The Commoner

My top favorite bar in downtown Houston. The ambiance is great and the bartenders make just about any unique drink for you. Their suggestions are always spot on to what I like.

We went on a Friday night No cover charge, Good drinks average price ($ 12 each Cosmo & vodka w/​cranberry) DJ Gracie Chavez was awesome she gets 5 stars alone great mix of dance music hip hop & r&b. The crowd was an eclectic mix of ppl. Party vibe downstairs & chill conversation vibe upstairs

I’m only giving three stars because the drinks are not great. At first glance the drink menu looks awesome and creative but once you take your first sip you will be disappointed. My boyfriend personally liked them but then again he likes anything and everything. So I don’t always count on his opinions when it comes to taste buds. What I really like about this place is the awesome music they play on Saturday night. Overall this bar has a great vibe and I enjoy the 90’s/2000’s selection of R&B/Hip-Hop music. Also the owner is really nice. I accidentally left my credit card at the bar and he was accommodating so I can pick it up the next day even though they were close.

This place is a great addition to downtown Houston! You don’t have to worry abt «douchey» doorman like in midtown! The first level plays some of the best music more hip hop and upstairs is pretty chill with additional couches to lounge and still listen to music (electronica and edm) You can actually have a conversation on the second level without screaming! The only thing I don’t like about this place is you’re prone to get an asshole of a bartender! I will say not all of them are bad but every once in a while you will get a bad one it’s like picking fruit! You take a gamble and get a rotten one. I asked the bartender abt two shots wondering if he could make either of those, he looked at me as if I asked him to suck a few toes and said no while cutting his eyes and walking away! A few people beside me at the bar noticed and were like «wow, he’s pretty friendly» I’m thinking like hey fool why not suggest making a different shot… He just walked off. I guess if he doesn’t know how to make it you don’t get a drink or service! HOWEVER, a very friendly bartender witnessed it and stepped right in «hey what can I get you guys» he made our shots and it was back to parrrrttttayyy! An asshole bartender never bothered me anyway (I sang that in Elsa’s voice from frozen)

Although It can be annoying to get a drink here Bc it’s so crowded on weekends, I love love commoner Bc the music is always some throwback hip hop (downstairs) and hipster electronic (upstairs) and there’s always a goood mix of ppl. Everyone’s usually wasted and dancing and the décor is modern/​chic

Cute spot on main. Ive been here a couple of times and think its fun but probably not top places to go. Especially considering its downtown and a little harder for me to drive to than other bars with better parking and easier driving routes. They have some tables with high top chairs and more tables with couches along the wall. It starts getting a crowd going a little after 10. They have a dj playing music. All the songs were 80s and 90s hip hop. Not bad but wish they would throw some newer stuff in the mix. We played darts with some awful dart throwers that kept falling apart. The sweet manager kept trying to give us different ones. Eh A for effort, but need better darts. I only had a beer but was curious to try their tequila with agua fresca special, however they had ran out. Upstairs is boulvedier bar and you can also purchase drinks up there and bring them downstairs. All in all, If you feel like dancing and don’t want to go to a fancy place to do it, just throw on your jeans and cute top and come here for a casual fun time. There are people here dressed up and more dressy casual, so don’t come too comfy.

The service here is terrible on the weekend, but that’s not the worst part. I left a $ 0 tip on my credit card because my fiancé left a cash tip and the bartender gave himself a $ 5 tip on my card anyways. I’ve called the bar 6 times in the last month to have my money refunded and no one had answered or returned my call.

Best time I’ve had out in Houston in a while. None of that stupid holding the line BS, no jerk doorman on an ego trip, just a bunch of people out to party and have a good time. This bar reminds me of my days back in NYC, where we would go out and bar hop until the wee hours of the morning. The DJ played a great mix of top 40 and hip-​hop, and I enjoyed myself immensely.
My only negative about this place is that it was absolutely packed, and they only had three bartenders working. I think they would benefit from one more bartender, or maybe eliminating some of the more complicated cocktails off the menu for late night. It’s a bit frustrating that while you’re trying to get your drinks to keep the party going, and the girl in front of you is ordering three different specialty cocktails that take forever to make.

Went to the bar to support a DJ playing on a Thursday.
Two of my friends, who are Black, waited at the bar for 20 minutes for a drink. They watched multiple groups of people, who were white, walk up and receive service. I walked up and they joked, «We need you to help us get a drink.» As soon as I stood at the bar, a white girl, we got served. Not only did she throw our drinks at us, but then she charged $ 17 for a shot of Hennessy. When my friend asked for a receipt after paying and realizing how much she had been charged for that shot, the bartender threw the receipt at her and walked away. I asked the bartender why she was being rude and she rolled her eyes and said, «She was asking four questions at a time and it should have been one simple question. I wasn’t being rude, I was just trying to understand what she was talking about.» We went to the bar to get another drink from her and again, she served multiple people who walked up to the bar after us. The most obvious was a group of white men, who stood right next to us. They were friends of hers, it seemed, as she greeted them warmly and asked what they wanted. This was a good 10 minutes after we stood at the bar.
We went upstairs and encountered a very friendly bartender who served everyone at appropriate times.
We went back downstairs, only because the DJ we wanted to hear was there, and found the manager to tell him of the poor service we received. We spoke with a manager with a long beard, whose name I do not know. The only thing he had to say was, «Well, the bar just gets really busy and the fact that other people got served before you had nothing to do with them being white men.» We then stopped talking to him because obviously the terrible service in this bar is supported by the manager. Oh, then the manager stared us down across the bar with another tall white man for a good 15 minutes, we believe trying to intimidate us to leave.
Then, another employee of the bar informed us that the Hennessy was actually $ 9 per drink and he was unsure why it said $ 17 in the system. That person generously refunded my friend her $ 8. The stink attitude permeated the bar as most people cleared out around 1:00am and it was never even very full to begin with. If you want to go to this bar, be expecting empty rooms, rude servers and unhelpful management.

The bar tender was very rude! We stated we were from out of town and he was like ok what do you want?! We attempted to order based off pictures we found from here but instead he said we dont do that menu any more and didnt attempted to make anything. He states they are out of stock of all the things, we asked what he didnt have he said idk! Wtf! Ok never again will i waste my time here!!!

Fun place to be on a Friday night! One of my new favorite bars downtown. Young crowd, fun atmosphere, great DJ playing pop music from the past 5 years, dancing, etc. Their doorman is cool and their staff is friendly. Go bar hopping on a Friday night and check this place out, it’s along the same street as Moving Sidewalk, Bad News Bar, Nightingale, etc. Definitely had better music than everywhere else!

Great spot. Gets a little crowded but there’s an upstairs bar as well. Has an «Austin» feel that I really missed when I moved here.

Great place downtown. Complete opposite of my experience at my recently reviewed Captain Foxheart’s Bad News Bar. Courteous and professional doorman. Great drinks for a reasonable price. Bartenders provided quick service and well made cocktails.

I like this bar a lot. The make good drinks and the staff is great. My con for this place is that they have TV’s but for some reason can’t get them to work for the Astros or Texans. I remember the Rockets playing there but am confused. I feel like they don’t want to play sports because the are trying to be a different type of bar, which is fine, just choose one or the other

Been here a total of 3 times and each time it’s been pretty empty. (upstairs is boulevardier open thurs-​sat) The shots on the menu seem to change pretty often. This time opted for the boilermaker: shot of Jim beam and can of lone star $ 5. Not really a great pair but, why not? There’s always plenty of seating at the bar or along the wall where there’s tables and ottomans. An added plus is you can play darts to pass time but we always move to another bar down the street that’s more lively. This place can be a hit or miss.

Great place, sexy, chilled out vibe, very European style feel and great cocktails. Cool arty, contemporary interior and feel. Awesome. New owner and doing a great job here!
Hope people come and check this place out!

So I realized there were a ton of new bars on the North end of downtown that I had yet to hit, including this one, so instead of going home on a Thursday night after work, I happy hour hopped. The Commoner was my fourth stop, and, I have to say, good riddance Clutch City Squire! Your replacement is superior to you in every way.
The décor is nice, the bar stools comfy, the atmosphere sufficiently dark and inviting (though the dark, in combination with a few drinks, might negatively affect one’s ability to accurately judge the attractiveness of another… but maybe that’s what they’re goin’ for). They had an «on tap» Moscow Mule, which my friend ordered and totally loved. I had a Southside, which is basically a gin mojito; it was great. The prices were reasonable — $ 7 – 9 for a cocktail.
My favorite thing, though, was the music. Maybe it was a fluke, but they were pumping in some really great lesser-​known Motown and 60s jams. It was nice to have a little break from mediocre house music. I suspect that won’t be their usual vibe, but it was welcome to me!
Also, they have a really nice dartboard area. Maybe I was just a little tipsy, but I stared at it for about five minutes; it’s actually surprisingly aesthetic. You’ll see what I mean — the wall behind the boards is pretty stunning.

Great new place downtown. Love the feel and look of the place. Great bartenders and a killer happy hour!
$ 5 house cocktails
$ 3 house shots
$ 3 draft beer (local drafts — Yes please!)
$ 4 wine by the glass
Can’t wait for the upstaris to open up as well!

The Commoner is a nice option to have a drink after dinner with a date. It’s nicely decorated, and the drinks are good and decently priced. However, the crowd and the music didn’t seem to match: fun but not a way to get the party started.
I tried the Strawberry Fields, and the gentleman in our party ordered the ladies a shot each of Between the Sheets. They were both very tasty. The Strawberry Fields tasted like a summer day and deliciously sweet. Between the Sheets was easy going down.
If food was sold here it would make the experience more desirable. A place to go to enjoy a small plate and delicious drinks without going any further would make me want to come back and stay longer. A jukebox or DJ would be nice, to give more variety based on the patrons’ taste. Overall, I will be back when in the area.

Bar just opened. Met a few friends here for drinks. Daily happy hour from 4−7pm. Bartender was great, had one of the best old fashions I’ve had in Houston.
Décor/​atmosphere is simple yet appropriate for the concept (casual cocktail bar). Great selection of liquor, lacking in the beer and wine department but should expand as time goes on. Two dart boards in the back.
Currently drinks only no food. Owners are planning to open a lounge area above which will be cool. Excited to see how this place evolves.