“Oftentimes, it’s more financially viable to tear these buildings down and put up a high-rise. “Picking these jewel box sites and these spaces that are old and are so iconic, it’s so important for all cities,” Bailey tells PaperCity. That effort included going to great lengths to preserve and restore the thousands of bricks that cover the building. “I can’t believe that we got to inherit this space and honor the past,” Bailey says of the project that took 20 months to complete. And who can beat the $5 glasses of wine or the $5 pitchers of beer offered from opening until 5 pm?
HOUSTON GAY BARS CLOSING PLUS
Guests grazed through the surprisingly wallet-friendly menu that includes delish bruschetta offerings such as prosciutto with figs and mascarpone and ricotta with dates and pistachios, plus crave-worthy meatballs, shareable charcuterie boards, paninis and salads. “And that’s why the wall’s there and why we were excited to take the space.” Postino founder Lauren BaileyĮxcitement was at a fever pitch in Postino Montrose on Friday night when all of the 103 dining seats, most of the 24 bar seats and a good number of the 70 seats on the covered patio were filled. “But I also think it’s important to remember how the road was paved. “Gay bars are not really opening up anymore because young people don’t need to go to a gay bar and meet another gay person because they can go anywhere they want and hold hands and be together. The all-day wine cafe’s launch in Houston came in the spring of 2018 in the Heights Mercantile development, where Postino’s introduction of $5 wine from 11 am to 5 pm quickly established it as one of the more popular spots in a neighborhood teeming with bars and restaurants. It’s a beautiful and delicious cauldron of diversity for all, perched across the street from rocking gay bar South Beach. This Montrose outpost of the Phoenix, Arizona, mothership, Houston’s second Postino, is geared for everyone in the neighborhood. Never mind that the location has embodied numerous gay-centric business incarnations. Where the Montrose Mining Company left off after closing in 2016, Postino is picking up but with a wide-open rainbow coalition focus and an appreciative nod to the past.ĭon’t call this a gay wine bar. Face masks are required at the event.If the wildly successful pre-opening parties are any indication, Postino WineCafé in Montrose is poised to rock the neighborhood in similar tradition as its predecessors rocked convention during 36 years of a singularly gay focus. According to OutSmart, Coketa died from COVID-19 complications in August.Ī post to the bar’s Facebook page indicates that it’s set to host its grand opening festivities on October 21, complete with performances from drag queens Aria Crawford, Angelina DM Trailz, and more artists. Papi’s is a project of the team that operates Houston LGBT bar Viviana’s Nite Club, opened by trans activist and legendary club owner Viviana Coketa. According to permit applications filed with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, a new “Latin gay club” called Papi’s Nite Club is set to open in the space in the coming weeks.
Originally located at Shepherd Plaza, Guava Lamp operated at its Waugh Drive location for the past 17 years.Īt the end of the statement, Guava Lamp’s management implored the bar’s fans to “vote the virus out of the White House.”ĭespite the Guava Lamp’s departure, the space at 570 Waugh Drive has a new tenant in the works. “We are doing this out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our bar staff and guests,” reads a post from the bar in June. It opened 3/25/78, but there's gay bar history at the 805 Pacific.
Photo courtesy of Doug Barnes, late 1980s. Greg Abbott when he allowed bars to reopen at limited capacity in May. With the closing of EJ's at the end of June, 2014, the Montrose Mining Company became Houston's oldest gay bar, and that reign ended September 8, 2016, after over 38 years. The bar has been shuttered since June, when it closed during the brief reprieve offered to bars by Gov.
“For the last 22 years, we cheerfully celebrated countless nights of karaoke, talented entertainers from across the country, as well as many special occasions.” Guava Lamp has officially closed its doors,” the post reads in part. “After much deliberation, the management of Guava Lamp announces that time has come to gracefully bow out and exit stage left. The sad news of Guava Lamp’s permanent departure came in an Instagram post on Wednesday night. Guava Lamp, an iconic LGBT bar known for its drag shows, karaoke nights, and other wildly popular events, has officially departed Houston’s nightlife scene.