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Stemless glasses of red and white wine over pizza.
Montrose pizzeria, Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana, has a popular BYOB policy.
Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana / Facebook

Houston’s Most Beloved BYOB Restaurants

Bring that fancy bottle of wine you’ve been saving to pizza shops, Vietnamese cafes, and more

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Montrose pizzeria, Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana, has a popular BYOB policy.
| Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana / Facebook

Plenty of restaurants in Houston feature well curated wine and beer lists to peruse, but for some of them who don’t, an attractive BYOB policy, allowing guests to bring their own bottles of wine, beer, or booze, is just as enticing. While there is often times a corkage fee, dining at a BYOB restaurant can still be an appealing, budget-friendly alternative.

Whether it’s a meal at a hidden Asiatown gem or a casual Montrose pizza joint you want to pair your favorite Bourdeaux with, go forth and consider these Houston restaurants that allow diners to bring their own booze. As operational changes happen within restaurants on a regular basis, it is always good practice to call ahead to confirm policies and prices.

Know of any other BYOB restaurants we may have missed? Shout them out in the comments.

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Sao Lao Thai Café

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This Thai and Lao restaurant, known for its intimate space and bounty of flavor-packed dishes, lets guests bring their own booze. For a $5 corkage fee, pair a sparkling rose or full-bodied red with the restaurant’s signature boat noodles, a dish made with more than 40 ingredients.

Aladdin Mediterranean Grill

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The Garden Oaks outpost of this casual Mediterranean restaurant offers a BYOB policy, and charges no corkage fee with the purchase of food. Find dishes like shawarma, kabobs, and mezze platters, and save room for baklava.

Jenni's Noodle House

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This long standing neighborhood spot serves vermicelli bowls, dumplings, and plenty of noodle dishes. For those looking to make it a casual night out, Jenni’s will provide corkscrews and wine glasses for diners who BYOB. Corkage fee is $4 per bottle, and free for a six-pack of beer or less.

KP's Kitchen

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This Memorial-area neighborhood gem, from Houston industry veteran Kerry Pauly, serves Southern classics such as Gulf crab cakes, a hot chicken sandwich, seared ahi tuna, and filet mignon. KP’s welcomes diners to bring their favorite wines for a $10 corkage fee per bottle, and will even offer pairing ideas.

Porta'Vino

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The name of this Mediterranean and Italian-inspired restaurant literally translates to “bring wine.” Porta’Vino has its own tightly-curated selection of bottles, but you’re welcome to bring your own, starting at a $12 corkage fee for the first bottle, minus a dollar for each consecutive bottle after that. Corkage for beer is $1 a bottle.

5Kinokawa

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Dining at Billy Kin’s Heights omakase restaurant is an engaging dining experience. Wine and sake is available, but diners can also bring their own for a $15 corkage fee per bottle. In such an intimate setting, it’s not unusual for everyone to partake in the fun and share.

Theodore Rex

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This relaxed Warehouse District restaurant, helmed by James Beard Award recipient Justin Yu, offers a well thought out wine list, but it also allows diners to bring in a bottle of their own choosing. The corkage fee for wine and champagne is $35 per bottle. Break out that vintage red to go with dishes like the tomato toast or roasted beef cap.

Lucio's

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BYOB is worked right into the name of this longstanding Fourth Ward restaurant, where you’ll find dishes like sea scallops with risotto and butternut squash, and rack of lamb with hen of the woods mushrooms. The corkage fee is $10 per bottle of champagne or wine, and complimentary on Wednesdays.

Pizaro's Pizza Napoletana

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This Montrose pizzeria has perfected the art of Neapolitan-style pizza, using hand tossed dough and imported ingredients for its in house sauces, and as a bonus lets guests BYOB. Watch as pizzas are cooked in a blistering 900 degree oven, including Detroit and New York style pies. Then enjoy your meal with a wine of choice. The corkage fee is $12.

Cafe Layal

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This Midtown café serves up Mediterranean dishes such as hummus with pita, kabob, shawarma and gyro, and charges a $5 corkage fee per person to partake in your own wine and beer. The weekly belly dancing show is an added bonus.

District 7 Grill Midtown

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This Midtown mainstay has been serving American fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner for more than 16 years. Bring your own sparkling wine for mimosas, and pair with an order of eggs benedict for breakfast. The corkage fee is just $10 for wine and champagne, or a six pack of beer.

Huynh Restaurant

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This family-operated Vietnamese restaurant in EaDo has one of the most budget-friendly BYOB policies in town — a onetime fee of $2.50 for each person in the party that will be imbibing. Bring a crisp white to enjoy with the citrusy, herbal duck salad, or a robust red to go with the shaking beef tenderloin.

Pepper Twins

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All four locations of Pepper Twins, known for its spicy Sichuan dishes with a focus on organic and farm-raised ingredients, offer a BYOB policy. The corkage fee is $5 for win and just $1 for beer.

Himalaya Restaurant

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This no-frills Indo-Pak restaurant is one of the most popular in the Mahatma Gandhi District, and it is also one of the best spots to BYOB. There is no corkage fee as long as every person in the party orders food, but you will need to bring your own glassware. Consider a bottle of champagne to go with Himalaya’s famous fried chicken.

Sushi by Hidden

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The 30 minute omakase experience curated by chef Jimmy Kieu of Hidden Omakase offers a hand-selected 12 piece sushi tasting. Guests are welcome to bring their own bottle of wine or sake, with a corkage fee of $20.

Hu's Cooking

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This West University restaurant features a robust menu of Taiwanese dishes like dan dan noodles, garlic pork ribs, poached fish in spicy Szechuan oil, and spicy popcorn chicken, along with beer and wine. If you prefer to bring your own, the corkage fee is $10 for wine, and $3 for beer.

Hai Cang Harbor

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This Asiatown restaurant, known for its fresh seafood offerings like Dungeness and king crab, is BYOB. The corkage fee is $10 for spirits and wine, with no charge for bottles of beer. Everything is served family-style, so bring a friend (or five) and truly indulge.

This Asiatown restaurant is a standout for Cantonese dishes like crispy duck leg, house made noodles, and fried chicken, and it’s BYOB. Bring your own white or red (or both) — corkage fee is $10 per bottle.

Mala Sichuan Bistro

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Diners can BYOB wine and champagne at all Mala restaurants, with the exception of the Heights location, where a full menu of signature cocktails is available. The corkage fee is $10 per bottle. The traditional flavors of the Sichuan province will leave your tongue tingling, so choose your beverage pairing wisely.

Sao Lao Thai Café

This Thai and Lao restaurant, known for its intimate space and bounty of flavor-packed dishes, lets guests bring their own booze. For a $5 corkage fee, pair a sparkling rose or full-bodied red with the restaurant’s signature boat noodles, a dish made with more than 40 ingredients.

Aladdin Mediterranean Grill

The Garden Oaks outpost of this casual Mediterranean restaurant offers a BYOB policy, and charges no corkage fee with the purchase of food. Find dishes like shawarma, kabobs, and mezze platters, and save room for baklava.

Jenni's Noodle House

This long standing neighborhood spot serves vermicelli bowls, dumplings, and plenty of noodle dishes. For those looking to make it a casual night out, Jenni’s will provide corkscrews and wine glasses for diners who BYOB. Corkage fee is $4 per bottle, and free for a six-pack of beer or less.

KP's Kitchen

This Memorial-area neighborhood gem, from Houston industry veteran Kerry Pauly, serves Southern classics such as Gulf crab cakes, a hot chicken sandwich, seared ahi tuna, and filet mignon. KP’s welcomes diners to bring their favorite wines for a $10 corkage fee per bottle, and will even offer pairing ideas.

Porta'Vino

The name of this Mediterranean and Italian-inspired restaurant literally translates to “bring wine.” Porta’Vino has its own tightly-curated selection of bottles, but you’re welcome to bring your own, starting at a $12 corkage fee for the first bottle, minus a dollar for each consecutive bottle after that. Corkage for beer is $1 a bottle.

5Kinokawa

Dining at Billy Kin’s Heights omakase restaurant is an engaging dining experience. Wine and sake is available, but diners can also bring their own for a $15 corkage fee per bottle. In such an intimate setting, it’s not unusual for everyone to partake in the fun and share.

Theodore Rex

This relaxed Warehouse District restaurant, helmed by James Beard Award recipient Justin Yu, offers a well thought out wine list, but it also allows diners to bring in a bottle of their own choosing. The corkage fee for wine and champagne is $35 per bottle. Break out that vintage red to go with dishes like the tomato toast or roasted beef cap.

Lucio's

BYOB is worked right into the name of this longstanding Fourth Ward restaurant, where you’ll find dishes like sea scallops with risotto and butternut squash, and rack of lamb with hen of the woods mushrooms. The corkage fee is $10 per bottle of champagne or wine, and complimentary on Wednesdays.

Pizaro's Pizza Napoletana

This Montrose pizzeria has perfected the art of Neapolitan-style pizza, using hand tossed dough and imported ingredients for its in house sauces, and as a bonus lets guests BYOB. Watch as pizzas are cooked in a blistering 900 degree oven, including Detroit and New York style pies. Then enjoy your meal with a wine of choice. The corkage fee is $12.

Cafe Layal

This Midtown café serves up Mediterranean dishes such as hummus with pita, kabob, shawarma and gyro, and charges a $5 corkage fee per person to partake in your own wine and beer. The weekly belly dancing show is an added bonus.

District 7 Grill Midtown

This Midtown mainstay has been serving American fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner for more than 16 years. Bring your own sparkling wine for mimosas, and pair with an order of eggs benedict for breakfast. The corkage fee is just $10 for wine and champagne, or a six pack of beer.

Huynh Restaurant

This family-operated Vietnamese restaurant in EaDo has one of the most budget-friendly BYOB policies in town — a onetime fee of $2.50 for each person in the party that will be imbibing. Bring a crisp white to enjoy with the citrusy, herbal duck salad, or a robust red to go with the shaking beef tenderloin.

Pepper Twins

All four locations of Pepper Twins, known for its spicy Sichuan dishes with a focus on organic and farm-raised ingredients, offer a BYOB policy. The corkage fee is $5 for win and just $1 for beer.

Himalaya Restaurant

This no-frills Indo-Pak restaurant is one of the most popular in the Mahatma Gandhi District, and it is also one of the best spots to BYOB. There is no corkage fee as long as every person in the party orders food, but you will need to bring your own glassware. Consider a bottle of champagne to go with Himalaya’s famous fried chicken.

Sushi by Hidden

The 30 minute omakase experience curated by chef Jimmy Kieu of Hidden Omakase offers a hand-selected 12 piece sushi tasting. Guests are welcome to bring their own bottle of wine or sake, with a corkage fee of $20.

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Hu's Cooking

This West University restaurant features a robust menu of Taiwanese dishes like dan dan noodles, garlic pork ribs, poached fish in spicy Szechuan oil, and spicy popcorn chicken, along with beer and wine. If you prefer to bring your own, the corkage fee is $10 for wine, and $3 for beer.

Hai Cang Harbor

This Asiatown restaurant, known for its fresh seafood offerings like Dungeness and king crab, is BYOB. The corkage fee is $10 for spirits and wine, with no charge for bottles of beer. Everything is served family-style, so bring a friend (or five) and truly indulge.

Mein

This Asiatown restaurant is a standout for Cantonese dishes like crispy duck leg, house made noodles, and fried chicken, and it’s BYOB. Bring your own white or red (or both) — corkage fee is $10 per bottle.

Mala Sichuan Bistro

Diners can BYOB wine and champagne at all Mala restaurants, with the exception of the Heights location, where a full menu of signature cocktails is available. The corkage fee is $10 per bottle. The traditional flavors of the Sichuan province will leave your tongue tingling, so choose your beverage pairing wisely.

Related Maps