Texas Wants Beer: Five Places to Drink Beer in Houston

Scott Birdwell, the owner of DeFalco Home Wine & Beer Supplies and longtime leader of the Houston beer-geek scene, names his five favorite beer joints. Here’s his list (in no particular order):

The Stag’s Head Pub

2128 Portsmouth St.

713-533-1199

This is my “local,” a little British pub oasis in Houston. I’ve known the managing owner, Mike Holliday, for more than 30 years, ever since he opened up Rudyard’s on Kipling. Good beer and decent food keep me happy here.

The Ginger Man

5607 Morningside Dr.

713-526-2770

The Village Bar became The Ginger Man in 1985. (It was right next door to my homebrew shop at the time!). Bob Precious led the way in supporting imported and craft brewery draft beers. This is one of the best beer bars in the country.

Flying Saucer

705 Main

713-228-9472

This is a great place for a beer when you’re downtown — it has a vast selection of draft beers. It can be loud, but that’s because it’s so popular (and justifiably so!).

The Petrol Station

985 Wakefield Dr.

713-957-2875

This old gas station actually calls itself a coffee shop. There aren’t that many beers on tap, but the ones they have are very hoppy. This is heaven for hopheads.

Red Lion Pub

2316 S. Shepherd

713-782-3030

The pints are pricey at this quintessential British pub, but they’re Imperial pints — 20 ounces versus the domestic 16-ounce pint. My wife is English and she loves their fish and chips.