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    Dean's Downtown

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

    Dean's Downtown Photos

    DEAN'S DOWNTOWN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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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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    12 years ago

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    4 years ago

    I absolutely love this place music always awesome and always clean and fun even the restrooms definitely going to visit again

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    12 years ago

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    Bobby S.

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    6 years ago

    Bartender last night was very rude, second time this has happened in there. Just went Nextdoor instead.

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    10 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Cool fuking spot laid back good drinks my wife & had our 1st date two years ago and it's the same great service

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    4 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Love the vibe of this place and the bartenders are fantastic! A true Houston gem. Cheers!

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Drinks were good. Atmosphere was chill and super appropriate for a Sunday night. Good place to grab a drink a chill. Clean inside.

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    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

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    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

    Read more highlights

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    4.5
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    If going twice in two nights when visiting from L.A. isn't a testament to a great bar, I don't know…read morewhat is. I ate at Norigami Tuesday night and it was great as were the cocktails served up at the nextdoor bar called Hidden Bar. On Tuesday, I tried the Thai Chili Ginger Margarita ($13) and it was great, complete with a hunk of candied ginger which I "gingerly" consumed throughout my drink experience...see what I did there? Next, I had the Three Dots and a Daiquiri ($13) with Rum, Lime, Velvet Falernum, All Spice and Pineapple and it was very similar to one of my favorite tiki drinks, the Three Dots and a Dash, complete with 3 luxardo cherries. To finish, I had the absolutely incredible Golden Laurel ($16) with Gin, Italicus Bergamot, House Greek Botanical Bitters and Sea Salt. It is equally beautiful served with a clear bay leaf and delicious. Last night, I was guided by the friendly bartender to try the Et Tu Banana" ($15) with Banana Bourbon, Spiced Pear, Creme de Banane, Campari and Citric Acid. I was a little worried about the cocktail being overly banana-y but it wasn't at all. It was a fantastic drink. For my last call, he recommended the Left Hand ($13) with Bourbon, Campari, Sweet Vermouth and Chocolate Bitters. Again, fantastic. Both nights, the bartenders and drinks were fantastic. Ambiance is nice with moody lighting. They even have a bidet toilet seat in the bathroom! Hidden Bar is a "hidden" gem, for sure. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

    Stopped by The Hidden Bar for drinks and let me just say... the ambiance is EVERYTHING the…read moreaesthetic is super cute, very picture-worthy, and definitely gives that "night out with the girls" vibe. They even have a selfie ring light on the wall, which is such a fun touch for pictures (because if you didn't take pics, did you even go??) Now--fair warning--we went on a Friday night and it was PACKED. We were lucky enough to find seats, but it was so crowded we could barely talk without yelling, and we were basically shoulder-to-shoulder with the people around us Other than that, it's a really nice spot to grab drinks, hang out with friends, and get some cute content. Would I go again? Yes... just maybe not on a Friday night

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    Love the decor!
    Love the decor!
    Hidden Bar
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    Jethro’s Cocktail Lounge

    Jethro’s Cocktail Lounge

    4.7
    (123 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    Free parking
    Happy hour specials

    We stopped into Jethro's Cocktail Lounge while we were out at the Vintage Community Market hosted…read moreby Faculty Club Never, and it ended up being one of those places you're so glad you randomly walked into. First, the vibe. It is warm, stylish, and very Montrose in the best way. It feels elevated but still relaxed enough to just sit, talk, and enjoy your time without feeling rushed. We came during happy hour and it was such a great deal. I ordered the Sweet Like Peach Tree, which was light, refreshing, and perfectly balanced with the peach and ginger. My husband got the Frozen Paloma and it was just as good, super smooth with the right citrus bite. We also shared the churros and they were honestly a must order. Warm, crispy, and paired with Nutella and caramel. What really made the experience stand out though was our bartender, Manny. He was incredibly welcoming from the moment we sat down, had such a great personality, and made the whole experience feel personal. You can tell he genuinely enjoys what he does, and that kind of service is hard to find. He also told us about their upcoming two year anniversary party on May 3rd with rotating live DJs, which sounds like it will be such a fun time. We will definitely be back. Between the drinks, the atmosphere, and the service, this place really gets it right.

    On my weekly walks through midtown, I got to watch Jethro's be built and come to life. First visit…read morewas a big HIT for me and I love finding time to come back. The vibes are immaculate! It's a little small inside and a small parking lot, but if you're lucky and can walk there, do! The quality of the drinks are really excellent and the burgers have been voted some of the best in town! I can't speak for them, but the drinks and the spot, are phenomenal. They have bingo nights, dj nights, and other themed events that keep the place packed out. Maybe once I try the burgers, it'll be 5 stars, but the smallll parking lot and lack of safe street parking keep me at 4.

    Photos
    Cheers to Papa
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    Flor De Cana 12yr Daquiri and Redemption Bourbon Chocolate Old Fashioned

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    Flor De Cana 12yr Daquiri and Redemption Bourbon Chocolate Old Fashioned
    Kanpai Club

    Kanpai Club

    4.5
    (70 reviews)
    3.2 mi

    Had a great time. JJ the bartender was very welcoming and gave me some local recommendations as I…read morewas visiting from out of town. The food was the perfect amount of food for a late night meal and everything was fresh and flavor. I regret I don't remember the name of the drink I had, but it had rum, Ube, spices, and guava.

    After enjoying a late night snack at Handos, we decided to mosey on over to Kampai Club. I had…read moreheard good things for years, and I remember driving past it a couple times and not seeing it or any signage. Even this time the GPS took us to an entrance that had us going the wrong way down a one-way, but we eventually figured it out I will say that the parking isn't all that great, but we were able to find a spot. If the parking lot is full you should be able to find street parking nearby Kanpai Club is a sister location to Handos. They share a kitchen and you can walk through an inside door access either. You can find the same cocktails and bites from Handos on the Kanpai menu, but there's also additional drinks and bites The bar feels like a Japanese Izakaya. It's a narrow space resembling a Japanese outdoor bar. It's intimately lit and well decorated. We did have to wait for two spots to open up, but that didn't take too long The bartenders were friendly, professional, and efficient. We went on a Friday night (fairly late), and they had two dedicated bartenders The cocktails were fun and were beautifully crafted. Most were served in novelty glassware. You can order classic cocktails, but both Kanpai and Hando offer a variety of signature cocktails. Most having some sort of Japanese or Asian fusion. They have beer, wine, and extensive sake list, as well as green tea and other nonalcoholic options The cocktails were tasty. The only one I was iffy on was their Espresso martini. It was poured from a machine and I guess there were having issues with it. The presentation was phenomenal. There was a roasted marshmallow garnish. The drink itself was far too Smokey in flavor than I like, or at least in terms of my espresso martinis The Yuzu Kosho fries were incredible. The flavors really hit the spot. The Okinawa Potato salad was both questionable to looks and and to eat lol. This purple mound of potato's had an interesting taste, look, and consistency. It wasn't bad, just... interesting and new Some tips: If you can't find this spot from the street, look for Handos. It's part of this restaurant Ask the bartender about the happy hour menu. And most nights they're open until 12am, but on Fridays and Saturdays they are open until 2am If you order food online (technically from Hando's) you can get 10% off using code: HANDO10. This is part of their "Hando and Chill" special Cheers!!

    Photos
    Welcome to yam rock
    Welcome to yam rock
    Kanpai Club
    Kanpai Club

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    Permission Whiskey & Service

    Permission Whiskey & Service

    4.3
    (218 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Great bar Met some…read morefriends here after dinner. They were packed and boomin when we arrived. Dj set up right behind us and got the night started right. Even though the place was completely full, the service was still quick and really good. They brought out more chairs to accommodate our growing party and we never had to wait long for drinks. After about an hour, we slid through the back door and into the speakeasy. This portion of the bar was equally impressive and had the same high end vibe. More great service, more great drinks. Some Louis XIII may have been poured- which came with white glove service and a complete history lesson btw lol Literally zero complaints. Just a great night out.

    I had dinner nearby with friends and while walking back to their house, we slipped into Permission…read morefor a sip or two. Somehow I've never been here before, which is crazy, since like all middle aged white guys, I went deep down a Bourbon hoarding rabbit hole for a time. If you're a bourbon guy, they have some excellent bottles! Like I said, it was a brief visit so I'm not going to write y'all a novel, but the interior was dark lit, velvet soaked, and relaxed. The service was tip top, and spent a good amount of time chatting us up on new bottles they just got in, and what has been popular. We settled on a couple pours and had a great visit. I'll certainly be back.

    Photos
    Bar seating
    Bar seating
    Don Julio shot
    Don Julio shot
    Bar area.

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    Bar area.

    Dean's Downtown - lounges - Updated June 2026

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