Random list I had in apple notes and just added things to as they opened / interested me. Linked to their IG pages. If you look at their website you can get a feel for the outside / inside / decor / vibe if the IG page doesn’t show that. I’ll fancy this up now that I’m sharing it but for now…

Know anything else? Email it to me!

GOOF (Garden Oaks / Oak Forest):

Millie’s – good brunch spot on Sat
Cottonwood – indoor / outdoor casual food/drinks w/ live music sometimes
Catty Corner – dive (and I mean dive) bar!
Wakefield Crowbar – dive bar with food and volleyball
Johnnys Gold Brick – dive. Known for tacky Xmas
Plonk – amazing food & wine, has a lot to stuff on HH If you ever go here ask for Scott the owner and tell him I sent ya. He’s the ex Som from Pappas Bros and Kala is the chef.

MKT (Shepherd / I-10):

DeGama – Indian/drinks
Homestead – texmex-y / drinks / brunch

20th St Heights area: (gets really young after dark): mostly walking distance between

Plume – new dressy see & be seen place
Shady Acres – very Austin outdoors-y picnic tables dive w/ bands
Canyon Creek – “Austin” type casual bar / food with patios
Bungalow Heights – kinda blah, tame, easy to talk
Wicklow Heights – busy, young, 90% outdoors
McIntyres – sports bar (young after 8)
Moonshine Deck – sports bar ish- gets more dance-ish after 9
Austin’s Backyard – large, lots of areas with lots of games
Drift – sports bar
Alma Latina – great food, H.H. drinks
Kin Dee – Thai/drinks / date

Heights Proper: many of these walking distance from each other

I Know the Owner 11th / Shepherd see & be seen
Loro 11th / bw Yale & Shepherd old church, unique HH
Trattoria Sofia 11th / bw Yale & Shepherd – restaurant / bar area
Eight Row Flint 11th / Yale casual / patio, good liquor
Heights & Co 14th / Yale casual / patio
Incanto 14th / Yale HH / small hotspot
Savoir 14th / Yale: upscale food/wine, good H.H. valet only, Savoir has Pattons Steakhouse (rsvp) behind it – kind of a speakeasy
Postino 7th / Yale
Better Luck Tomorrow 6th / Yale real casual / patio

Heights-ish / Shepherd-Durham / Washington (ghetto at night):

Lupe Tortilla
Federal Grill
Cyclone Anayas
FM Kitchen – food/dranks/ pickleball
Velvet Taco – unique tacos, good basic ritas.
Betelgeuse – pizza, drinks beer, fun
Killens – awesome food / drinks / not a vibe but yummy

Allan Parkway Heights / ish

Flora – cute South American. Nice drinks, all glass walls on the Bayou  / date
Annabelle Brasserie – new pricey hotspot, cute / date

Down 6th / White Oak: walkable for the most part

EZ’s Liquor Lounge – what it sounds like
Onion Creek – very “Austin” type casual bar / food with patios / brunch w/dogs
Permission Whiskey – dressier, requires RSVP on weekends / date
Christian’s Tailgate – ya know this one (lame)
Public House – small British-ish bar
Karne – Korean Steak house with cool happy hour (I’ve heard)
The Ready Room – small house turned cool happy hour spot. espresso martini HH
Mutiny Wine Room – fancier food / wine / rsvp / date

Studewood side:

1891 Eatery – shit food but bar area is ok (upscale sports ish)
Houston Cider Co – what is sounds like
Fusion Taco Co – chill taco / drink w/ asian influence
Cantina Barba – chill tacos, good drinks. Container tequila shack.
Trash Panda Drinking Club – casual
Sushi by the Heights / date
Mastrantos – Italian / HH / date

Montrose:

Traveler’s Table: great dinner spot w/ both tapas and family portion options
Postino
Bar Boheme – fun drag brunch
Jethro’s: see & be seen
The Chelsea: see & be seen / date
Refuge: 2nd floor $ drinks, RSVP bc it’s tiny / date!
Sophie – new fining $ spot
Rich’s – dance. newly redone
SouthBeach – dance. tons of bar bars near here
Hugo’s – an institution. $ South American valet only / date
PostScript – new all pink / girly hot spot

River Oaks:

Ruggles Black – HTX institution /date
Candente – upscale ritas and TexMex /date

Downtown: of course downtown is a drive from spot to spot place for the most part

La Carafe: oldest (haunted) bar in Houston, tiny but cool to see, cash only /date
Little Dipper: bar bar
Lawless (top of Rice hotel)
Cellar 7: typical downtown restaurant / bar/date

Downtown Dance: Main St between Capitol & Commerce
Cherry, Balinese room, Edison, lots more but all very young, kinda trashy people

MidTown dance: all very young. Unicorn is fun anyway, Wonder is the wild decor spot where we went for onesie night.
Unicorn Disco (dance) & Wonder Bar (wild scenery), 77 Degrees (young), Little Woodrows & other casual spots.

I left off EaDo, Mid Town and Washington Ave happy hours on purpose. Kids, trash, danger lol Dinner spots are cool but you need RSVP and then you’d have to drive for more elegant post dinner stuff to do anyway.