Where to Drink Now

Where to Drink Now: 11 new Houston bars just right for spring sipping and lounging around

Just like its restaurants, Houston’s bar scene is ever-changing, and the last several months have brought a number of exciting openings all across the city. From small neighborhood dives to polished hotel bars, a new bar exists for just about every taste.

We visited 11 of the hottest places that have opened up in the past six months or so. Surely, even the most seasoned drinker can find a new favorite among this diverse list.

Tongue-Cut Sparrow
Perched discretely above Pastry War, only a small symbol on a door in the rear of the downtown tequila bar gives any indication that Bobby Heugel and Peter Janke’s new project is even there. This intimate, service oriented, 25-seat bar is inspired by the travels of Heugel and Janke, and sets out to create the perfect environment to enjoy exceptionally-made cocktails with thoughtful details like metal straws and complimentary bar snacks. Whether a customer sits near the fireplace or posts up at the bar, sipping on cocktails such as the classic Daiquiri No.4, the Rusty Nail (a twist on the classic that uses three Scotches: Johnnie Walker Black, Glenmoragnie 10 year, and Highland Park 12 year), or the Preakness while a jazz soundtrack plays in the background creates the ideal drinking experience.

Rose Gold
The 86 Hospitality Group recently opened Rose Gold with a craft cocktail menu created by veteran bartenders Ben Baxter and Luis Villegas. Baxter describes the concept as “club meets craft” where patrons will find 24 cocktails on tap and several options that cater to parties for sharing. Popular drinks such as the Smoke on the Bayou, False Idols (mango infused vodka, passion fruit, lemon, and orange), and Main St. Swizzle will win the crowd over while dancing the evening away in this aptly decorated Rose Gold den.

Craft Beer Cellar
Lovers of craft beer will delight in this 5,200-square foot beer haven in downtown with over 800 beers to choose from. Part retail store and part bar, Craft Beer Cellar allows patrons to create their own six-pack, offers 52 taps for beer, and has created an environment that facilitates conversation while drinking select beers and playing games with friends. Whether the preference is to drink a Dragonsmilk (bourbon barrel aged stout) or a Tasty AF (a peanut butter stout that just won the Houston Beer Bracket), craft beers will find plenty of options for Untappd app check-ins. The recent addition of a menu created by the Wokker food truck makes it a lunch and dinner option, too.

Lil Danny Speedo’s Go Fly A Kite Lounge
This Second Ward/East End neighborhood hangout is a bar for everyone with a rotating beer selection at a great price point to match. As the name implies (it was created as a joke amongst the owners to see who could make each other laugh and the name stuck), this bar is literally “whatever you need it to be” and is a welcomed reflection of the diversity of Houston. Owners/friends Roy Mata, Camella Clemments, and Houston bar legend Brad Moore are serving up some of their favorite beers like the Real Ale Gose and selections from nearby 8th Wonder Brewery (it added a full liquor license this week, too). The unassuming environment, knowledgeable staff, and great music played from a well-curated jukebox will lead to inevitable comparisons with Moore's legendary Big Star Bar, but what could be bad about that?

Lilly & Bloom
Mike Gonzalez and Bill Bedner have created a drink menu that is light and refreshing as well as dark and boozy at this Main Street bar that occupies the historic Raphael Building. The name signifies a time during the Prohibition era when establishments displayed a flower in its window to show that it was “special” (meaning there was alcohol). The Helena Knife Fight, a deliciously smoky mezcal cocktail inspired by a time Gonzalez ate six incredibly spicy Carolina Reapers peppers, gin based Lilly’s Rovo, and the lighter vodka based Roborant are three standout cocktails that are sure to leave a lasting memory while reveling in this bar dedicated to days gone by.

Field & Tides
This Heights restaurant is already earning raves for chef Travis Lenig's Southern-inspired cuisine, but the bar led by beverage director Monique Hernandez deserves attention, too. Hernandez has created a menu of drinks that are approachable and classic in an environment that is airy and welcoming. The First Cut (a spin on the classic Manhattan) and the mezcal-based El Vaquero have been favorites among patrons in the short time that this restaurant has been open. Expect to also find a well-selected list of wines and beers to enjoy on the spacious patio.

Bayou & Bottle
Downtown's Four Seasons Hotel recently debuted its swanky new bourbon lounge just in time for Super Bowl LI. Created by celebrity chef Richard Sandoval, Bayou & Bottle features over 100 different types of bourbons and whiskeys, along with 18 whiskey lockers for lease (only four remain), a Top Golf simulator, and weekly complimentary bourbon tastings to highlight the well-crafted menu. The vodka-based 11 Week Ride, the Huntsman (craftily made with Scotch and Rooibos tea smoke), and the Dr Pepper Old Fashioned offer suitably boozy rewards to anyone who visits. Grabbing a seat and enjoying a drink on the patio or sinking into the plush leather couches makes for a fitting reward after a long day at the office.

Biggio’s
Take in the sights of Discovery Green from Houston Astros Hall of Famer Craig Biggio’s new sports bar in downtown's luxurious Marriott Marquis hotel. Proudly boasting the tag of “Not your average sports bar,” Biggio’s proves that everything really is bigger in Texas with a larger-than-life bar and enough screens to keep every sports fan happy. The drink menu is a home run with plenty of beer selections and cocktails such as the Galveston Breeze and Root n’ Rye that will make it easier to cheer the home team to victory.

The Edison
As Thomas Edison once said, Tthere’s a way to do it better, find it.” At Edison, that motto inspires the restaurant's goal to create a better place where everyone from business people to hipsters can come together and enjoy a great beverage. With their signature cocktail The Edison and the namesake light bulbs, this bar is a haven that sparks conversations and good times in a warm environment. Chef Michael Sanguinetti has created delicious and creative menu that pairs well with the reasonably priced cocktails.

New Potato
This small, family-friendly bar owned by Paul Redmond offers tons of personality in an unpretentious, no frills environment. Solid cocktails, a pet-friendly patio, and food trucks are part of the appeal at this chill neighborhood hangout. A rotating selection of over 20 beers, an expertly made Old Fashioned, and boozy coffee beverages offer something for everyone to enjoy. Grab a seat at the bar, meet a new friend, and see where the night leads!

McIntyre’s
A little bit of Midtown has made its way to Shady Acres in the form of this TV-filled sports bar. A seat on their popular swings will make the experience more fun while hanging with friends and drinking one of their many beers or cocktails on tap. Drinks like the One Time At Band Camp (tequila, blood orange liqueur) or the Hot Eff The Press (cucumber vodka, Licor 43) ensure fun times will be had while kicking it here.

Downtown's new hotel hotspot is at the newly redesigned Four Seasons.

Photo by Eric Sandler

Downtown's new hotel hotspot is at the newly redesigned Four Seasons.

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eat real food

Houston DJ-turned-TikTok star cooks up a cult following one recipe at a time

Courtesy of Uncle Dibbz

Uncle Dibbz, a.k.a. A.H. Bowden, has built a devoted following for his viral recipes.

For the past month, Uncle Dibbz has been, shall we say, going ham on social media with the myriad videos of alternative Thanksgiving dishes. He’s dropped how-to clips for such recipes as Cajun-roasted turkey, honey-baked ham/hens, oven-bag turkey, and six-piece fried turkey (to go). Basically, if you don’t want to cook a bland ol’ Butterball this Turkey Day, Dibbz has you covered.

Who is Dibbz, you say? Well, he’s a North Jersey-born, Georgia-bred, Houston-based chef who’s been building quite the foodie rep online. Several videos across his TikTok, Instagram and YouTube pages, from his Cajun-boiled fried chicken (2 million on IG) to his “Propose to Me Pasta” (12.3 million on TikTok), has amassed millions of views. But Dibbz (government name: A.H. Bowden) wasn’t always a culinary content creator. He used to spin music back in Atlanta as DJ DiBiase, named after retired wrestler Ted “The Million Dollar Man” DiBiase. “DiBiase is a mouthful to say, so people just always call me ‘D’ or ‘Dibbz’ for short,” says Bowden, 37, during a Zoom interview.

@uncledibbz PROPOSE To Me PASTA 💍 🍝 Trust your Uncle! This SEAFOOD Pasta will seal the deal 👌🏽 Get my recipe below ⬇️ or on uncledibbz.com [@uncledibbz Link in Bio] 🌐 **Ingredients:** - 8 ounces spaghetti - 1 lb mixed seafood (shrimp, scallops, crab meat, etc.) - 2 tablespoons olive oil - Fresh chopped basil - 2 cloves garlic, minced - 1/2 cup white wine - 1/4 cup heavy cream - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - Salt and pepper to taste - Uncle Dibbz Delta Dust [link in bio] - Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish) - Grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish) **Instructions:** 1. Cook the spaghetti pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside. 2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, chopped basil and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant. 3. Add the mixed seafood to the skillet. Season with Uncle Dibbz Delta Dust to taste and cook for 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Remove the seafood from the skillet and set aside. 4. Pour in the white wine to the skillet and let it simmer for 2 minutes, allowing the alcohol to cook off. 5. Stir in the heavy cream, butter, Uncle Dibbz Delta Dust seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. 6. Add the cooked spaghetti and cooked mixed seafood to the skillet. Toss everything together until well coated with the sauce. 7. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese. 8. Serve hot and enjoy the flavorful Seafood Spaghetti. That's good Shawty! #UncleDibbz #ThatsGoodShawty #Pasta #marryme #proposal #bride #wife #husband #relationshipgoals #datenight #easyrecipe #seafood #cajun #cooking #fyp #foryou #viral #houston ♬ original sound - Uncle Dibbz 🍴

He was making a nice living as a DJ, even serving as rapper Big K.R.I.T.’s touring DJ for a while. But when the pandemic hit, the gigs obviously dried up.

“I was living in Miami at the time,” he says. “And, you know, when you have a lot of time on your hands to think – but also need to figure out a way to, you know, sustain an income and everything like that – the ideas start coming,”

Like most DJs at that time, he was doing live mixes on Instagram. But his days throwing cookout parties in Atlanta inspired him to start doing his cooking videos, where he used his very own seasoning. Of course, he had a lemon pepper blend, which he used in a lemon pepper hot wings video that currently has over a half-million views on TikTok.

“I'm about to go live to DJ later that night, and my phone was just going off with orders,” he recalls. “So I'm like, where are these orders coming from? And it's not from my friends. I'm seeing the cities and the states. I don't know these people.”

Thanks to his videos, which usually end with him saying his signature line “That’s good shawty!” (that’s also the name of his cookbook he released last year), Dibbz went into the seasoning business full time. He eventually hired another person to help send out the piles of orders he was receiving.

He even got an order from former Dallas Cowboy Emmitt Smith, one of his favorite athletes. “I remember doing a book report on him when I was in fourth grade,” he boasts.

Although Dibbz has a flair for making meals that border on decadent, he’s an ardent practitioner of cooking with natural ingredients, especially in his seasoning. He has several low-sodium seasoning, including Bebe’s Salt Free – named after his mother, who had open-heart surgery a few weeks before the pandemic started.

“I don't think a lot of people understand the amount of toxins and chemicals that go into a lot of these seasonings,” he says. “You're starting to see it in the news now. A lot of the foods with certain dyes are being taken off the shelves and things like that.’

Soon, Dibbz moved himself and his new business to Houston, a favorite place to perform as well as a town whose hip-hop got him into music. He cites local chopped-and-screwed gods DJ Screw, Michael 5000 Watts, and OG Ron C as his holy trinity of influences. To give props to the music of his new home, he created a hot sauce – called HXT Sauce – whose uncharacteristically large bottle resembles Promethazine cough syrup (aka the key ingredient in lean, the preferred purple cocktail for the city’s rap community).

“It's not necessarily about promoting that usage,” he says. “But, at the same time, it’s just a homage to one of the factors and influences of screwed-and-chopped music.”

Dibbz still indulges in spinning records from time to time. The Waxaholics’ DJ Big Reeks has gotten him to break out the vinyl a few times during his Thursday-night sets at Alley Kat Bar & Lounge in Midtown. But creating new recipes, dropping delicious content and proving you can eat and live in a hearty, healthy fashion still remains his full-time mission.

“I’m not just talking about eating cauliflower rice all day and every day, but just eat real food,” he says. “We're eating fake food. That's the bottom line. We're eating fake food and my whole purpose is to inspire people to eat real food and that starts with real ingredients, real herbs, you know – real natural seasonings.”

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