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The Superbowl is coming to Houston, and this event is going to sweep the city. Every corner of every part of Houston will have some event, or some happening going on. Luckily, a lot of the events are concentrated Downtown, but whether you’re a local, or a visitor, you might want to hop over to some of these places to take a break from the madness.
Public Services Wine & Whiskey
202 Travis St Suite 100, Houston, TX 77002 (Downtown)
Public Services Wine & Whiskey is a Downtown spot that you can hang at for some good wine and whiskey. This space has you feeling like you walked into the era of Mad Men, with people dressed to the nines in their suits and cocktail dresses. I’m sure you’ll even see a business man or two strike up a deal. Don’t expect to get a mixed drink here, but if you like to sip on something for a bit, this is the perfect spot to do it.
Under the Volcano
2349 Bissonnet St, Houston, TX 77005 (Rice U.)
Nestled away in Rice Village, Under The Volcano not only squeezes it’s own fresh juices for drinks, and greets you with some badass lady bartenders, but it also hosts a HELLA GOOD Monday steak night that will keep you belly full and your soul happy in a “Dia de los Muertos” themed bar space. Also, since it’s still hot outside in Houston (#ClimateChange), you can cool down with a very good frozen screwdriver, or any number of drinks with their freshly squeezed juices.
Houston Watch Company
913 Franklin St, Houston, TX 77002 (Downtown)
Can you keep a secret?
If you’re a fan of a seriously good Old Fashioned (which I am), or really anything with whiskey, you’ll love this place. In the early days of Houston, Watch Company used to be an ACTUAL watch company, which makes it an incredibly interesting old piece of Houston’s history. The original glass storefront was bricked over sometime in the ’70s, and the building was converted into Bayou Lofts in the ’90’s. Very rarely will you have to wait for a drink, and the bartenders are always nice enough to share about the history of the building. The upstairs has a few close spaces if you want to go with a group, and there’s a huge vault in the women’s restroom. I won’t lie – it’s totally weird but a neat place to check out.
The Velvet Melvin
3303 Richmond Ave, Houston, TX 77098 (Upper Kirby)
The Velvet Melvin is probably the most dive-y place in Houston, but it’s one of my favorite places to go when I just want a clear bar and a good time. There’s an abundance of fake candles, and fake wood, but there’s never more than a few people in the bar, and their specialty is a grouping of 64 oz fish tanks that you can share with friends, or drink alone if you’re brave. They also have a modern jukebox that helps fill the space when things get quiet, pool and darts. BB’s Cafe is across the street if you want some good Cajun food, or you can walk over to El Tiempo for amazing Tex-Mex. All in all, the Velvet Melvin is a true dive.
El Big Bad
419 Travis St, Houston, TX 77002 (Downtown)
Photo courtesy of Houstonia Magazine
If you’re coming to Texas for The Big Game, you have to have a margarita, and you have to drink it at El Big Bad. They have every combination of margarita you can think of, from a sweet strawberry to to a blueberry, jalapeño and cilantro flavored concoction. My favorite is “The Unicorn.” I can’t resist a drink with Champagne in it, and it’s a margarita that comes with an upside down champagne bottle right on the side. Wonderful.
Franks Pizza
417 Travis St, Houston, TX 77002 (Downtown)
After all of your drinking, you’re going to need a greasy slice of pizza (or a whole pie if you can fit it into your Uber). Frank’s makes a great pizza whether you like it with just cheese, or all the way, but the experience is what makes visiting fun. This one is kind of an outlier because you do have to stand in a SUPER long line with a lot of tipsy strangers, but you learn some interesting things about people. You get to take your pizza home in a cute little slice box, and if you’re lucky enough to actually met Frank, you’ll have a perfectly good night.
Cuchara
214 Fairview St, Houston, TX 77006 (Montrose)
Photo courtesy of Cuchara Restaurant
Cuchara is a little slice of Mexico City in our midst. It’s a great place to go for a bite to eat and a mixed drink or two. The restaurant has an incredibly cool and giant mural that you can gawk over while you’re waiting for your bites. It’s also right on the edge of Montrose, so it’s a great place to start your night and hop around.
Kelvin Arms
2424 Dunstan Rd, Houston, TX 77005 (Rice U.)
Kelvin Arms used to be an old bank, and it is on the dive-y side, but it’s totally worth it. The bartenders are always friendly, and they set up a living room inside of the old bank vault – it’s very cool, private and an interesting place to sip and see. Not to mention you’re walking distance from other bars around the Rice area like Mongoose Vs. Cobra, Little Woodrow’s and The Gingerman in case you want to take your party elsewhere.
The Superbowl is a huge attraction for Houston, and we’re ready for it! But sometimes you need to get away from all of the crowds, and these places will do it for ya.
Are there any other places on your list that you like to go to to get away?
2 Responses
We spent a full day of bar-hopping and sampling the fare at each restaurant listed below, and we visited a few staples like Pizza Works and the Cracked Egg Cafe on Big Pine during our visit.