Had a great time. JJ the bartender was very welcoming and gave me some local recommendations as I was 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. read more

Kanpai Club - Ribeye skewer, shrimp lollipop, mozzarella balls - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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After enjoying a late night snack at Handos, we decided to mosey on over to Kampai Club. I had heard 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!! read more

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Stopped by this place for Friday evening happy hour with friends. Nice presentation on the drinks, the staff was very nice. Got the karaage chicken appertiser and it was pretty good 8 out of 10. Not as crispy as I would prefer, but a nice flavorful sauce was added to the chicken bites. Now for the bad stuff. Although the staff was very nice everybody behind the bar acted like it was their first day there. The bartenders lack of self awareness as to what the customer needed at the bar was disturbing. They weren't rude or anything. Hopefully they'll get it together. I also noticed that they weren't using all of the lighting at the bar so the little small room that the bar is in seemed like you were drinking in a closet. The lights I saw on the pictures is what made me want to come to this place. Oh well. read more

I came to Kanpai Club for a solo Happy Hour and had a wonderful time. I found a seat at the bar and the bartender was very attentive. He made me an Everything's Lychee Keen and a freestyled cocktail with vodka. Both drinks were super delicious and reasonably priced. The decor was super cute inside and I really enjoyed the overall aesthetic of the bar. I highly recommend for a casual place to get a drink and relax. 10/10 experience! read more

Kanpai Club - Everything's Lychee Keen - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I have been thrice, and in ready to talk about it. It's great! Yes, it's small. Yes, it's not in Pearland. Yes, the drinks are fantastic, the staff is really nice and it is centrally located to the greater Houston area, and yes it's best enjoyed with your favorite group of humans. We came in new years eve for some daylight shenanigans before the year passed. We had most of the bar to ourselves, parking was easy, and everything on the menu was good. Seating is a bit tight if it's full, but I've never had a problem the times I've been. read more

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This is a long, dark, cozy bar with a great playlist! The service was phenomenal, the bartenders were very quick, attentive, and willing to help with drink suggestions. The cocktails came out tasting even better than they looked! read more

Kanpai Club - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Reverse Happy Hour for the win! We were looking for somewhere to grab light bites and possibly a cocktail and found Kanpai. Immediately noticed they are tucked away on side of Hando (a restaurant that's been on my list for a while now). I'm excited the late night menu sounds perfect for a late dinner night. When we arrive there's two empty seats in the middle of the bar perfect, they were expecting us...lol! Not really but the last two seats ar the main bar seemed as if they were. We're greeted by the bar tender and the other guest there and handed menus. Loving everything about this place already, speakeasy vibes, aesthetically pleasing and everyone welcoming...yes! We look over the menu, we're really here for the food but couldn't resist a cocktail. One thing about light bites it makes you want to order everything that sounds delicious. We start with a cocktail which is crafted, presented and made well. We order a few light bites to begin then ordered an additional order of our favorites. Definitely a 10/10 for this one. Looking forward to coming back to try the full menu and definitely added to my late night good eats and vibes list! read more

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vibes were amazing , drinks were fantastic, shrimp croquettes with the sauce were really good service was very nice read more

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Tried this cocktail bar around 10:30 PM on a Tuesday night. There is a free parking lot, and you enter through Hando then immediately turn left into Kanpai Club itself. About half of the seats were occupied, but it is a relatively small space, with about 10 stools available. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was lively, and our bartender was helpful. We took advantage of their $7 house cocktail special Sunday-Wednesday 10pm-close and tried the Hando Milk Punch (somewhat sweet), The Quiet Storm (somewhat sweet and refreshing), and The Audacity (Smokey). These drinks were tasty and packed a punch, for only $7 each! Will definitely be back to try more of their creative cocktail recipes, especially at such an amazing price! read more

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Very intimate setting inside of Hando, reminiscent of a traditional izakaya with a fun yet chill atmosphere. Had a few Japanese highballs and cocktails here over the years. I've enjoyed the Japanese Swizzle here. Drinks are well prepared overall, some of the popular cocktails I've seen are the Thai Tea Gin Fizz, the Lychee Keen and Welcome to the Yam rock. Parking can be tough as it's a small lot and may have to look for street parking when it's busy. The seating is first come first serve so during their busier times, it can be tough to find room at the bar. Happy hour and Reverse Happy hour available, small bites menu has some delicious bites, the curry croquette is one of my favorite things to order. Service has always been solid here, bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable. There's another location in Spring Branch I haven't tried but this speakeasy is definitely worth a visit! read more

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Cute tucked away spot. wasn't packed at all during the week day. The food was delicious. The guy behind the bar was great and he knew his whiskies. Cocktails though were a hard miss. This was probably one of the worst places I've had a clarified milk punch. I was so disappointed with it as it was the main reason why I came. I then got the matcha painkiller and it tasted like it was all sugar. I think the craft cocktails here are simply an idea.. they haven't quite perfected the balance that craft cocktails really need. read more

What better way to end the year than with amazing friends having delicious cocktails. My friends and I decided to do a little happy hour action on the last day of the year and still make it home safely before the crazies do their thing. Damn, I sound old! Anyways, we looked for happy hour spots that are walking distance to other similar spots. Kanpai Club came up so off we went. I had the Spring Branch location saved, but just found out about this location here. Parking is a little tight depending on when you come. We came right as they opened and easily parked. I didn't see any signage but quickly found out that Kanpai is a speakeasy of sorts located inside Hando (not to be confused with Jando....IYKYK). Since we were the firsts in, we had the whole bar to choose our seats. That being said, there isn't a whole lotta room in here. Its just the bar and bar seating. Theres a couple of stools off to the side if I remember correctly. It's very narrow and if you're a big guy like me, you'll need to do some squeezing in to get to the end of the bar on a busy day. Kyra was our bartender for the evening and she did an outstanding job from start to finish. She didn't steer me wrong once. First off, the happy hour is pretty legit here. All house cocktails are $7 from Sunday thru Wednesday, 10p-close. My eyes immediately locked eyes on the first drink in that section, the Hando Clarified Milk Punch. I'm a sucker for any clarified milk drinks. There's just something satisfying and quenching with these type of drinks. I love rum so this was right up my alley. Delicious. I wasn't planning on two drinks as we had a few more spots to go to, but I enjoyed the first drink so much I had to have another. I ended up with the Tokyo Layover per Kyra's suggestion. I am not a mezcal guy, but this drink was tasty. It had a hint of smoke but the yuzu and lemon gave it a nice citrusy flavor profile that paired well with the smokiness. Everyone enjoyed their drinks in our party. Overall, a great time was had and this spot was a nice start to our evening. I would definitely come back if in the area! read more

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Liked the ambiance. Drinks were pretty and delicious. Got the lychee martini and ube (yam) cocktail excited to come back. A little bit of a wait.. even on a weekday but it was still worth it read more

Kanpai Club - Lychee martini, ube (yam) cocktail - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

this place has great drinks and bartenders. We had the Welcome to Yam rock with ube and has distinctive purple color and Japanese Swizzle. The Welcome to Yam rock has rum and lots of fruity notes + the starchy slightly fragrant uber flavors. It was so different from anything I have had before and I enjoy it. Bf had the japanese swizzle and loved it too. The space is quite small with limited bar seating. Music can be quite loud, but I do like the hip hop they play. The bartender who served us were spectacular - loved seeing her make the drinks, she was knowledgeble and super attentive. This is not a 5 star for me because I like more quiet and peaceful atmosphere but would recommend for awesome cocktails read more

Kanpai Club - Welcome to Yam rock & Japanese swizzle - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

My coworkers and I went for cocktails on a Saturday evening. The bar area has limited seating and is a small speakeasy. The bartenders were very attentive and served delicious cocktails! They were also planning R&B music in the background which we thoroughly enjoyed! I would return again. read more

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Super chill. . .very low key spot with great drinks and service. Our bartender was great. . .talked us through the menu and taught us a little Japanese in the process. I had the Umeboshi Margarita and it was umm. . .different. The "Japanese Tajin" wasn't something I'd try again but the drink was great. Keep in mind that this small intimate space has about 10-15 bar stools. I felt exclusive and I highly recommed you to visit. I'm sure I'll be back. Also, I forgot to mention that their taste in music is top tier. The hip hop & R & B playlist was on point. Wasn't expecting that. Love it! read more

Kanpai Club - Cheers - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

No cell service makes for a great date spot. LOL but really, theres no service in here. Bar seating only. "speakeasy". Pretty loud music wise (okayyy, grandma) I'd only recommend parties of 2 or 3. This is one of those places I've been to a lot but never remember to take pics. They have a happy hour from 4-6pm and I thiiiiiiink they still do their reverse happy hour at night. Small bites ($5) on this menu as well as $7 house cocktails. i love a menu with squid, highly recommend the geso karaage. I've also done the curry croquettes and the wasabi shumai. Their house cocktails are the same ones offered at Hando, and the "Liquid Swords" portion of the menu are Kanpai Club exclusives. A time I came recently, we had a super knowledgeable bartender, Kira, who ended up talking to us a lot about Japanese whiskeys and beers which is always fun. I love bar-talk. between us we had the lychee keen, little death, welcome to yam rock, matcha highball and an Echigo beer. parkings okay, they've recently added a new lot a few steps down the way. enter in Hando. read more

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Cozy intimate space, well-crafted drinks, and great service. Kanpai club, hidden next to everyone's favorite handroll sushi bar is a great place for happy hour or meeting up friends in a small group. And when I say small - I mean small, I think capacity is less than 20 for the entire space. Think a tiny Japanese izakaya without the outdoor seating. Extensive liquor selection, though some of the rare japanese whisky can get pricey (I'm looking at you Hibiki 21 at 350 a pour). Cocktail menu has a nice selection of Japanese and globally inspired drinks. Didn't have any I didn't like, though could be a bit stronger. Barstaff was great, very friendly and able to spend time answering questions and chatting. Benefit of being a small place. I came here for happy hour before and definitely the best value. Some great light bites and drink specials make it a great after work hangout. read more

With a hidden entrance from Hando, this small speakeasy-esque bar with one bartender somehow manages to provide more efficient, friendly, and served better drinks than a certain other nationally recognized bar in Houston. I didn't catch this bartender's name, but he's phenomenal. Happy hour small plates were delicious. The wasabi shumai wasn't my favorite, but I'm not a wasabi fan - my friends loved it. The geso karaage was served with a delicious sauce. Drinks were well prepared and incredibly priced during happy hour. I'd say the lychee drink stole the show, but the Tokyo Layover just gave me the right kind of smokey airport vibes. read more

Welcome to Yam Rock had a very realistic sweet ube flavor which impressed my taste buds. My friend said the Little Death could've used more lavender. The vibe here is very lowkey and laidback which I liked. read more

Kanpai Club - Welcome to Yam Rock & Little Death - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

I have been to Kanpai Club for drinks twice. Located inside Hando, this narrow bar has a speakeasy feel and reminds me of the intimate type of spots you would find at an izakaya in Japan. While the restaurant does have a parking lot that it shares with other businesses, it gets busy so you may have to park on the street which isn't too tough as the residential street right by the restaurant has a lot of parking. While they do have some appetizing small plates, I've always stuck to drinks here. They also have a great cocktail list featuring creative options, many of which have Asian ingredients such as lychee or yuzu. I've never had a bad one here. Service is always great too. And the music is always on point too. If you're looking for a good drink and some nice ambiance, check out Kanpai Club. My only real complaints are that it's only bar stool seating and I like some back support (old people problems). And it can get pretty loud. Other than that, A+ experience! read more

We wanted to enjoy a night cap and decided to come to Kanpai Club. It's awesome. Friendly bartenders, great drinks and yummy light bites. The ambiance and music were terrific too! read more

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Came here for Happy Hour on a Friday evening for some drinks and really enjoyed our time! It's a small bar with bar seating only, located next door to their restaurant, Hando. Mostly serve drinks but there are also some light bites if you want to order food as well. Bartenders were great and had our orders ready pretty quickly and were happy to give recommendations! Would definitely return read more

Kanpai Club - Everything's Lychee Keen (left) The Audacity (right) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I just moved to this area and have been finding such cool spots for drinks and food. Yesterday I met a friend here and Spence made our 1st time here amazing. He was a knowledgeable bar tender that knew the drinks and the menu so well. The way he described the happy hr dishes made us want to try everything. And we did! Haha, they were all so good. Highly recommend ***** read more

Kanpai Club - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

One of the best cocktail bars in Houston! Love coming here for the elevated atmosphere and their strong and delicious craft cocktails. Bartenders are friendly and accommodating. Be wary though as far as seating goes this is a VERY small bar attached to a sushi restaurant. Welcome to yam rock is by far my favorite drink. The complexity of flavors is exquisite and soo addicting. I've tried other cocktails from here and they're usually pretty good but I always come back to this one at the end of the night. Such a treat! read more

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Really cute hidden gem. Drinks are super imaginative and really well executed! I recommend the clarifies milk punch and the Sweet Gin Music (complete with a cute glass) Easy to get a seat in the weekdays, gets busy on the weekends. read more

Kanpai Club - Sweet Gin Music - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Food-- Only had their fries but they were really good! Drinks-- 10/10! The lychee martini drink was my favorite (can't remember the name of it). Service-- Everyone was so nice, attentive & very informative. Ambiance-- Super cute hideaway vibe! Definitely will be bringing my friends here. I think I've found my new favorite secret bar that nobody knows about!! read more

This place is inside Hando so you have to go inside hando and make a left as soon as you walk in. Seems like they're going for a speakeasy type vibe! There's only a bar on there, so seats are limited. It's not great for large groups. There's one bartender by the bar and they had some cool tunes playing. Vibes are chill and our bartender Ruby was so much fun. Thanks for the great service! They also have small bites but this place if for the drinks for sure. Roe there as we order some skewers. Super tasty! read more

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What a genius idea?! Instead of having to twiddle your thumbs while waiting for your table, just build a separate bar inside the restaurant. Inside, there is an option for food/ bar bites. I enjoyed two drinks, though. The first was their boosted lychee martini - not for me, but it was pretty. The grapefruit citrus didn't mix well with the other ingredients personally. If you like spicy drinks , I highly recommend the Sweer Gin Music. And it comes in a fun blow fish cup! It's leaves a nice flame after each speaking you want (or need) another! I had two and found them both enjoyable. Overall, the best waiting room experience! read more

Kanpai Club - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Such a nice intimate and casual speakeasy setting. Cocktail menu was extensive and creative, and all 10 cocktails our group ordered were delicious and well balanced (only got photos of 3). Nothing was overly sweet or heavily spirit forward. Bartender was sweet and attentive as well. Will definitely want to come back whenever we're in Houston! read more

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Drinks were great! We were waiting for our table at Hando and Kanpai club is next door. Seating is limited at the bar and the place is small so you grab a seat whenever people leave. Unique drink menu, small bites you can also order. Tried the Welcome to Yam Rock and Thai Tea Gin Fizz. Drinks were so flavorful and had a nice buzz after. Would definitely return! read more

This bar is easy to miss but it's located inside Hando. There's limited parking besides street parking after hours so Uber might be your best bet on a busy night. I love the speakeasy vibe inside and the music they played (2000s rap and R&B when I was there). The music is quite loud so you'll be yelling to the person next to you, but I personally didn't mind. The bartenders were super attentive and provided great service. I ordered the Matcha Highball and Shibuya Roll Call. Wasn't a big fan of the highball because it was too sour for my liking but i I really liked the Shibuya Roll Call! My friend ordered Welcome to Yam Rock. I'd highly recommend that if you enjoy ube-flavored cocktails! Definitely looking to come back here and try out their other drinks. read more

Kanpai Club - Matcha Highball - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This dark and vibey bar is located inside of Hando through the door on the left near the hostess stand. There isn't many bar top seatings so it makes for a very intimate experience. They have a few food items you can order as well as different options during their happy hour timeframe. The food gets delivered through a small window from the kitchen next door. The cocktails are all very beautiful and the bar is fully stocked for any drink you can think of. We shared the brussel sprouts as we waited for our seats next door to become available. It is a cute date night spot where you can get to know someone and not have music blaring super loud when conversing! read more

Kanpai Club - Cocktails - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

This is such a trendy intimate speakeasy! I recommend 100%! The cocktails were amazing. I also tried the bao bun which was delicious! Just the fact that they have pisco and know what to do with it is a winner for me! The bartender was friendly and personable. Loved the entire experience! read more

About as speakeasy as Houston gets for now - it's tucked away behind a non-descript door inside Hando. The space is small with limited seating, but wasn't crazy busy when I stopped by mid-week. There's room to loiter while you wait for seats to free up. Love the ambiance and intimate feeling here. I do wish they dialed down the volume on the music a few notches. It was difficult to hear and maintain conversations at times. Would recommend for a night out, date night, or just to get your drink fix in. Will definitely be back for some pre/post Hando drinks. read more

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Kanpai Club is attached to Hando, you can access it through the red door that's located to the left of the hostess stand. They have the same HH menu as Hando and a late night HH as well. It's small, but intimate. Great service as well. read more

Kanpai Club - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place was so freaking cool! The service was great! Everyone was able to help us and made awesome recommendations. The rolls were different from what we're used to, but super delicious. Definitely will be coming back. read more

Kanpai Club - The Audacity, a mezcal cocktail - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Speak-easy type of bar attached to Hando (restaurant). Cool ambiance and great drinks! read more

Kanpai Club - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

super cool hidden speakeasy inside a great sushi restaurant. the place is tiny but great drinks and super cool decor. read more

Kanpai Club - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Super chill vibe. Music was dope drinks were great. Pretty intimate vibe. Reminded me of golden alley bars in Tokyo. There aren't that many seats so if you don't want to stand get there early. Only room for improvement would be the happy hour food. That was okay, but I wasn't going for the food anyways. I have to say I came out feeling relaxed and refreshed from the stressful week I had so thanks for that read more