Drink Up
Proof of life in Midtown: New rooftop hotspot bar offers dancing, drinks andReef food
Darts, any one?Photo by Darla Guillen
Family and friends at the soft openingPhoto by Darla Guillen
Guests on the Proof patioPhoto by Darla Guillen
If you’re going to brave the elements in Houston, it should be on a rooftop patio with a cold drink in hand and snapper carpaccio nearby.
But if you’re at new Midtown bar Proof Bar + Patio, which opens on Saturday, you better be ready to dance, too. Situated directly over highly regarded seafood eatery Reef, the new lounge will share valet service, parking and, if all goes according to plan, customers with the popular restaurant.
“We won’t do much mixology, it’s going to be more of a guy’s guy bar,” Lowery says.
But the more exciting collaborative effort is the abbreviated menu of specialty bites courtesy of its neighbor. Proof staff will deliver appetizers from Reef’s kitchen to the 4,000-square-foot patio for happy hour patrons. After guests dance themselves hungry again, food trucks will drive up the ramp and onto the patio to serve after-hours customers.
The location isn’t just prime because of its proximity to the seafood staple and easy-access ramp. Surrounded by karaoke spots, craft cocktail bars and the ghost of Barcadia, Proof plans to fill a void in this trendy part of town. Apart from a large dance floor and small arcade and billiard area on the second floor, it will also feature a photo booth, darts and digital jukebox all surrounding a stage.
"There isn’t anything like this around here," spokesman Jason Lowery says. "After you have a drink at [nearby bars], it’s just like, ‘What do we do now?’ "
Aiming Big
The lounge will also host acoustic guitar acts and change up music and performance acts in an attempt to diversify their clientele.
“We want to have the artsy crowd from Montrose as well as the young professionals from downtown,” Lowery says.
“We want to have the artsy crowd from Montrose as well as the young professionals from downtown,” Lowery says.
Attracting an eclectic crowd to the new spot might be tricky with a mostly Top 40 music selection from the weekend DJ and drink offerings that highlight frozen and traditional options. Craft beer and craft cocktails fans might be turned off by the limited selection.
“We won’t do much mixology, it’s going to be more of a guy’s guy bar,” Lowery says.
The décor definitely matches the guy’s guy feel with nail-studded dark wood borders and a contemporary mix of industrial-style pendants, hardly the eclectic ambience that usually attracts a diverse crowd.
Nonetheless, those in the mood for pulsing dance music, a fleet of cocktail-attired people and a nice view of downtown have a new hotspot.
