Ernie’s On Banks

Goodbye Ernie’s! It was always a fun dive. One of the few bars I could go and have a conversation with some friends.

Ernie’s has been sold and will re-​open at a later date (to be determined) under new management and a different business name.

I love to play games. I went to Ernie’s for the first time, got to play beer pong and bean bags. I’m sold. I’m also a sucker for a jukebox and was spending some money to listen to Hall and Oates and Green Day. I do wish they had a few more beers on tap.
The crowd was great too, my friends and I made friends with the other people hanging out on the patio and we all started playing the games together.
I will go back for sure!

Decided to hang out with a bunch of friends here. It was perfect for us. It was chill, there wasn’t a bunch of people getting in the way and we didn’t have any competition to get the dart boards or the corn hole equipment. They have a good liquor selection and they have about 6 beers on tap. My fiancé was really impressed with one of the beers they had but I can’t remember what it was, I will update yall later. I was happy with my sweet tea vodka and sprite with a lemon. (can’t always find sweet tea vodka) They have a patio area in the back, a bar area with tvs and an upstairs area which I didn’t go to. There are several picnic tables in the back. Their food is only 3 stars. But I don’t plan on going here for food. I tried one of my friends chicken quessadillas and it had burnt chicken but they came with guac, salsa and sour cream so you could cover up the taste. Parking is not the greatest. There is no lot but a pretty good amount of street parking.
This is not a fancy place. Its just a place to get away and have a drink or two to hang out with friends. Not a first date kinda place or somewhere I would take someone visiting Houston who I was trying to impress. But I plan on coming back to chill.

In short, I HATE THIS PLACE. I was grabbed and gropped and had my arse slapped really hard by some idiot, drunken douchebags really. I will never step foot in here again. SUCKS.

Really like the laid back feel of this bar. I’ve never been in here when it was either packed or completely dead, always a good in between where you can meet a few people and have a conversation with a friend without pretending to hear only half the stuff they say.
There isn’t really any parking for the place that I’m aware of, but I’ve never had a ton of trouble finding a nearby spot on the street.
If i had a complaint would be the weakness of the jukebox, but I’m also kind of a snob.

I love this place! Low key, great vibe, and plenty of space. It’s a great place to watch a game or just chat with friends because the music isn’t so loud you can’t hear. The bartenders are friendly and the beer is cold! I’m definitely going back!

I have only been here twice, I think maybe three times to play darts. It was never very crowded, but that may have just been because it was a week night. It is a nice place, I think somewhat for an older crowd. They have really good hamburgers and tator tots. I had the feeling that most of the people that go in here already know each other and are a regular crowd, it didnt’ seem like the type of place to meet and approach new people. I would only go back if going with friends, not by myself. Oh yes, they have a giant screen TV and it is set on baseball.

Maybe it was my mistake to go to Ernie’s to get somethig to eat. I was hungry and it was conveniently located (if you are near the Montrose area or Museum district) from where I was Tuesday night. If I want a burger, I should go to a burger place, not a bar.
I like nostalgia, so this place got 5 stars for that. On this night, it got a three stars because of mistakes that were made. You ask what mistake? Let me tell you.
The first thing that happened was, my friend ordered wings. Guess what? THe place ran out of wings.
It was my turn to order. I order a burger, The Elston. Bartender asks me if I wanted tots or fries? I said I will take tots. I order a coke to go with my burger. I get my burger. Guess what? I got fries instead of tots. My friend told me that he heard me say tots. I knew I wasn’t going crazy.
I didn’t complain. The patty was thick. But guess what? It was red inside. I didn’t want rare. Of course I didn’t request well done, but usually, most burgers aren’t red inside unless requested.
Another friend with me was eating my fries, but he tells me that more fries are coming because he just ordered a burger with fries. So his burger arrives. Guess what? He got tots.
So far three mistakes. There were only 8 people inside, so I know the bartender wasn’t getting swamped. He was making too many mistakes. Okay, maybe it wan’t the bartender, but the cook.
Ernie’s would have received 4 stars, but too many mistakes.
This place is a good place during the week to have a drink with friends. If you want a burger, go to Burger King instead.

I met Ashlee M. up here on Friday to test out the place. I already knew she loved it, so I had high expectations.
Ernie’s is great. Very relaxed, not at all stuffy, and decent drink and food prices. The food situation was a little complicated because the first menu we were given had almost none of the stuff I’d read Unilocaler’s review about. So Ashlee scoured the place and found menu #2, which was way better than the first and offered probably twice as many options. So — if you check out Ernie’s, make sure to ask for the newer menu. I had the sliders which were very good. A bit burnt on the outside, but perfect in the middle. The rolls they’re served on are excellent and the potato hay was tasty, although I’d probably rather have regular fries. The potato hay was basically like eating super crispy hash browns.
We had a group of nine and we sat outside on the wonderful patio. I didn’t see much else while we were there, but I’m not sure why you’d sit anywhere else when they have such a great patio. I did notice the downstairs while passing through, and it was a bit depressing. It was still full, but the upstairs area is way better.
Give Ernie’s a try. You won’t be disappointed!

My first introduction to Ernie’s was at a fabulous unofficial Unilocal event. I’d been past on my trips between St. Thomas and Glassell as an undergrad, and always wondered what exactly that place WAS. Now I know exactly what it is: a great sports bar with pretty darn good food!
After visiting this place at the event, I filed it away as a potential place to catch a pint and the Rockets game, and once ex-​boy and I decided to watch the matchup against Golden State, he reminded me of my gushing words for Ernie’s. I had been on a Thursday previously, and didn’t know how packed it would be on Saturday, but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the fact that I could actually find a place to sit on a Saturday night. It really wasn’t that busy considering it was the weekend, which ensured we got plenty of attention from the bartender throughout the evening.
On my first trip I ordered a burger, which was seriously tasty and loaded with altogether too many fries. I could easily share this gigantic meal with a second person and be stuffed – I ended up leaving half of my meal untouched. Since a) I’ve been on a red meat kick lately with Little Bigs and Smashburger gracing my life and b) I’d like to Not Die prematurely, the second time I decided to spring for the loaded potato skins instead. They were topped with green onions, sour cream, cheese and bacon bits, and dipped in ranch they’re a solid appetizer. Ex-​boy got the fried pickles, which were sinfully good. Four pints and food ran me under $ 30, which I found pretty reasonable.
Upstairs there’s a pool table and four dartboards, and I think the next time I’m in I’ll beg to be obliged in a game of cricket. There’s also a second-​story patio, which means you smokers don’t have to trek all the way down the stairs to have a puff.
Nitpicks:
— The fact that you have to straddle the toilet just to close the door to the non-​handicapped stall in the ladies’ room. Not cool.
— Carpet. No bar should EVER have carpet, especially that naff industrial grade stuff.
— The downstairs bar. WTF is up with this place? Like everyone says, it feels seriously depressing down here.
— No parking lot, which isn’t surprising for this area, but still kind of annoying.
In the grand scheme of things, though, these are minor gripes, considering how much they manage to get right. I have a feeling that Ernie’s is going to overtake The Tavern as my site of choice for Rockets-​watching.

I love the name of this bar. Love. What else would you name a bar on Banks street?
I love baseball and Ernie Banks was a legend. «Mr. Cub.» «Mr. Sunshine.» He played in more games than any other Cub. He hit 512 home runs in his major league career. (This places him at #21 in all time home runs; directly behind Ted Williams.) He’s been in the Hall of Fame for over thirty years. Amazing legend.
I mentioned his second nickname, Mr Sunshine, because that is the vibe here. Light, happy, and very convivial. This is a great little neighborhood bar that can accommodate large groups. I met a posse of about twenty Unilocalers here and had a blast.
The downstairs reminds me of the proverbial dive bar. Dark, carpeted, only a few people… all sitting at the bar. Oh, and there was the jukebox. A real jukebox (thank you!). I didn’t put any money in, but it had a pleasant collection. Anything a drunk frat boy would want to hear. Pleasant, but generic. If I had cash on me (my purse was upstairs), I would have played the entire collection of AC/​DC for the people sitting downstairs. :)
Upstairs is also carpeted. I would normally say, «gross!» but as it provided a bit of cushion when I fell, I’ll refrain. On that note, be very careful when reentering the bar from the balcony/​terrace, there is a step down. If you wear glasses, are talking to someone, or have had a glass of wine, be extra careful! I thankfully didn’t spill the entire glass down my arm; I have a uncanny ability to not spill or drop glasses of wine. Beyond that, I’m clumsy.
There are a couple of dart boards upstairs and also a pool table. I accidentally almost won a dart game, plus I got a true bulls-​eye when I was losing. I never play, so I was a little impressed. (I’m more of a pool player.)

True to Unilocalers words, the down stair leaves something to be desired. But upstairs! Perfection. Laid back to the max. Darts, pool tables, plenty of room to move around, and a nice little balcony for us filthy smokers. Service was pretty decent and the drinks oh my. My Vodka Cranberry was damn near clear. After two of those bad boys, I had to switch to beer so that I could continue carrying on a semi coherent conversation. Ernie’s so graciously provided us with some appetizers that were delish. The potato skins and fried zucchini were stellar. Cory O is right… Bar food doesn’t have to suck. I ordered a chicken sandwich (The Biggio) w/​tater tots @ a whopping $ 8. This meal could have fed four of us no joke. Although I wasn’t in love with it. I couldn’t really taste anything on it except fried substance. I will not be deterred though. I cant wait to come back for potent drinks and surprisingly good bar food.

This is a great place to watch a game, play pool or chill with friends on a patio. The food is pretty good and the staff is friendly. I definitely want to try out their steak night on Thursdays! I came here with a friend for a couple of drinks and ended up staying there for hours. Oh, they also have free wi-​fi!!!

So… Ernie’s. Adam and Cory drag me over there every so often, and I think Adam’s review is pretty much on point.
The downstairs reminds me of. a coma. Keep moving.
The upstairs is where it’s at. Nice cozy little area, free darts, friendly bartenders. Awesome low-​key spot. nice and comfortable.
Outside is a decently large patio with bags and everything. If fresh air is your thing, this will work.
Overall, a nice place to spend a weekday evening with friends.

Always blown away when people tell me they’ve never been here or heard of this place. This is a great bar with all the ingredients to make it your great bar. The checklist please.
Cheap strong drinks: check
Friendly bar staff: check
Bar games: check
2^nd story deck: check
Slightly hidden back patio: check
Ample seating: check
Nice safe area: check
Convenient to other destinations: check
Street parking: check
Park across the street to «refund» excess booze: check
Does Cory O. love it: you bet your sweet toukas
So there you have it. Now go «check» it out. I kill me…

I am actually writing the review before assigning points because this is really three different places.
Downstairs bar: When I first walked in there, it was dark, uninhabited and depressing. Minus 2 points. Then my Anchor Steam pint was $ 5.50. Minus another 2 points. Ok, so Downstairs = –4
Upstairs bar: Ok, now we’re talking. Bright, free darts, other people decided to be patrons of this part of the bar. Plus 5 points. I kept winning at darts, so an arbitrary Plus 1 point for that. Beer is still expensive, Minus 2 points again, but my guess is they buy from the same distributor as downstairs and they quite possibly have the same owner (I know, I am a detective). So Upstairs = +4.
Outside: Awesome. They have bags. You can actually play bags at this place, Plus 5 points. And I kept winning, so another arbitrary 1 point for that. Outside = +6.
So I guess the average is +2.
But the food there is brilliant, and it is served in all parts of the bar, so i guess that gets them another 2 points.
Sorry about assigning random points to things, but it was the only way I could really judge a place that is three totally random bars in one.

Okay, I’m still giving them a 5 star review. They have free darts! They have a great happy hour! They have really good food! And I’m heading over there in ten minutes. :)
The darts are usually open and the pool table has only been occupied once. The upstairs is nice and spacious with plenty of outdoor seating for the smokers. The bartenders are ALL friendly. All of them.
What I love is how delicious their food is. I mean, come on, it is bar food! But I’m smitten with their amazing hot dog special. You get two hot dogs (with chili, cheese, and onions, please!) with either fries, tots, or curly fries for about $ 5. Yeah, I know. Yesterday, we were there for their steak night. I was shocked at how large it was! All for about $ 10, the hubs got a huge steak (albeit, a bit underseasoned, but perfectly cooked) and baked potato. Yum!
While I generally write longer reviews, I’m just too excited about trying out one of their burgers tonight. :)