Authentic Latin flavors. Atmosphere was a chill simple bar. Bar fries were soft like a mashed potato. There was one sauce made from cucumber and it reminded me a little bit like tangy dill tzatziki. There was also another sauce it came with which was like a mayo sauce. I also tried the mole flight which had a bunch of different moles and each were had very different flavors. The one that looked yellowish that is the same sauce they used for the octopus was sweet and creamy. I think the octopus was actually suited better than the chips. The meaty octopus that had a slight crisp to it blended well with the sauce. Tres salsas is also another dish I tried which had 3 different sauces. 2 of them were spicy and the other one that was red was more of a mild traditional hot sauce(it was made from grasshoppers). My favorite was the greenish one and it was the spiciest one of the 3. The crudo was fresh and had a little spicy kick to it. The pickles were interesting it had like a sour cream sauce in there with chili oil. The service was fine everyone was knowledgeable especially over the dishes. read more

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We tried Xolo for brunch and really enjoyed it! For food, we really enjoyed everything we tried--the octopus, the chips and salsa, steak, and a crudo dish. All delicious, and I'd recommend each one. The drinks are fabulous. I'm frankly usually more of a wine, rather than cocktail, person, but these cocktails are great, so refreshing. I had a mezcal cocktail that was so light and fresh. Our server explained some of the science behind it too--they have some really cool equipment on how they carbonate the drinks. Overall, I'd say Xolo is more of a bar that has great food, rather than a restaurant with a bar, if that makes sense. The cocktails are the main event. read more

My wife and I ran away from home for the weekend. Spent 2 nights in Houston trying new places during Houston Restaurant Weeks. Found Xolo on Yelp and made reservations. Wow. We weren't disappointed. Xolo is basically a high end cocktail bar with some of the best small plates we've eaten. Interior Mexican. Think "Trendy Mexico City in Houston". Don't miss the Octopus (Pulpo). If you're thinking "Ew! Rubbery and covered with little suckers!" You're going to be surprised. Served on a bed of delicious white Mole, multistep preparation that includes hours of sous vide. If you like lobster, you will love the pulpo at Xolo. Mole flight - awesome. Drinks? Killer. Service? Amazing. Everyone working there is a bartender, waiter, stakeholder. Service is personal and attentive. Had a great conversation with the owner while dining. We will return to Xolo on our next trip to houston. read more

The last Saturday finally, my friend wanted to get drinks after our event we attended at The Ensemble Theatre. And, he suggested KOLO since it was so close by. They have only been opened for just 7 months. It just 2 of us so we seated at the bar area. Our service was amazing, and their staff were very friendly and a knowledgeable about their menu. Also, on suggestions on the perfect drinks for you. Their ambiance gave me a Miami vibe, kinda small but the experience was well worth it!!! read more

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I've been here a few times now and the staff are always great. I came here with my girlfriends (3 of us) and my husband for birthday pre-game drinks and something light to start off our night. We each ordered 1 drink, and 2 courses to nibble/share. I love their banana carajillo. All their drinks are spectacular, you can't go wrong with anything and if you're not sure, the bartenders can definitely provide great recommendations on your preferences. Their food however, was alittle lack-luster. The food was good but it didn't really match with the drinks well. We did order some fried potatoes and grilled shrimp to share. The potatoes were good but missing salt, the shrimp was good but the spicy mayo was what gave it flavor other than the grilled taste. I would recommend coming here for drinks any time, great atmosphere and great place to hang out with great company! read more

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Came here for Houston Restaurant Week ($39)! They do have valet for $5 but you can also find street parking on Helen or Mason Street (I parked on Helen street and there was a decent amount of space for a Friday night!) The interior is beautifully decorated- dark and moody. The bathrooms are also very clean and vibey. My friend and I started off with drinks- I got the Extract No.1 and he got the Butter Pecan Carajillo. Both drinks were beautifully crafted and delicious! If you're someone like me (who doesn't enjoy drinks that taste too strong and prefer sweet), the Extract No.1 is perfect! For the HTX Restaurant Week we ordered the following: Bar Fries Pickles Pulpo Taco Del la Central Flan Pan De Merienda For the appetizers, I would highly recommend the bar fries! They're not your usual fries- they're thick and triple fried. It almost reminded me of a hashbrown and I loved the flaky salt with the delicious sauces on the side. Pickles were also a good/lighter option but the bar fries are where it's at. For the entree, the Pulpo (octopus) was fantastic. Perfectly cooked, sweet and savory from the mole blanco with some heat to it. The taco was also good but the Texas Wagyu was pretty tough. For dessert, both options were nice- the Pan De Merienda reminded me of Japanese shokupan with condensed milk on top (you can't go wrong with that). Flan was thick, creamy, and sweet. Overall, this spot is solid for a date night! Aside from the yummy dishes, the drinks were delicious, service was fantastic and the vibes were great. I definitely want to come back and try their Happy Hour in the future! read more

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Xolo was a pleasant surprise. Went for drinks, but enjoy the food a lot. The afternoon crowd was lively. We sat at the bar and received great service as all of the workers behind the bar assisted our party. read more

Xolo - Steak - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Xolo is the newest bar and restaurant to enter the Montrose dining scene. With strong Mexico City influence, Xolo showcases unique handcrafted cocktails, modern decor, and elevated dishes. Happy hour runs from 4-6pm on Wednesday and Thursday featuring specials on select cocktails. I tried the banana Carajillo and the pan + tomate cocktails and both were great. Each drink not only had beautiful presentation from the garnish to the cup, but were one of a kind drinks that you will not find at other establishments. They also have a distillation machine on the back counter so you can tell that they're serious about their beverages. For food, do not sleep on the pickle plate. You might be tempted to pass on something as seemingly simple as pickles but it was excellent. It comes with slices of pickled jicama, a spice oil, and a yogurt dip. The flavors were excellent. The pulpo was also fantastic. The octopus tendril was super tender and came in a bowl of white mole sauce that had a subtle spice flavor, somewhat similar to a cardamom flavor. Overall, excellent. Finally, the service was top notch. Happy hour was not too busy on a Thursday and the staff were very attentive and considerate. I will definitely be back! read more

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It's small but super cute and quaint. The food was good but the drinks were better. It's a bar more so! read more

Xolo - Carajillos - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place is very small and quaint, but very very limited menu but definitely get the shrimps! They are known for their different types of cocktails if you're a cocktail connoisseur please come here. Make a reservation. I absolutely enjoy the shrimp. I would get two orders may come with five jumbo shrimps and seasoned to perfection not spicy at all. They have many options for food a lot of Mole options. I will be back to get more shrimp and try a new cocktail Mock tails available also Front parking available as well for free. read more

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Good food and drinks. Carajillo was fantastic and so was the steak. Not large portions but quality is great.

We came in after dinner for a quick drink and ended up staying for two drinks each and dessert, and it was all worth it! As a clarified cocktail fan, I was recommended to come to Xolo since almost all the drinks on their menu are clarified. I ordered and thoroughly enjoyed the guanabana and peach fizz, and split the pan de merienda (think bruleed condensed milk brioche- perfect for sopping up the stronger drinks!). Yiling took care of us at the bar and took time to answer some of our questions about the smokiness in the clarified Negroni while the bar was still on the emptier side. They had house remixes playing in the background and the parking lot in the front was pretty open when we came in on a Sunday evening. read more

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I've been here 3 times over the course of 3 weeks because this is where Mexico City meets upscale bar food. I have tried nearly all the food dishes and let me tell you--they don't disappoint! My personal favorites are the Tacos Oscar (caviar, potato foam, cheese), Taco Del La Central (super meaty and tender wagyu, fresh salsa flavor), and the Camaron A La Talla (huge and flavorful prawns). I love the unique combination of ingredients in their cocktails. Ingredients like jasmine, coriander, lemongrass are thoughtfully blended together to make a delicious cocktail. Service can be a little spotty at times particularly at the tables, but the majority of the staff are very nice and accommodating to preferences and dietary restrictions. The bar is small, warm and inviting. While the buildout isn't impressive, the food and drinks certainly are. read more

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Had a good experience here! I came with some girlfriends for a weekend brunch. Parking was in their own lot which was nice. The vibes inside were super cute. The standout items for us were the 2 carajillo cocktails and the steak with mole negro. The steak was cooked perfectly and I could have def had more of the mole negro. Definitely worth checking out! read more

Nut allergy warning: The mole and salsa macha have nuts, and some of the drinks have nuts as well (clearly listed, the pecan carajillo and hazelnut espresso martini). The Extract #1 also has Falernum, which is a lime-almond liqueur. Make your server aware of any allergies. Parking: $7 valet parking. We chose to park in the neighborhood across the street along Helena Street. Reservation recommended, it got pretty packed while we were there. We had a reservation for 5 at 7PM and were seated on time with no issues. Time-to-Drinks: 7 Minutes Time-to-Bar Snacks: 32 Minutes Time-to-Entrees: 40 Minutes to 1 Hour (Shrimp and Pork) I ordered two drinks myself and tried several of the other drinks of people at my table: Drinks were overall a 4.5/5, they were incredibly creative and the flavor profiles were very unique here. Guanabana (5/5): This was my favorite drink. It was like a sparkling lemony Yakult drink. Very light and creamy while still retaining fruity and sparkling notes. San Luis 37 (4/5): This was my other drink. I would call it a lighter, sweeter, and spicier Old Fashioned. The milkiness was cut with star anise and the bourbon notes were more muted. I wouldn't order it again because of the sweetness. Infinity Highball (4/5): Tried my friend's. I liked the smokiness here, almost like halfway to a Scotch. Smoke & Cream (3.5/5): I thought this was a nice earthy light twist to an Old Fashioned. I actually would drink another of this before the San Luis, but I didn't think it did anything too crazy. Pan & Tomate (3/5): I didn't get many tomato notes here but my friends did. I did enjoy the barley notes, but it didn't stand out to me. I'm also not a tomato fan though. Food was a bit more disappointing. Overall a 3.5/5, and the prices are extremely high versus the portions. Definitely a high-end, small-bites type of experience, but the quality wasn't reflective. Bar Fries (3.5/5): They did something cool here with the shredded potatoes baked into fries. Six pieces, and the Chiltepin aioli was deliciously spicy, like a Szechuan peppercorn almost. Cucumber was light, almost cutting the spice. Wish they gave more fries but what we got was pretty good. Salchipuplo (4.5/5): This was my favorite dish here. It was like a mini banh mi, with 80% octopus that led into a very nice octopus flavor, also with a Chiltepin spread on the in-house made bread. It's insanely priced at $15 for a few small bites, but I liked it the most of the dishes we had. Tetela (3/5): I was expecting more like an elote dish, didn't do my research enough! You get a corn masa almost like a big hot pocket. I found this to be a tad dry. The queso and greens on top were a great balance. Camaron a la Talla (me: 3/5, table: 4.5/5): I think my expectations were way too high here. Six pieces of king prawn, but the prawns were not that large. The smoky flavor was nice, but it was nothing crazy. My table liked these more than I did. I was expecting a more moist cook for king prawn and I think the smokiness led to a more dry texture. Chuleton (1.5/5): Hands down the biggest disappointment of the night for how long we waited for it. The texture was extremely dry and almost grainy. I heard that they sous vide the pork... I really don't know how they would've ended up with that dry of a cut after a sous vide unless their bath temperature was way too high. The flavors were okay, and the sauce helped a bit with the dryness. Funny note, the bathrooms are impressively soundproofed and stocked like a hotel bathroom or spa. Feels quite different in there in a good way. Overall, I wouldn't really come back for the small bites but their drinks were quite innovative. The Salchipulpo and Tetela were very nice and unique dishes. Great spot for a date or want to have some elevated Mexico City/Aztec level cuisine. read more

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Wow, what an amazing service and experience! I loved their food specially their mole! I had their wedding mole, pink mole and regular mole. The drinks were also amazing. I will definitely be back. read more

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Amazing atmosphere, great food, and excellent service. Xolo Houston is definitely worth a visit!

The vibe of this place is great. There is parking for you. Service was great. Came here for restaurant week ordered the fries, octopus, and brioche I wish there was a bit more food, it was just missing a veggie of some kind. There was nothing outstanding. There wasn't a whole lot of flavor. I wouldn't order anything I got again but would be willing to try another thing on the menu. I wish I ordered the taco instead of the octopus. For $55, I got an octopus leg, 4 fries, and a piece of toast. read more

There's finally somewhere to go in Houston when you miss Mexico City. I know it's not the first restaurant in Houston to serve more traditional Mexican food, but it's definitely the first to bring back memories of dishes and the feel of being in Mexico City. Having somewhere that serves corn tortillas made with different corn varieties feels so special. The drinks, food and staff were phenomenal. I'm so glad the ganabana and pan + tomato still exist in the universe after Andiron. I also have a new favorite in the butter pecan carajillo. The beet salad with mole Rosa was my favorite of the night. The tacos Oscar and the bread caviar dessert are also a must order. The staff is super welcoming. Angel and Javier both took the time to interact with the diners. Javier felt bad that my friend with pine nut allergies couldn't try most of the moles, so he brought he a sample of the mole negro with a tortilla. He also brought me an extra tortilla so none of the mole Rosa went to waste. Shout out to our server Connor. We're already planning our next visit. read more

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Loved the place! We tried the crudo, the octopus and the octopus sausage, the steak and the shrimp and we liked it all. The cocktails were really outstanding, I have to confess I stayed away from the more adventurous offerings, and tried the Japaloma and the Gin tonic and I was impressed. The place is small and cozy and the service friendly and attentive. Definitely going back! read more

Delicious small bites and outstanding cocktails! The staff was so kind and knowledgeable. The mole flight was amazing. Perfect place to get cocktails and tapas before a night out. read more

After visiting Mexico City weeks ago, made it a point to stop in! Customer service was amazing! Rare in the industry these days! Sat at the bar top for happy hour! Staff educates you on the clarified drinks and the process! read more

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Wanted to try this place out since it was new and close to my house. Of course, the place is small and more then half of the seating is bar seating. We were greeted and service very fast and friendly when we first sat down. We placed in our drink order and then our food order. The food came spaced out which is nice of them. But as the night went on, the service got slow or none existence. In this small place, there is only two bartender to manage the bar and one waiter to wait on the tables. That is a normal operation in most restaurants but because all of their drinks are custom mix drinks, that took up most of the bartenders' time. So can not fault them for that. But expect for slow service if you come in during its peak time. Since we came at 6 pm, the crowd has not arrived yet. But for the food, we tired the bar fries which was the best dish on the menu, to me. We also tried the tostada, the salchipulpo, the crudo, the Camaron a la talla and the steak (hanger steak). To be honest, the favors were average and the steak was room temperature. It did not taste like it just came off the grill. I feel like this is a place people should try once and see for themself and that was my one time. I do recommend anyone that wants to try this place to go during a week night, when it's not busy for better service and less wait time. Even with reservations, if you came during peak time, expect to still wait and since it is a small place, you will be sitting outside waiting. And dressed up and sitting outside in the Houston heat is not a fun combination. read more

Xolo - Menu - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Drinks were amazingggg, super unique menu and you can tell a lot of care goes into crafting them. The peach fizz was good and the extract no 1 which had celery, apple, and aloe Vera in it was one of my favorite drinks I've tried in the city. Ambiance is nice and intimate and the service was very friendly. Food fell a bit flat even though I'm sure they're just ironing things out since they recently opened, we didn't get much but tried the fries and the tetela. I've had great tetelas at Ema and Maximo but felt this one lacked a little flavor. I think it had a fava bean puree in it but it could have benefited from at least a bit more salt. We also shared the fries which were good and a step up from regular fries, they were almost like hashbrowns, but they weren't as crisp as they could have been, some bites were even almost soggy. The aoilis it came with were great though. Overall I would certainly return, the drinks are excellent and I would give some of the other menu items a shot read more

Xolo - Tetela - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Such a cool hip bar/restaurant. I enjoyed the food, drinks, and the music. You just order the octopus. It is cooked perfectly from the crisp outside to it being tender on the inside. read more

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The portions are extremely small. I don't mean they're appetizer small. They're smaller than that. Ever had a street taco? What about a single street taco for $20? I'm not being dramatic or sarcastic when I say this place has the smallest portion sizes I've ever seen in my 48 years on this planet around the world. They are very pushy about cocktails. That's kind of their main attraction. They make pretty drinks with potato foam and glitter and other random ingredients that look pretty. The menu is weirdly unique. A single Waygu street taco for $20 or as the waiter described it "portions that are meant to be shared with everyone." I don't know how you're supposed to share a one bite taco. I also tried the Octopus hot dog. It was half the size of a Twinkie. Also $20. read more

Ambiance was nice. A lot of staff for such a small establishment. My husband and I have gone to Mexico City several times and wanted to check out this CDMX inspired bar. read more

The food in the atmosphere are amazing! We had a steak dish and the shrimp dish and both were delicious. There was only one wine available to be bought by the glass and that's what we ordered. Otherwise there were these complicated cocktails were very expensive wines. I will definitely go back. read more

Food and drinks were delicious! Our server was super attentive. Overall great vibe! Will definitely come back! read more

Xolo - Tacos Oscar with Caviar & Butter Pecan Carajillo - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Absolutely phenomenal. Hands down, the best restaurant in Houston. You can taste the love and passion in every dish and drink at Xolo, it's really special. Truly a one of a kind experience! read more

I absolutely love this place. We stumbled upon wicked driving and had been passing it for a couple weeks. So glad we gave it a try. The food quality and fusion of Mexican flavors is outstanding. The best salad is mandatory and the olive oil martini. Everything was delicious and tapas style. Customer service very attentive and friendly! The restaurant is the perfect size and ambiance for friends , family and the perfect date. read more

Xolo is such a great new spot--definitely worth checking out. The New Mexican flavors are bold and delicious, and the drinks were a real highlight--creative and so well done. Don't skip dessert--the brioche bread was absolutely to die for. Also, shoutout to Ilin, our server/bartender, who was fantastic. His recommendations were spot on and his service made the whole experience even better. Already looking forward to coming back! read more

What a gem that just opened in town! Mexico City quality cocktails, can't wait to be back to try food. read more

Xolo - Banana Carajillo + infinity highball - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Fantastic new bar. Top notch drinks and food. Service was great and quick. Will be back. read more

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food came out fast as hell and every dish was packed with flavor, the spicy tuna roll literally melted in my mouth