Spec's #00 - Downtown
Type: Store
2410 Smith St
Houston, Texas, 77006-2316
United States
(888) 526-8787 | map
specsonline.com
Notes:
No notes at this time.
Added by BeerAdvocate
View: Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 96 | Reviews: 46
4.17/5 rDev -5.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5
Many Spec's exist around the Houston area and some are better than others in terms of what they stock, but this is the big downtown store. If you're looking for mainstream or regular macro offerings, you can typically find it here in multiple packaging. The shortfall is specialty beers: when they get them there's usually a line that started a day ago! For these, you're better off getting lucky at an outlier or getting friendly with your local well-stocked grocery store. There's usually at least one larger burb Spec's near you in Houston where you can find a good selection of regular offerings, or you can triangulate through two or three nearby. Therefore, trips to the downtown store are not necessary on a regular basis unless it happens to be one of your nearby Spec's. But everyone who likes and buys beer should check it out at least once.
851 characters
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5
Many Spec's exist around the Houston area and some are better than others in terms of what they stock, but this is the big downtown store. If you're looking for mainstream or regular macro offerings, you can typically find it here in multiple packaging. The shortfall is specialty beers: when they get them there's usually a line that started a day ago! For these, you're better off getting lucky at an outlier or getting friendly with your local well-stocked grocery store. There's usually at least one larger burb Spec's near you in Houston where you can find a good selection of regular offerings, or you can triangulate through two or three nearby. Therefore, trips to the downtown store are not necessary on a regular basis unless it happens to be one of your nearby Spec's. But everyone who likes and buys beer should check it out at least once.
851 characters
4.61/5 rDev +4.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
Huge selection, and a lot of it really good stuff, plus all the regulars you'd expect to see at a big store. Also just a really cool store, with a LOT of beer, wine and liquor, plus a nice grocery section that emphasis food pairing, etc., with just about anything. If I'd been by myself the one time I went (so far) I could have gotten lost in their for 2 hours easy, wallet permitting.
386 characters
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
Huge selection, and a lot of it really good stuff, plus all the regulars you'd expect to see at a big store. Also just a really cool store, with a LOT of beer, wine and liquor, plus a nice grocery section that emphasis food pairing, etc., with just about anything. If I'd been by myself the one time I went (so far) I could have gotten lost in their for 2 hours easy, wallet permitting.
386 characters
4.97/5 rDev +12.4%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
4.78/5 rDev +8.1%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75
This is THE BEST place to go for beer in Houston, TX. The place literally gets anything and everything that is distributed in Texas. And, the beer manager, Joey, does a great job informing the public on when special releases will be, etc.
238 characters
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75
This is THE BEST place to go for beer in Houston, TX. The place literally gets anything and everything that is distributed in Texas. And, the beer manager, Joey, does a great job informing the public on when special releases will be, etc.
238 characters
5/5 rDev +13.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Awesome place great selection
29 characters
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Awesome place great selection
29 characters
4.65/5 rDev +5.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5
Best selection in Houston but is always crowded.
48 characters
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5
Best selection in Houston but is always crowded.
48 characters
5/5 rDev +13.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Amazing selection. Joey is the beer manager, tall guy with a neck tattoo. He knows me by name now and helps me when he can with rare beer releases. Good group working there. Outstanding bourbon selection too.
208 characters
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Amazing selection. Joey is the beer manager, tall guy with a neck tattoo. He knows me by name now and helps me when he can with rare beer releases. Good group working there. Outstanding bourbon selection too.
208 characters
4.22/5 rDev -4.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.75
Great selection, nice layout, lot of bombers and cooler space.
62 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.75
Great selection, nice layout, lot of bombers and cooler space.
62 characters
3.14/5 rDev -29%
vibe: 2.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 1.75 | selection: 4
This is a supermarket so no service or vibe expected
Wireless access would be a minimum. Very good selection though. If they bring the brewer in, then all the current offerings tend to be there.
195 characters
vibe: 2.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 1.75 | selection: 4
This is a supermarket so no service or vibe expected
Wireless access would be a minimum. Very good selection though. If they bring the brewer in, then all the current offerings tend to be there.
195 characters
4.25/5 rDev -3.8%
Okay. This place has the best and largest beer selection in Houston. If there is a limited release in Houston it will be found here. Here is the bone I have to pick with this place:
Spec's only do their special releases at their downtown location and only on weekdays at 10:00 am.
Only a select few can get to this location during a weekday morning for these releases.
I realize that this is a a personal thing, but really this cuts out a whole bunch of people that would like to get their hands on some limited stuff. I talked to the managers of the beer sections at other Specs and they have told me that the beer managers at this location will not make those limited releases available to them.
But as I said, great beer selection.
738 characters
Okay. This place has the best and largest beer selection in Houston. If there is a limited release in Houston it will be found here. Here is the bone I have to pick with this place:
Spec's only do their special releases at their downtown location and only on weekdays at 10:00 am.
Only a select few can get to this location during a weekday morning for these releases.
I realize that this is a a personal thing, but really this cuts out a whole bunch of people that would like to get their hands on some limited stuff. I talked to the managers of the beer sections at other Specs and they have told me that the beer managers at this location will not make those limited releases available to them.
But as I said, great beer selection.
738 characters
4.75/5 rDev +7.5%
If it's sold in Texas, Spec's warehouse location will have it. Period.
70 characters
If it's sold in Texas, Spec's warehouse location will have it. Period.
70 characters
Spec's #00 - Downtown in Houston, TX
4.42
out of 5
based on 96 ratings.
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5