Far away from the nightlife of Montrose, this humble cantina, one of the few gay bars outside the loop, stands alone. In addition to the dance hall, La Granja is known for its drag shows and karaoke.

This old-school ice house offers free pool, and often has food specials like barbecue or crawfish. It’s beer only, but they sell set-ups and allow patrons to bring their own liquor.

The most charming aspect of TA’s Cargo Club is the sunken bar, giving the place the feel of a faded low-budget casino — in the best possible way. In addition to the booze, the bar occasionally serves food — check Facebook for specials, and also host karaoke.

This bar, tucked away in a Heights neighborhood, has a large outdoor space that backs up to Little White Oak Bayou. The interior is small, but the massive yard, with its gnarled oaks trees and fairy lights, is perfect for an evening hang. Revelers might even spot a great blue in the water.

This quirky venue hosts local bands most nights of the week, and also serves as a showcase for local artists — art supplies like colored pencils and paint tubes are laid out on the bar for anyone to use. Did we mention there’s also arcade games, like pinball and video bowling?

In addition to happy hour regulars, this spot is popular with post-shift restaurant workers. Somewhat surprisingly for a dive bar, the bartenders here make a mean martini.

This no-frills Downtown spot is a welcome respite from the city’s fancier, cocktail-focused bars. With several TVs, it’s also a great place to watch sports, Try the $5 frozens or booze-soaked pineapple.

Lola’s has fancied itself up in recent years — it used to be cash-only, but now accepts credit cards — but the drinks are still blindingly strong and the juke box is still, well, diverse. It’s the perfect place for a nightcap after dinner in the Montrose.

This Irish-themed bar is known for its jello shots, which are free to the entire room any time the Astros hit a home run or the Texans score a touchdown. Don’t sleep on the food either — juicy burgers, tater tots and piled-high nachos round out the bar menu.