plaza lot! read more

D E L I C I O U S ! Wow. I stumbled upon this hidden gem and can't get enough of creative and unique this place is. So many owls to count throughout the bar, they even have an outside patio which I love. Especially since the weather is getting cooler. The pizza was surprisingly amazing! I loved the thin crust and tasty cheese and sauce. The service was laid back. I can see myself returning with friends next time read more

The Owl Bar - Spicy Margarita - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Friendly, cozy neighborhood bar. Good mix of clientele. Very relaxed, dressed down, no stress environment. There are definitely regulars cause I went twice and it was the same people at the bar. The bar tenders and personel are super friendly, helpful and a joy to be around. Good energy overall. This is a bar you can actually have a decent conversation without dealing with noise. The outdoor patio is nice. Plenty of parking. Open until 2 am. They serve food into the wee hours of the night. Now the kicker, I don't drink, I'll have a beer once in six months. I go in to get their pizza as take out. It's that good. Thin crust 12 inch pizzas are great. Better if you can eat it there. I live next door so it's no big deal. We need more establishments like these in Houston. read more

The Owl is the best bar in the area--great crowd and great staff. Reasonably priced and well maintained.

Food and drinks are alright. And I actually really enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant and the patio seating they have. I'm giving a 1 star rating because I forgot to close my tab (which is on me I know, but my bartender also never asked if I wanted to keep my tab open or not) and I woke up to a 50% gratuity charge to my card. I know the standard is anywhere between 15%-25% added, but that sounds egregiously high as they weren't busy and I ordered 3 simple drinks. I'm all for tipping out service industry members and would have been absolutely fine with an auto 20% tip, but this just tells me I was being taken advantage of. There's plenty of other bars in Houston to try out with nicer food and drinks, so for the reasons above I'd recommend trying out somewhere else. read more

I would describe The Owl Bar as a Classy, Dive bar but in a totally good way. You can go there and have a mixed crowd of people hanging out after work, college students, tourists, locals and everything in between with no bad vibes. The patrons choose the style of music from the jukebox in the vault and the majority of the selections flowed well with the vibe of the patrons. You could hear the clarity in the speaker systems and the bass bump to make you jump without overpowering your conversations. The Owl Bar is one of the few places that I know in Houston that serve the world's oldest beer Bayerische Staatsbrauer Weihenstephaner in its proper beer glass. The pizza is the best I have tasted in Space City thus far. The bartender Byron was attentive and will give you a good laugh. I counted 61 different owls at the bar, how many can you find? read more

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I am really impressed with this bar. From the quite and dark atmosphere to the affordable, yummy drinks, this bar is the perfect place for all sorts of patrons. The complimentary popcorn is the cherry on top. Not to mention, the bartender was hospitable and prompt. An outdoor seating is available at all times. I am very happy to have come here. Very cool interior. read more

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Found The Owl Bar on Yelp and it did not disappoint. We flirted with the bar tender, played shuffleboard and finished the evening with Cards Against Humanity. Someone ordered a pizza, which was a little late coming out, but it was delicious once it arrived at the table. We couldn't have had a better time, honestly. We hung out in the vault, which was a little more secluded and private, which we enjoyed. Super cool place and I will def be back when I'm in the part of town. read more

Fun bar. The well bourbon is from a local distillery and is surprisingly good, for only $5! And there's a vault inside from when the building used to be a bank, and you can sit in it. Best part: free popcorn. It's a little inconvenient for me but I'll be back anyway. read more

It has a relaxed lounge type atmosphere. Large covered outside seating. No table service. Order drinks-food at the bar. Reasonably priced. read more

We were really surprised how much we liked this comfy but unassuming bar near Rice University on a recent late-night visit. We decided on the The Owl sort of by deduction, given that not much else in the area was open late on a weeknight. Expected a crowded, annoying college bar, we were pleased to find ice cold and refreshing white wine on tap for a great price and plenty of comfortable indoor and outdoor seating. The Owl is a nice option for laid-back drinks and conversation any time. read more

Chill dive bar in rice village. Drinks were solid and beer selection was reasonable. There is free popcorn! Ambience was chill and service was reasonable. A nice place to visit if you are looking to grab a drink in the village. read more

The decor and ambiance is really nice. Dog friendly patio. Good service, decent prices. If I lived in the area, I would certainly frequent this place. read more

Just okay.... Okay vibes... everyone is very friendly good location tho drinks are average.... Wasn't packed wich I also liked !

The Owl bar was a great place to hang out after dinner with friends. Definitely more casual but service was quick and had a variety of beer/wine options. They don't offer food, but have popcorn! They also have chess and some games available. Would recommend as a more casual place to hang out. read more

The Owl Bar - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

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But the pizza!!!! Wow! Super thin and crispy! Yuuuuuummmm! There's not a menu. Just order a pie with your choice of toppings and enjoy. This is a chill place. We came on a Wednesday night and it wasn't too busy. Good food. Good drinks. Nice neighborhood. Thanks, bartender Brian! read more

The Owl Bar - Pepperoni and jalepeno pizza--YUM! - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

We went to Owl Bar bc of their Tuesday Tango group lessons, and we were not disappointed! Great space to meet all sorts of Houstonians, from college-aged to elderly, who all love to Tango. The bartender is friendly and attentive, the music is not terribly loud, and the drinks are decently priced. I think they serve oven pizza, too, I've just never ordered bc I'm too busy dancing read more

Thank you to Russel and his staff for making my recent even such a success! The "Vault" room was the perfect spot, we got drinks quickly and the pizzas were yummy! Come support this laid back local business! read more

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Very friendly staff and pizza was fantastic for a late night stop. Would definitely come back

Stopped in this week after reading about the welcoming service and atmosphere. The place was mostly empty except for a handful of regulars seated at the bar. The surly bartender was so actively unfriendly I almost started laughing - it felt like a bad movie scene. His attitude didn't improve during my visit. I was meeting a friend or I would've walked out. When I asked if they had food, I was grudgingly handed a menu without a word from the bartender. I would've liked to try the pizzas but, frankly, at that point I didn't trust what I'd get from the bartender. Way too many other bars in central Houston to put up with the attitude silliness, or to give this place another chance. I'm sure it's a great place if you're a regular, but good luck if you're not. Two stars for the vault door, which is really pretty cool. read more

The Owl Bar is your quintessential, yet classy, neighborhood bar. The bartenders are amazing and can not only make whatever you can imagine but will take care of you while they do it. The patrons are all great people and seem to genuinely love coming to the place. The decor is beautiful and houses a historical banking vault from the 1920s. If you are looking for a unique place with a friendly atmosphere to get a drink in the rice village area The Owl Bar is your spot. read more

Owl opened a month ago in Rice Village and I must say I love this place. The people here are so cool and awesome to chat with. Atmosphere is chill, great music and pizza is on point. Definitely recommend this for a change of pace in the village. A/C is a big plus!!! read more

The Owl Bar - B day party for my guy!!! - Pizza Near Me - Houston, Texas

We have been twice and had the same bartender both times. She works hard, always busy getting everyone drinks and food. Drinks were good, food is okay. They seem understaffed but the bartender makes up for it, she is a hustler. We will go back for sure. read more

Good beer selection, chill vibe, nice and dark, friendly folks. Sat at the bar, had a good time

The previous establishment was kelvin arms and was happy to see that the new owners kept the bank vault! The have beer from local Texas breweries and a full bar with food. We got the pepperoni pizza and was great. Like the other reviewers, it's a thin crust/NY style pizza and had the right amount of toppings with the crust holding its weight. They also have complementary popcorn when you walk pass the bar. We weren't able to go upstairs as it was only 4pm but I heard it opens later in the evening for wine maybe? Don't hold me to it. Overall, great experience and would recommend! read more