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June marks Pride Month, a full 30 days when the LGBTQ community and its allies come together for several colorful weeks of celebration, expression, entertainment, compassion, and storytelling. Though Houston’s official Pride parade and festival will take place on Saturday, June 24, many bars and restaurants have already begun their festivities with specials and events. Some are even taking a charitable spin, giving a portion of their sales or proceeds to causes that directly benefit the community that it celebrates.
See how Houston’s restaurant scene is celebrating below, and be sure to check out Houston’s best LGTBQ bars and drag shows to get the party started.
Axelrad: The Midtown drinking haunt will pour up its Chromarita ($11) in honor of Pride. A combination of tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and house-made hibiscus syrup, this rainbow sugar and salt-rimmed drink is a colorful way to imbibe, with 15 percent of the sales going to the Montrose Center, an LGBTQ community hub that provides various services to the community. (1517 Alabama Street, 77004)
Bagel Shop Bakery: The rainbow bagel returns. The bakery and bagel shop brings back its plain rainbow bagel ($2.50), offering a festive breakfast and a colorful treat. (5422 Bellaire Boulevard, 77401)
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Betelgeuse Betelgeuse: This Washington Avenue bar is offering much-needed encouragement with an intergalactic sparkle and shine. The $11 Yass Queen cocktail comes mixed with vodka, strawberries, lemon, simple syrup, sparkling wine, and edible glitter for a little shimmer. Make it a sharable ordeal for four to six people for $45. For each drink served through June, $1 will be donated to the Montrose Center. (2101 Washington Avenue, 77007)
Buddy’s: From drag brunches to animated karaoke and Latin nights, this iconic gay bar is already known for hosting a variety of lively LGBTQ events in Houston. During Pride, they’ll up the ante with its sixth annual Pride Bar Crawl on Saturday, June 17, which includes a couple drinks or shots, a stadium cup for the first 400 check-ins, free entry to the drag show, and waved cover at all venues. The crawl will travel to multiple drinking and dining destinations, including Acme Oyster House, Postino, Pop Soap, Tony’s Corner Pocket, and Kiki Houston for the after-party. Visit the website for a full lineup of events held through June and beyond. (2409 Grant Street, Suite A, 77006)
Common Bond Bakery & Cafe: One of Houston’s favorite coffee shops and bakeries will join in on the fun with a Fruity Pebbles macaron through June. The macaron will consist of a white macaron shell decorated with rainbow nonpareils and filled with a Fruity Pebbles flavored ganache. Diners can also visit CommonBond’s bistro locations for its rainbow Pride cakes, available whole and by the slice. Eight inches in diameter, this cake will be iced and filled with layers of white vanilla buttercream, then decorated with rainbow sprinkles and colorful buttercream. Its On-the-Go locations will offer Pride mini loaf confetti cakes, decorated with a rainbow and white buttercream, and topped with multi-color sprinkles and pieces of chocolate. (Various locations)
CounterCommon Beerworks & Kitchen: The Bellaire brewpub has teamed up with beer bloggers Brett and Cole Chynoweth to create Rye’d with Pride. This limited edition beer is a goldenrod-colored Rye India Pale Lager with orange citrus notes and undertones of Juicy Fruit gum and spice from the rye, according to a release. The beer is slated to be released on Saturday, June 3, at the restaurant, with proceeds benefiting Montrose Grace Place. (5413 Bellaire Boulevard, 77401)
Cowboys & Indians: In the spirit of Pride, this Texas Indian fusion restaurant will offer pakora fritters ($11) made of cornmeal, cauliflower, potato, and onions, and the bourbon-based All CNI drink ($14), made with lime guava and pea flower. Ten percent of the proceeds will go to Montrose Grace Place, which helps support local homeless LGBTQ youth and young people of all identities. (1901 Taft Street, 77006)
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Dessert Gallery: Known for its sweet treats, this Houston bakery is dishing out its “Slice of Pride” cake, which alternates between layers of French vanilla cake filled with rainbow buttercream and a pop of Pride confetti sprinkles for $10 per slice and $63 for whole cakes. Dessert Gallery will also bake up Pride-themed butter cookies for $5 each. Twenty percent of all Pride purchases will be donated to Allies of Hope, formerly the AIDS Foundation of Houston. (3600 Kirby Drive #D, 77098)
Hilton Americas-Houston: The hotel’s lobby bar and rooftop lounge, R24, is offering $12 slices of rainbow cake and $16 Citrus Rainbow Fizz cocktails, made up of Ketel One botanical rose, and grapefruit juice. (1600 Lamar Street, 77010)
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Flight Club: Throughout June, this social darts destination’s Vicuña, a mango pico cocktail made with pisco, mango, clove, lime, and egg whites, will be in drag — dressed up with a Pride cocktail topper. All proceeds from this $15 drink will benefit the Montrose Center. (3515 W Dallas St Suite 100, 77019)
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Gong Cha: Through June, this bubble tea shop will donate a portion of every purchase of its Lemon Ai Love Yu bubble tea to the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance. The sweet and tart drink is decorated with white pearls and edible glitter for added sparkle. (9889 Bellaire Boulevard, Ste C-318, 77036)
Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen: The restaurant and bakery will continue its 2022 tradition and will offer its five-layer rainbow cake by the giant slice ($11) or in whole form ($55). Ten inches round and 12 inches high, the cakes are composed of multicolored layers and enveloped in smooth buttercream icing. Whole cake orders must be made 24 hours in advance. (1743 Post Oak Boulevard, 77056)
The Original Ninfa’s: This Mexican institution will offer its watermelon mojitos — a combination of white rum, watermelon juice, simple syrup, and mint leaves — at both of its locations through June. Every dollar from the $13 drink will be donated to GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. (1700 Post Oak Boulevard, #1-190, 77056; 2704 Navigation Boulevard, 77003)
Arnaldo Richards’ Picos: The Mexican restaurant is offering to donate 20 percent of each diner’s designated dinner tab to Montrose Grace Place during June. It’s also featuring its Bacardi Mojito Bucket, a hearty blend of Bacardi Superior, lime, mint, and Topo Chico for $15. (3601 Kirby Drive, 77098)
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POST Houston: Already sporting rainbow lighting on its exterior, the multi-use space will offer a free Pride yoga session on its Skylawn on Saturday, June 3, at 11 a.m. thanks to Black Swan Yoga. Its food hall, Post Market Houston, will also feature drink specials, including a glittery vodka-prickly pear and citrus cocktail, called Love Me ($14), and a Tequila Made Me Do It cocktail with vanilla, cacao, and citrus that invites you to place the blame elsewhere for $15. (401 Franklin Street, 77201)
Ripcord: The self-proclaimed oldest gay leather bar in Texas will host one of the most exciting Pride parties. Its Unapologetic Pride Party kicks off on Thursday, June 22 with a kickoff show, and carries on through Sunday, June 25 with drag shows, kink demonstrations, DJ sets, scheduled speakers, and more. (715 Fairview Street, 77006)
Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown: This rooftop, outdoor theater is showcasing its favorite LGBTQ films, including She’s the Man, Set it Off, Jennifer’s Body, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and the cult classic, Rocky Horror Picture Show. Movies will be displayed at multiple locations across the country, and for every ticket sold, $1 will go to Lambda Legal, the oldest and largest legal organization that supports the civil rights of LGBTQ people and those living with HIV. (1700 Post Oak Boulevard, 5th Level, 77056)
Trash Panda Drinking Club: The local haunt will host a pop-up series, paying homage to some of the most legendary drinking and dining establishments in the country. For one night only on Tuesday, June 6, Houston bargoers can experience a reimagination of Stonewall Inn bar, the New York site that kicked off the LGBTQ movement in 1969. Diners can enjoy drinks from Stonewall bartenders, New York-style pizza, and music from DJ Chauncy D. On Saturday, June 13, the bar will channel the Cubbyhole, with the lesbian bar’s bartenders Danny Reiche and Deb Greenberg serving drinks from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., plus complimentary slices of cheese pizza served for 30 minutes in homage to the Cubbyhole’s free pizza tradition and music by DJ Rozes and DJLC. Trash Panda’s final Pride event on Saturday, June 24 will honor Houston’s shuttered La Strada from noon to 5 p.m. with a series of drag performances, plus a menu of flatbreads, salads, calamari, and eggs Benedict. (4203 Edison Street, 77009)
Vinny’s Pizza: Starting on Tuesday, June 6, the pizza joint is offering Pride-themed pies with colorful toppings, including mozzarella, pineapple, pepperoni, mushrooms, basil, prosciutto, red onion, and orange bell pepper. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Montrose Center. (1201 St Emanuel Street, 77003)
The Waffle Bus: Known for its sweet and savory waffle sandwiches, the Montrose location of Waffle Bus is switching things up with Taste the Rainbow Italian ice desserts for $5. Ten percent of the proceeds go to Montrose Grace Place. (1540 West Alabama Street, #100, 77006)
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Wild: Both the Heights and Montrose locations of this local coffee shop and bud bar will treat diners to a $12 Taste of the Rainbow macaron flight that comes in ube, rose, and citron flavors, and its smoky Pride & Passion cocktail ($14), made with mezcal, Cointreau noir, Chinola liqueur, Aperol, housemade sour mix, and an ocean tincture. (1609 Westheimer Road, 77006; 2121 North Shepherd Drive, Suite C, 77008).
This article will be updated with new specials.