Caps Piano Bar
2610 Briar Ridge
Houston, TX 77057
(866) 671-1830
www.facebook.com/people/Caps-Piano-Bar
Featuring one of the best house bands in Houston, Caps Piano Bar is a great place to spend your evening. The Tighten Up Band hits the stage at 9:45 p.m. from Tuesday through Saturday and turns the patrons into a part of the show. With blues and jazz favorites from the 70s and 80s up through today’s latest Kanye hits, the dance floor stays busy with couples twirling to the beat. As with most piano bars, the drinks are on the more expensive side, but they pack a big punch. There’s no cover charge, so spend the money you saved getting in the door for the pianists’ tip jars.
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Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar
1201 Fannin St.
Suite 310
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 337-7383
www.petesduelingpianobar.com
Right next to Houston’s House of Blues sits Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar. As the name states, this bar features two pianos with request jars where you can drop in your favorite tunes (and they can play just about anything you can throw at ’em) and bribe them with a tip. You’ll find yourself singing along with the rest of the packed crowd on Saturday nights and it’s a mainstay for bachelorette and birthday parties and girls’ night out. This is a spot that you definitely want to come early to grab a seat to, and be sure and bring a group of friends to get the most out of your night at Pete’s. There’s a $7 cover charge on weekends.
88 Keys
2736 Virginia
Houston, TX 77098
(713) 520-7001
www.88keyshouston.com
A piano bar unlike any other in Houston, 88 Keys is the place to be if you are in the mood for something a little quieter, a little more upscale and one that generally caters to a more mature crowd. This River Oaks spot is the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle, a great way to switch up your next date night, or an impressive locale to take out of town friends to show them how grown up you are now. Drink prices are on the high side, but there’s no cover and the ambience of this classy place will have you coming back for more.
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Howl at the Moon
612 Hadley St.
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 658-9700
www.howlatthemoon.com
Loud, raunchy and fun, this place is pegged as a “total entertainment experience.” If your idea of a night out is singing obnoxiously loud with random strangers, dancing like nobody’s watching and possibly being called out of the crowd for full-on humiliation, Howl at the Moon is your best bet. As ridiculous as all that may sound, it is an experience you won’t soon forget. This is another spot featuring “dueling pianos” and is packed to the walls most weekend nights, so be sure to get there early if you actually want to sit down. You’ll be met with a $7 cover charge on weekends.
Prohibition
5175 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77056
(281) 940-4636
prohibitionhouston.com
If the above options don’t quite suit your mood, Prohibition is a completely different piano bar experience located in the Galleria area. The 1930s-inspired speakeasy lounge and restaurant decked out art deco style and with what it calls “a modern twist” on vintage drinks is a two-level lounge consisting of a piano bar downstairs and a Steampunk DJ lounge upstairs. The best thing about the ironically titled Prohibition is by far the drinks. There are no bartenders, but mixologists; bartenders heavily schooled in the fine art of stylishly mixing the very best cocktails in the city. Try any of their own 36 cocktails and you’re sure to be quite impressed. Be sure to make reservations and, possibly even better than those fantastic cocktails, check out their Burlesque show every Saturday night featuring the Moonlight Dolls. Cover charge varies by night and show.