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The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium
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Rated by SViterileroux74 from Texas
4.05/5 rDev -4.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3.5
4.05/5 rDev -4.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3.5
Great bar with a good selection on tap, also great offering of bottled beer from all over the world. The food was as expected for a pub/bar.
Apr 24, 2023Reviewed by silverhorn from Texas
4.7/5 rDev +10.6%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.25
4.7/5 rDev +10.6%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.25
One of the oldest beer bars in Houston. No one tops their beer selection both in quantity and quality. The staff is well schooled in beer knowledge and willing to share it with you. It is obvious the goal of this bar is to encourage beer customers to come back. The managers are very knowledgeable and willing to get into deep beer conversations. The crowd is big and most of those hanging by the bar area are beer people who will always ask, "Whatcha drinking?" and not as a greeting but to genuinely discuss the beer. My favorite spot in Houston.
Monday night is pint night with $3 pints of any beer on their expansive wall... I've had 120 Minute, Rasputin, Czar and many other quality pints for 3 bucks! Check it out.
Mar 07, 2018Monday night is pint night with $3 pints of any beer on their expansive wall... I've had 120 Minute, Rasputin, Czar and many other quality pints for 3 bucks! Check it out.
Reviewed by bigbeerfan from Illinois
4.86/5 rDev +14.4%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
4.86/5 rDev +14.4%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
This is a great place to hang out and drink some great beers. It’s loud and friendly and the decor is very unique. They have some really high quality beers available in addition to their 80+ drafts. One of my favorite features is the Ghost beers. You can blind taste test beers and then go online to rate them. The highest rated beers will then end up on the menu. Definitely one of my favorite places in Houston.
Dec 29, 2017Rated by Best_Enjoyed_In_Texas from Texas
4.35/5 rDev +2.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 3
4.35/5 rDev +2.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 3
Need to put a burger on their menu.
Aug 20, 2017Reviewed by mynie from Maryland
4.4/5 rDev +3.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
4.4/5 rDev +3.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Right downtown, near that weird monorail funicular thing that they have in lieu of actual public transport. Kinda neat, really, and it sums up Houston quite well: a city that provides minimal infrastructure for the majority of its citizens also has a really convenient, futuristic semi-train thing that services only those who live or work in the city's most expensive area.
So the vibe of this joint is kind of that of its neighborhood, i.e. solidly white collar and upper class. You don't get any of the annoying bits associated with a shitkicker or bro bar, but you also have to deal with listening to rich people speak.
The building is old. Its ceilings are high and the interior is spacious is woody. Old beer swag and mug club completion trophies line the wall (which are just the saddest goddamn things; why don't you mug clubbers simply review 2000+ beers, like Real Men?).
The vibe is pleasantly quiet: no loud music, even fairly late at night, and while there are sports that play TV the volume is on low enough that you can easily carry on a conversation even if you're sitting right beneath a TV.
The bartenders and wait staff were friendly and fast, knowledgeable about the beer selection without seeming pretentious or condescending. I cannot vouch for the quality of the selection, since I don't really know of any other south texas joints to compare it it, but the breadth was excellent: about 30 taps, all good to great, and then another 50 or so bottles.
Draught selection was a great combination of local brews (Arnolds, Live Oak, Karbach, Brash), nationally available craft brands, and good European imports. Nothing struck me as particularly rare--even during their rare beer tapping on Thursday--but it was all good.
Pours ranged from 5-7. Same with the bottles, aside from some obvious exceptions like Cascade.
Overall, the best place to stop for a beer in downtown Houston.
Apr 09, 2016So the vibe of this joint is kind of that of its neighborhood, i.e. solidly white collar and upper class. You don't get any of the annoying bits associated with a shitkicker or bro bar, but you also have to deal with listening to rich people speak.
The building is old. Its ceilings are high and the interior is spacious is woody. Old beer swag and mug club completion trophies line the wall (which are just the saddest goddamn things; why don't you mug clubbers simply review 2000+ beers, like Real Men?).
The vibe is pleasantly quiet: no loud music, even fairly late at night, and while there are sports that play TV the volume is on low enough that you can easily carry on a conversation even if you're sitting right beneath a TV.
The bartenders and wait staff were friendly and fast, knowledgeable about the beer selection without seeming pretentious or condescending. I cannot vouch for the quality of the selection, since I don't really know of any other south texas joints to compare it it, but the breadth was excellent: about 30 taps, all good to great, and then another 50 or so bottles.
Draught selection was a great combination of local brews (Arnolds, Live Oak, Karbach, Brash), nationally available craft brands, and good European imports. Nothing struck me as particularly rare--even during their rare beer tapping on Thursday--but it was all good.
Pours ranged from 5-7. Same with the bottles, aside from some obvious exceptions like Cascade.
Overall, the best place to stop for a beer in downtown Houston.
Reviewed by cjohns73 from Delaware
4.21/5 rDev -0.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev -0.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.25
Went here while at a conference. Pretty nice beer selection both on tap and in bottles. I was quite happy to be able to get Yellow Rose (maybe its easy to find but I am not local). Food was typical bar food -- no complaints here. Inside is fairly hokey but decent outdoor seating.
Dec 12, 2015Rated by pescadoWRC from Argentina
4.74/5 rDev +11.5%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
4.74/5 rDev +11.5%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
If you love beer, these is the place in downtown Houston! Great selection! But they do not carry a Beer de garde when I was there...
Oct 16, 2015Reviewed by Daa from Texas
4.69/5 rDev +10.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 4.25
4.69/5 rDev +10.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 4.25
I love this place. We try to visit it whenever we are in the area. Overwhelming selection of beers (in a good way) but the staff is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. The only downside is its popularity. It could double in size and it would still be crowded most nights. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but beware that it gets pretty crowded and loud.
Jun 10, 2015Reviewed by Buck89 from Tennessee
4.51/5 rDev +6.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4
4.51/5 rDev +6.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4
Huge bar with a phenomenal selection on tap, and many really nice bottles from all over the world. The staff is very friendly. I had a nice experience tasting some local Texas offerings. This is very similar to their other locations, so if you have been to one you can expect the same in Houston. The food was okay and could be better, but it is a great beer bar.
Apr 27, 2015Rated by Sammy from Canada (ON)
3.64/5 rDev -14.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75
3.64/5 rDev -14.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75
A number of taps may have been on longer than optimal.
Jan 06, 2015Reviewed by Murtaza from Texas
4.5/5 rDev +5.9%
4.5/5 rDev +5.9%
This is a really cool place to visit or frequent for that matter. they have an incredible selection of beers. long lists of beer in bottles or cans. and an overwhelmingly large variety on tap. very impressed with their offerings. they don't have many activities like pool or darts (although some) but hey, who cares when theres a cold brew in your hand. wish they had a better outdoor seating arrangement. regardless, this place in the go-to joint for good beer in Houston.
Oct 27, 2014
The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium in Houston, TX
Place rating:
4.25 out of
5 with
148 ratings
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