MKT Bar image

MKT Bar

Restaurant Bar American restaurant Event venue Brunch restaurant Wine bar Live music venue New us american restaurant

Easygoing pub in a market offering classic comfort fare, craft beer & cocktails, plus live music. People often mention great, good, drinks, service, music, cheese, chicken, nice, time, steak,


Address

1001 Austin St, Houston, TX 77010, United States

Website

www.mktbar.com

Contact

+1 832-360-2222

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.40 (1.2K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: great (19) good (12) drinks (12) service (11) music (9) cheese (9) chicken (6) nice (6) time (6) steak (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 2/5 R. W. 2 years ago on Google
    Ok, so I'm torn about this review because my husband and I have been here several times (pre-Covid) and have enjoyed almost every meal and drink, along with the music. I decided to post this because management must do better in regulating the meals that are served. I ordered the chicken and waffles. I've had it before and enjoyed it. I decided to order it again today, despite seeing another person with it and noticing that the chicken appeared a bit dry. Nevertheless, based on passed experience, I ordered. The chicken appeared to have been cooked yesterday, sat out, put away, microwaved today and served to me! It was ridiculously dry! I reported it to the waiter. He brought me another piece. STILL dry, though a fraction less than the first. Even the waffles were on the dry side. Knowing what I've been served in the past, I was extremely disappointed. I know they can do better. The cost of the meal was removed from our bill so I appreciate that. I would still recommend this place, but I'm taking this dish off my order list.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Alexandra G. 1 year ago on Google
    This place is really nice, the ambiance is really enjoyable. The play good music, and some days even have live music. The place is super spacious so it's good for small and large parties (10+). They have booth, low and high chairs seating. The have really good appetizers and pizza I would recommend the cheese board, ceviche, and the queso. For drinks they have tons of draught beer, and cocktails.... My fav is the mango frozen cocktail. Stuart was our waiter, he was amazing he even remembered us from the day before. Happy hour is Monday, Tuesday and Friday 4-6pm.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 M S. 2 years ago on Google
    I really like this place. I've been here many times. The food is good. The vibe is great with live music, ample parking, and the connected grocery store. BUT today the service was a bit lacking. Bar service was great, but I sat over an hour at a table before anyone asked if I needed a menu. I was over halfway through my meal before my server checked on me again. And when did restaurants stop passing out straws unless you ask? Sooo, 4 stars for you today MKT. While not deal breakers, it's a little deflating. I still recommend this place in spite of today's experience.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Qadira A. 2 years ago on Google
    Love, love, loved! I was curious about the Mediterranean meets Texas fusion cuisine concept and this place delivered! We had the Za’atar Fries to start; loved the seasoning, but the spicy aioli and ginger ketchup were great touches. If you like drinks on the sweeter side, get the Raspberry Mojito, it was so yummy! For our mains, we had the Hill-Country Chicken & Waffles and the Baklava Pancakes. We were really impressed by the flavor balance in both dishes! The breading to meat ratio was on point for the chicken, but combined with the crispy waffles and tangy orange blossom syrup? A bite of paradise! Now, the pancakes? There were FIVE, thick, fluffy flapjacks piled high on my plate. I could barely finish half, but every bite was phenomenal! The fig’s neutral taste leveled out the sweetness from the candied nuts, and the infused syrup was light enough to give it oomph without making it overly sweet. The service was great too! We’ll be back here for sure!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Heather L. 1 year ago on Google
    SO GOOD!! As an avid cheese enthusiast, I am OBSESSED with their cheese board. I got the Mac and cheese and Austin burger. So amazing! The service was great and there’s a store that has those cheeses so I can eat again and again! 10/10 would definitely come back!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Shereen B. 1 year ago on Google
    If I was to move to Houston, I would move to this area to shop here and to go to the Stros games. This is by far one of my most favorite places to shop at. I have been here numerous times and today's stop, was just to go here. I wish we were closer to participate in the classes, maybe one day. This is the first time I had their Mac and cheese - BEST EVER outside of a home environment- next time just getting this, SO DELICIOUS!!! I am usually disappointed, even at restaurants and this was not the case. The workers are great, everything I have had there was great! I passed on desserts this time but I wanted to get something and took these pics and told my husband how I missed this place. I found this market when staying in the area for a month, I buy gifts, food, desserts and now definitely the mac and cheese. The restaurant attached has fabulous food too!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Jakup A. 8 months ago on Google
    This place is great for coming to grab some drinks, but the food can take a seat. If your salad tastes better than your steak on a steak night -Houston we have a problem. My steak was heavy-handed (salt), and the crust was really thickkk (burnt). Overall, service was great , and live music made it a little better, but they need to step it up.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Natalie Phi L. 9 months ago on Google
    Got the half chicken and my friend got the NyStrip. Great service from George! Check out the store, also! I also got the Hibiscus Berry Tea Berry Wine, super light flavor ad a great refresher in this hot Houston heat!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Eric B. 2 years ago on Google
    Had a great time. Wish we had more pictures to share. From an excellent Sunday Morning Bloody Mary to the espresso & Chai following the recipe Phoenicia’s founder Mr Bob’s mother used, just the drinks were memorable. Add a great Salmon, asparagus & quinoa dish & their egg white & spinach frittata to provide some long term sustenance. Oh, our moods were light after such great fare, a berry gelato topped things off nicely. Then we went shopping for chocolate, spices & cheeses from around the world. This is one of our favorite destinations in downtown Houston.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kevin R. 6 months ago on Google
    Excellent food. It comes out hot and quick. Everything our group had was highly praised. Parking is plentiful in the garage. It takes a little patience to find the entrance and exits that seem counter-intuitive.

  • 5/5 Nikki Richmond (. 7 months ago on Google
    I had the MKT salad with salmon and it was absolutely delicious! It had romaine, cucumber slices, red grapes, the salmon had an amazing crust on top it and was very flavorful!

  • 5/5 Korhan A. 7 months ago on Google
    Pretty nice place for drinks and food. I had fish and chips. It was very tasty. The waitress suggested salmon too :)

  • 5/5 Orlando F. 8 months ago on Google
    Food was killer!! There was a lady playing music on the stage acoustic made for a nice dinner! The service was fast and friendly! This was our first time there and we will be back for sure!

  • 4/5 E T. 6 months ago on Google
    Great atmosphere. Limited menu. The sweet potato fries are SO good. The drinks are delicious. If course it's downtown so really no free parking, but there are lots of paid garages in the area

  • 4/5 Joel M. 5 months ago on Google
    Food is generally good but not outstanding. Atmosphere is often crowded and loud. Tables are Formica with metal chairs. On our visit w 10 friends, mgmt refused to do separate checks, a modest hassle. Server brought incorrect drinks and incorrectly identified them. Salads and main course were brought almost together. In all, they aren’t real serious about being a restaurant.

  • 5/5 Denise S. 9 months ago on Google
    Seated quickly in a nice, spacious spot for a trio and a baby. Good, service with knowledgeable waiter. Good menu and drink selection. (With the exception of the Margarita...would not suggest it) Cozy, chill vibe. Nice, interesting decor. Clean restrooms. Favorite place to go after Toyota Center event or visit to Discovery Green.

  • 2/5 Xabier G. 2 years ago on Google
    After seeing many good reviews, my group of friends and I chose MKT Bar for brunch. It was quite a disheartening experience. They were clearly understaffed, and I don't know how our poor waitress could keep up with anything. It took 1h 20min for our food to arrive. My burger was super dry and the fries were cold. My friends got waffles and said they felt like they had been cooked 2 hours ago, and were cold too. Overall, quite a disappointing situation. Considering most of the other reviews here, perhaps we got unlucky, but based on our brunch, I'd never really return to this establishment. Get your staffing in order, fix whatever you have going in the kitchen - you can't serve people cold food that's meant to be eaten hot or warm.

  • 5/5 Jeremiah B. 4 months ago on Google
    Staff was amazing!! Sour beer to kick conversation. They were attentive and pleasurable! Menu made for good eats!! Beer. Wine. And mimosas for why not! I'll be coming back here in a couple weeks. Thus place made the repeat list

  • 5/5 c m. 1 year ago on Google
    Super place. Great food selection and service. Cool vibe with nice music mix. Highly recommend for a causal meal or just to hang out and have a cold refreshment.

  • 2/5 Abigail V. 1 year ago on Google
    We ordered the sliders, Zatar fries and garlic mashed potatoes. Fries were drenched in oil soggy fries, burgers were extremely salty, every bite we took was a crunch of salt, but the mashed potatoes were decent. That’s all we could eat.

  • 5/5 Ofer M. 1 year ago on Google
    Perfect evenning, after a long day of competing with our robotics teams, we got into a heaven of meat and cheese, while servicing 23 noisy children, the staff made us feel we are alone at the restaurant. Loved the salads, the meat, the cheese, the pizzas and mkst of all, the bite cheeseburgers. Recommended

  • 4/5 Chuong N. 1 year ago on Google
    Brunch section of menu may seem small, but they're okay. Great value if you just want to chill. Coffee and juice are the best and the staff are incredibly excellent! Food is good, but not always the greatest, but never the worst, but I haven't tried the other items so I can't really speak for the other food items, but at least the scrambled eggs are about better than what I expected, and I usually don't care too much about scrambled eggs. If you like food, you're probably better checking out the grocery store connected to this place before ordering them here. But if you're curious about the food here, go ahead, you might find something you like. Overall, great place for the value you get and if you love coffee, this could be your place. EDIT: The zaatar fries are so thin and soggy, they don't dip in the garlic aioli. Service is excellent so they replaced it. I expected so much from MKT Bar but it seems their food items are either hits or misses. Gelato are great, mac and cheese is awesome, and of course, all the drinks I tried so far are top notch. Not saying MKT Bar is bad but I wished they could work on their food items more, especially if they're owned by Phoenicia and they sell better food than MKT Bar does. But other than that, MKT Bar is excellent for cold drinks and gelato.

  • 3/5 Stacy W. 1 year ago on Google
    A little pricey but otherwise a great atmosphere, food, drinks & personality. The waiters & waitresses don't haggle you when you come in. They ask if you need anything & if you say "no thanks we're good" they'll leave you to your meal & won't come back until you call them over which is what I like when I go out. Thank you. 😎😋

  • 5/5 Jeff S. 1 year ago on Google
    Comfortable, casual vibe with live music. Steak night steak was tender and delicious. Tasty beers. Best part - the server was friendly and attentive but not intrusive, and very responsive on a busy evening. Could not ask for a better experience.

  • 5/5 Nylton A. 1 year ago on Google
    The chicken was extra juicy on the inside crispy on the outside the waffles were also just right soft inside with a nice crisp awaiting the delicious maple syrup. I gave it a five star because the service was great and the choices were many found myself looking at other peoples plates as they went by. Well worth it.

  • 5/5 Richard R. 2 years ago on Google
    Great place to have dinner and have a few drinks. Loved the atmosphere and the service. Steak night was on point! Steak was delicious and tender. The Boubon Pecan Gelato was delightful. I will definitely be back.

  • 5/5 Brandon W. 2 years ago on Google
    Came here for brunch today out of the blue. We happened to get here right when they opened and were surprised that there was no line to be seated. We were able to walk right in and get a table. It was our first time here, so we had no idea what to try, but our server, Brian, was awesome and very helpful in aiding our choices. The food and beverages came out quick and had great flavor. I’m looking forward to coming back and trying everything else on the menu.

  • 4/5 Mitchell G. 2 years ago on Google
    Wanted to get a few drinks and was pleasantly surprised to find live music. If you've been to Phoenicia you may have passed over this place while focusing on the fancy groceries. The food is very good and our server was on the ball. The atmosphere leaves a little to be desired but it is by no means subpar.

  • 4/5 Samuel S. 2 years ago on Google
    Went with my fiancée for steak night. I was half expecting the steak to be small but they gave me a bug ribeye and Za’atar fries plus a salad for 16.99 which I found a really good deal. Steak was delicious and perfectly cooked. Fries were very tasty. Service was very accommodating and checked on us often.

  • 5/5 kim s. 2 years ago on Google
    A great little place near Toyota center and no waiting!!


Call +1 832-360-2222 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Parking
    • ✓️ Plenty of parking
    • ✓️ Free multi-storey car park
  • Payments
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Spirits
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Halal food
    • ✓️ Quick bite
    • ✓️ Comfort food
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Organic dishes
    • ✓️ Happy-hour food
    • ✓️ Healthy options
    • ✓️ Late-night food
    • ✓️ Happy-hour drinks
    • ✓️ Vegetarian options
  • Popular for
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Solo dining
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Brunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Catering
    • ✓️ Breakfast
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Delivery
    • ✓️ Takeaway
    • ✓️ Kerbside pickup
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating
    • ✓️ No-contact delivery
  • From the business
    • ✓️ Identifies as women-owned

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