I’ve been to Clarkwood before and love the vibe, so this review is strictly about the billing experience on my most recent visit. My friend and I each had two drinks. The bartender verbally told us gratuity was already included, so when the handheld checkout device showed a total of $58, we paid and did not add any additional tip when prompted. Here’s the problem: there is no receipt shown, no itemized breakdown, and no disclosure of what percentage gratuity is being added. You are only shown a total and then asked if you want to add even more gratuity (3%, 5%, or 7%) on top of whatever they’ve already included. Later, when I checked my credit card statement, I saw the original drink total was $33 and the additional charge for gratuity was $25. That’s roughly an 80% automatic gratuity. That is INSANE. I work in the service industry and fully support automatic gratuity policies in the 20–25% range. What I cannot support is: No receipt No breakdown of charges No disclosure of the gratuity percentage Being prompted to tip more on top of an undisclosed amount My friend had the exact same experience on her round. This is not a complaint about the staff or service. It’s about transparency. Guests should be able to see what they are being charged and why before they pay, they should also be given an option to not pay 80% of their drink tab on gratuity. I would strongly encourage anyone visiting to ask for a full itemized receipt before closing out. Unfortunately, this experience makes me very unlikely to return to Clarkwood.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Uri Gedalia
Alert! Make sure they show you the bill!! They add automatic gratuity, my bill was $33 for the drinks and $25!!! For the auto gratuity and when they ask you to sign they ask if you want to add more. That’s 75% auto gratuity! BE WARE
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Alma Antonette
Update: To the owner, thanks for editing your response. You had an opportunity there, but alas, you decided to be even more patronizing. Listing out the fees (and yes. Hopefully in numbers. Like you said. But I wouldn’t put it past you) mentioned in the RECEIPT demonstrates you don’t understand the principle of “hidden fees.” Of course, a patronizing business owner like you banks on people only knowing “simple” math so that you can take advantage of patrons with fees. It’s also why you’re insulted by the objectively simple math I did. I want to further emphasize that this business does not state any of the fees they charge (i.e., in menus, waiters letting you know) until the receipt is given hence the conclusion that the fees are indeed “hidden”. Seems like a hard concept to grasp for the owners and is possibly why they believe it is fine to do so.
This place got really shady. Up-charges were 37% of actual costs of drinks. Most restaurants that do this explicitly state such charges on their menu, etc. However, Clarkwoods purposely hides these which is simply just a bad business practice leaving our group, and I’m sure most patrons, feeling deceived. Fees include 3.5% for “venue fee” which was justified as a credit card fee by the waitress ??? Automatic 20% gratuity to all orders, with the machine prompting for additional tip in addition to the 20%. $46.58 in total for 2 drinks. $34 for drinks and $12.58 is from fees.
Service: 1
Joe van Gogh
turned me away for wearing Nikes lol this is a Houston bar not NYC
Service: 1
tiffany Jones
Great experience. Excellent cocktails. Came for happy hour. $10 cocktails. 1/2 of bottles of wine and charcuterie boards. Our bartender was Giselle. Giselle was great ! Very personable attentive and kind
David Giraldi
Maybe don’t act like water is free (it’s $7), charge a random venue fee and include gratuity already with the check
Ramón Castro
Clarkwood is flawless: amazing cocktails, excellent service, and great music at the perfect volume. Prices are very reasonable for the quality. Everything works. Everything is perfect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dynasty Doss
Houston native here- I have been to this bar at least four times. Last night was the first time I had a bad experience. This place has a stigma for turning away/profiling “A certain type of person” But I’ve never had a problem in the past- last night was different. first when I approached the door. The doorman told me that they were having a private event and were only taking reservations. After a confused pause and me and my friend (in a blazer- heeled boot) walked away. He flagged us down on the sidewalk where I turned around and he told me that he actually turned me away because of my boots- So a liar. ( I had on a jumpsuit-brown heeled boots) and he would let me slide this time. I’ve never been profiled in my own city. Anywho we declined and went on about our night. Noted - There were many people in there with jeans and sneakers and casual sweaters. I wouldn’t recommend going and having this humiliating experience.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Behnaz Saffari
If you love a vintage, glamorous 1930s vibe, this bar delivers. Early in the night it’s perfect for conversation, and later a DJ brings the energy—fair warning, it can get a bit loud. The drinks are standout: beautifully crafted and delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Psalms22:5
Love this place! Great positive vibes! The smell, the aesthetics, the servers, drinks and gosh.. I could go on and on about this place!!!! If you’re ever in Houston and want to relax and chat with friends come to the clarkwood!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Rita, Espresso Martini Shots
This is great bar it's giving cool LA vibes the drink were good service was great.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Victor Beltran
Decent cocktails. Great service!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Ken Young
Mandatory 20% tip on all orders. 3.25% credit card surcharge. $7 for a 16oz water (no tap water available). I'll lead with this.
The service was slow, slower than many bars/restaurants I patron... I Wondered why service was slow then realized it's because 20% tip is mandatory.
Charcuterie board was very good and drinks were also good.
Outdoor seating looks amazing if the weather is nice. But Indoors has a cramped and unpleasant vibe compared to other comparable cocktail/wine bars in Houston.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 1
M R
We stopped by Clarkwood after dinner to continue celebrating our anniversary, and it reminded us exactly why this place is still just as good as ever.
The crowd is always high-class, respectful, and well-mannered — the kind of environment where everyone is kind, educated, and just genuinely pleasant to be around. The space is clean, polished, and beautifully maintained, and the overall vibe feels elevated without ever being pretentious.
Every server behind the bar was great — attentive, friendly, and welcoming — and the mocktails were excellent. There are plenty of options for all types of people, whether you’re drinking, not drinking, or just looking for something fun and well-crafted. You never feel limited here, which we really appreciate.
That said, Angel deserves a special shoutout. He is such a sweetheart and an amazing server — always looking on point, super kind, and genuinely attentive. Once he knew it was our anniversary, he went out of his way to hype me up, compliment me, and make the experience feel even more special. It was thoughtful, warm, and truly made us feel celebrated.
The music was great all night — amazing energy even without a DJ — their playlist was great and everything flowed perfectly for an after-dinner stop. Clarkwood consistently delivers great vibes, great people, and great service, and this visit was no exception.
If you’re looking for a classy spot with an inviting atmosphere, amazing staff, and something for everyone, Clarkwood is always a solid choice. We’ll definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Charles Conti
They take great pride in presenting their curated cocktails. However, the ginormous single Ice Cube seems to take up about 80% of the glass. Meaning that is very little to actually drink
I’ve been to Clarkwood before and love the vibe, so this review is strictly about the billing experience on my most recent visit.
My friend and I each had two drinks. The bartender verbally told us gratuity was already included, so when the handheld checkout device showed a total of $58, we paid and did not add any additional tip when prompted.
Here’s the problem: there is no receipt shown, no itemized breakdown, and no disclosure of what percentage gratuity is being added. You are only shown a total and then asked if you want to add even more gratuity (3%, 5%, or 7%) on top of whatever they’ve already included.
Later, when I checked my credit card statement, I saw the original drink total was $33 and the additional charge for gratuity was $25. That’s roughly an 80% automatic gratuity. That is INSANE.
I work in the service industry and fully support automatic gratuity policies in the 20–25% range. What I cannot support is:
No receipt
No breakdown of charges
No disclosure of the gratuity percentage
Being prompted to tip more on top of an undisclosed amount
My friend had the exact same experience on her round.
This is not a complaint about the staff or service. It’s about transparency. Guests should be able to see what they are being charged and why before they pay, they should also be given an option to not pay 80% of their drink tab on gratuity.
I would strongly encourage anyone visiting to ask for a full itemized receipt before closing out. Unfortunately, this experience makes me very unlikely to return to Clarkwood.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Alert! Make sure they show you the bill!! They add automatic gratuity, my bill was $33 for the drinks and $25!!! For the auto gratuity and when they ask you to sign they ask if you want to add more. That’s 75% auto gratuity! BE WARE
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Update: To the owner, thanks for editing your response. You had an opportunity there, but alas, you decided to be even more patronizing. Listing out the fees (and yes. Hopefully in numbers. Like you said. But I wouldn’t put it past you) mentioned in the RECEIPT demonstrates you don’t understand the principle of “hidden fees.” Of course, a patronizing business owner like you banks on people only knowing “simple” math so that you can take advantage of patrons with fees. It’s also why you’re insulted by the objectively simple math I did. I want to further emphasize that this business does not state any of the fees they charge (i.e., in menus, waiters letting you know) until the receipt is given hence the conclusion that the fees are indeed “hidden”. Seems like a hard concept to grasp for the owners and is possibly why they believe it is fine to do so.
This place got really shady. Up-charges were 37% of actual costs of drinks. Most restaurants that do this explicitly state such charges on their menu, etc. However, Clarkwoods purposely hides these which is simply just a bad business practice leaving our group, and I’m sure most patrons, feeling deceived. Fees include 3.5% for “venue fee” which was justified as a credit card fee by the waitress ??? Automatic 20% gratuity to all orders, with the machine prompting for additional tip in addition to the 20%. $46.58 in total for 2 drinks. $34 for drinks and $12.58 is from fees.
Service: 1
turned me away for wearing Nikes lol this is a Houston bar not NYC
Service: 1
Great experience. Excellent cocktails. Came for happy hour. $10 cocktails. 1/2 of bottles of wine and charcuterie boards. Our bartender was Giselle. Giselle was great ! Very personable attentive and kind
Maybe don’t act like water is free (it’s $7), charge a random venue fee and include gratuity already with the check
Clarkwood is flawless: amazing cocktails, excellent service, and great music at the perfect volume. Prices are very reasonable for the quality. Everything works. Everything is perfect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Houston native here- I have been to this bar at least four times. Last night was the first time I had a bad experience. This place has a stigma for turning away/profiling “A certain type of person” But I’ve never had a problem in the past- last night was different. first when I approached the door. The doorman told me that they were having a private event and were only taking reservations. After a confused pause and me and my friend (in a blazer- heeled boot) walked away. He flagged us down on the sidewalk where I turned around and he told me that he actually turned me away because of my boots- So a liar. ( I had on a jumpsuit-brown heeled boots) and he would let me slide this time. I’ve never been profiled in my own city. Anywho we declined and went on about our night. Noted - There were many people in there with jeans and sneakers and casual sweaters. I wouldn’t recommend going and having this humiliating experience.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
If you love a vintage, glamorous 1930s vibe, this bar delivers. Early in the night it’s perfect for conversation, and later a DJ brings the energy—fair warning, it can get a bit loud. The drinks are standout: beautifully crafted and delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Love this place! Great positive vibes! The smell, the aesthetics, the servers, drinks and gosh.. I could go on and on about this place!!!! If you’re ever in Houston and want to relax and chat with friends come to the clarkwood!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spicy Rita, Espresso Martini Shots
Restaurantji Recommends
This is great bar it's giving cool LA vibes the drink were good service was great.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Decent cocktails. Great service!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Mandatory 20% tip on all orders. 3.25% credit card surcharge. $7 for a 16oz water (no tap water available). I'll lead with this.
The service was slow, slower than many bars/restaurants I patron... I Wondered why service was slow then realized it's because 20% tip is mandatory.
Charcuterie board was very good and drinks were also good.
Outdoor seating looks amazing if the weather is nice. But Indoors has a cramped and unpleasant vibe compared to other comparable cocktail/wine bars in Houston.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 1
We stopped by Clarkwood after dinner to continue celebrating our anniversary, and it reminded us exactly why this place is still just as good as ever.
The crowd is always high-class, respectful, and well-mannered — the kind of environment where everyone is kind, educated, and just genuinely pleasant to be around. The space is clean, polished, and beautifully maintained, and the overall vibe feels elevated without ever being pretentious.
Every server behind the bar was great — attentive, friendly, and welcoming — and the mocktails were excellent. There are plenty of options for all types of people, whether you’re drinking, not drinking, or just looking for something fun and well-crafted. You never feel limited here, which we really appreciate.
That said, Angel deserves a special shoutout. He is such a sweetheart and an amazing server — always looking on point, super kind, and genuinely attentive. Once he knew it was our anniversary, he went out of his way to hype me up, compliment me, and make the experience feel even more special. It was thoughtful, warm, and truly made us feel celebrated.
The music was great all night — amazing energy even without a DJ — their playlist was great and everything flowed perfectly for an after-dinner stop. Clarkwood consistently delivers great vibes, great people, and great service, and this visit was no exception.
If you’re looking for a classy spot with an inviting atmosphere, amazing staff, and something for everyone, Clarkwood is always a solid choice. We’ll definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
They take great pride in presenting their curated cocktails. However, the ginormous single Ice Cube seems to take up about 80% of the glass. Meaning that is very little to actually drink
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
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