Masons and Miles Davis at Bissonnet's Fedora Lounge

Dancers beware: Fedora Lounge (2726 Bissonnet) is no place to cut a rug. Located on the end of a narrow strip center, Fedora has a fire marshal-ordered occupancy of 49 that can occasionally creep to around 60, if you’re counting those on its makeshift patio. What floor space there is either occupied by seating or — well, that’s about it, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Given the decor’s wooden tones, ultra-dim lighting and slick jazz dripping out of the house speakers, one would look silly doing anything other than sitting and drinking, concurs Fedora regular Mike Thomas.

“I’ve been coming here for a while now,” says Thomas. “It’s a very comfortable place to come and relax. The service is good. They know your face, your name and what you want.”

Thomas happens to be a tight-lipped member of the Freemasons, which, if Wikipedia is to be believed, is basically a semisecret grown-up gang. Thursday evenings, you’ll probably see him and several other Masons on Fedora’s patio, smoking cigars and not practicing that secret handshake they don’t have, just a few of the loyal customers Fedora has amassed since its November 2006 opening.

By the way, if you’re thinking, “Wait a minute. Fedora opened way before that — and I thought it was out in Westchase, not on Bissonnet,” you’d be correct. Insufferable, but correct.

Fedora’s Bissonnet location is its second in Houston and the fourth area venue opened by Ciaran Simon. Two Mr. C’s Irish Pubs (10226 Westheimer; 9733 Katy Fwy.) round out his stable.

Interesting tidbit: At the far right of the Bissonnet bar is a large, framed family portrait taken some time ago; the small boy in the picture is a young Simon. Preserving the previous Fedora’s reputation for stellar service, affable bartending duo Kelly and Emalee sling everything from blue-collar beers to white-collar wines for the mostly established, mostly mature crowd.

“We get a bit of everything in here, from the young 21s to older groups coming out to have a glass of wine,” says Kelly. “Seventy percent of the time, it’s going to be very laid-back, very chill and never really overly crowded.”

Even when it does get crowded, though — say, when a pack of young pre-partiers comes in, sliding the age scale more toward 20 than 35 — the relaxed vibe always seems to transcend the lounge’s population, making this an ideal first (or last) evening stop.

Finally, we would be remiss if we forgot to mention one of Fedora’s most impressive features: its very authentic, mid-1900s Chicago-style wooden bar that stretches half the length of the room. Purchased on eBay for about $5,000, it pulls everything together and — combined with the non-stodgy ambience, stiff drinks and enjoyable jazz soundtrack — lends an unexpected amount of character to this strip-center hangout.

Last Call

Let’s be honest: Jazz, like the last level in Super Mario Bros., is freaking complicated. Luckily, Mat Rodriguez, Houston saxophonist supreme and content developer for jazzhouston.com, decided to offer some insight into how to come off as the jazzy cat’s meow even when you don’t know squat:

1. Clap after every solo. A lot of people in Houston don’t do this, so if you’re the first, others will likely join in, and you’re sure to get a nod from the musician. (Getting a nod from a jazz musician is pretty much the equivalent of getting a handshake from Jesus, or so we’ve heard.)

2. Remember, bob your head on counts two and four, not one and three. (Only schmoes and Austinites, neither of whom you want to be associated with, do that.)

3. As the great Miles Davis said, “It’s not the notes you play, it’s the notes you don’t play.” Take a seat up front, don’t say a word and you’ll look like a true aficionado.

Put Mat’s tips to work at these other venues: Red Cat (924 Congress) — Great place for jazz, not so great for dinner. Our waiter was rather unimpressed with our 9 percent gratuity; Sambuca (909 Texas) — Want to be a total tool? Order the “Fish and Chips” plate and then say, “Pfft, this isn’t authentic at all”; 57 West Jazz Café (5757 Westheimer) — Their Network Mixers on Thursday nights are dope. Get there before 9 p.m. if you’re cheap, because it’s free. We’re just sayin’.