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] 28 L O C A L | december 16 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.