LOCAL Houston | The City Guide December 2016 | Page 28
CLUB•ICE HOUSE•LOUNGE
By Mike Cook
Photography by Daniel Ortiz
THE OWL BAR
hoooo... hoooo... whoo?
We pride ourselves on knowing just about every bar in Houston; it’s not
only a passion but our job, too. So, imagine our delight when our faithful life
companion asks if we have ever been to that owl bar, we respond,
“Whoooo?” and she laughs. All is right in the world. Except, that we hadn’t
actually been to that owl bar ... so without further ado, here is our, and possibly your, primer on The Owl Bar.
Previously nesting on Kirby, The Owl flew just west of the
West Alabama and Shepherd intersection, where it’s now
perched with its huge front porch area right up against the
sidewalk, marked with a classic neon sign, and sports team
flags a flyin’. If you didn’t Uber to get here, The Owl has
parking behind the building, which is certainly an appreciated convenience. Back to that patio: Mark The Owl down
on your list of great patio spots that are also dog-friendly
and adequately prepared for all the good weather days.
Inside, there are lots of, you guessed it, owls, like quite a
lot of them actually. Owl art and owl statues. But not creepy. Just a lot. The
rest of the interior is essentially a substantial L-shaped bar with brick arches,
The Owl Bar | 2221 W. Alabama St. | Houston, TX 77098
713.526.3535 | www.owlbarhouston.com
[email protected]
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seating for plenty and a black and white checkerboard floor, which are
apparently decor carryovers from the old location. It’s nice here, nothing wild
and crazy. Very much a place with nice normal people and a comfortable,
neighborhood feel. Also nice? Free popcorn. And the staff. We found them
to be quite the delight, friendly and happy to converse.
It’s also nice that The Owl seems to embrace both the party
and the chill. Halloween weekend Saturday night had a
DJ, plenty of costumes, lots of selfies, dancing and shots.
Normal non-holiday visits have been solidly chill. Want to
party on a chill night? Start out with the Yeah Baby, a shot
mix of Bacardi orange, orange juice and Red Bull, or one
of the other seasonal specialty shots; check the menu for
the current list and get shootin’. For those more relaxed
nights (the ~340 other nights of the year), have a seasonal
craft cocktail like the Kentucky Mule, with Maker’s Mark
bourbon and ginger beer. A nice fall combo if we do say
so ourselves. Or, enjoy a few of the 12 draft beers, with an
even wider selection available in bottles and cans. Drink what you like, anytime. The Owl just wants you to have a nice time! And now we both know.