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    Dean's Downtown

    4.1 (158 reviews)
    Open 5:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    Dean's Downtown Photos

    DEAN'S DOWNTOWN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Dean's Downtown

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    Dean of admissions
    Fox E.

    I have run into a few Deans downtown, such as Dean Martin, Richard Dean Anderson, Dean Cain (that man felt like steel) and the Dean of admissions of the University Of Houston. But this one was new to me. I heard great things about the old Dean's, but the new one didn't really do it for me. I found the drinks to not be that great and Barbi - who is a drink expert - was not feeling them. It's priced like an expensive bar but looks like a cheap bar. I know there are a lot of bars like that now, but if you're going to charge this much for drinks, you better be really good.

    Bar area
    Julia W.

    Stopped by on a booze and boos ghost tour and loved the vibe and history of the bar. You wouldn't know by walking in the rich history behind it all (and the FIRST Electric elevator in Texas). The drinks we received were really good part of a special just for us but the staff were really great.

    Happy Hour Menu
    Jen S.

    Such a fun vibe at this historic downtown bar. They have a great Happy Hour... the Old Fashioned is only $5! And the bar tenders are fun and mix up great drinks! (we loved Chris) The lounge feel and comfy furniture adds to the overall vibe here. It's a smaller bar but still plenty of space to gather with your group of friends. We enjoyed all the drinks we tried but our overall faves were the Old Fashioned and Whiskey Sour. They don't serve food but Franks Pizza a block away will deliver so if you want some munchies with your drinks, just order online and enjoy with your cocktails. We have added this to our ongoing rotation for HH's downtown!

    a crowd of people at a bar
    Monica R.

    Top bar in Houston!!! Super fun , great music , & great drinks ' great vibes ! Super fun place to hang out !

    The drink menu! Their happy hour drinks are $5 any day from 5-8pm
    Melina B.

    This bar was very fun! The drinks were reasonably priced (their happy hour was listed at $5 for most cocktails between 5-8pm) and well made-the best I'd had all evening. The decorations, full screen showing Full House, and music choice was fun and well balanced (not too loud). There was a speed dating event, and the bartenders were doing great keeping the first-timers well stocked with drinks even as they were moving around every few minutes. Will definitely come back on a night without an event listed, and hopefully for the happy hour!

    Outside seating
    Craig W.

    I was telling my wife that I would love to find a lounge! Comfortable chairs and great drinks. This fit the bill! Chill inside with couches and chairs. Excellent liquor choices. Comfortable bar stools which I seem to find rare these days. Even extends outside if you're a smoker or want to people watch.

    Marc M.

    Great environment and excellent staff! Brittannie is the manager and is incredible! It's a downtown bar with a small town feel!

    Keisha F.

    Dean's is a spot I happened upon. The crowd is laid back and chill. The bartender recommended this shot with green tea and Jameson and it was delicious ! Dean's I will be back. It's like a little hideout spot. Check it out..the ambiance is nice!

    Outside patio
    Jessica B.

    First time in Houston, and got recommended this bar a lot. Eventually came around to going one evening (around 5PM) and only had a few folks in, and one bartender who greeted us right away. They were playing a good mix of music, and had lots of liquor to choose from, plus outside seating areas. Our bartender Joy, was the literal definition of her name. She was awesome to converse with, always checked in, and even made us an off menu drink that we had found at another bar. Leaving that place, I knew I had to leave a review just to make sure she got her shout out! We ended up going back there later that night and it was extremely busy, had a DJ, and a lot more bartenders. Definitely recommend when in the downtown area!

    the neon sign for dean's
    Casual D.

    Me and my wife came here for 2 days in a row! There was a bartender who was also djing on turntables while also making drinks at the same time on Sunday and that was just so cool!. The drinks were awesome highly recommend the old fashioned and whatever that is, our bartender Britney was very helpful in helping us choose the perfect drink for the night, we had so much fun we came back Monday and only planned on staying a short while but we noticed the same dj was now playing from a table! And there was 2 chefs outside with bbq plates that were too good to have time to get a proper picture.The atmosphere was energetic and felt like we were at a close friends place in short we ended up staying till close and even invited more friends to join us! We highly recommend this bar!

    Inside

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    7 years ago

    This place is just awesome. Drinks are great. Music is phenomenal! Yes

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    9 years ago

    Here for my friend event "Kicks and Cocktails " ordered a Hennessy and lemonade and it's great here!!!

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    9 years ago

    Best old fashioned in town. I'm sure they do other things just as good, but this is the best.

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    8 years ago

    Had the great Otis elevator. Nice ambience and s good selection of beers and cocktails.

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    12 years ago

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    12 years ago

    Great bar, one of my favorites in the downtown Houston scene. Everyone, including the staff, are amazing. Good for a chill time.

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    9 years ago

    Great drinks, they have fun games you can play, and they provide complementary snacks during happy hour. Love this place!

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    11 years ago

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    10 years ago

    The best oldfashion in the area! Very busy on Saturday nights, great atmosphere. Lovely place, will be back!

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    11 years ago

    Great place! Great music! A definite must stop in downtown! Ask for Joe!!!

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    Page 4 of 4

    Dean's Downtown Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Dean's Downtown

    How busy is it Saturdays around 7? I'm looking at this bar to pregame before birthday+dinner and show at Prohibition.

    Normally we’re not that busy at 7 o’clock on a Saturday. You should be good.

    What would be a good time to get here, say on Fridays to make sure I get good seating on the inside?

    Honestly; just go during happy hour and there's usually seating and sometimes busy from 3-7. If you don't want that, they're usually packed by 9ish so I would say 8/8:30

    View All 5 Questions

    Review Highlights - Dean's Downtown

    It used to be a department store and I believe it was the first place in Texas to have an electric elevator.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Z on 23 Rooftop - Golden hour cocktails with a view, 23 floors above downtown Houston.

    Z on 23 Rooftop

    3.5(290 reviews)
    0.3 miDowntown
    $$

    Lovely place, nice view, good food and good music…read more Always on point each time visited I enjoyed my food. Will definitely come back

    Extremely disrespectful and aggressive staff, with clueless security…read more My friends and I came to celebrate a birthday. From the moment we arrived, one employee was unnecessarily rude and confrontational toward my friend while checking IDs by saying "are you going to show me your ID or not?!" Later, she grabbed my friend by the arm and made comments like, " Are you ok? Are you sure? Yeah, because I don't play that." When we were leaving, the same employee confronted my friend again simply because my friend looked at her. My friend tried to walk away and get into the elevator, but the employee followed her inside and cornered her. Instead of removing the employee or de-escalating, security blocked the rest of us from entering the elevator while our friend was being confronted. The employee tried to claim that my friend was "trespassing" which made no sense because we were all leaving. We repeatedly explained that we were only trying to get our friend out of the situation, but security did nothing to help. The employee continued following my friend even after she left the elevator. Like I said, disrespectful, aggressive staff and security that seemed completely clueless about how to handle the situation.

    Photos
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    Light bites, cocktails, and good company above the city.

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    Cocktails in the making at Z on 23.

    Z on 23 Rooftop - Golden hour from Houston's highest open-air rooftop bar.

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    Hidden Bar - More mini cranes!

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    4.6(63 reviews)
    4.4 miWest University

    Now THIS is a speakeasy. I had no idea that I was going to get this experience when coming to…read moreHouston, but I couldn't be happier. The origami ceiling, lively bar, friendly staff, unique cocktails, fun bathroom, and photo booth in the corner made for an unforgettable experience. My friend said it was the busiest he had ever seen the place, and it was loud. But we got some awesome drinks that I swore I could've taken pics of -- the lighting was a little crazy, so I think I ultimately changed my mind with that. One was the periscope which was a refreshing and summery gin drink... And I think I tried the naked and famous too because I like mezcal. I had already eaten so I skipped the restaurant the speakeasy's connected to, but I cannot wait to return to Houston outside of a Con so I can really go all out on exploring. It was an amazing way to end my first night!

    Super cute speakeasy hidden inside a sushi restaurant. We went on a weekday evening and had no…read moretrouble getting a table. I ordered the Side to the Sun Rises (gin, yuzu, mint, cucumber) which was light, refreshing, and well balanced. I would recommend it if you enjoy gin-based cocktails with a slightly fruity flavor. My friends really enjoyed their drinks as well. They have all day happy hour on Sundays/Mondays. We did not get a chance to try the food, but the menu looked great. Overall, a fun spot with great vibes and definitely worth checking out!

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    Hidden Bar - Love the decor!

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    Dean's Downtown - lounges - Updated September 2026

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