Brian O’Neill’s

This was my go to bar since 2002. I really enjoyed their happy hours and nice patio seating. This has been my go to place to meet up friends, hang out, and have a chill time. I’ve never been here on football Sunday until about a month ago. All of the TVs were showing the cowboys game. ALL of them. When we asked to change one of the TVs to change to the jets patriots game, the bartender informed us that when the cowboys play, that’s all that will be on. She couldn’t or wouldn’t change it. I live in Dallas and bars in Dallas don’t even do that!!! Brian O’Neill’s, you have lost my business. I will not be using you as a go to place when I call up my friends nor will I support you in any way. I don’t have a problem with the cowboys, just bars that refuse to play any other game in addition to the cowboys. You have more than one tv!!!

Update: May 2014
Just found out yall are closed and I couldn’t be happier. I hated you guys and I’m so glad you can take a money grab like Rice Village and find a way to lose with the people that yall put in place to run your business.
Glad yall failed and happy to see you shut those doors. Enjoy my jacket. Hopefully your tough guy bouncer was able to find a new job as a scumbag loser somewhere else.

I love the outdoor seating, especially when they have live music. Try their Shepherds Pie. If it’s not on the menu, ask for it. It’s delicious.

I’m only here for the Running club. I frequent this place every Tuesday and for fun runs.
Beer and drinks are always good! Bar staff and servers are always attentive.
We usually sit on the patio and mingle after the run. I’ve only tried a couple menu items. Fish tacos and a salad. Both were decent.

The food was decent. Came on a Sunday and had the Irish breakfast. True to Ireland, but they were out of brown sauce despite us being one of the first customers that morning. The pudding was a bit over cooked, but as I said the food was good overall.
Mimosa for the first round. It was ok. For the price you can’t go wrong but it didn’t seem like they used actual champagne since the drink was completely flat. Second round, had a Powers whiskey and 7. Standard pour, no complaints. Cosmo was fine.
Bar service was ok, not great. I sat with an empty glass for 20 minutes despite the bar being empty. Wasn’t even asked if I wanted a drink or offered water or anything.
Cleanliness could be improved. The menu smelled like it had taken a bath in dirty mop water and had that stale water urine-​like odor which is very off-​putting. Then, as we were finishing our drinks, we noticed a cockroach running around on the bar where the vodka bottles are. Not very re-​assuring that the place is clean.
Also didn’t like that the bartenders kept their personal items on the back of the bar in plain view covering some of the bottles. Not very professional.

Service, service, service wins stars. One star to start with.
There’s an extra star here just because once my Fish & Chips found it’s way to my table about an hour after I ordered it (and after my mates received, and ate, their food), it wasn’t too bad.
I was there on a football Saturday, and it was crowded. But it’s a bar with lots of TV’s, and College football is not a new idea. I think they even publish schedules in advance nowadays — so when games are on should not be a surprise.

My second favorite go to bar. They also sponsor a free community run club that I go to every Tuesday. Great place. Cheapest happy hour in Houston.

The food here is actually pretty good for bar food. I like the atmosphere and it’s fun to watch games– the bartenders and servers here are really fun and goofy. One of them routinely calls me «love» as an ongoing joke with my friend and I.
By far my favorite thing is the run they have on Tuesday nights. You sign in and after ten runs you get a free shirt and free beer when you wear the shirt after running the Rice outer loop. It’s perfect. Often times if you finish early enough, you also get free food (salad and pasta, nothing too fancy but yummy).

Wanna have a great time… venture here for St. Patty’s Day!
Fun extravaganza, live bands outside, DJ inside, green beer, fish & chips, sheer foolishness, tamed crowd = kick ass time
Bring cash as they were not accepting anything else on that day…

Brian O’Neill’s definitely has it’s place. I ended up here one bar-​hopping Friday evening after a few low key stops. I wasn’t quite in the mood to do some booty shaking, but the DJ made it a little hard to resist. This place has a reputation of being very college-​y. Fortunately, it’s the end of the school year so that sort of vibe did not prevail. The happy hour seems legit, but I’ve yet to experience it for myself.
Here’s what I liked:
1. Space to sit and chat.
2. Space to dance.
3. Fast bartenders.
4. Some sort of dark liquor based frozen drink.
5. It’s a solid stop on a barhopping route.
6. It’s a better option than Baker Street.
Here’s what I didn’t like:
1. Bathrooms could use some TLC.
2. Although there is space to sit and chat, it’s just a touch too loud to actually do so.
3. The atmosphere is a bit much to spend the whole night there.
It seems this place is popular amongst the college crowd, so I think it’s best enjoyed in the summer while school’s (mostly) out.

This review is for hh.
Service is truly awful/​non-​existant. I have never noticed how bad it is because I usually order drinks at the bar.
In the past month, each time we have gone for hh we have spent half of our time looking/​waiting for a waitress. It’s like they’re all chilling in a room in the back because they’re no where to be found or ridiculously under-​staffed. Plates are never cleared, never checked up on, etc. And I am probably perpetuating this awful service by tipping anyway.
They also need to get everyone on the same page, including their menu. Apparently the spinach artichoke dip has been discontinued and replaced with a sun dried tomato something dip — which was pretty awful.
Other than that, love coming here for a drink on the patio. It’s pretty interesting how the whole place transforms into a dance floor after hh.

Used to come here regularly from 2006 – 2010 (every Tueday for happy hour) with a group of friends. Ever since their regular bartender Tru left, though, it seems as if I’ve had to take a good look at the place for what it really is — and it’s not that great.
I guess nothing’s really changed, but I honestly don’t like going here as much any more. The guests tend to run on the «young» side (some of them barely look 21) and are loud and rude, so if that’s your crowd this is the place for you. The patio is nice when the weather is nice, but during the summer it’s hot and crowded with smokers. The inside is too loud to hear yourself think once the DJ starts.
It’s also weird that they card at the entrace after 9pm, but if you’re in the door before that they only card at the door. However, if you’re inside at 9pm they won’t walk around and card the people already there.
They do have a decent happy hour, and I really enjoy coming here in the afternoons for happy hour. It seems as if there’s a much more mature, relaxed atmosphere until around 9pm, which is when it gets LOUD.
Bottom line is if you’re young or like to be with a younger crowd, this would be a great place to hit up almost any evening, and especially on the weekends — it’s packed. If you enjoy a more relaxed and quite atmosphere, maybe you should look elsewhere.

my life will never be the same.
where can you drink a karbach IPA while watching scooby-​doo and freddy krueger in a cowboy hat dance to gangnam style? how about doing the dougie?
no, i wasnt on acid, i was at brian o’neill’s around halloween of course!
good beers, nice patio, interesting mixed crowd and attentive bartenders.
but really? scooby-​doo and cowboy freddy krueger dancing to gangnam style.
*mind blown*

Never ever going to this place again. The employees are rude and not to mention RACIST. I don’t think I’ve ever been so mad in my life. This place has terrible service, crappy employees who admit they are RACIST and the place is filthy.
I can’t believe I ever even went here. After being called out for being racist & notifying the manager of the employee, the manager simply said «he’s just kidding» and took no action. Also, the racist employee was cussing at us while we were trying to have an adult conversation with him. My group of friends of about 10 – 15 people all left because of the rude and racist treatment.
NEVER EVER AGAIN WILL ME OR MY FRIENDS BE BACK TO THIS PLACE & I will tell everyone I know to never go here.

The location and vibe is great. Just a chill place to relax. There are a handful of TV’s, but it is not really a sports bar. Some couches to sit at, pool tables, and a great patio. There is a bar attached to the patio as well. Though unfortunately the service, food, and quality are shite.
The waitresses can be slow as molasses, though they are friendly. That does not mean much if you can’t get in and out in less than two hours. Every time I sit at the bar. the bartenders always say how hungover they are. OK fine. The food is about as generic as it gets for pub grub. Steaks are tough as hell, burgers over cooked, and greasy pizza. The beer is old and stale. I want to like this place, but I am consistently put off by their products.

This is kind of the go to place when my friend and I just want to chill evening. We’ve been going her for years! The bartenders actually know how to make drinks/​shots (I always order from Kevin! He’s awesome!)
It doesn’t get crazy busy like it use to, which I am perfectly fine with! I like having my space without people falling all over the place. They don’t have cover anymore either.
They have a really inexpensive happy hour with some pretty good food! I use to go stop in for a late lunch all the time during happy hour and its a steal!

OK, I’m a stranger in Paradise (that’s Houston for you locals) and probably, mine is as objective a view as you could get of the US’s 4^th largest city (??)
Been looking for somewhere to hang out for just two nights in Houston.
I know this could be seen as shameful but I’ve not moved from what you call the Village? And the best place? Food, bar staff, crowd, prices and… exceptional live music? Brian O’Neills.
I rest my case — just feckin’ do it! Peace.

I always love to find great dive bars and pubs to hangout at with my friends. This is one that i have been going to for 4 years now and will never stop… unless the food and alcohol just get nasty.
I do have to say that if your looking for the best service in Houston don’t go here. The waitress are ok but not the greatest. You will have to wait to order and for your check but definitely don’t let that stop you from going.
They do have food and drink specials everyday! and after like 9 the place gets a DJ and you can watch the funniest worse dancers in Houston!
Other than that i love going on a Sunday morning during their brunch time. They have their Cod fish and chips for $ 5 every Sunday. This is the only fish and chips i have ever had but it is soooo good too. The fish is always flaky and moist inside and the outside is coated with this delicious golden brown layer. They give you this tarter sauce that i guess they make in house. Its like their own recipe that you will always need 2 for to dip you fish and your chips in. I order the $.50 mimosa and they are like drinking champagne with a hint of orange juice… and that’s how i love them. They do serve $ 3 bloody marys on Sundays which they put alittle spice in and give you a pickle like most places.

Many many moons ago, I had my birthday here. I am not too sure how that all came about as I don’t particularly have a fondness for this place. I think someone suggested Brian O’Neill’s after an unfortunate attempt at cramming ourselves into Pearl Bar (that place can burn!). We had a rather large group of party people at the time (I was not presently living in Houston at the time and had towed some of my out-​of-​town friends with me) and we were desperate for alcohol and oxygen, so we acquiesced.
I can’t really accurately retell the happenings of that night, but photos that have surfaced seem to depict it was a win-​win fun-​loving sort of night. The general consensus was that it was the perfect venue for our somewhat diverse group and no one had much to complain about.
I’ve been back here a few more times — nothing too memorable, but most recently during everyone’s favorite green drinking holiday. I guess simply stated — St Patrick’s Day here is absolutely INSANE.
I mean «insane» in that the massive herds of people that end up here, tightly crammed in the actual bar and congregating in the makeshift patio. I am assuming that this and Baker Street are the two première St. Patrick’s Day spots in Rice Village, being somewhat appropriately themed. I don’t think there was actual commotion or altercations as everyone seemed to be comfortably intoxicated and the weather was amazing (by Houston standards). The only annoyance was the burdensome drink lines, but that was to be expected.
The $ 5 cover was a big lame, if I do say so myself, considering Brian O’Neill’s probably banked a buttload of revenues from alcohol that day, but I think there was a band or something (not that anyone I was with had any interest whatsoever), so okay fine then.
We were actually with some Irish folkds by the way of the U.K. then through Dubai on St. Patrick’s Day and they were rather amused and enjoyed the whole shebang. So I’m compelled to rate this place four stars based on that alone, really. Hah, just kidding, I had a decent time all in all!

Brian O’Neill’s may be the quintessential three star place in Houston. Depending on the night and crowd, the rating in theory can fluctuate from 1 star all the way up to 5. But in the end, it all averages out to fall right at the Houston mean.
My latest venture to Brian O’Neill’s was this past Friday night, in which we caught the surprisingly decent cover band Sex Panthers. Yes, you should insert your «60% of the time, it works every time» joke here, because it’s equally applicable to BON. On Fri/​Sat nights, cover is $ 2 if you get there neither early nor late enough is $ 2. That is either a ridiculously cheap or ridiculously annoying entrance fee, depending on your normal venue of choice.
For some, BON is said normal venue of choice. But I’ve seen crowds range from super-​business (your standard happy hours), super-​energized (your Tuesday BON Running Club), super-30’s (for some reason, Sex Panthers appealed to this crowd), super-​Rice (when they’re looking for a Gingerman alternative), et cetera and so forth.
There’s a full bar, giving it the advantage over Gingerman/Woodrow’s. It’s not overly pretentious, giving it the advantage over Bronx/​Bambou. And it doesn’t totally reek of smoke, giving it the advantage over Baker Street. Yet for all that going for BON, I can’t think of a better phrase than «it is what it is.» I’m never jonesing to go there, nor am I disappointed when I leave. Thus, the rating. A three star joint that will probably stay open in Houston until the end of time.