Houston is known for its vibrant and busy nightlife! Our guide to the best clubs to enjoy jazz music in Houston, TX, will help you to identify some of the most fun, exciting spots to visit for live music.
The Best Clubs for Jazz in Houston
Houston has a long history with jazz, going way back to the 1920s. Today, the jazz scene remains strong, with many incredible local artists playing throughout the city every weekend. Houston is also an ideal destination for touring jazz artists too, so you can see a range of incredible musicians here.
We’ve gathered 8 of our favorite spots for jazz in Houston. We’ll give you the lowdown on the critical information such as location, website, opening times, and facilities. And more details on the atmosphere, the kind of music you can expect, and the food or drink you can get. We’ll also let you know whether it’s worth making a reservation before you visit.
In no particular order, here are the best places we’d recommend visiting to see some great jazz in Houston!
1. Ready Room
| Address | 2626 White Oak Dr. Houston, TX 77009 |
| Website | readyroomhtx.com |
| Opening Times | Wed, Thurs 5 PM - 12 AM, Fri, Sat 5 PM - 2 AM |
| Facilities | Heated outdoor seating, free wi-fi, private event hire |
Ready Room is known for two things: incredible live music and delicious drinks. It’s a classy place to go, ideal for groups of friends or a date night. You can sit inside for the best view of the band or make the most of the heated outdoor seating if you want to have a catch-up with your friends.
They have live music from the local band Tribeca every Friday and Saturday night, with around 4-5 musicians most nights. They have a ‘big band’ feeling, creating a happy, exciting atmosphere. You can also book Ready Room for private events.
The drinks here are incredible. Go for a well-crafted cocktail, and if you want to celebrate Houston, go for the locally-inspired drinks. For example, you could get a Happy Hollow, a chocolatey, spicy cocktail with berry notes designed to celebrate the Theatre District, formerly known as the ‘Happy Hollow.’
Apart from cocktails, they have an extensive range of liquors and a great red wine collection, too. You can ask the friendly, knowledgeable staff for ideas if you’re not sure what you’re in the mood for.
It’s worth noting that you will need to make a reservation to visit Ready Room.
Keep Reading:7 Best Romantic Restaurants in Houston, Texas
2. The Big Easy Social and Pleasure Club
| Address | 5731 Kirby Dr. Houston, TX 77005 |
| Website | thebigeasyblues.com |
| Opening Times | Mon-Sat 7 PM - 2 AM, Sun 7 PM - 1 AM |
| Facilities | Outdoor seating, free wi-fi |
The Big Easy Social and Pleasure Club is a divey jazz bar, perfect for a cheerful, noisy night out with friends. There’s no dress code, so you can turn up dressed however you’d like, and they have both indoor and outdoor seating.
The music here varies depending on the night. It’s small and cozy here, and it’s loud, so if you want to sit inside, don’t expect to be heard over the music! You can catch some incredibly talented local musicians here.
Drinks-wise, there are some excellent choices. They have a good selection of beers on tap, house wine, and a large range of liquors, from gin to vodka to tequila to rum. They have many types of whiskey to choose from, particularly American and Canadian whiskeys.
You don’t need a reservation to visit here, so it’s a good choice if you want a spontaneous night out.
3. MKT Bar
| Address | 1001 Austin St Houston, TX 77010 |
| Website | mktbar.com |
| Opening Times | Mon - Weds 11AM - 7.30PM, Thu - Sat 11AM - 8PM, Sun 10AM - 6PM |
| Facilities | Outdoor seating, free wi-fi, food, takeout/delivery |
MKT Bar is a friendly, vibrant place to visit for food, drinks, and great music. It’s ideal for all kinds of groups, including families, groups of friends, and couples on a date. They have outdoor seating and offer takeout and delivery if you only want to grab some food.
Most evenings, a DJ plays here, usually a mixture of jazz, funk, and soul. Occasionally, you’ll see an acoustic band playing here. If you want live jazz music, this may not be the place to go, although it’s worth keeping an eye on the event calendar to make sure.
You can grab a range of drinks here, including their MKT Cocktail of the Day. Or you can go for a local beer or glass of wine.
They have some delicious comfort food here to choose from. There are some great starters if you want a light bite, like plantain chips or hummus and pita chips. They have a good range of burgers and artisan pizzas, and they have a steak night on Thursdays if you love a delicious steak. You can also get brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.
You don’t have to worry about a reservation, so you can turn up, although it does get busy at the weekends.
4. Emmit’s Place
| Address | 4852 Benning Dr. Houston, TX 77035 |
| Website | emmitsplace.com |
| Opening Times | Mon-Sun 4 PM - 2 AM |
| Facilities | Outdoor seating, pool table, karaoke |
Emmit’s place is a fun, busy, vibrant spot to visit with friends for drinks, live music, and the occasional karaoke session. Open 4 PM – 2 AM every day, it gets loud here, and you’re guaranteed to have a fun night.
They have a range of local bands playing here, featuring jazz, funk, soul, R&B, rock, and country. They also feature touring bands too, and you can enjoy karaoke with friends on certain nights. There’s an open jam night on Mondays at 8 PM too, which is definitely worth watching.
There are some good drinks to choose from here, with a range of liquors, beers, and wine. The staff is friendly, and the drinks are served super quickly too, which is a bonus!
You don’t need a reservation here, and the dress code is pretty casual so that you can enjoy a spontaneous night out!
5. Phil & Derek’s Restaurant
| Address | 1701 Webster St Houston, TX 77003 |
| Website | philanddereks.com |
| Opening Times | Wed-Mon 11 AM - 12 AM, Tues 11 AM - 10 PM |
| Facilities | Outdoor seating, food, takeout/delivery |
Phil & Derek’s Restaurant is a really fun, lively place to go for food, live music, and comedy. Suitable for all kinds of groups, from families looking for somewhere to go for dinner to groups of friends wanting a good night out, it’s a welcoming spot for all. It offers takeout and delivery for food too.
They have a regular timetable here, so you’ll know what to expect. They have jazz on a Monday and a Thursday, R&B on a Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and a ‘Sip and Smoke’ night offering cocktails and cigars on a Sunday. In addition, they have open-mic comedy on a Wednesday night and the occasional comedy night featuring locals and touring comedians.
There are some great drinks to choose from here, including cocktails, liquors, beer, and wine. They’ve got a good range of mimosas to choose from, and they make an excellent Bloody Mary too. Or you can go for a Brunch Punch (3 types of rum, pineapple, orange juice, and berries).
The food here is great. They offer entrees like spicy boudin balls, gumbo, wing baskets, and deviled eggs. They also have a range of great seafood, like Cajun seafood pasta and shrimp and grits.
You can book a reservation here, or you can turn up on the night, although it does get busy on the weekends!
You May Like: 7 Best Crawfish Restaurants in Houston
6. House of Blues
| Address | 1204 Caroline St Houston, TX 77002 |
| Website | houseofblues.com/houston |
| Opening Times | Tues - Sat, 5 PM - 10 PM |
| Facilities | Free wi-fi, food, concerts, private event hire |
Want to burn off some steam with a night of dancing? House of Blues is the place to go. Offering drinks, food, and live music, it’s great for groups of friends.
They have a large event space here with some big acts playing. You can see touring bands in all types of genres, as well as comedians. If you don’t want to see a big show, you can head to the bar and restaurant instead, where you can catch some smaller jazz bands playing.
At the bar, you can get cocktails, liquors, wine, and beer, with friendly and attentive bartenders serving your drinks quickly.
You can also enjoy some comfort food here, like jambalaya, baby back ribs, cajun chicken pasta, and shrimp and grits. They have a pretty good range of burgers too.
It’s worth booking in advance, particularly on busy nights. It’s the ideal place to go for a big night out, as you can combine food and drinks with a concert afterward.
7. The Continental Club
| Address | 3700 Main St Houston, TX 77002 |
| Website | http://continentalclub.com |
| Opening Times | Thurs 6PM - 2AM, Fri 7PM - 2AM, Sat 8PM - 2AM |
| Facilities | Outdoor seating, pool table |
The Continental Club is a good place to go if you want to listen to great music. It’s busy, loud, and casual, a great place to go for a night out with friends.
They have a range of bands playing here, both touring and local bands, in various genres. Their calendar is jam-packed with events, so you can keep returning here to experience different bands.
In terms of drinks at the bar, they have a good range of wine and beer as well as some liquors and cocktails. The bartenders are attentive and serve drinks quickly, which is great. Drinks are reasonably priced too.
You don’t have to book in advance if you just want a drink, but you’ll obviously need tickets if you want to see the live music events.
8. Tongue-Cut Sparrow
| Address | 1424 Westheimer Rd Houston, TX 77006 |
| Website | tonguecatsparrow.com |
| Opening Times | Weds-Sat 4 PM - 12 AM |
| Facilities | Local and touring musicians, private event hire |
Tongue-Cut Sparrow is a trendy, classy place to see events and enjoy some excellently-made cocktails. It’s a speakeasy-style, almost hidden bar with beautiful decor, and it’s an ideal place to go for friends or a date night.
They have light jazz playing each evening, which, combined with the surroundings and cocktails, make for a relaxing and classy evening out. You can book the whole place if you want to use it for a private event, which is nice.
If you’re a cocktail enthusiast, this is the place to go for a treat. The cocktails here are noteworthy. Not only are they delicious, but they look beautiful too. Plus, they offer light bar snacks too.
It’s worth booking a table here as it gets busy pretty quickly, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights.
Our Final Thoughts
We hope this has helped you find the best places for jazz in Houston! With so many to choose from, it’s definitely worth visiting all of them if you can.
While you’re here, why not check out the rest of our guides? You may like our guides to the 10 Best Skyline Scenic Views in Houston, the 13 Best Boutiques in Houston, and the 5 Best Beaches in Houston, TX.