I don’t like calling this place “The Phoenix.” It will always be “Firkin” to me.
For those of you Houstonians who have been in the city for 10+ years, you remember a place on Westheimer called Firkin and Phoenix. Well, after a rebranding effort that aesthetically improved the bar and removed half of the name, The Phoenix on Westheimer has continued to thrive in the River Oaks/Upper Kirby area of town.
I used to visit this place as a young, early 20-something kid looking for a cool place to drink in-town. Back then, there weren’t as many bar choices in the area, but The Phoenix always accommodated with tremendous liquor and beer selections. Not much has changed when it comes to quality of choices, but I was surprised to see its level of commitment to the sport I love, soccer.
As an early morning hooligan, my bar of choice to watch Chelsea FC was The Brewery Tap. After it’s closure on January 1, my mates and I have been trying out The Phoenix as a potential home for watching our matches. What I love about it is the willingness of the owner to open the pub early for us and the fact that they already have an established crowd of Celtic, Everton, and Crystal Palace supporters that call that pub home.
Yesterday was the Chelsea FA Cup opener against Scunthorpe. For such an understated game, the owner was still eager to open up for us and serve us coffee even though we couldn’t order food or drink until 10:00 AM. After a Chelsea victory, we were able to order food and drink from their vast array of choices. I ordered breakfast tacos and my wife ordered the harvest pie, which is on their vegetarian selection area of the menu (a bonus for her). Each of us ordered a (512) Pecan Porter for our beer on a crisp early morning. The food was stellar and the beer was amazing as usual. Their selection for beer is an array of Texas, Houston-area, and popular national craft beers in addition to their in-house brews. Yes, they started brewing their own beer last January after gaining their brewpub license. I’m eager to try their in-house choices upon my next visit.
If you haven’t been out to The Phoenix in a while, you should definitely go whether it’s in the morning for a match, daytime, or evening for a romp with friends. If you’re looking for an experience, come hang out with us Chelsea supporters or the Celtic supporters, who were a funny group of lads. For me, I’m sure this place is going to continue to be a frequent visit for matches, good food, and delicious Texas craft beer.
I would classify that area more Upper Kirby/Montrose than River Oaks/Upper Kirby.
If The Firkin & Phoenix was your go-to in the area, then you missed the pre-existing Ale House (an awesome place) and Little Woodrow’s. Both nearby on Alabama. The Firkin filled their emptiness.
I wish I would have tried out the Ale House. Keep in mind, as a youngster, I was on the prowl for beer and once I found a pub I loved, I stuck with it.