East End Hardware

"Tap into some sweet childhood memories at East End Hardware, then top those memories with booze. East End Hardware may not be the first bar to figure out that making shaved ice boozy was a great idea, but they are one of the only bars in Houston continuing to capitalize on summer nostalgia. Forget day drinking with a beer. Alternatively, get a cup full of shaved ice drenched in sno-cone sugar syrup and booze, like the classic Tiger’s Blood combo of coconut and cherry with vodka, or the Astros-themed Strocone with orange, strawberry, and rum. What To Order: Any snowball cocktail" - chelsea thomas, gianni greene

"Despite the name, the cocktail and patio bar East End Hardware technically resides in EaDo, according to whoever draws those business district map thingies. Tomato, tomato. What we do know this place serves boozy snow cones and has a jukebox full of mid-2000s emo and rock bangers that would make a geriatric millennial weep with joy. There's also a solid list of craft beer, easy drinking cocktails, and a couple of TVs playing sports. Converted from an actual hardware store, the inside looks more like a renovated small town community center you would see on a made-for-TV rom-com, so, charming. Pull up and sip something alone, or join a few friends for a low key night on the patio. " - chelsea thomas, gianni greene

"Part patio, part frozen drink haven, and part millennial emo nostalgia factory, East End Hardware is overall a very chill bar with a solid jukebox. Take advantage of the relatively large tap wall or, on a hot day (AKA most days in Houston), enjoy an ice cold snowball cocktail. East End Hardware is also located on the quietest edge of EaDo, so no one (except everyone at the bar) can hear you cry on the incredibly rare occasions when the Astros, uh, don’t win. How to get there: Drive (five minutes) or take the METRO purple line to the Leeland/Third Ward stop (18 minutes)" - chelsea thomas, gianni greene

"Take a date to East End Hardware at the edge of East Downtown and impress them with your knowledge of craft beer and mid-2000s emo bangers you pre-selected on the jukebox. This place looks like a converted small town community center, which ups the charm factor, as do the remnants of the actual hardware store that used to be there. If you’re braving a first date mid-summer, there are also boozy snowballs to cool you down. " - chelsea thomas

"East End Hardware gives visitors a fun way to escape the Texas heat with its boozy “snoballs” in a variety of flavors, like managonada and dreamsicle. Look out for crawfish boils, steak night, and hotdogs and drafts for $4 on Mondays, or simply stop in for a refreshing glass of frosé while watching a baseball game." - Megha McSwain, Nadia Gire