Just when our egos are in check and our appetites quelled, Houston's food and drink scene gets more recognition — this time, with two of our favorite watering holes earning spots in Southern Living's "highly opinionated" roundup of the South's Best Bars, due out in the February 2013 issue.
West Alabama Ice House is noted as one of the best outdoor bars in the South, and who are we to argue? The bare-bones, open-air spot plays host to a cross section of Montrose denizens, including — but not limited to — bikers, hipsters, arty types, townies and, as Southern Living puts it, "reformed frat boys."
Despite Houston's notorious climate, the ice house offers a basketball court, a slew of happy pups and plentiful cold beer keep everyone happy. Add the nearby tacos and you've got the epitome of perfection.
"Home to some of the first shots of the South's cocktail revolution," the magazine says of Anvil Bar & Refuge, one of its top picks for "killer cocktails." Pliny's Tonic — a concoction of gin, lime, cucumber, mint and habanero — is recommended for a real treat.
Other Texas bars on the list include the John T. Floore Country Store, a weekends-only dance hall in Helotes; Ocho, the bar at Liz Lambert's Hotel Havana, just off the San Antonio Riverwalk; the Foundry in Dallas; and Austin speakeasy Midnight Cowboy, a "seedy massage parlor turned plush Victorian-era lounge."
West Alabama Ice House's picnic tables and dog-friendly atmosphere draw a warm crowd of Montrose denizens. Taki, the resident pup, is pictured here.
