LOTS OF SUNSHINE.
SO YOU KNOW SOME OF HOUSTON'S
BEST BARS ARE A SECRET?
>> I'VE HEARD THAT.
I'M VERY CURIOUS.
HERE WITH THE INSIDE SCOOP,
WELCOME KATHERINE CHILCUTT WITH
HOUSTONIA MAGAZINE.
WELCOME TO "HOUSTON LIFE."
>> THANK YOU, GUYS.
>> TOUGH EXCITEMENT TO GO OUT
AND FIND THE BEST SECRET BARS.
>> TERRIBLY.
TERRIBLY.
>> YOU ARE A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN,
YOU ARE ALL ABOUT ALL THINGS
HOUSTON, AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT
THIS IS THIS SECRET, YOU HAVE
TO KNOW THE SPECIAL PASSWORD TO
GET IN, IT'S THAT SECRET?
>> WELL, SOME OF THEM DON'T
HAVE SIGNS, IT'S A LITTLE HARD
TO FIND THEM, AND OTHERS ARE
TUCKED INTO PLACES WHERE YOU
WOULDN'T EXPECTED A BAR TO BE.
>> SO LET'S JUMP RIGHT INTO IT.
THE FIRST ONE, THE LAST CONCERT
CAFE.
>> YES, RIGHT DOWN THE STREET
FROM WHERE I USED TO LIVE IN
THE WAREHOUSE DISTRICT, IT'S
ONE OF THE OLDEST BUILDINGS
OVER THERE, WHITE STUCCO WITH A
RED DOOR, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU
WANT TO LOOK FOR.
THERE'S NO SIGN THERE.
>> NO SIGN, AND YOU HAVE TO
KNOCK TO BE LET IN.
>> WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, THERE'S A
SECRET KNOCK?
>> SECRET KNOCK.
>> SO IT'S NOT THAT HIDDEN.
>> IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO FIND,
BUT THEN ONCE YOU FIND IT,
YOU'RE LIKE, OH, IT'S JUST
SITTING THERE.
>> THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT, LAST CONCERT CAFE.
>> IT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO
GET TO.
PEOPLE WHO DON'T REALIZE YO
HAVE TO KNOCK FIRST BECOME
DISMADE AND THINK THEY HAVE TO
TURN AROUND AND GO HOME.
>> WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM ANY
OTHER MEXICAN RESTAURANT?
>> WELL, YOU HAVE TO KNOCK TO
GET IN!
>> WELL, YES, THERE'S THE
SECRET KNOCK.
THERE'S A LOT OF REGULARS COME,
THERE'S LIVE MUSIC AND THEY
SERVE GREAT OLD-FASHIONED
TEX-MEX AND MARGARITAS
>> MOVING ON TO CHAR BAR.
>> YES, CHAR BAR IS A VERY
UNIQUE BAR.
IT'S IN THE DUKE OF HOLLYWOOD
TAYLOR BUILDING DOWNTOWN ON
MARKET SQUARE.
>> SO BY DAY IT'S A TAILOR.
>> CORRECT, BY DAY IT'S A
TAILOR.
>> THAT'S COOL.
>> YOU CAN TIME IT PERFECTLY,
BRING YOUR CLOTHES TO HAVE THEM
TAILORED AND THEN STAY THERE
FOR DINNER.
>> YOU CAN STOP AND GET A
MARTINI.
>> AND THIS IS THE
OLD-FASHIONED KIND OF DRINKS.
>> THIS IS A MARTINI MANHATTAN
OLD-FASHIONED KIND OF PLACE.
>> AND NOT JUST FOR THIS PLACE,
BUT FOR ALL OF THESE HIDDEN
BARS ON THE LIST, THIS SEEMS
LIKE A VERY COOL HIPSTER THING
TO DO.
WHAT'S THE CROWD LIKE?
WHO GOES?
>> LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY.
CHAR BAR HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE
1930, AND LAST CONCERT HAS BEEN
AROUND SINCE THE 1940s, SO
THESE ARE NOT HIPSTER JOINTS.
THESE ARE PLACES THAT HAVE
STOOD THE TEST OF TIME.
TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YOU'RE
NOT GOING TO FIND ANY HIPSTERS
THERE SO, YOU'RE GOOD.
>> SO THE FIRST ONE, YOU HAVE
TO KNOCK.
THE SECOND ONE, YOU CAN BRING
YOUR CLOTHES IS THERE TO BE
ALTERED.
>> AND THE NEXT.
IS MKT MARKET.
TELL US ABOUT IT.
>> MARKET BAR IS TUCKED INSIDE
OF A GROCERY STORE.
IT'S THE PHOENICIA LOCATION
DOWNTOWN, AND FROM THE STREET,
YOU WOULD THINK IT WAS A GIANT
GROCERY STORE, AND YOU WALK
INSIDE AND YOU SEE LIVE MUSIC,
THEY HAVE DEEJAY NIGHTS AND ONE
OF THE BEST DATE NIGHTS YOU'LL
FIND ANYWHERE IN THE CITY,
HONESTLY.
THEY JUST DO BEER AND WINE AND
THEY ALSO HAVE A-MONTH MOCK
TAIL MENU IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE
WITH YOU THAT'S TEETOTALING OR
IF YOU HAVE KIDS.
YOU CAN GET A LITTLE BIT INTO
THE BEER AND WINE AND THEN GO
GROCERY SHOPPING, AND BEFORE
YOU KNOW IT, YOU'VE SPENT $200.
>> SO MOVING ON TO D&W LOUNGE.
>> FROM THE OUTSIDE, YOU WOULD
THINK THAT D&B WAS AN ABANDONED
WAREHOUSE, BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY
ONE OF THE FEW BARS LEFT IN
HOUSTON THAT YOU CAN START
GETTING A BEER AT 7:00 A.M. IN
THE MORNING.
>> UH, WOW
>> IT'S 5:00 SOMEWHERE.
>> THEY CATER TO THE THIRD
SHIFT WORKERS THAT COME OUT
FROM A COFFEE PLANT NEARBY AND
THEY'RE JUST GETTING OFF WORK,
SO IT'S HAPPY HOUR FOR THEM.
>> DO THEY HAVE LIVE MUSIC AT
7:00 IN THE MORNING?
>> NO, BUT YOU DO HAVE TO KNOCK
IN THE MORNINGS TO GET IN.
IT'S ANOTHER KNOCK-ONLY PLACE.
>> MOVING ON TO CLUB NO MINORS.
I'VE HAD HEARD IT HAS A VERY
INTERESTING HISTORY.
>> AND A VERY FAMOUS REPUTATION.
THEY VERY MUCH MEAN NO MINORS,
21 AND UP ONLY, AND THAT'S
BECAUSE IT CAN GET A LITTLE
CRAZY INSIDE, DANCING ON TABLES
IS ENCOURAGED AND SOMETHING
THAT YOU WILL WITNESS ON THE
WEEKENDS.
THEY HAVE LIVE MARIACHIS
THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
NIGHTS AND, OF COURSE, THEY
HAVE THE VERY UNANIMOUS BLUE
MARGARITA, WHICH ALSO HELPS
ENCOURAGE SOME OF THE DANCING
ON TABLES.
>> YOU UNDERSTAND WITH THE TWO
MARGARITA, THERE'S A TWO-DRINK
LIMIT, RIGHT IF >> IT'S VERY
STRONG.
IT'S FAMOUS.
>> SERIOUSLY, THERE'S A
TWO-DRINK LIMIT?
>> I'M PRETTY SURE.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE
HAD TWO BLUE MARGARITAS, THAT
WAS BACK IN MY 20s, BUT, YES,
IT'S A VERY, VERY STRONG, VERY
POPULAR DRINK.
>> IT LOOKS SO REFRESHING SO,
GREAT ADVICE TO UBER THERE.
SO E LET'S MOVE ON TO MAR
FRAELAS.
>> THEY USED TO HAVE A
REPUTATION AS A MAKEOUT BAR.
IT'S HIDDEN, TUCKED AWAY.
THESE DAYS, IT'S A LITTLE MORE
INVITING TO ALL.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO WANT TO SIT
AND MAKE OUT ON THE COUCHES.
>> BUT IF YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN.
>> YOU CAN STILL DO THAT.
>> OUR PRODUCER, ERIN, TELLS US
THAT HER FATHER USED TO GO TO
THIS MAKEOUT BAR BACK IN THE
70s, SO I HOPE HE'S WATCHING
RIGHT NOW.
WE KNOW YOUR SECRET.
>> THEY HAVE WITNESSED SOME
FASCINATING THINGS OVER THE
YEARS, I'M SURE, AND THIS IS
TUCKED AWAY IN A PARKING LOT
BEHIND THE RIVER OAKS THEATRE.
LOOK FOR THE BLUE DOOR ON THE
SIDE OF AN OTHERWISE
NONDESCRIPT WHITE WALL.
>> YOU LOOK FOR THE LITTLE BLUE
DOOR.
>> NO SECRET KNOCK IF >> NO,
YOU CAN JUST WALK RIGHT INTO
THIS ONE.
>> WOULD YOU MIGHT GET KILLED
OR YOU MIGHT STUMBLE INTO A
FANTASTIC BAR.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE LATEST
ISSUE OF HOUSTONIA MAGAZINE.
>> THIS IS OUR BEST RESTAURANTS
ISSUE.
FOR THIS ONE, WE DECIDED TO
KNOCK OUT A BUCKET LISTING OF A
HUNDRED BEST RESTAURANTS IN THE
CITY, SO THERE'S KIND OF
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE ACROSS
EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, ACROSS
EVERY PRICES RANGE, ACROSS
EVERY CUISINE, AND WE WANTED
PEOPLE TO KIND OF TAKE THIS AND
EXPLORE THE CITY WITH IT.
>> SO COOL.
WELL, KATHERINE, THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
I'M A PROUD SUBSCRIBER, I LOVE
WHAT I FIND IN HERE EVERY
SINGLE MONTH.