Henke & Pillot

A dated events venue in downtown Houston that used to have much better service than what I've experienced lately. This place could use a refresher in furniture and hospitality, it has so much potential.

The food is hot and pretty good, had the fried shrimp with French fries, the service started off friendly and great but as they got busy the attention lessened. The Ambiance is a smooth, fun vibe. Super enjoyed the poetry night featured by Se7en.

Henke & Pilot Poetry Lounge is a must-visit spot for poetry enthusiasts! After hearing so much about it, I finally decided to attend the 7pm show and boy, was I blown away. The poets were incredibly talented and their performances left me in awe. Although I had to leave after the intermission, the first half was absolutely amazing. I'm already planning my next visit because this place exceeded my expectations. The food and drinks were delightful, adding to the overall experience. The energy of the crowd was infectious, creating a vibrant atmosphere. If you're looking for an unforgettable night of poetry, good food, and great vibes, Henke & Pilot Poetry Lounge is the perfect choice!

Came for Poetry Sunday! What a wonderful event I must say. I can't say enough kind things about the event. I do have a few things that could be better about the establishment though. The downstairs bathrooms are so nasty and smelly. It was too stuffy, I had to hold my nose while in there. Also when walking up the stairs, the place has a smell too it, it reminds me of toilet water or trash. Honestly, these bars can do a better job with maintaining their establishments.

Never ever will I spend my money in the establishment. We arrived with a reservation for a 40th birthday for a friend d from out of town. Once I heard she wanted it here I was Leary because I had a horrible experience here prior to Covid. We were seated and there was a couple kissing all over one another in/on our reserved section. Wow!!! They made them over to the next section were continued the to kids and touch ALL over one another in a "reserved section". I then never received service for now over 40 mins. All I can say is as a Yelp Elite member this is my second time having bad service here so I yelped this time. I'm more disappointed that my friend had a birthday so we are planning to leave. Cons: poor management and customer service with staff smoking hookahs with no service and not busy. One hour and a half later still no bottle service.

I stumbled at this place on the way back home from spending all evening watching Christmas lights and discovery green on 25 th December 2025...as expected there were not too many people over there coz it was Sunday after 10 pm on Christmas night...I see few people dancing...there was this salsa bachata teacher and few students...he had just finished the class as I got inside...so I went to the bar and ordered me a drink and was chatting with people, I ask this girl for dance( Eli) she was an anpiring dancer .I find this place pretty weird coz this intructor came to us and started asking for money coz we are in his dance social.....I was like no...it's dead I would rather leave..we came here to have a drink and may be dance...not for your class...but he keep insisting about it's the rule...and I was like dude whatever..have this and leve me alone...i had a long day...but the point is why this beautiful establishment would allow to nickle and dime there customers and the drinks were not cheap...but very competitive ...I was disappointed a little bit ...I wish the management will fix this...thank you

I went here for a poetry event hosted by "The Poetry Lounge". I'm new to it but it did not disappoint. The event was amazing!!! And they offered a free drink with the purchase of your admission ticket and it's every Sunday at this location. We enter and of course we waited until we got there to eat since food was available. But much to our disappointment, the food was terribly over priced. $17 for 6 wings and fries were an additional cost. Needless to say, I didn't complete my order and I was no longer wondering why with so many people inside why so few people were ordering. It did look really good, though. But there is no way I would ever bring myself to pay $17 for 6 wings alone. It was already a stretch when I thought I thought it included fries. But, anyways, the event was amazing. Just eat first. Drinks were good, service was good. I wonder if the owners of the facility realized that they would have had more orders if they simply even included the fries.

Cool atmosphere, love the vibe and the beautiful bar upstairs. I go to dance class here and the venue is eclectic and very nice.

BIRTHDAY SHENANIGANS AND POETIC JUSTICE!!! Wow! I had an amazingly wonderful and poetic time at the poetry lounge, hosted by well-known poet Se7en, as I recently celebrated my 48th birthday with my husband and our four adult children! First, the ambiance and atmosphere is a very chill and relaxing environment. Upon arrival, each guest was issued a card for one complimentary drink to redeem at the bar. The staff members were well organized, fast, and friendly while directing and welcoming the guests. The doors opened an hour before the show started, and all guests were allowed to hangout on the first floor at the bar or either in the lounging area. There's plenty of space for everyone to move around freely without bumping into one another, and there's also plenty of available sofas, and high-top tables sporadically furnished in various areas of the room. Secondly, as for the drinks, my daughter and I, traded in our complimentary drink cards for a Lemon Drop Martini with olives. My husband and our sons traded theirs for a Kentucky Mule. We all equally enjoyed our drinks very much and ended up ordering and paying for a second round. The bartender was nice and friendly but a bit on the quiet side. There was a tip jar sitting on the bar and we tipped her for her services. By the way, guests were encouraged to order food on the first floor while waiting for the show to start. Furthermore, when it was time for the poetry show to begin, everyone was directed to start moving upstairs to enjoy the show. My family and I quickly found seats near the stage so that we could have a great view of the host and the poets. There's a bar on the second floor as well, where guests can continue ordering drinks and food while enjoying the show. However, the service was extremely slow when ordering food, which made us regret not putting our order in while we were downstairs waiting for the show to start. My husband ordered an 18 piece of fried wings and a side of French fries. The food was served piping hot and was absolutely delicious and flavorful which compensated for the long wait. It was well-worth the wait. My family and I enjoyed the food immensely! Moreover, the show was very entertaining and exciting as each poet and performer showcased their writing skills by sharing their self-written poems or songs with the audience. Not only were they awesomely skilled in writing, but also funny, which kept the audience entertained and engaged. It was almost like being at a comedy show, lol. Some poets were more seasoned than others which was evident in each one of their pieces that were performed. Nevertheless, they were all great, and not to mention, very brave. It's a scary thing to get up and perform in front of a room full of strangers, so kudos to all of the poets and singers that took to the stage. They are truly a team of skilled writers. I cannot recall the stage name of my fav artist of the early show, but I posted videos of him of him performing two of his pieces, entitled, "Sovereign" and "God Body." Overall, I enjoyed the show and the entire set-up of this establishment! I will be returning in the near future. Hats off to the host/poet, Se7en who was also very entertaining and hilarious. I highly recommend this establishment for anyone who is a writer or for anyone who just enjoys great poetry! All shows are hosted on Sundays only. There's an early show from 2pm to 4pm, and a late show from 7pm to 10pm. Early Bird tickets can be pre-purchased on their website, poetryloungelive.com for $10, or at the door for $20. However, if you wait too long to purchase the early bird tickets online for $10, the price will then bump up to $13. Tax and fees are included which can quickly add up, so I encourage anyone that's interested in giving them a try, to purchase your tickets online as early as possible. We purchased our tickets online a week in advance and were charged the Early Bird special of $10 which is not bad at all. Because of great service, friendly staff, a relaxing environment, great entertainment, and delicious food, I gave this establishment five stars.

Food was okay. We went to the comedy show upstairs and upwelling the "VIP" for $146 was crazy. For context, VIP are a bunch on mismatch, battered couches in horrible condition and cigarette holes in them with a tables that are terribly chipped, shaky and resemble something that bed bugs would reside on. Oh and it comes with a champagne bottle for 6 that is actually a $12 bottle from Trader Joe's. You also get to park yourself for $10 or $20 valet.