Downtown Houston Restaurants/Bars?

the bar at the top of the HIlton Americas has good views and yummy blue chess stuffed olive martinis.


You are also near midtown and the Continental Club.
 
I was and am against the use of tax dollars to revitalize downtown and upgrade the home of Houston's homeless to the new, improved home of Houston's homeless.

That said, there are some things down and around there like El Patio in mid-town, Ottos on Memorial for burgers or BBQ, Lankford Grocery for lunch. Avoid the tourist dumps like The Aquarium with its overpriced bad food. As mentioned, the Hotel Americas is nice and enjoy it while you can before it closes. You can tell your kids you actually went to the hotel that every major developer in the country and half those from abroad said was fiscally irrespnsible and couldn't cash flow. Only cost the citizens of Houston a mere $350 million.

If you go out Memorial to Ottos, go around the corner to "the beer can house" for grins - no tour, just ot drive by. There are several places on Washington Blvd (Franklin becomes Washingotn going West) that are good. It's a good idea to not go east of 59.
 
Otto's is closed.

Astros are in town - go to a game.

For steak - Vic & Anthony's, The Strip House

The Grove Restaurant in the new discovery park right in front of the Hilton. cool place.

Damian's, Brennan's, and the restaurants in the Alden Hotel and the Hotel Icon.

Lots of bars and restaurants in midtown.
 
There's a Cabo bar and grill on Travis between Prairie and Preston.

Better than decent fish tacos and often extreme heat at the bar around happy hour.
 
Bar at hotel Icon, La Cava is across the intersection and it is good. for beer, there's on Main that place with the great selection and the chicks in plaid skirts, Flying Saucer, that's it, had a brain fart.

17 is a great restaurant downtown

Otto's on Memorial??? where the f did that come from for a downtown rec?
 
but Otto's sure isn't around the corner.

Good call on The Grove - really like it there. 17 is on the pricey side but is excellent. You can also drop some cashish at VOICE.
 
Why do people post messages about things when they are completely and uterly ignorant of that facts???

The Hilton Americas is not going to shut down. The hotel made an operating profit of $23.5 million in 2007. Total revenue was $77.5 million. Hotels that make money DO NOT shut down.

Houston tax payers did not pay $350 million for the hotel. The hotel was financed by bonds issued by the city. In fact, since 2003, the non-profit entity that owns the hotel has distributed $92 million back to the City of Houston and is paying off the remianing $280 million in bonds faster than required.

The Hilton has 1,200 rooms. There are only 5,000 rooms in all of downtown. That existence of the Hilton Americas has greatly enhanced the ability of the convention center to attract convention business to Houston meaning even more money for the City and it's citizens.

The hotel business was reeling from 9/11 in late 2001 and 2002. This deal could not be done at that time by the private sector. The city stepped in and did exactly what was needed. The project has been an unmitigated success.

Bernard
 
Hilton is a bad *** hotel. Stayed there for the Mets/Astros series and it was awesome.

For steaks, I'd go to Pappas. Its tits.

quote]Warrens bar if you want alcohol poisoning.
 
Bernard,

I read the "closing" references to Otto's, not the Hilton America's.

Hilton America's is an excellent place to stay. Nice lobby bar and nice bar up on the top floor.

Pappas steakhouse is not downtown, either. V&A's and Striphouse would be your downtown steakhouse top choices.
 
Hilton Americas is for sale now for $350 Mllion but the developer who buys it must build a 2nd convention center hotel next to it.

Flying Saucer is a cool bar downtown. Also Home Plate bar and grill next to Minute Maid and the other Astros' bar next to it....

Inn at the Ballpark has a cool bar in the lobby.
 
Getting closer...

The City will never strike a deal for a sale that requires a second hotel by built. It just doesn't happen that way. Investors buy. Developers build. Different buckets of money.

The truth is that the city is considering a sale. The expected sale price is $350 million or more. If and when this sale takes place, the city may consider building a second hotel on their own using the same formula as the first one. Given the current credit crunch, it's likely the only way such a large project can get done. Someone's building an really nice (16 story?) Embassy Suites a block away, but it's a much smaller scale.

Bernard
 
I guess you're a step ahead of me. I hadn't seen any official word that it was actaully for sale. It would be a good deal if the city can get it. In the real world though, that would be a tough deal to strike. There are a WHOLE LOT of what if's that go in to delevoping a project of this scale. If the city wants to simply sell the hotel, the process could be complete in 6-8 months. If they want to wait for a new deal to actaully be green lighted for contruction, you're looking at 2-3 years.

I guess we're have to wait and see.

Bernard
 
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