The Most Flavorful Dive Bars in Houston

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!"

Three Sheets Bar & Grill

★★★★★ 4.5 (209) • $

Komodo Pub

★★★★☆ 3.8 (110) • $

"It's a nice dive bar with a chill ambiance, strong drinks, and great customer service. I've been a few times and will return soon."

Sassafras

★★★★☆ 4.4 (60) • $

"Finally made it to Sassafras and it definitely lived up to the hype! What a wonderful neighborhood dive bar, full of friendly locals who would love to chat. Parking in the front may be small but there is a second (connected) lot in the back, follow the signs around the block and you'll come straight to the second lot. Full bar options with excellent homemade sangrias, both red and white. If you're looking for an intimate, casual place to hang out and have a low-key evening with friends, this is the bar for you."

Carlos Beer Garden

★★★★☆ 4.3 (61) • $

"Best Hole in the wall in Houston Area !! They have a burger special until 5 and if I am around the area it is a must stop for the burger. I look forward to being on that side of town to enjoy their burger. They have other food but I have not been able to try it because I like to eat their burger !!"

Paul's Restaurant & Bar

★★★☆☆ 2.8 (122) • $$

"We live just down the street from them, have driven past them almost daily for the last half a year, finally decided to give it a try- planning to be regulars now. Margaritas actually do their job- the cups are iced, they don't cheap out on the pour. We had 2 lb of the Cajun shrimp, and the home made sauce was so delicious."

Angel Share

★★★★★ 4.5 (46)

"What's not to like about this bar? Where else can you go have a drink while supporting local charities. This bar picks four local charities that you may or may not have heard about. With every drink purchase, you receive a ticket and you get to vote for the charity you think could benefit the most from contributions made from part of your purchase. All the charities receive something. What a cool concept! The bar itself is also very cool. It is a large open space with the bar smack dab in the middle. They have seating around it as well as all over. The ceilings are high and just a beautiful space overall. They also have a photo booth off to one side as well as a large shuffle board right when you walk in. Customer service has always been good every time I have been here.The menu is not large and overwhelming. They have a few items in every category such as beer, wine, cocktails and non alcoholic beverages. I've had a little bit of everything and haven't been disappointed in any of my choices yet. I have never partook in any of the food items here, but at a glance, it looks like they got your typical bar foods. Whenever I am in the downtown area and bar hopping, we always end up at Angel Share at some point. The vibes are great and the charity aspect makes it even more appealing. I will be back!"

Velvet Oak Tavern

★★★★☆ 4.4 (37)

"I really enjoy this newish casual bar. With great happy hour and daily specials, great bar food, plus a roomy outdoor patio, this place makes a great stop for the evening.I've been here a couple times now for weekday happy hour and chilling with friends. This place doesn't really get crowded then, which is fine by me. They do offer a limited menu serving up some classic bar food including burgers, wings, nachos, etc. My last visit was on a Wednesday, when they were offering a daily special of six wings for six dollars. I chose the buffalo lemon pepper flavor, and man were they tasty and good sized! I also loved that they offered guava cider on tap, which is not something you find often. The patio is my favorite feature though. There's a covered space with barstools and mostly not covered space available. At night, the glow of string lights illuminate the patio space in a nice pinkish hue. Another feature I love is the TouchTunes jukebox, which one can easily use digitally by downloading the app.Definitely will be returning! They advertise having a dj on the weekend."

Cozy Corner

★★★★☆ 4.2 (39)

"This is definitely a neighborhood spot. It's a relaxed & chill environment. Everyone is friendly and will welcome newbies. Drinks are reasonably priced. Bartenders are friendly. There's Karaoke on the weekends and a pool table to pass the time. Don't forget about playing a friendly game if shuffleboard. Parking: plentiful"

Happy Day Daiquiris

★★★★★ 4.9 (20)

"I was so excited to see this come into our area. Sometimes you want a good drink at dinner that isn't wine or beer. Now that we are all stuck at home, this was a nice little car ride. The owner is so friendly and nice. That's a big deal to me. You want to help a great owner make it. He is so knowledgeable about his product and will let you try what you want. They have a lot of choices and you can even add flavors to your drink to make it a little different.His prices are not bad and cheaper then any concert around. I have a photo of his choices, flavors and prices to show. I really hope they do well and stay here. It's a great place!!"

Sammie J's

★★★★☆ 3.9 (23)

"Excellent service Quiet dive bar My dude and I went and it did not disappoint Excellent food specials Chicken and dumplings are great Get a sandwich and salad included They also sell banana bread and other sweets for $5 each FYI the area isn't sketchy I've grown up in Inwood my whole life I guess those folks are from river oaks Will be back"

West Wind Club

★★★★☆ 3.5 (8)

"My one and only visit was back in 2015 - on a Thursday eve. When we entered the parking lot I first assumed this is a spot for adult entertainment (kindly take a look at photo attached), but the interior creates a nice atmosphere. It's a country bar with an average selection of drinks and a big area for dancing in the center. They also have some pool tables, but that whole area requires some refurbishment. It was very quiet - maybe that spot is better to visit on a weekend."

Brewskis No 2

★★☆☆☆ 2.4 (17)

"It's close to home which is the only reason I go there, it is full of "bros" a lot of the time, but the drinks are made well and the patio is awesome. I love when Potbelly comes and plays! I have many memories here. The juke box is decent and has a pretty good selection. The most irritating issue in the Winter is that on the patio, the heaters don't work. I don't really think the owners are doing anything about that. Hopefully they will soon!"