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1006 McGowen Houston, TX 77002

713-659-5366 

 

1006 McGowen Houston TX 77002

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  • Sun 6pm-2am, Mon-Fri 4pm-2am, Sat 8pm-2am
Description

Under the Volcano owners Pete and Vera Mitchell have revitalized this small Midtown drinkery while maintaining its cozy, dim feel. The alley-like corridor along the main bar still gives way to two ornate back rooms, but gone are the ancient piano and the wall-mounted jukebox. Instead, the Mitchells have collected more than 600 LPs for the staff to spin on twin turntables behind the bar. Local music figures routinely host DJ nights, spinning from the bar's library and their own wax. Leon's rotating drink menu features inventive cocktails like the Green on Red, a rum concoction garnished with red pepper and basil, and Volcano carryovers such as the Whiskey Smash.








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  • 2011 | Best Renovation

    As Houston's oldest continuously-operating bar (not including icehouses), Leon's always had its stained-glass and crystalline charms. There was even a level of elegance remaining beneath the nicotine grit and spilled Busch residue of the past 60-plus years. Last year, Pete and Vera Mitchell of Under the Volcano fame bought the bar and at last revealed their months-long facelift, and what a job they did polishing this dustiest of gems. While the bar still feels old and funky, they've removed... More »

  • 2008 | Best Place to Meet Single Women

    They're cute, dolled up and in cowboy boots -- what else could you ask for in Texas? Leon's Lounge's monthly country music installment, Vinyl Ranch, gets all the ladies in a Southern mood. Not only do you get to hear the straight-from-the-phonograph hits of Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and more, but you also get to peruse a nice selection of tight-jean-wearing, cowboy-hat-sporting dolls wishing for a man to sweep them off their feet and onto Houston's tiniest... More »

  • 2006 | Best Neighborhood Bar - Midtown

    There's no other bar in Midtown -- or in Houston, for that matter -- like Leon's Lounge. Not only does it boast an existence spanning nearly six decades -- quite a feat, considering the blink-and-you-missed-it nature of Houston businesses -- it's also the most interesting place you can find any night of the week in Midtown. If you happen to show up when the owners are in good spirits and hanging out with the patrons, you're guaranteed to have a night that will include -- at the bare minimum... More »

  • 2004 | Best Piano Bar

    Leon's Lounge Piano bars should be divey, but also have a touch of class. There should be history and mystery in the air. You should be able to envision yourself as Humphrey Bogart, and that shapely woman at the bar as Ingrid Bergman. They should inspire you to think up and use corny dialogue in lieu of your usual speech. There should also be a hint of danger to it all, and the people who work there should have plenty of character. In other words, piano bars should be like the one in the... More »

  • 2003 | Best Bar Decor

    Even though the front bar at Leon's Lounge is hung with brilliant chandeliers, the place isn't what you'd call opulent. After all, the twinkling lights illuminate a sandy shuffleboard table. But the lounge's contradictions are what make it interesting. Its two back rooms couldn't be more different. One is dark, with a piano inside. The other is a brightly lit space dominated by a pool table and a blown-up picture of the now-deceased Leon posing with a boar. Its walls are cluttered with deer... More »

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