Best Hidden Bars in Houston to Visit

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We love a good speakeasy vibe, a tucked-away, dimly-lit watering hole, or an unmarked spot. Can barely find the door? Even better. Here are our picks for a few secret Houston bars that deliver on libations, vibe, and intrigue.

Marfreless

 

2006 Peden Street

Houston, TX 77019

(281) 630-6248

Beyond a nondescript and unmarked blue door lies a quiet spot with a subdued, intimate atmosphere. Marfreless has been serving up hidden romance since 1972, and it has a reputation for being known as “the make-out bar.” Socializing stays professional on the main floor, but we hear the cozy corners upstairs are perfectly suited for a post-cocktail canoodling session.

Last Concert

 

1403 Nance Street

Houston 77002, TX

(713) 226 8563

Houstonians have been knocking on the nondescript red door here since the 1940s. (You know it’s a real secret Houston bar when you do actually have to knock twice and wait for an answer.)  Inside, you’ll find a brightly-colored, funky, and utterly unpretentious mood, homemade Tex-Mex food, a back patio with live music, and of course plenty of margaritas and other tasty libations.

Tongue-Cut Sparrow

310 Main Street

Houston, TX 77002

(enter through The Pastry War)

(713) 321-8242

This 25-seat Houston bar is only accessible by an unmarked door through the back of The Pastry War, a downtown mezcaleria. Here, lounge on leather sofas by the fire and take in the refined ambiance. The experience begins with warm hand towels, continues with perfectly crafted classic cocktails like a Pimms Spritz or French 75, and rounds out with jazz on a vintage sound system. This is a sophisticated, bespoke bar experience worth savoring.

Lei Low

6412 N. Main Street

Houston, TX 77009

(713) 380-2968

Nothing says fun hideaway like a good tiki bar, and at Lei Low, you can, well, literally lay low while sipping a rum-infused cocktail from your tiki mug, coconut, or flaming punch bowl. Soak up the island vibes amidst kitschy Polynesian decor, and wear your Hawaiian shirt if you dare. To find this hidden tropical gem, look for the “Aloha” graffiti outside and neon sign that says “Rum.”

The Cottonmouth Club

108 Main Street

Houston, TX 77002

MR@COTTONMOUTHHOUSTON.COMThis eclectic, warm spot promises “cocktails, badass music, and pleasant conversation.” Word has it, The Cottonmouth Club is the place where managers and bartenders from other bars come when everything else is closed down. But unless you know it’s there, you might miss out on one of the best new bars in Houston. While you’re here, have a pickleback. What’s a pickleback, you say? Well, here they hollow out the end of a pickle, turn it into a little cup for the brine, and serve with a shot of whiskey. You drink the whiskey first, then the brine, and finally bite into the pickle cup. Weird, wonderful, and you’ll probably score major points with the bartender.

Ready Room

2626 White Oak Street

Houston, Texas 77009

(832) 582-5323

Ready Room is one secret Houston bar steeped in history and a throwback to an era of jazz and blues. Each category of the cocktail menu is named for one of Houston’s Wards, and there’s weekly live music. From the outside, it appears as just an unremarkable, small, brick building. If you don’t know it’s there, you may never find it. But step inside, and you enter a swanky spot with chandeliers, marble-topped tables, and vintage decor that harkens back to a bygone era. Order a Jungle Bird (black rum, Campari, Demerara, lime, and pineapple), and let yourself be transported to a dark 1940s bar filled with the sounds of Blue Note jazz.

So when you want to keep your evening of drinking decidedly more down-low, check out any of these hidden Houston gems.