They have 3 different areas which serve alcohol, and an amazing open patio! It's incredibly spacious, and the service is incredible. On Fridays they have a 60's throwback which always draws a sizeable crowd. All 3 bars have good beer selections, and there's a large liquor section inside. The music is ALWAYS on point here, and this time of year the patio is unmissable! Stop by for a visit, I guarantee it'll be a new favorite. read more

The Continental Club - Dive Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Large space which is deceiving from the outside. Good space for watching the live bands and lots of room at the bar top. Towards the back, there are pool tables and shuffle board. Large outdoor space as well for smoking and getting a little quiet from the stage. read more

First time at this establishment, my friends patronize this place when certain bands play there. But nevertheless as we arrive to door, there was old rude, very rude doorman with attitude! Not a smile nor was he friendly! Now it's $20.00 for a seat, the cover is about $10-12.00 dollars. My question is how they know who paid for seats at all! I seen people just sitting down! Then there was a drunk old man walking around harassing everyone, to the point the band had to ask him to stop and chill out! The place gives you old vintage but can be upgraded. Huge back looks scary and is too dark and so loud. One pool table, the back bar needs to be taken out! I love the ban last night but couldn't hear them sing some songs! I couldn't hear the next day! They need some serious adjustments to the loud instruments. Get rid of the mean, rude dude at front door who's taking the money! Customer service is key to success! I seen people why that establishment is not crowed. The only catering to certain customers. Not everyone is welcome. read more

Great music, but be prepared for a door man who's an asshole. The rest of the staff is fine.

Great live music, dancing and affordable drinks. Love love love the authenticity of this place.

Went to Adult Story Time last night and the experience was generally not very pleasant. Starting with the jerk at the door in an Umbrella Corporation hat that seemingly thought it funny to be as rude as possible to everyone. I saw this with the people in front of me, as well as my group and then after finally gaining entry, heard strangers discussing him and the same experience. If the ID of the person who purchased tickets is required for entry, that should be stated, maybe even one time, when purchasing the tickets online. He interrupted people to say he didn't need to see the tickets, just ID of the person who purchased. Finally get past the troll at the door and the acoustics are not very well setup for spoken word. Admittedly, I have not seen a musical show here, so maybe it's perfect for that. One bartender on duty during a show night is a poor decision and I watched her repeatedly skip over a woman who was waiting her turn to order. Overall, not a great experience and likely will not return, which is a shame as the AST concept is great! Miss it being at Rudz. read more

I love live music and have had a great experience at the Continental Club located on South Congress in Austin, so when I learned there was also one in Houston I was excited to try it out! Unfortunately the experience in Houston was not what I had hoped. The drinks were good, basic. The service was mediocre since there were only 2 bartenders for the entire packed show. The sound system was not good. We didn't enjoy either of the bands who played and ended up leaving early. This may have simply been bad luck on our part since we picked a random Friday night to go. Maybe they have better music other nights. read more

The Continental Club - Stage & drinks - Dive Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Love this place!! Bands are always good, cocktail are delicious and bartenders are attentive!

WTF HOUSTON! This place has some really good music running through it! Been here a couple times now and each time it's really nice! Not packed each time too, and I'm a bit shocked! I'm thinking this'll be a hangout! Good music and decent atmosphere makes for a good time! Come out Houston people! read more

The Continental Club - Dive Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Really cool place for live music and a great stage for local and upcoming artists. I wouldn't say their drinks are exceptional but If you're looking for beer or liquor this is the place to sip on while enjoying performances. Their restrooms are all the way in the back and decently clean despite the grunge look. A hidden gem and would be back!!! read more

Overall the place is great. The sound is quality and the drinks are good. The only bad thing is the doorman. Where is the "I love toxic waste" T-shirt is a complete asshole. He is a miserable bastard. read more

Great venue for music and dancing. Adequate parking if you use nearby garage. You can find places to sit even if you don't buy reserved seating. read more

I've been here a couple of times to see various musicians and it's an okay environment, but the building just wasn't designed for live music. It sucks acoustically, no other way around it. The main room is very loud and guests will come and go, if they're not dancing in front of the stage, since there is limited seating. The back room has 2 pool tables and shuffleboard, although they board them up so customers can't play on them during performances. A vendor is usually set up selling bbq back there. Along the back wall of the back room is the hallway to the restrooms and back patio. As far as entry, they set up outside on the sidewalk and either charge a cover sometimes, or ask for a small donation to see the band/performer. However, the venue has 2 entrances, so if you were to enter from Shoeshine Charlies' bar next door, and proceed to the back hallway and keep walking it would lead to the rear of CC, thus bypassing the doorman. On nice evenings, most people seem to gravitate toward the back patio, The Pachinko Bar, which sort of has a tropical theme going on with a palm tree and a small open air bar building. read more

The Continental Club - Back patio - Dive Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

The roof was blown off The Continental Club last night, September 19, 2024, with the fabulous Talking Heads tribute to Stop Making Sense! A unexpected treat was a rendition of Road to Nowhere. Kudos to all who participated. read more

I went here for the first time last Saturday. I did read the reviews beforehand. I went regardless and had so much fun. There was about 4 different groups that played. All of which I loved. Not one bad group, along with music id never heard. Amazing performances. It was crowded...but I made do. There is a back oration thats filled with a whole other life and energy plus the bar you can walk to next door and listen to more live music. Suiting to whatever vibe you're feeling. The drinks were awful.. dont come here expecting a cocktail or anything with much of a mix. All in all...good people, good fun. Id return. Parking is in the garage across the street for anyone wondering. read more

Ahhh, The Continental Club. Houston is lucky to have this Austin import. I've been to the CC a few times for live shows, from James McMurtry to Houston's own LL Cooper. All great musicians/bands, all great shows. Two huge bars help keep the drinks a flowin', and if that Lone Star buzz gives you the munchies, finger lickin' barbecue is sold in the back room. (You can't sneak past them on the way to the restroom without digging in your pockets in search of a few bucks.) Weekly events, like Wicked Wednesdays (local bands with sexy burlesque shows between set changes, $5 cover, $1 8-11) keep the joint kickin' non-stop. I highly recommend CC for any one who's looking for good tunes, good people and good times ... just don't forget to bring your dancing shoes! read more

The Continental Club - L.L. Cooper and Friends - Dive Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

The Continental Club is not for a crowd that doesn't obtain a AARP card. It's saturated with Jurassic rock cover bands. Read on! The inside of the club is somewhat okay. They call it "vintage". This was our second time to visit the place. The first time we swore we wouldn't come back, but a friend insisted this band was great. Huge regret. They have what they call "The Backyard" for bands to play as well. Both times we joked and said this must be the reject band venue. It was Thursday, April 7th when we went (for the last time) and the lead singer in between songs performed this spastic yodeling episode which proves the reject band comment, yet the block party in the area was fun. If you like to watch overage people dancing and smoking a ton of cigarettes in the "The Backyard" you will be impressed! If you like seeing the same inside the club with no smoking you will be impressed as well. The Continental Club doesn't really deserve a one star rating. read more

This long time Houston gem is the best place in town for live music! It's small so I recommend reserved seat, but there isn't a bad spot in the place for great sound. read more

This is such an awesome venue! You get a classic vintage feel when you walk in but you also get the sense so much great talent has walked through those doors and been on their stage. I've seen everything from the best local talent to some incredible national talent here and it's always been an awesome experience. They have some special events too that could blow your socks off! It's definitely worth checking out. It's on one of the best blocks of Main st going towards the flower district if you're coming from midtown or downtown. If you're visiting Houston this is a good place to check out. You may see some Houston greats like Allen Hill or Archie Bell. You might even catch their Jazz music gumbo night! read more

Bouncer: biker dude with facial hair that could crush you with his left hand only; gruff; stern; all about the business; possible inspiration for J.K. Rowling's Hagrid Cover: $10 for Saturday night, unless you are on the guest list like me *brushes shoulders off like Jay Z* Seriously I don't go out to places that charge cover much, like at all, but $10 seems a bit steep for entry into a place. That is nine items of food at a fast food drive-thru plus tax; that is a burrito at Chipotle; that is 1/6 of a PS.3 game. Call me old fashioned but I think you should be able to pay for things with a smile especially if you look like this *winks like Lucille Bluth* Bartender: polite; recites beer list if prompted; looks exasperated when you ask what the light beer options are; probably a Hufflepuff. Beer selection: Karbach options on draft; small selection of bottled things; not many acceptable light beer options; Weisse Versa came out flat; I would advise to likely stick with bottled things rather than draft; $5-7 per drink as a safe estimate; almost everyone was drinking Lonestar besides me and I felt out of place; I drank a PBR once unironically I swear guise, I'm not like other private school fratboys, I'm a cool private school fratboy. Main room: dimly lit; lots of chairs, though the uncomfortable wooden type without any paddings, and some are wobbly before you have even started drinking; many tables to place your beer on; decent sized standing only room in front of the chairs so you can admire the nice (and not so nice) backsides of the people standing in front of you; music is loud but not oppressively deafening like other small local music venues; cool stuff on the walls; independent music; this pleases me. Lots of adverts for Camel cigarettes but not the cool ones where Joe Camel was directly marketing to kids (me) back in the good old days. But now with Camel Crush these things sell themselves to tweens because it's like altoids but you get to look tuff, and everyone knows smoking makes you cooler - it's science. The back room: two pool tables; cool stuff on the wall; a second bar back here; an old timey soda machine which I would just assume was not plugged in and working; a sofa; a side exit door; and the restrooms. More Camel adverts. I s2g if you just quit smoking this would be the worst place for you to come besides the Briar Shoppe in Rice Village with all those delicious smells. The men's restroom: someone thoughtfully carved "fuck you" above the mirror and I felt personally offended because I had done nothing but walk in to use the restroom and then the restroom treats me like this. This is a rude restroom, very rude. It has a lot going for it. Since I didn't need to pay cover this time I am feeling charitable and rounding them up to four stars, even though my draft review was fixing to be three stars. It has character and cool music so "yay I'm a fan" is a better descriptor than "A-OK" because A-OK is so sassy like "yeah you tried, it's okay you failed because at least you tried" and that kind of thing only works on a five year old child and your goldfish, not on an actual adult. read more

This place is a classy venue to go to and it's a historic location in Houston. Despite its reputation, I counted at least 11 roaches in and around the grounds (and I'm not talking dead ones). So if you plan on seeing a performance here, bring some roach spray. read more

The Houston Continental Club is far better than that other one (the original) in that other city. No competition. Ha, take that Austin! I'm not going to compare the artists, each venue has equally good performances (in fact, I've watched an amazing Wanda Jackson show from the front door of the Austin venue). I'm strictly speaking of the venues. Houston wins, no competition! I like the layout of the HTX Continental. You walk into the main performance room with a long bar on the left, and the stage in front. As you snake your way past the dancing folks and stage, you enter the back room. There are a couple of long tables set up with Bar-b-que. It smells wonderful, but I'm partial to Taco's A Go Go next door. I usually get a couple of tacos a some point during the show. Sorry, back to the layout of Continental. This is the bar to order your drinks at; it usually has a shorter wait time. Beyond this room, to the back left, is the door to the patio. (See, in Austin smokers have to loiter outside, by the front door--boo.) The women's restrooms are pretty cool (not certain about the men's, never been that long of a line for the women's). The walls of the stalls have car-door/armrests equipped with rear-view mirrors and ashtrays (although they do encourage people to smoke outside now). In Austin, they just have the plain stalls. Dull. I know he may annoy a few people, but there's always the added possibility Little Joe Washington will stroll in and most likely get up onstage. Pretty cool. I hate that I tell you how great this Continental is by comparing it to the Austin venue. So, let me add, Austin's is pretty rockin'. I loved it, until I walked into and repeatedly returned to THIS Continental Club. Now Austin's just isn't the same...in a very bad dream kind of way. One note on parking, I always have problems in the mud lot (I drive a tiny car). I usually park on the other side of the light rails. I've only once had to drive around a while to find a space (there was a close to sold-out show that night). read more

Yes, it's a Monday. Yes, I hate work. No, I don't want to go out. Not really. But... to the Continental Club to make a Monday a "ROCKABILLY MONDAY"? To hear Glover Gill rock the piano? To jive to the catchy tunes of the Octanes? Hell to the yes. Maybe I'm biased because I dance tango, but Glover's got something special. He composed the entire score for Linklater's Waking Life. At 8pm on Mondays he plays some of his intricate, unpredictable solo piano pieces. (If you ever get to see him on the accordion, you will be amazed) -- And you might even see some people dancing tango. Later on, the Octanes rock the house with music you can swing to and I promise your feet will be beggin you to get up and dance. If they don't, I'll give you your money back. OH wait, I won't have to, because it's FREE. Lots of dark corners, lots of great live (and local!) music, a bar, a self-serve water dispenser (we dancers love this), nice bartenders, and did I mention it's Free? read more

I've been in Houston for a long time but it wasn't until yelp that I found out about the Continental Club. All of my favorite yelpers just adore this joint, so I made it a bookmark and my goal to visit it one day. I was always checking out their calendar of artists to see an act that I'd actually want to see, since this type of live music is new to me, yes I'm a cookie cutter pop listener. I always made it a goal to come see the 80s cover band but they always play on a night that my gf has to work. So recently we needed something to do on an off night, wednesday night, and sure enough their was an artist by the name of umbrella man performing at 8 pm. Dinner reservations were at 7:30 and we weren't done until 9 pm but luckily they were still playing by the time we arrived. Granted it was a wednesday night so there was only about 8 people total in this place. On this night there was not a cover. The band was different to say the least but very enjoyable. I could see how this place could be awesome with the right band on stage. This is a very preliminary review and will get updated once I return on a weekend night. The parking is a bit sketchy but I found some street parking towards t'afia. Be on the look out for homeless people. Tacos A Go Go is next door which makes this place a plus! read more

This is one of my favorite live music venues. During the week they have regular acts performing weekly often with no cover and cheap food. Monday nights were piano tango with Glover Gill and music from the 30's-60's with cover band El Orbits, both popular with tango dancers and swing dancers, respectively. Thursday nights were a Beatles cover band, appropriately named, "Beetle." Friday nights are busiest with the 80's cover band Molly and the Ringwalds kicking off the evening followed by a headlining act. Get there early for a seat if you plan to sit. Otherwise, dance and volunteer for karaoke! Other state and regional acts perform at this venue as well, headlining Saturday nights. There are games in the back if you want to get away from the music. Bathrooms are relatively clean. Although the ceilings are high and there's good ventilation, I would still come home smelling like smoke so I'm happy with the smoking ban. Conveniently located near the rail and other cool restaurants/bars in midtown, there's also a gravelly parking lot and street parking nearby. Update 2/1/08: The Monday nights with Gil & El Orbits I think have moved to the Big Top down the street according to a flier. I showed up once back in Oct. or Nov. '07 and was confused by this placed being closed & locked up. read more

The Continental Club - Inside the Continental Club, pre-Molly & the Ringwalds - Dive Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Meh... it's alright. There was no cover today, so that part was good. I went with some friends to hear a band at 9:00. We got there at 9:30 and nothing was going on. After a few minutes the "fun" begins. It seems like we were just in time for female mid-life bitching hour... or as The Continental Club calls it... "comedy night." It was bad... Finally sometime after 1030 the band came on. Wow, what a disapointment. Sure glad I didn't pay cover. But the shuffle board was the redeeming quality. So 3 stars rather than 2. Oh, and the formally free poor quality parking lot... it's still a crappy parking lot, but now they expect you to pay $2 to park there. Meanwhile the street less than 10 yards away is still free. read more

How have I not reviewed The Continental Club yet? That being said, not much to say that hasn't been covered. It's one of Houston's great intimate live music venues. Lots of great singer songwriters, punk, garage, vintage, tribute, greaser, rockabilly etc. type bands have stood on that stage and entertained the masses. They have a great wide range of patrons which always leads to good people watching and rarely a time when you don't feel welcome. No frills, no nonsense bar. Plenty of proletariat beers on tap and a full bar for cocktail options. The back wall behind the bar is covered in glossies of bands that have come through in the past. Back room behind the stage has a couple small pool tables, an ancient shuffle board along the back wall and a guy selling really good berbecue from a couple slow cookers and a folding table. For the smokers, there's a great outside back patio with various seating arrangements and a huge lit up brick wall that spells ELVIS. Thursdays are the Beetles, an amazingly spot on Beatles Tribute band. I've seen them multiple times for birthdays and just cause nights and each show has been really impressive.Weekends charge a cover, BUT that's how they pay the bands, so help out some local artists and come inside! Come down and give a random band a listen and buy a couple of beers. I'm sure you'll have some fun. If not, there's always the rest of mid-Main to explore around you. read more

I was just at the Continental Club to see Wanda Jackson. And it was a small but otherwise great venue at which to see her perform! It's a classic: small, dive-y, simple. I do wish they had a bit more seating. But they have beer and good music. All that's needed for a good time most of the time! read more

The Continental Club - The Broken Spokes opening for WANDA JACKSON - Dive Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Love this place so much. The staff is amazing and generous. The venue is in a great location, fantastic acoustics and just the right size dance floor! This place holds a dear place in my heart since my Babes and his band have played here twice and always with such a warm reception. Great BBQ in the back near the pool tables. That is if you can pull yourself away from the incredible music! Always a pleasure to come to The Continental. read more

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I really like this venue. One needs to stay informed as to what's playing. The difference in acts is very eclectic. The are us getting more and more hopping. read more

The Continental Club - Tango dancer - Dive Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

The door man was so fucking rude we opted out of going into the club even though it had great music and appeared to be a happening spot. When are the owners going to realize he is a detriment . read more

Great place awesome venue. Always has great bands and awesome scene. Just wish they could get a new door guy. That guy is a special gift from god in his eyes a real ass. read more

I'd love to give you more stars but I am not going to because: -Why is your bouncer such a douchbag all the time? -Really only cash to get in? -Parking sucks -I do not like the setup of the place (it is inconvenient) -Too loud -It is hard too see the band playing if you are not right at the front -a total pain in the ass to get to the restroom when the band is playing -Crack heads outside The good: - The music -The metro train right next to it -The hippies and/or bohemians you can meet there. -The New Orleans style kind of weird and eccentric people are pretty cool. -$3 LoneStar Note: I do not dislike this place nor do I love it. I wouid only go back only if the band playing is worth all the hassle. read more

TL/DR: bouncer demanded I pay a cover charge after I came back from the bathroom, and cussed me and my wife out. I had a great experience at first. Beetle, the Beatles cover band, is fantastic. I saw there was no cover before 10pm, so my wife and I arrived at 7:30. After the first band, I went to use the restroom in the bar. When I came out, a bouncer demanded that I pay a cover charge to return to my table with my wife. I told him I had arrived before there was a cover charge, and he demanded that I pay anyway. I ignored him and returned to my seat. He started cussing at me and followed me back to my table. He and another employee came and yelled at me and my wife, saying "don't be f***ing cheap, pay the f***cking cover charge!" over and over again. Naturally, we gathered our things and left the bar. I can't believe how rude they were, and can't believe they wanted me to pay a cover charge for returning FROM THE RESTROOM. Beetle is great though, check them out. read more

Big Comfy Couch Club! Okay, there's no couch, but if you can't find a spot to relax and enjoy the music/drinks/friends in this place, you're not going to find one anywhere else in Houston. If you go on a night that has a show with a cover charge, you'll run into Biker Bob at the door (not his real name, but a descriptive adjective - really, he's a helpful guy - I just hope he doesn't read Yelp). Just through the doors of this high ceiling, vintage building off Main Street is the main room & bar where the music happens. Cocktail tables and stools are located on the right with a long bar on the left. Some well placed auditorium seats can be primo spots to watch a band and be a little farther back from sound/crowd. Expect a wait ordering your drinks at the bar on crowded nights (I've seen a lot of people complain about this on Yelp - I've always gotten decent service, but then I know Squid). Go back past the stage and you'll run into a little oasis with a pool table and a shuffleboard. You can still enjoy the music with a decent drop in the decibel level. There's a bar there, but I've never seen it open. Continue even farther back and you'll find yourself in the cool yard that houses the Pachinko Hut, an Elvis Light sign and some nice picnic tables. Smokers and other interesting people hang out here to enjoy the great Houston weather. You're in the middle of Tafia, Tacos-A-Go-Go, Sig's Lagoon, Goodtime Charlie's and The Continental Club -- you've got to be in the right place. Each area of this club has its own personality that will fit your mood. And depending on the band or night, The Continental can handle all your personalities from slamming & swinging to chilling & sweating. My Tip: Check the website for a listing of show nights of which there are a couple days of the week that don't have a cover. read more

Continental Club still has great bartenders great shows and showcases great local musicians, but they have added a couple more patios out back. As you walk out onto the original patio, they have a built a covered deck to the right overlooking Winbern St. The Continental Club has also added the Pachinko Room to the left of the ELVIS sign. The Pachinko Room gives off a surfer bar vibe in the middle of Houston. It includes surf boards, and classic surf movies playing behind the bar. Check it out folks! read more

Honestly,my review is probably moot since I wasn't able to get inside the venue. We were supposed to have access to a free show but the doormen weren't letting anyone in. One of the bouncers looked like a biker Santa) started yelling at a homeless women & was rude considering she was on the sidewalk which is public property. We had friends that arrived early & were texting us that the place was relatively empty. After waiting for 20 minutes,the line not moving an inch & the opening act playing, we decided to have drinks somewhere else (across the street). As we were sipping our boose, customers from the continental club (approximately 25) were coming to order drinks, either the staff weren't producing or their drinks suck. Maybe I'll give this place another chance, maybe I won't. read more

Nasty nasty nasty whole place is dingy, outdoor space isn't too bad but man is this place unkept.

Can't believe it took me so long to finally watch a show at this place. Very cool layout, nice and long. The doorguys are really sweet too. Plus they had BBQ for sale in the back which was kinda interesting. I'll have to come back soon to enjoy this venue again. read more

Came here to see Beetle, a Beatles cover band with about 10 friends. We were 'encouraged' to make a 'donation' even though we arrived before a cover charge was supposed to start, but it wasn't a big deal. The set up was great with high tables and chairs and the bartenders were very friendly. Those slow cookers toward the back that smell delicious? Don't be afraid - great BBQ! The back patio was great to get some fresh air, but you couldn't hear any of the band's music at all at that point. There was a really wide range of ages in attendance, which was pretty cool to see. Also really loved the brand new, brightly lit parking garage across the street available for easy parking. read more