happy fifth of may!

16 Houston hot spots to stir up a memorable Cinco de Mayo

Sip cocktails and cheer on Chef Evelyn at the Original Ninfa's.

On May 5, 1862, the Mexican army won a crucial victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. While May 5 is not Mexican Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo has become a beloved, time-honored celebration in the U.S.

Here in Houston, fans can pack local bars, clubs, and restaurants to nosh on Mexican fare and enjoy choice sips. One venue will host a shopping extravaganza, while Ninfa's will showcase our current Top Chef contestant. And a big party on Washington Avenue will even include ... ponies.

Party safely; here are some best bets for Cinco de Mayo.

a'Bouzy will have its annual "Cinco de Clicquot" event. Enjoy bubbles from Veuve Clicquot, paired with Mexican-inspired dishes (yellow corn quesadillas, Mexican beef kabobs, spicy shrimp tostadas), all day long. 11 am.

East End Backyard will have a day-long fiesta, with drink specials and La Esquina Mexican Food Truck serving up tacos, tortas, gorditas, quesadillas and more. A Cinco de Mayo vendor market will be on site. 11 am.

Live Oak Bar & Grill will offer margaritas for $6 all day, with the choice of classic lime or a seasonal flavor. Chicken and steak tacos with corn or flour tortillas, cilantro, onions and green or red salsa will be available for $2. 11 am.

Monkey's Tail will celebrate with frozen mangonadas, a Modelito Marg (large frozen Tommy’s with chamoy, Tajin and a mini Modelo sunk in), and their new draft ranch water. Food specials will include an outdoor burrito and taco stand. 11 am.

Revelry on Richmond is offering a half-pound fajita special of chicken or beef for $16. The special comes with rice and beans. A $5 house margarita special will be available, starting at 4 pm. 11 am.

SpindleTap Brewery will be celebrating with $4 draft pours of Calavera Lager all day. Texzas will be cooking up some delicious smoked steak tacos, pulled pork tacos, BBQ quesadillas, chips & queso and Calavera Lager borracho beans. 11 am.

Over on Washington Ave., the 6th Annual Cinco de Mile Block Party will be popping off. Fuego's Saloon, Lincoln Bar, Kung Fu Saloon, The Sporting Club and others will be taking part in the festivities, which will include — we kid you not — live ponies! Noon.

Space Cowboy will host a Cinco de Mayo party on Thursday, May 5 with lucha libre, a traditional mariachi band, and a concert celebrating the legacy of Selena. The food menu will have specials on birria tacos, elote, and churros for dessert. Noon.

Candente will have a happy hour with $6 margaritas, palomas, frozens, & classics. Then, a nine-piece mariachi band, The UH Mariachi Pumas, will entertain guests. Enjoy complimentary paletas by La Brisa Ice Cream and capture the fun at their selfie photo booth. 3 pm.

Fabian's Latin Flavors will throw a downtown block party. There will be a plethora of activities: a mariachi show, pinata-bashing, live DJs, Mexican candy all over the place. There will even be -- we kid you not -- a live donkey! 5 pm.

Traveler's Table will have a special, Mexican carne asada with tequila-marinated skirt steak, Mexican rice, nopales salsa, pork-refried beans, and chicharron for $30. There will also be "Vaya Con Margaritas" – a margarita flight for $25. 11 am. 5 pm.

Historic Market Square Houston will be celebrating with the world's largest dog piñata (named Chiquito), free prizes and a mini-market. The Boys in the Barrio, Houston's favorite lowrider crew, to show off their wheels along Preston. 5:30 pm.

The Original Ninfa's will celebrate the day by having a Top Chef watch party. Cheer on hometown contestant Chef Evelyn Garcia, with the help of a fresh and vibrant Piña-mezcalita created by bar director Angel Belman. 6 pm.

Simone on Sunset will have a Cinco de Mayo fiesta and art market, where you can find beautiful, bespoke goods hand-crafted by local, Latinx artists and vendors. Houston-area vocalist and performer John Ryan Del Bosque will provide musica en vivo for the patio. 6 pm.

Eureka Heights Brew Co. will use the day to kick off the release of its new, seasonal Kolsch with salt and lime, called Un Poquito Mas. There will also be back-to-back Loteria games hosted by Eureka's own Joaquin the bingo king. 7 pm.

The Fashion Time Machine will be throwing a fiesta in its shop. Shop for vintage clothing, accessories, etc, while The Ghost Party and Sergio Trevino provides the live music. Of course, free beer & drinks will be served. 8 pm.

nightlife holidays

Movie Review

Anne Hathaway's busy 2026 continues with meta-thriller Verity

Photo by Alisha Wetherill

Anne Hathaway in Verity.

Anne Hathaway has been inescapable for movie fans in 2026, starring in no fewer than five different movies across multiple genres, including Mother Mary, The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Odyssey, and The End of Oak Street. The actor (who’s pregnant and about to take a well-earned break) is wrapping up her supremely busy year with the psychological thriller, Verity.

Hathaway plays the title character, Verity Crawford, a hugely successful author who writes beach read thrillers, often from the perspective of the villain. An unpublicized car accident renders her immobile and mute, and her husband, Jeremy (Josh Hartnett), and agents make the decision to recruit someone to ghostwrite her next book in order to continue her legacy.

The person hired for the job is Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), an aspiring author whose books mostly get ignored. She’s eager to take on the project, but the reality of Verity’s situation throws her for a loop. When she discovers a secret file that seems to be Verity admitting to some very bad things, Lowen starts to spin even more, imagining situations that may not actually be happening.

Directed by Michael Showalter and adapted by Nick Antosca from the book by Colleen Hoover, the film initially has a nice rhythm to it, setting up the three main characters well and building up tension. Though current day Verity can’t speak or move, the film gets to the heart of her through old interviews Lowen watches to get to know her mind better. Using that footage and other small moments at the house, a type of rivalry develops between the two characters.

Strangely, though, Showalter and Antosca fail to capitalize on the early momentum. The story stagnates about halfway through the movie and never delivers on what it seems to be promising. Whether they’re too true to Hoover’s original story or change things too much is difficult to tell for those who haven’t read the book, but either way, the result is a big tease with not much in the way of a payoff.

What’s most disappointing about the film is its inability to decide on a tone. There are some points where it feels like over-the-top, campy fun, and others where it seems like the filmmakers are going for a straight-up horror vibe. The down-the-middle approach that they land on serves neither the story nor the characters well. Moments that should be full of suspense or could get laughs often fall flat because of the indecisiveness of the filmmakers.

Due to her character’s affliction, Hathaway is reduced to a supporting role in the film, but she gets by on presence alone and still has a few scenes where she demonstrates her star power. Johnson delivers a good performance despite her typical lack of emotion. Like many of her roles, it’s her body that seems to get more attention than her acting. Hartnett is on a roll thanks to recent roles in Oppenheimer and Trap, and he puts in solid work here, as well.

Verity has the bones of a tense thriller, but it’s filled in with a bunch of questionable story beats that don’t prove as satisfying as the premise. The meta-plot of the authors of thrillers becoming involved in a thriller themselves should have been juicy and full of great twists, but ultimately it’s as catatonic as Verity herself.

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Verity is now playing in theaters.

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Movie Review

Anne Hathaway's busy 2026 continues with meta-thriller Verity