48 Best Dive Bars in Houston

“Did this place have a diff name? I think my dad visited in the 80's, maybe was a cantina back then.“

“Legit live music venue in the Heights. You will see new budding artists and famous musicians at the Tuesday Blues jam! Go check it out!“

“Every time I go here I am welcomed with old and new friends from the past and present. Sitting around drinking buckets of beers and staring at the awesome view of downtown Houston. This Eastside hang out is a must to go to. Chat with the locals and get the feel of old Houston like it used to be!!“

“While a bit loud, great atmosphere, friendly patrons, can't beat the daily 6$ cocktails - prepared just as meticulously as the mainstays. And dog friendly! You can take your dog inside the bar area and even have them sit on a bar stool ? Food I believe is from Delray Cafe inside - onion rings were very salty, while the fish sandwich was very good. They will make a puppy patty 3$ for your dog. They also have an outside covered side patio.“

“Nice place to hang. Great bartenders.“

“This is the first time my husband and I went to this bar. The second we walked I knew that I would come back. The drinks are really good. The cocktails are delicious and the atmosphere is super chill. We didn’t get any food, but the kitchen smelled really good.“

“This is a very chill spot for drinks with a small outdoor patio. Inside is cozy, with a cheers like vibe. Drinks are cheap. No food served inside but it is next to a columbian food truck. TouchTunes. Usually can find 1-2 chess games being played (boards are stored with the bar tenders and are behind the bar). Parking can be hard to find on weekends“

“I LOVED this place. Karaoke was fun and entertaining. If you’re in the Houston area definitely check them out. The staff was AWESOME and service was excellent. Everyone was happy and having fun patrons and the bartenders etc. ❤️“

“I love the older music (50s/60s country) they play. They definitely cater to an older crowd of people. If you got a dance partner and love old country, it's the place to be. If you're young and single, you're better off going to Whiskey River. Still a great place though, love the traditional feel.“

“They ALWAYS have a good bourbon selection and the staff knows bourbon well.“

“Have been going here since 2016 and I've seen it grow from a shack to a full blown pavilion with doors and space for heaters. The graffiti has been kept and is not quite family friendly :). It's still one of the most affordable, unique hot dog places in town. The Southern Caviar is a great sharable appetizer that normally comes with 6-10 toast bites and very generous servings of cheese. A taco is large enough for 4-5 big bites and can be shared among two people as an appetizer. One hot dog with this combo works very well, or two hot dogs with no appetizers if you have a real appetite. Highly recommend chef's choice of toppings (honestly can't go wrong with any meat but I'm partial to the duck, lamb, and elk. I usually do chef's choice toppings, with sauerkraut) and the cheese from the southern caviar helps finish the pretzel bun if you have some left over after eating the hot dog.

Dietary restrictions: Pretty nut allergy friendly, at least with the tacos and hot dogs. Some beers may have peanut butter notes.“

“Very dark atmosphere as the name would imply. Enter bar thru the back only. On site parking is very limited. Drinks are cheap and beer is reasonably priced. We’ve been here twice for Burlesque show which they have every other month. Chill vibe. We’ve enjoyed ourselves.No food served here or snack that I could tell. They have a juke box and pool tables for when a show is not happening.“

“It is rare to find a tiny, friendly, non-douchey bar in the inner loop in Houston to have one cocktail on your way home from work in the most walkable area of this city. This is one of few. It is also "local Houston." It's the way it used to be when many similar bars existed here. It is technically smaller than Manhatten bars in a town where EVERYTHING, including restaurant serving sizes, will feed four people on one entree. If you want to know this city for who it actually is, visit old-school mom-and-pop shops like this.“

“Always a good time at The Kickback Bar! Great place, great staff, great food and drinks!“

“Convinced the in-laws to come for dinner, they absolutely enjoyed the lettuce wraps and dessert. "Turk" has always been a fan. Love it guys“

“Nice environment and friendly people. Thanks to Missy Cook and Jerry Hunter for introducing us !“

“Owner Mike is a tailor as well as a bartender. This bar was originally a tailor shop with bar added later and both have collectively been in operation for 88 YEARS!It is a very eclectic place with old style bar feel. One may also see someone walk into the bar for an alteration or have a suit made and have a drink in the process.Char Bar is a MUST for someone visiting downtown Houston.We just LUV IT!“

“nice atmosphere, friendly staff“

“Absolutely FANTASTIC. Great karaoke, great cheap drinks and wonderful service.“

“It is a quaint old fashioned place studded with Elvis memorabilia from a different time and there is also a pool table, but it feels more like entering into somebody's living room possibly because the owner is so nice and welcoming.Outside, there is a raised and covered area surrounded by actual rose bushes and they are blooming at this time so we were litterally sitting in a rose garden.The Rose Garden is the place to go if you are tired of trendy noisy bars and you want to try something different.“

“This dive bar is a hidden gem!

It is a "bring your own liquor" bar with a variety of set-ups to make your favorite cocktails. They have a pretty good selection of canned and bottled beer, as well as a small selection of snacks to munch on.

There are 2 pool tables, 3 TVs to watch games on and a nice sized backyard for bands or outdoor socializing/smoking.“

“I am kind of enamored with this place. It's my kind of ppl. The music is always entertaining, they have one of those tabletop video game things from the 80s and the disco ball outside of the bathrooms just makes me happy. They carry a reasonably priced tequila I like to drink and even had some craft beer on draft I've not tried before, although they don't have much on tap. Service is great and the regulars seems welcoming.

Parking: There's a few parking spots out front, but there is more parking on an attachment lot if you drive down the next street over and a washing entrance to the front lot, so you don't have to walk all the way around.“

“Where wife’s and girl friends should never meet“

“Love this place .. where everybody knows your name ….lol“

“Been in Houston for a Texans game and went there by coincidence.
Excellent service (close to the one at „Hotel Adlon” in Berlin), excellent kitchen (ask for the French Hors d’oeuvre, better than in Paris) and a Welcome Culture second to none.
Highly recommended for any High Class Event!
For us as Germans, it was very important, that the beer was enough and cold - both major targets have been fulfilled, too. Enjoy!“

“I love this bar because it is where I go to catch an Astros game and not see too many familiar faces. It's a word of mouth type of place. I've been running karaoke here 4 nights a week for 7 years and it's always a blast. Of course I'm biased but if I didn't work here I'd still be drinking and hanging out here.“

“We gone rocc and roll. come see about us #TEAMUNITY2022 #therealmrbluejay“

“Great spot to see live music up close and personal. The band is usually in the audience for the opener and everybody is super friendly, even the bartenders. No waiting to be called on for drinks if you don't look hip. Smoking is allowed on the outdoor patio, which has awnings if there's rain. Your entrance fee gets you into the bar next door to see a second band, who knew? Take an Uber if your drinking and avoid the paid parking nearby. Seriously, you get dropped off at the front door like a celebrity.“

“Was recommended by one of the staff members. Great spot, but some of the patrons seem to be very bias and disrespectfully opinionated. It could have been due to a recent prison release or just plain stupid. AWKWARD MOMENT. However, service and drinks were spectacular.“

“Yesssssssssssssssss JC loves the bartender“

“Their bar keep Alice is thebomb.com“

“Always a fun time. Cold beer and lively conversation“

“Great little place! Great food and drinks...“

“Nice Dirt place!! It’s a great place friendly bar tender. Jake!!“

“Love the Atmosphere, Bartenders were fantastic“

“Great place to chill relax and have a good drink and meet nice out going ppl of different age range......“

“Nice place. Has some slots and gambling and 2 pool tables and hosts tournaments occasionally (actually really good players). Bartenders are really nice and friendly.There is food and drinks and bring your own hard liquor as they do not have a liquor license since it is a Texas ice house. Bathrooms are clean and I didn't feel uncomfortable like I didn't belong or was worried about my car being broken into.Only down side is parking but that's Houston for you.Definitely absolutely recommend.“

“Where everyone knows your name…“

“Every staff member in the bar was friendly, welcoming, and provided great service. I was looking for a GOOD burger and when I ate at Sammie’s I had a GREAT burger. The atmosphere pairs perfectly with a cold beer. Worth every penny. Make sure to bring a friend when you stop by!“

“Probably the best bar in Rice Village for a good drink and late night food?

Vibe is somewhere in between classy and fun, you can expect a dim lit atmosphere with centerpiece candles on the tables, a nice little patio and the owl motif throughout the bar.

Service was cool. I ordered a ranch water and was offered salt or Tajin and it was really good… Ok ok fine I had 2 ranch waters and they were fantastic. The lemon drop martinis were good too.

There’s a few different seating areas including a bank safe room with a few seats and shuffle board game in there too.

I have to say my favorite part was the fact that the kitchen was open until 1 AM and they offer a nice variety of pizzas. Note these are not your typical frozen pizzas you would expect from a bar but a step or 2 above that. They’re actually pretty good.

I like the “low-key” vibe of this place. It’s almost easy to miss if you’re not looking for it but makes you feel extra cool once you’re there.

Cool spot to put on a nice shirt and enjoy a handcrafted drink or 2. Will be back!“

“Great Ice House! Very nice staff, many, many choices of traditional and craft brews. The Mexican food truck across the street that makes original Barbacoa. So go get some tacos and take them to the Ice House and get a couple of craft beers to drink with them.“

“NICE PLACE AND PEOPLE GREAT BAND“

“This used to be Brittmoore Icehouse years ago. In 2014, they redid the space and it’s now Texas T Tavern. I went for a birthday party and I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the evening. TTT is dog friendly, has a nice large outdoor patio with beautiful trees to provide shade, large TVs everywhere to catch a game, great service, very friendly staff, terrific drink prices, live music, and lots of available parking. There’s also a small party room for private events. They have food to order. Quesadillas, chicken strips, and other.Finger foods. I didn’t get a chance to see the menu outside of what was provided for the party, but I did see their advertisement for Thursday steak night, so they probably have a full menu. TTT has a resident 8 year old parrot named Baby. She’s a talker and is not fond of women. She’s very entertaining. The inside area is right off the patio. The whole place is open and cozy. They did a great job renovating this place! Whether you want to shoot some pool, hear live music, watch a game, grab food/drinks, or all of the above, TTT is your destination!

Parking: Parking available in the main area, side area, and additional parking in the back.“

“people watching karaoke and tequila“

“The kids and I ate there last night!! It was great!! Food was delicious the service was awesome!! It’s definitely a unique little spot!! Highly recommend!!“

“Great bar. Clean, friendly atmosphere. Krystal did a great karaoke show! And Lindsey was a rock star bartender. I will definitely be back.“

“great place to hang out and have fun, the staff is great too“

“gorgeous staff, amazing guys all around, great place to dive in simply love it“