Bar Buena

Bar Buena is an absolute gem in River Oaks! This new spot has an intimate, speakeasy vibe that makes you feel like you're in on a well-kept secret. From the moment you walk in, the staff is warm, welcoming, and genuinely fun to chat with. Aurora, the bartender, is a standout, she’s incredibly knowledgeable and clearly passionate about her craft. Her recommendations were spot-on, and every drink was thoughtfully made and perfectly balanced. The food was pretty impressive, the ribeye tacos were delish! Highly recommend checking it out!

So happy to we visited our favorite bartender, Joe, here! Formerly of the mezcal speakeasy Quiote, Joe has brought his mixology talents to Bar Buena. It is a beautiful space with authentic Mexican spirits and delicious bites. Hector, another bartender, also made really incredible drinks. We will definitely be back!

Mezcal bar plus upscale Mexican small plates in River Oaks. Refined and vibrant opening in July.

Love the atmosphere here. I’m no photographer so it wasn’t easy for me to take good photos because of how dark it is inside. Very good cocktails.

Bar Buena is brand new and already bustling! We stopped by right after 5:00 and were greeted right away by the bartender. We did hang out in their standing room area for a little bit but were able to order drinks and snag a table pretty quickly. When I tell you this is the friendliest service I've ever had at a bar or restaurant, I mean it! All different members of the staff were checking in with us to make sure we were having a good time and enjoying everything. We tried out three of their drinks: enamorada, uno amargo, and their classic frozen mezcal margarita. I say this as someone who is stupid about cocktails, but I think if you're a fan of old fashioneds you'll be a fan of the uno amargo - it'll put some hair on your chest! I loved the frothiness that the egg white brings to the enamorada but I think the frozen margarita was our winner. Imagine your favorite frozen marg but better - the mezcal brings an earthier flavor to a cocktail that us Texans all know and love. Finally for food we had the pato tinga memela, gulf crab tostadas, and carnitas flautas. I genuinely loved them all so much, every protein was so juicy bursting with flavor, which makes sense considering everything is made to order. If I had to pick a favorite I would struggle (I'm not kidding, it was all that good), but I think the crab tostadas won us over with their freshness. We had such a great first visit to bar buena and I can see this quickly becoming a cozy date or after dinner drink spot!

Dark, vibey, lovely, intimate speakeasy vibes. Friendly service, delicious bites (holy heck those crab tostadas are going on my last-meal list!!). Righteous cocktails. BUT. BUUUT. IT'S SO STUPIDLY LOUD!! All you and your group and the staff can do is smile and nod cluelessly at each other and have a nonsensical back and forth, ie: Me: "What kind of mezcal is this?" Server responds: "We opened two weeks ago" Friend chimes in: "I'm all set" Server responds: "Yeah, I was in real estate before" I say: "Oooh I've never had this. Can I see the bottle?" Server points: "Bathrooms are through that door" Me: "Absolutely delicious, thanks for asking" Like...... huh????? Maybe come here AFTER you've got a solid buzz AND your noise meter is already cranked up and busted. OR with people you don't want to talk to under any circumstance but feel obligated to hang out with. OR if you love the sound of cackling ricocheting off tin ceiling tiles and metal tabletop. THEN THIS IS YOUR PLACE!

BRILLIANT!!! When I moved to Houston in the early 80's (yes...I'm am old f***er) I moved within stumbling distance from Goode Company Barbecue; and to this day their joint on Kirby has been my moniker for BBQ. And while there have been other BBQ joints with more notoriety, GCB is where I take visiting friends from around the country and around the world. But I digress. I cannot be more proud of the Goode family and Mama Nifa for joints like this. Both should be rolling in their graves with excitement for what their families have continued. With respect to this bar, I am so fired up Houston has a place with a heritage like this.So come...sit at the bar...chat up your neighbors...and thank your lucky stars you live in Houston, Texas... And not in Dallas!!!