Avant Garden

Came for the informal birthday celebration of a 23 yo. On a Wednesday It was perfect for that. Doors are open and floor fans are spinning. It is May and I was fanning myself upstairs after more than a handful of people came into the space. The drinks served in tiny plastic cups with mad ice… just how you’d expect a drink for a kid to be made. The DJ was the best part. He jammed and we danced!

First off, such a cute venue! Loved absolutely everything about the setup and architecture of the facility. Sadly that is where the buck stops. I attended an event recently and had the opportunity to spend several hours at this location. The bathrooms were very dingy and off-​putting which is surprising given the otherwise cute appearance. The bartender was not at all personable and followed up his «less than thrilled to be here» attitude with terrible (seriously, terrible) drinks. Considering that this was a formal event I was shocked to see that many of the employees looked like they were headed to a Blink 182 concert. The last thing that really stood out to me was the staff from the on-​location taco truck shouting loudly at each other during a critical part of our evening (to which a member of the staff caught on to and started shushing them). This place could really be a fantastic little gem with a bit more polishing and a staff who takes a little more pride in their work. Maybe someone new will buy this place and give it the attention it deserves.

Avant Garden is one of the more unique wedding venues in Houston. It has great reviews on Wedding Wire and The Knot which is why had great interest in this location. To echo other reviews, the food was good, the cost is reasonable, and the venue itself is beautiful. All this was soured by our numerous negative interactions with the proprietor and wedding coordinator, Mariana. If we had known about her disorganization, lack of professionalism, and her uncaring attitude we would have gladly paid more to have our wedding elsewhere.
She was late often late to our appointments, and once even forgot we had an appointment. It would take her day to get back to you when you email her. She forgot many things I asked for/​she agree upon. After having everything in writing, things were went wrong as she couldn’t keep track of everything by herself.
For example:
She got our head count wrong! she planned for only 85, when we have 105 guests — did not order enough food due to that.
She had the wrong time to when I will be showing up to get ready, was 30 mins late, and when I showed up the venue was still a dirty mess from the night before. When I called Mariana at 12:50, she told me she was still at home even though we were suppose to meet at 1.
She was going to use disposable plates for my wedding, when we have the Diamond package which included China.
She even had the wrong type of flowers for my wedding, used the flower (daisies) i requested not to have as daisies are for funeral in my culture
My bouquet was barely made in time for the photos prior to the ceremony
There was not enough chairs to the tables, and took them a long while to get more chairs! I was told they were going to set up 10 chairs per table and ended up with only 8 per which made it really confusing for our guests.
Mariana herself have actually told me she have too many wedding for her to even keep track of everything… She would change plans on you on the last min without even speaking to you about it. She moved a lot of tables around without speaking to me so in the end, a table of my co-​workers ended up at one of the head tables where my family should have been.
The whole experience was just a mess. Both my Makeup Artist and Photographer mentioned to me how rude and unpleasant Mariana was. Tons of my family members and guest were extreme confused/​upset by the disorganization of the event.
Once everything got started it did run a bit smoother, but the planning/​getting ready part really ruined our wedding experience. It really wouldn’t be big enough of an issue for me to write a bad review, however, it’s really off putting when we tried to voice our concerns and displeasure the response we got was rather aggressive and defensive from Mariana. Sometime you just want an apology and call it a day.

I’ve been coming here for the better part of two decades and it’s always been a good time. You couldn’t put a label on the place because every day is something different. Poetry, Art, music, comedy. You name it, it happens at Avant! Familiar faces everywhere you look and great daily specials!
If you want a carbon copy bar that is the basically just the the last three you went to, don’t come here! Chances are it wouldn’t be you your liking! The crowd is one big melting pot and everyone gets along!
Thursday is probably one of the best days there is at Avant. Well drink specials and lots of stuff going on to but go early if you want a table! Because it gets pretty packed!

I always enjoy coming here. There’s always a change of scenery around every corner. You might pass it if you didn’t know it was there. Essentially, it’s a huge renovated house with a downstairs and upstairs bar (behind a hidden staircase), a front patio and a huge back patio bar with a canopy, hanging chandeliers, and string lights… All around it is eclectic and captivating.
The drinks are reasonably priced and they have $ 2 well specials on Thursday nights.
The nights are all themed; they have comedy night, open mic, tons of live bands, etc.
But if anything, you have to try the taco truck in the driveway. Seriously… Best tacos in Houston.
Only downside is sometimes the parking. Just make sure not to park in another business’s lot or in a no parking zone and you should be fine.
But overall, fun atmosphere, cheap fast drinks, friendly service, constant entertainment.

I officiated a wedding this weekend, and I have mixed impressions. I attended the rehearsal first, where I inquired about a podium or stand for my binder, since I would have a handheld mic. The owner/​coordinator said she would look for one, but if I had my own I should bring it.
That being the case, I showed up quite early on the wedding day, to see what the situation was on that. She told me she had a stand but it was pretty unsteady, and she’d let me look at it and decide. Some time later, I inquired again, but she told me to just go ahead and use my tablet rather than the binder. No problem, since I had brought both, but I just feel that if you are a venue that hosts weddings often, you should maybe have some sort of stand; things can go wrong with electronics, so it would be nice to be able to use a hard copy.
The venue is really pretty and unique, but when I arrived, I could still see signs of the previous nights event, mostly in the form of used glasses and leftover food strewn about. This is a family run operation, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But as the night progressed, I was helping the bride with a few requests, and it seemed hard for the owner to handle everything. It just seemed understaffed. I did overhear some members of the wedding party having to remind the owner a few requests over and over. Many of the problems I saw could have been handled with adequate staffing: multiple requests to unlock the balcony door for photo opp, finding extra chairs for guests, moving tables from the rain to the covered area without guests prompting.
It was a bit awkward at the beginning of the ceremony when I noticed a group of guests standing in the back by the bar, which I later found out was due to the table not being ready; the table was eventually set up in the ceremony space.
I have attended many large scale weddings, and they all went much more smoothly than this one. It just seemed unorganized, and rushed. Like the staff was overwhelmed and scrambling to get things done.
As the night progressed, it did seem everyone was starting to enjoy themselves more, despite the rocky start.

Though I’ve only been twice for Write About Now’s Poetry slams on Wednesday nights, I think Avant Garden holds a unique spot in Houston. It’s just an inviting outdoor space (that’s covered! and decorated in adorable lanterns, lights and chandeliers) where Houstonians can bare their souls to kind strangers.
The mood of night is completely reliant on the poets & poetry, so you can’t really control. The first time it was pretty serious & moving & activating. The crowd was also super respectful. The second time I went, it was really fun with love poems/​funny poems and the DJ was all about early 2000’s R&B and the crowd sang along sometimes! You just never know. The crowd is also always diverse & interesting. I’m sure you could strike up some really interesting conversations here if you’re looking to mingle.
The bar in the back of the patio only has one bartender but she usually works fast & it’s a bit pricier for beers than I’m used to, but I don’t mind paying for the space. The bathrooms are clean as well! I suggest you drop by when the weather is nice in the spring because the breeze is just perfect. There’s plenty of seating if you arrive around 7:30/7:45 as well.

Gorgeous and unique. Completely different from anything else in this city. If you’re someone who enjoys art and original live music — Avant Garden is definitely a place to visit.

Not the atmosphere I was expecting. Very tiny place compared to the pictures, dr. sketchys wasn’t what it lived up to and all the bands I saw were performed by drunk people and it sounded awful.

Was here a couple days ago Friday 1÷15÷16 with friends while waiting for line at Numbers to go down for David Bowie memorial party. I liked that the dj here outside also played David Bowie hits.
I have been going here a few times a year and the vibe here seems positive. I have never encountered any rude staff. It is extremely ecclectic and down to earth yet not grungy. Some nights there are more hipsters than my liking but not always. And the music is often very good… djs inside and outside. While Bowie was playing outside, a mix of incredible dance/​techno and early 90’s hip hop/r&b was playing inside.
The toilets are funny.
I brought cards here one time and played outside with friends. I plan on doing this again. And one time i decided to not drink alcohol and asked them if they have hot tea or coffee and to my surprize they had an amazing selection of herbal teas to choose from.
Great place to get a club feeling in one room and relax in another room. And the lighting outside is superb.
Usually a food truck parked outside.

Place is nice :) just left a moment ago, friend was performing and had some
Live art in the back… Only problem was that rude ass busser or whatever he is. Such a sour puss.

My brother had his wedding here, and the service was TERRIBLE!
It was a bit cold, and I wanted to get some hot water for my grandparents. I asked a female bartender if I could use the coffee machine to run hot water, she just gave me attitude — she also did not clean the filter out, so there was coffee grinds in the water. I finally told her if she didnt want to get me hot water, then dont.
The staff was also very rude, and wouldnt even say excuse me when passing through. They would just shove and push the wedding party (the guests weren’t even there yet.)
The staff was getting paid for being on their cell phones, at least put on a smile. Work is work. You dont want to be there? Then find another job.
DO NOT HAVE YOUR EVENTS HERE.

Its easy to miss Avant Garden driving down westheimer at night, as its hidden by foliage that creates such a stellar ambiance around the patios (yes, there are several!). Every time I’ve went thus far, I feel like I’m at a chill house party cooling with friends!
The Chopstars (OG Ron C, Candlestick, etc.) spin here often, and it’s always a party as they are true lovers of music and there is never a dull moment! Granted, if hip hop/​screw isn’t for you… there’s often great edm, indie djs… plus they have open mic nights here once a week!
Reasonably priced drinks, good music, quirky avant garde décor!
My only complaint would be when it gets too ‘LIVE’ inside, it is INSANELY haute! (Hence the four stars)

Living in the neighborhood it’s a pity we have discovered the place so late! The atmosphere of the place is unique. No food, but plenty of drinks all sorts. Best for partying in a big group of people!

Cheap drinks, interesting Montrose crowd, live music almost every night, and gorgeous patios? If I lived on westheimer, I’d be visiting avant garden multiple times a week.
If you’re looking for fancy cocktails and classy vibes, this isn’t the place for you. But if you’re like me and are about that $ 3 wells, $ 5 sangria life and hanging out in an old house decorated with quirky art and dim lighting then this place is for you.
In my first few visits, I had conversations about absinthe and super sonic screwdrivers and saw a rock band and jazz band killin it downstairs. They also have comedy and belly dancing shows! The bartenders are friendly and fun to talk to and last night one of the musicians randomly had a ton of free bananas. Heads up — it does seem the back patio is closed on some weekday nights, though.
I think the best word I can use to describe this place is real! There’s no pretension and a clear openness and sense of community here. Come for the great drink specials and stay for the wonderful people and people watching.

Easily one of the coolest venues/​bars I’ve been to in my travels. There isn’t an extensive amount of beers on tap but they support local breweries. Drinks are fairly priced. I’ve been here twice. The first time was October 12^th and I came back on the 14^th to support open mic night/​poetry.
The backyard area has a traditional classy feel whereas the inside has its own thing going on. I have not been upstairs but the main floor is a great place to sit back and relax. Met a lot of cool souls here. I’ll certainly be back after my work here in Dallas.

Tried to meet with the owner for a possible wedding venue, waited almost 30 minutes without an email or any form of contact. Very disappointing to see how such an important event can be treated as not.

Impromtu girls night out! Cool looking place. I went on a weekday (I think Thursday) and it was still live. Sorta hidden. Midtown area. Ambience (lights and lanterns) are so beautiful for your selfie backgrounds but the best part to me is the taco truck parked right outside their building (I cant remember the name of it but you cant miss it). Two bars; one indoor and one outdoor. Two dance floors; one upstairs, one downstairs.

I wanted a different wedding experience and that’s what I got. I had my wedding here and everything was GREAT! Marianna, the event coordinator, was so helpful and offered her help throughout the entire process. The facility is beautiful and the taco truck is YUMMY! I didn’t want a traditional wedding and I’m SO glad I found this place.
(I got the silver wedding package and that was enough for me. If you like bells and whistles, you may want the diamond package.)

Don’t go here with empty stomach. There’s a food truck in the parking lot but it’s close. Came here Friday night, there’s a handful of people. Prices of drinks are alright, service is quick .
Would I go here again? Not unless they provide a disposable toilet seat cover in the bathroom !
Came back for a wedding Saturday night. Patio is gorgeous. But keep your guests under 85, it gets crowded after that.