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The Hay Merchant
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Reviewed by bullywee from Colorado
4.38/5 rDev -4.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 3.75
4.38/5 rDev -4.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 3.75
Stopped in for a quick early dinner on a weekday shortly after opening, chatted with the bartender and was promptly seated outside. The tap selection was the best I've seen in Houston and it included multiple very nice cask offerings. The bottle list was really good, some really nice vintages and nice surprises all at fair prices. I enjoyed two Lone Pint IPAs, yellow Rose on cask DH with Mosiac and 667 IPA both at great temps ant very tasty! Myself and my 9 y/o I son split the burger and fries, my wife had the tacos all well priced and tasty. I hope to return
and enjoy a couple of vintage bottles.
E
Mar 15, 2017and enjoy a couple of vintage bottles.
E
Reviewed by BillyVig02 from Illinois
3.35/5 rDev -27.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 1.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 5
3.35/5 rDev -27.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 1.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 5
Food is great. Selection is large and plenty to offer any beer lover.
Bartender was unfortunately rude and didn't know anything about beer. Was snarky at my request, quizzed me on my knowledge, and then told me Pseudo Sue was a sour....
Go for the food, but know what beer you want ahead of time and spare the conversation with the condescending bartender.
Feb 01, 2017Bartender was unfortunately rude and didn't know anything about beer. Was snarky at my request, quizzed me on my knowledge, and then told me Pseudo Sue was a sour....
Go for the food, but know what beer you want ahead of time and spare the conversation with the condescending bartender.
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio
4/5 rDev -13%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5
4/5 rDev -13%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5
I somehow missed rating this after my vacation last month.
This place is putting a lot of effort into building and maintaining a very large beer list. It reminds me of Bier Markt in Cleveland, with a very large amount of taps devoted to European, especially Belgian, beers. They just have an absolutely massive tap list and a beautiful wall of taps to make any beer lover excited. If you've been in the game a while, and you're also from Texas, you might not find a whole lot of new or cutting edge hyped beers on tap, but there is plenty to love regardless.
Food is the soon-to-be pretty typical, quirky, craft brewpub fare--aka, kicked-up bar food with a twist.
Atmosphere is sort of a mix between modern hipster + beer geek/gamer basement with some pinball machines and a cheesily large projection screen + rustic farmhouse. It's a little bit confusing but a lot of the woody/bricky farmhouse feel is where it wins for me. The place can get quite packed and you're better off walking up to the bar and getting the stellar bartender service than waiting for an overworked server.
Sep 03, 2016This place is putting a lot of effort into building and maintaining a very large beer list. It reminds me of Bier Markt in Cleveland, with a very large amount of taps devoted to European, especially Belgian, beers. They just have an absolutely massive tap list and a beautiful wall of taps to make any beer lover excited. If you've been in the game a while, and you're also from Texas, you might not find a whole lot of new or cutting edge hyped beers on tap, but there is plenty to love regardless.
Food is the soon-to-be pretty typical, quirky, craft brewpub fare--aka, kicked-up bar food with a twist.
Atmosphere is sort of a mix between modern hipster + beer geek/gamer basement with some pinball machines and a cheesily large projection screen + rustic farmhouse. It's a little bit confusing but a lot of the woody/bricky farmhouse feel is where it wins for me. The place can get quite packed and you're better off walking up to the bar and getting the stellar bartender service than waiting for an overworked server.
Rated by Bung from Michigan
4.25/5 rDev -7.6%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -7.6%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
The best in Houston or Dallas that I visited. Still not quite up to the rating nationally, for Texas, sure.
Jan 02, 2016Reviewed by SudsTerkel from Colorado
4.81/5 rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 4.75
4.81/5 rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 4.75
I hit THM while on a biz trip to Houston and after reading the BA reviews, there was no question about where I was going to discharge my beer dollars. I usually hit The Ginger Man, but their beer list is a mere shadow of THM's.
And what a beer list - I counted 70+taps with another half dozen on cask - from brewers far and wide. Of course from being out of town, I wanted to have as many for the Texas standouts - Karbach, Live Oak, St. Arnold, Jester King and 512, among others. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and beer-centric as well as friendly and accommodating. The kitchen has an eclectic range of fare - BBQ, Texas Chili, Salmon and wraps with varying ingredients - something for everybody.
They've been around for 3 years and upon my visit of a weekday afternoon, there were a cast of the regulars there which would include me if I lived in Houston.
Oct 12, 2015And what a beer list - I counted 70+taps with another half dozen on cask - from brewers far and wide. Of course from being out of town, I wanted to have as many for the Texas standouts - Karbach, Live Oak, St. Arnold, Jester King and 512, among others. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and beer-centric as well as friendly and accommodating. The kitchen has an eclectic range of fare - BBQ, Texas Chili, Salmon and wraps with varying ingredients - something for everybody.
They've been around for 3 years and upon my visit of a weekday afternoon, there were a cast of the regulars there which would include me if I lived in Houston.
Reviewed by supie12 from Texas
4.26/5 rDev -7.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.25
4.26/5 rDev -7.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.25
This is a really cool local place. They drink local. Support local. And offer great brews from all other places. This is a no frills or thrills place. Almost like you're hanging out in a garage during the good old days. Prefect to watch the game and just hang out with friend while enjoying the highest quality beers. And the food is a keystone too.
Sep 12, 2015Rated by amalahow from Illinois
4.36/5 rDev -5.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 3.25 | selection: 5 | food: 4
4.36/5 rDev -5.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 3.25 | selection: 5 | food: 4
This place is pretty much perfect. Awesome selection. Nice and knowledgeable staff. Good food. Awesome vibe.
Aug 19, 2015Reviewed by Buck89 from Tennessee
4.75/5 rDev +3.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
4.75/5 rDev +3.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
Visited this place when I was on business last month. A really fun atmosphere, with a good diverse crowd. The beer selection is phenomenal, heavy with local Texas offerings, but also with many great beers from California and the East Coast. Really friendly staff that will help you find you're looking for. The food was good but not great. We will definitely visit this place again.
Apr 26, 2015Rated by HopsAholic79 from California
5/5 rDev +8.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
5/5 rDev +8.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Absolutely love this place. We try to hit it up anytime we are in town from California. Go see bartender Luis. Really cool and funny bartender.
Apr 12, 2015Reviewed by rwf08 from Texas
5/5 rDev +8.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
5/5 rDev +8.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Love this place. Go often enough to where the bartenders know me. Special events for Mud Turtles are always good. They'll do beer dinners with Underbelly also. Those are amazing as well.
Mar 09, 2015Reviewed by marieli from Texas
4.91/5 rDev +6.7%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 5
4.91/5 rDev +6.7%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 5
You can go quietly try a brew or two, you can enjoy with a friend or group, you can take your family to brunch. The selection of beer on tap is very impressive. Not always perfect, but generally there's something for everyone and something new to try if that's what you're looking for. Not sure what a 5 for selection even is. But what makes this a place that stands above others, at least in Houston, is the awesome menu that is accessible to foodies and those more traditional, and the quality of the food itself. Even if the beer selection wasn't as good, this would still be a viable place to eat. If you're into food, I would suggest many other great restaurants before this, including Underbelly right next door, but you have to make time for a stop in The Hay Merchant.
Feb 21, 2015
The Hay Merchant in Houston, TX
Place rating:
4.6 out of
5 with
116 ratings
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