Address: | 1001 Austin St, Houston, TX 77010, USA |
Phone: | +1 832-360-2222 |
Site: | mktbar.com |
Rating: | 4.4 |
Working: | 2–10PM 2–10PM 2–10PM 2PM–2AM 2PM–2AM 9AM–2AM 9AM–8PM |
MA
Mark Wang
MKT Bar, you guys are a love and hate hang out place to be. MKT Bar is the extension of the Phoenica Market downtown as the market closes, this bar stays open and utilize the kitchen of Phoenicas for the hot food while they already have a gelato stand and a decently stock bar in this establishment, oh, and a stage for live music performance. This review consist of some of the past visitations and most importantly, the most recent visit of their Thursday (and also on Tuesday) night steak night. Lets talk about the love part on whats so great about this place. First, the list of the beer is decent and good priced. Second, the food is also good tasting and priced too. Third, from time to time, theres live music performances almost every night of the week and they are all great acts. Lastly, its also right across from Discovery Green so whenever theres an after party, it is likely to be at this place. Now theres always something that does not live up to the expectations when one visit an establishment. On our most recent visit for their Thursday night steak night, it was pretty packed and the stage is playing Afro pop music. Everyone looks like having a good time and dining their steak mainly. It was so packed that we had to share with another party at one of the long table away from the stage area. Once we sat down, we saw not one, but 2 servers and a manager walking pass by us and not greeting us at all. It was about possibly 8 minutes later when they finally decided which server will be serving us and finally giving us a menu and take our drink order. The thing is that they have this certain Trappist beer on the menu but every time for the past 3-4 visits I want to order it, they seem to never have it anymore. I always had to settle on my second choice or sometime third because my second choice isnt available either. Speaking of things not available on the menu, theres this one gelato dessert that my girlfriend always wanted to get but past visits they say its out, but this time, the server finally stated that its a dessert they no longer have available. If its not available, at least cross it off the menu than making the customer a bit disappointed. Now I want to say that we sat down on the long table first and then another party of 3 ask if the other sides taken and we welcome them to the table. They were actually being served by a manager (based on the clothing) and now we ordered our food and drink first, and the manager took their order a few minutes after. Yet somehow they were able to get their food and drink to them first. At least the salad that came with the steak came out in good time and it was decent mixed salad. By the time our steaks came out, we were still pretty hungry. The steak, at its price of $12, was a bit lacking. The portion is a bit smaller than my stomachs imagining. The twice baked potato was a bit small too and we were hoping to be at least a bit loaded. We gulp up the steak in record time due to our hunger from earlier the night but it wasnt too satisfying as compared to their menu food such as the pizza or the sliders. I will still come back to this place but just dont expect everything on the menu to be available and the service will be vary depending on how busy it is.
JO
jose C
This review is based on a single (Wednesday afternoon/evening) visit just prior to an Astros game. I plan to update this review during future visits. Yep, the MKT Bar is more than worthy of a repeat. The MKT Bar is an offshoot of Phoenicia Specialty Foods. Though it feels quaint and cozy, its sufficiently large to handle groups (there were two groups there during my visit), with enough individual tables for a crowd. It has a hipster feel to it, but they dont go overboard with the décor. The high ceilings equate to a very loud atmosphere when the place gets packed. No problem, considering this is a bar. Though the place has an excellent beer selection from breweries near and far (and what appeared to be a fine wine list), this review is mostly about the food. My daughter and I noshed on the house queso/pita chips, fried cheese and The Butcher, a meat-topped pizza. All were delicious. The fried cheese is different from your run-of-the-mill frozen versions, as they use Fontina and bread it in panko. The pizza had a very nice flavor, although the crust was soggy. The queso was the most memorable dish, as it is made with a funky blend of artisan cheeses. Service here was iffy when we first arrived. We were among three people in the place and several servers stood around and just offered us passing glances for about 10 minutes. Once someone came to the table to take care of us, the attention paid to us was excellent for the rest of the night. Perhaps we showed up during a shift change? Bottom line: This place has a limited, but eclectic menu. Their ingredients list is interesting and proved to be excellent in the dishes we sampled. Im looking forward to getting back and sampling more.
CO
Courtney Renfro
This is a sleek, beautiful space. The bar is absolutely gorgeous. Although it is located on the ground level one of, if not the most expensive apartments in Houston, it does not have a pretentious feel to it. It has an eclectic group of customers. It attracts families, business professionals, young and old, as well as the movers and shakers. In addition to Monday through Friday Happy Hour, they have nightly events throughout the week such as Monday night board-games, Wednesday night DJs playing their favorite vinyl and two steak nights. In my opinion, they offer up some of the best gelato in town. Ive tried several dishes off of the main menu including their sliders and pizzas -- good stuff. Its conveniently located near Discovery Green. If you crave something more than the standard fare served at Discovery Greens cafe, MKT Bar is a good alternative.
AM
Amalia Bernal
First of all, it was our first time going there on Feb. 18, 2017.. But we werent treated as expected. We like the scenery, great music, all walks of life. But theres one problem, the server was a little bit rude. He literally was rushing us to eat. We were thinking of staying until 9:30 p.m. or 10 p.m. But after we finished eating, he gave us the ticket for us to pay. My fiancé was calculating the amount for the tip, when the server came to our table & said, "are you done?" First of all, you dont ask your customers if theyre done with eating or signing the ticket to be charged to your card. As a cashier or server, you wait until they call you, they go to you or you simply ask them politely, "Is there anything else I can do for you?" I do hope this guy is not the owner, bc if he is, he needs to tone down his attitude a bit. I probably wont go back again
SE
Sean Hankinson
This place was like a college dining hall when its a "social." Cafeteria feel with odd cocktails that are infused white wine sprintzers and stout ice cream floats as opposed to real booze. The beer and wine selection is good on the contrary. The waiter seemed disinterested in being a waiter. He offered a menu but then was reluctant to take our order even when we told him we were ready. Upon receiving our bill he didnt come back to collect payment for ages. Ultimately, we stopped here for a night cap but I wish wed gone to another bar in the area with more of a full bar mixology, better atmosphere and a lively staff. Pet peeve: we asked for water and he served it in plastic to-go cups complete with lids and straws. I Think its a waste of plastic to serve is to-go waters. But then again maybe it was the final hint that he didnt care.