I support

Local

Community

Journalism

Support the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of the Houston Press free.

Best Of Houston^® 2013

Maybe you’ve seen the dozens of national surveys celebrating Houston for its remarkable job growth and its reputation as a hotspot for young professionals, the most diverse city in the United States with the best art and food scene and a skyrocketing quality of life. Heck, maybe you’re one of the legion of transplants expected to make Houston their home in the coming decade. Or maybe you’ve been here all along, quietly enjoying all this expansive city has to offer. Of course, the Houston Press and its readers have known all about Houston’s worth for the past 25 years. And this, our silver anniversary, seems the best time ever to acknowledge the choicest of our city’s restaurants and bars, sports and recreation, shopping and services, and arts and entertainment. In these pages you’ll find everything from the Best Picnic Spot to the Best Junk Store, the Best Spanish Radio Station to the Best Chinese Restaurant. And as we take a look at the Best of Houston®, we’re also highlighting four individuals who came here as outsiders but who now consider Houston their home. The rest of the country is saying Houston has arrived. We’ll say thanks to that, but we’ll have to add: What took you so long?

Best Of Houston^®

Filter

I support

Keep the Houston Press Free.

Best Of Houston® 2013

Best Of Houston®

Arts & Entertainment

Best Band to Leave Houston in the Last Year

Robert Ellis

Best Artistic Renovation

Blaffer Art Museum, University of Houston

Best Reading Series

Inprint

Best Mural

Fruits of the Fifth Ward

Best Ensemble Production

Stephan Koplowitz’s “Natural Acts in Artificial Water”

Best Honky-Tonk

Blanco’s Bar & Grill

Best Tattoo Artist

Dan Martin at Scorpion Studios

Best Ballet

Murmuration by Edwaard Liang/Houston Ballet

Best Band Name

Illegal Wiretaps

Best Blues Club

Shakespeare Pub

Best Dive

D&W Lounge

Best Drink Special

Mo Mong

Best 15 Minutes of Fame

Juan Carlos (Montrose Rollerblade dancer)

Best CD by a Local Musician

DJ Sun, One Hundred

Best Art Show

“James Turrell: The Light Inside”

Best Piano Bar

Howl at the Moon

Best Landmark

Personnage et oiseaux (Figure and Birds)

Best Lighting Design

Robert Eubanks and Nathan Haworth for the Dance Salad Festival, Wortham Theater

Best Neighborhood Bar — Montrose

Cecil's

Best Festival

Houston Art Car Parade

Best Artist

Justin Garcia

Best Place to Relive the '80s

Etro Lounge

Best Hotel Bar

Four Seasons Lobby Lounge

Best Film Festival

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Latin Wave: New Films from Latin America

Best Alternative Venue

The Silo

Best Bar Games

Joystix

Best Jazz Club

Red Cat Jazz Cafe

Best Dancer

Karina Gonzalez, Houston Ballet principal dancer

Best Open-Mike Comedy Night

Rudyard's

Best Jukebox

Rose Garden

Best Place for Cocktails

Anvil Bar & Refuge

Best Curator

Peter Lucas

Best Art Gallery

William Reaves Fine Art

Best Dance Club

Stereo Live

Best Patio

El Pueblito Patio

Best Strip Club

Club Onyx

Best Tiny Art Gallery

The Closet Box: Micro Gallery/ Wonder Emporium, inside Box 13 Artspace

Best Bar

Best Of Houston^® 2013

Best Of Houston^®