The Best Beer Gardens in Houston

Axelrad

★★★★★ 4.5 (1238) • $$

"Axelrad is probably one of favorite beer gardens in the city. It has been around for a minute, but is still a local favorite for many. Usually places open and is the it place to be, and then inevitably it loses it's cool at some point. Not Axelrad. Located in Midtown, it is easy to find. They have a small, free dedicated lot for the establishment, with free street parking nearby as well. On a busy night, parking can be a little bit challenging. They do offer a discount to all those who use every mode of getting here other than your own personal car. I've been here quite a few times and have never had a bad experience with the staff. They are always friendly and gave the best drink suggestions. Do not come here thinking there is alot of inside space because that is not the case here. Axelrad is all about their outside space. In all honestly, the inside has minimal seating and can feel super cramped at peak times. Most of the space takes up the line of people trying to get drinks. The bathroom situation is not ideal but I did see on a recent visit that there were bathrooms outside as well. As far as the outside space, it is one of my favorite patios. The focal point is this beautiful tree smack dab in the middle with cool neon lights on it. Then they have benches, and lots of picnic tables and hammocks all around. On a busy night, you will be hard pressed finding a spot to chill. They also have a upstairs patio with seating as well. There is also a stage that they host live bands at all the time. I love that they change up the genres of music all the time. They also have broadcast games and such as well. They have a really good draft beer selection as well. I can always find something new to try along with some of my faves. They also have a nice variety of bottled and canned items. Don't sleep on their cocktails though. They are quite delicious. As far as food goes, Luigi's Pizza is on the same plot of land. They will allow you to walk in and get pizza to bring into the beer garden. It's really a match made in heaven. More restaurants and bars should team up for ultimate combos like this. They also always have a food truck on site that rotates. I don't know why it took me this long to review somewhere I have been many times, but it seems like the people of Houston agree. This is a great spot. I will definitely be back!"

Moon Tower

★★★★☆ 4 (837) • $$

"Why oh why did I wait so long to visit Moon Tower Inn. It is probably one of the oldest bookmarks I have on Yelp. Well, I finally pulled it from the bottom of that list and paid this place a visit. After a few cocktails nearby, we were looking for something to eat before heading home. Parking is street parking. You order your food and you have your choice of two types of outdoor seating. One under a covered patio type area or a large spacious open air patio. Both have plenty of communal type benches and tables. Customer service was great. The staff know their beers and their meat really well. Ask for suggestions and they will get you something you like. I will say, there is a wait after you order, so pack your patience. The only thing I knew about Moon Tower prior to coming was that they had great tubular meat. What I didn't know was that their selections were wild game that was totally chef'ed up. The offerings vary visit to visit, but they have the things like duck, pheasant, buffalo, pork, etc. So you pick what they call their World Famous Tubesteak and pick from a variety of their toppings. It's not your typical toppings either. It's things like sambal mayo, black pepper catsup or creole mustard for example. I got a rabbit with sambal mayo, fresh onion, feta cheese, fresh jalapeño and cilantro. I'm glad I only got one because this thing was hefty. It came on a pretzel bun that was the perfect vessel for the dog and toppings. The rabbit hot dog was absolutely delicious. It was seasoned to perfection and had that nice snap when I bit into it. It was my creation of flavors and toppings and I gotta say it was perfect. I also foolishly got a Fat Taco w/ beef thinking the hot dog wouldn't fill me up. I forced that upon myself, but it was delicious as well. I washed it all down with a Burlington Raspberry Whale Cake beer, which was a fruity cream ale. Delicious! Burgers are also an option which can be made with chicken or veggies as well. If I lived closer, I would be here atleast once a week. I can't wait to go back!"

Platypus Brewing

★★★★☆ 4.1 (338) • $$

"Excellent all the way around. The beer is absurdly good and the food pairs well. Their pineapple/ jalapeño sour is one of the best beers in Houston. We also tried the sausage roll and meat pie. You cannot go wrong with either option."

Pitch 25 Beer Park

★★★★☆ 3.9 (364) • $$

"Some Yelp friends and I went to Pitch 25 after a YEE to continue the party and watch the Astros game. This place is very spacious. They have a large indoor area as well as a large outdoor area. Because so many people were there to watch the game, both bars were busy, but the bartenders were doing a good job of getting drinks to people. They apparently have 100 beers on tap. I never saw a menu, but it was clear that they have a ton of beer options. I had a Crawford Bock. They also have liquor if you're not in the mood for beer and they do serve bar food too. I took a few bites of some fries and they were pretty good. We ordered food before the game started, so it didn't take too long for it to be brought to the table. We had a table on the patio, but because of the number of people standing around, it was hard to see the screens. It made for a fun atmosphere though. They have arcade games, but no one was playing because everyone was there to watch the game. This is definitely a nice space to hang out with a group of friends. The restrooms were clean, but the lines were long. Parking was limited, but we found street parking not too far away. EaDo has some great bars and Pitch 25 is definitely one of them. We had a lot of fun!"

Kirby Ice House

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (348)

"I've been here a few times over the years. It has always been a solid experience. The bar wrapping around to both sides of the joint is clutch. The service has always been pretty fast, whether it's crowded or not. They always seem to have a different food truck or popup for food. I'm not sure I've ever seen the same crews twice, but that could be because I don't go often, and always on different days. They have a solid daily specials menu. The last time I went was whiskey $5 with premium specials at $7. Not a bad deal. Also, last I heard this place has an age restriction of 23+. I dig a bit of refinement in regards to the clientele (insert golf claps). Their drinks are basically classics. I haven't seen them have creative cocktails, or an amazing beer selection, just a solid sports bar type of menu. This place would accomodate any social or professional gathering where anyone could find something they like to drink, at a reasonable price, and a fair bit of room. My last experience was supporting a military veterans group at MD Anderson. Everyone was happy with the drinks and food. It happened to be steak night, and the steaks were great. Location-wise it is relatively central to most places. Rush hour sucks on 59 (always), but it sucks everywhere. They have a larger parking lot that always seems to be full."

J-Bar-M Barbecue

★★★★☆ 3.8 (237) • $$

"I was surprised I liked almost everything. I got fatty brisket. It was pretty good. The cheddar jalepeno sausage was not too spicy. Loved it. The BBQ sauce is also good... has a balance of sweet and spicy but on the spicier side. The coleslaw was great... the potato salad was a little meh/bland. The brussel sprouts had bacon in them, but I think it's the sauce that it's swimming in that makes it taste good. The refried beans were also good. We also loved the pickles.. they're a little cucumbery still."

1886 Humble Backyard

★★★★☆ 3.6 (83) • $

"My review only takes Sunday mornings into account.We stopped by in chase don't be a good Bloody Mary. Our crew is mixed in Bloody Mary criteria. One likes a good presentation, one can drink them like Kool-Aid, and then there's me -- I show up for the snacks.When we pulled up, we weren't sure we had the right place. There really weren't cars in the parking lot and the building to the left looked like it was from the Hills Have Eyes or something. Still, our desire for munchies made us overcome and reservations - and we went in.We ordered three one for each of us. They did take a little while to come out, but when they did, for a moment the world revolved around those glasses. The drink was great - the food was great -- we could tell that each other was happy simply by eye contact.The wind just blew....that means my arm has been twisted to go back on Sunday."

Bottled Blonde

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (101)

"Super cute spot to hand out with friends!!Around 10 or so, they move the tables out and one of the areas become a dance floor so more people can get in. We arrived around 7 or 8 and by the time we left at 1 a.m. the line was well into the parking lot. Make sure to bring cash for valet. . .its like $20-$30 depending on where you want them to park your vehicle.I also want to shoutout their waitresses! I don't remember the name of the waitress that we had but she recommended a spicy cucumber margarita and it was F I R E!! I've been ordering that same drink everywhere else since I left here! Thanks girl!5/5. . .I highly recommend this place and I can't wait to go back soon."