As our sister blog Eating...Our Words does, from time to time Rocks Off will be giving your our picks for the top taverns in various Houston-area neighborhoods. Of course, the lines can be porous, but here anything with a TABC license that cannot reasonably be considered either a restaurant, coffeehouse or live-music venue is fair game.
10. Griff's Houston Got a dollar? Have a Lone Star. Got $6? Take the case, packaging and all. Tucked just out of sight of the Montrose/Westheimer intersection, Griff's offers friendly pours, cold beer and low prices. Steak and pork-chop nights are a weekly thing, and the St. Patty's Day celebration is always a lot of fun.
Once you've had a few drinks and run out of smokes, make your way to the dance floor (if you can even call it that), where all your favorite '90s hip-hop songs are on near-constant rotation. And when the atmosphere and regulars are this down-to-earth, why not bust a move?
3416 Roseland, 713-528-9912, griffshouston.net
Rewind:
Top 10 Bars, Clubs & Ice Houses in Greater Heights
9. Poison Girl If you've never been, Poison Girl is easy to miss. But once you've parked ten blocks away and made it inside, your eyes will be inundated with high ceilings, walls covered in random paraphernalia and pinball machines illuminating the back corners of the bar.
Make your way outside and acquaint yourself with the giant Kool-Aid man and the grimy Cabbage Patch Kid. The drinks are cheap, the people are interesting and diverse, and service is friendly. It's a shotgun-style setup that can (and frequently does) get packed quickly, so service can take a while. Pay cash to avoid the long wait closing out at 2 a.m.
1641 Westheimer, 713-527-9929, Facebook page
8. Catbirds OK, you're probably already rolling your eyes at this list. But be honest: You've been to Catbirds. And while you may have vowed never to visit again, you will, and you know it.
With an intrigue all its own, this Montrose staple is cheap, poorly lit, heavy on the pour and filled with some of the most interesting characters you'll ever meet, most of whom will candidly tell you their entire life's stories. Stop in, grab some popcorn and have a few laughs at all the uncomfortable situations in which you'll inevitably find yourself.
1336 Westheimer, 713-523-8000, catbirds.com
