La Carafe in Houston is the Market Square dive wine bar on Congress Street in an 1860 building, the oldest commercial structure in the city, candlelit, cash only, since 1950.
Food program: None
Tip: Cash only. Bring exact change for a bottle of Vinho Verde. No food; eat first.
Address: 813 Congress St, Houston, TX 77002
Poison Girl in Houston is the Montrose whiskey dive bar on Westheimer, with a deep bourbon selection, a backyard patio with skee-ball and Hi-Life longnecks in cooler bins.
Signature drink: Bourbon, plus a Hi-Life back
Food: None, but a Big Star Bingo next door
Tip: Bring a friend; play skee-ball in the back. Cash and card. The bourbon list is the actual reason to be here.
Anvil Bar & Refuge in Houston is Bobby Heugel's Montrose cocktail bar on Westheimer since 2009, the city's modern cocktail-bar template with the Brave and a 100-cocktail list.
Signature drink: Brave (gin, mezcal, lemon, jalapeño honey)
Food: Snacks
Tip: Order off the 100-cocktail wall list at the back. The Brave is the house drink; the 9th Ward Daiquiri is the next pick.
Refuge in Houston is Bobby Heugel's reservation-only cocktail apartment above Anvil on Westheimer, with a four-stool bar, stirred cocktails and a slow-paced 90-minute service.
Signature drink: Stirred Manhattans and Negroni variations
Food: Tasting menu of bar snacks
Tip: Reservations only via the website. Two seatings a night. The price is steep; the cocktails are the city's most precise.
Better Luck Tomorrow in Houston is the Heights cocktail bar on Yale Street from Bobby Heugel and chef Justin Yu, with stirred drinks, the BLT burger and a low-lit room.
Signature drink: Stirred riffs and house lower-ABV menu
Food: Solid sit-down bar food
Tip: The BLT burger is the food order. Sit at the bar to see the cocktail program in action.
