The Big Casino

Restaurant · Downtown

The Big Casino

Restaurant · Downtown

908 Congress St, Houston, TX 77002

Highlights

"Located in downtown Houston, The Big Casino is the ultimate destination for those seeking a memorable restaurant, bar & nightlife experience. We have a 3,600 square foot patio, the best one in downtown. Inside, guests can enjoy craft cocktails and unique bar bites or catch the latest game on our 16' x 10' video wall on the patio or one of the other large screen televisions throughout the venue. We transform into a late-night hotspot with a DJ spinning beats from 10pm-2am Friday and Saturday nights on the best AV system in the city. Whether you're looking to unwind at happy hour after a long day at work, celebrate a special occasion, or simply have a great time with friends, we have everything you want for a memorable night out."

908 Congress St, Houston, TX 77002 Get directions

thebigcasinohouston.com

@thebigcasinohouston

$20–30 · Menu

@eater

"This new Downtown restaurant and bar offers various choices, the first being whether to indulge in steak night on Sunday or Wednesday. Then, choose between a 6-ounce filet or a 16-ounce rib-eye, which comes with Big Casino’s smoked gouda mac and cheese and a side wedge salad for $25. Take it out to the patio, which boasts a massive video wall that’s likely playing the latest sports game. Don’t forget the cocktail." - Brittany Britto Garley, Sean Hekmat

15 Houston Steak Nights to Slice Into

View Postcard for The Big Casino

@eater

"The Big Casino name is a nod to the storied past of the historic Downtown building, which housed the Big Casino Saloon, a pre-Prohibition era bar and gambling hall founded in 1866. Today, the restaurant and bar boasts one of the largest open-air patios in Downtown and entices visitors with its impressive cocktail list, steak nights on Sundays and Wednesdays, and a diverse menu including dishes such as campechana, crawfish beignets, and pollo asada skewers." - Megha McSwain, Brittany Britto Garley

Where to Dine and Drink in Downtown Houston

View Postcard for The Big Casino

@eater

"Downtown newbie, the Big Casino, has been transformed into the Holly Jolly Holiday Bar for a holiday pop-up through December 30. The immersive experience features floor-to-ceiling tinsel, trimmings, and ornaments, plus a variety of holiday-themed cocktails and mocktails. General admission starts at $15 for a 90-minute session, but you can also splurge on the burlesque brunch, which starts at $65 and includes a burlesque performance, entree, and themed cocktail." - Megha McSwain, Brittany Britto Garley

23 Houston Holiday Happenings to Get in the Spirit of the Season

View Postcard for The Big Casino

@infatuation

"Set in what was once a pre-prohibition gambling hall downtown, The Big Casino Kitchen + Bar serves cocktails and a few bar bites. Expect mixed drinks, crawfish beignets, candied jalepeños, and a spacious patio." - Gianni Greene

The Big Casino Kitchen + Bar - Review - Downtown - Houston - The Infatuation

View Postcard for The Big Casino

@eater

"Once home to the Big Casino Saloon, a pre-Prohibition bar and gambling hall that was founded in 1866, the aptly named Big Casino Kitchen + Bar opened in July at 908 Congress Street. The restaurant, located next door to the bar AngelShare, offers a lively lounge area with a 30-foot-long lit-up bar and an outdoor space equipped with a 16-by-18-foot video wall, perfect for watching the latest game, and one of the largest patios in the Downtown area." - Brittany Britto Garley

Downtown Houston’s Big Casino Kitchen + Bar Channels Its Pre-Prohibition Roots - Eater Houston

View Postcard for The Big Casino

David Williams

Google

My wife and I visited The Big Casino for the Holly Jolly Holiday promotion. The atmosphere and decore were amazing and festive. We absolutely loved the atmosphere. The service was impeccable, and with the crowd, we definitely were not expecting that. We ordered from the Holl Jolly Menu. 1. Deviled Eggs 2. Swedish Meatballs 3. Mini Corndogs 4. Steak and Truffle Fries Horrible is all I can say. The food was unpleasant and rather difficult for us to pallete at some points. I actually had to send the corn dogs back due to the amount of oil that was dripping from them! My wife had 2 drinks called Santa sleigh, and she said that they were delightful. Other than the food, this was a pretty cool Christmas experience.

Randolph Yu

Google

Just flew in to visit some friends and family in Texas and we had an awesome time at The Big Casino! We had a bunch of different small bites with some of their craft cocktails. The atmosphere is super chill, perfect for hanging out with friends or enjoying a laid-back evening. Definitely a spot worth checking out if you're in the area.

Erick Escobar

Google

Great establishment, very friendly, professional and great customer service. The recent renovations are awesome and there is plenty of space to entertain all types of events. The outside patio is also a cool hangout spot to enjoy a nice day. Definitely recommend this The Big Casino to friends, co-worker and family. Not everyday you can hangout at a place so rich with history.

Joe Ugarte

Google

Service was horrible. We waited 20 minutes for two glasses of coffee and two waters. It took them one hour to bring our food which were the skillets that had half an egg on there and a large portion of fries, which is not in the description, worst service, and worst food I’ve had in Houston, also they charged automatically 20% gratuity for a table of four. Would not recommend this place in any capacity.

Kaiser A

Google

Would not recommend their Holly Jolly Christmas pop-up. The staff seemed overwhelmed and the bar didn’t have the basic necessities to make a good drink, it took about 15 minutes to order our first round of drinks (we were a party of 4) then another 10 minutes to receive the drinks. The manager came to our table to let us know they couldn’t make one of the drinks that was listed on the advertised holiday drink menu, and asked did we want something else. Several minutes later she came back with a round of miscellaneous drinks (not the ones we ordered) and stated “these drinks were made in error and I thought to myself, I know a table that would like these”. But I didn’t order the tasteless Ranch Water served in a martini glass, I would have preferred the Christmas inspired drink I originally ordered. We never received 2 of the 4 drinks from our initial order. Next we ordered our complimentary holiday drink which is included in the ticket cost ($22) - you get to chose from champagne with cranberry juice or a red sangria. The sangria tasted like 100% licorice liquor with ice. Although this is a bar, we tried ordering basic drinks that were not on the holiday cocktail menu. We were informed they were not able to make them. We also could not specify what type of liquor we wanted in a drink. For instance, if you wanted to switch the tequila preference in one of the tequila drinks, they wouldn’t let you. Pretty sure all drinks are made with the well version of alcohol. Food: we ordered the Steak Fritas - these were basically Sysco French fries with small chucks of cut up steak mixed in, and the corn dogs - which were chunks of cut up sausage heavily breaded and fried in old grease. If you’re going to make craft cocktails, you need to be able to make them exceptionally well. The drinks here reminded me of spring break back in college - cheap alcohol mixed with even cheaper mixers.

Barry Cowen

Google

MJ was the bomb , he got us in the door from the sidewalk, recommended all the good stuff on the menu, even started us out with his order of truffle fries!

BATHSHEBA

Google

I was disappointed, thought the jolly jolly pop up they were promoting was going to be atleast an 8/10. I give it a 1/10. Food was burnt, drinks were not festive, they only had two festive cups that were chipped (not a good look). Service was not great, and the atmosphere/music was definitely not good. Pretty pricey for the terrible service we got. I would not recommend.

gena seamster

Google

The best part about this new spot is the bartender, Frederick. He is phenomenal, attentive, and fun. He is a VIBE. The worst parts are the burlesque show (it changed the entire vibe to BORING) and the 1 piece of avocado toast. You can not charge like you give customers 2 pieces of toast when you truly give paying customers 1 piece of toast, and you cut it in half.

Mahwish S.

Yelp

I came for the Holly Jolly pop up hosted by Houston Bucket List. I saw on the website that you had to make a reservation in order to enter the bar. My group of friends decided to try it out to do our Secret Santa gift exchange for Christmas. I was running a few minutes late, so I'm not sure how long the wait was. But when I got there about 10 minutes after our reservation time, my other friends were already seated. The website said with brunch ticket, one drink and one brunch entree was included. I feel for the price of paying $50 for brunch it was a little underwhelming. The brunch options were decent. We were only able to order from the holiday menu, the rest of the restaurant menus that they normally have were unavailable. I did not like that you only got to choose between only two of their holiday drinks (mimosa or sangria) when they had a whole menu of holiday drinks. We should be able to order off the entire list. I ordered the sangria and it comes in a tall Santa boot. When I was brought my drink, the top of the cup had lipstick on it. So I had to send it back and get another. Someone else had to send back their drink and get it replaced as well. That didn't give me good confidence in how well they are washing their glasses and dishes. I had the breakfast hash skillet for my entree. It came with sausage, egg and potato hash. It was good after I got my condiments. Our waiter was not very attentive. He came once to order drinks. And once to order food. The food did not come out at the same time. One particular person waited quite a bit longer to get hers when everyone else started eating so their food didn't get cold. He did not check on how the food was doing. We had to ask someone else to bring us condiments. We had also asked for a water refill and they never brought it. Gratuity is not included in your ticket price, and since we were a party of 6, they automatically charged 20% gratuity that we had to pay separately. I did not feel the service was up to par to just automatically get 20%. The decor was amazing and they had festive music playing! I feel like the experience and service could have been better.

Jen S.

Yelp

First time here and loved it- really can't wait to go back. And big shout out to Otis the bartender cuz he was amazing. We sat at the bar and enjoyed watching drinks made throughout the night. Otis makes some really fun cocktails plus he has great bar side service. Tried Old Blue Eyes and High Roller, liked them both. Double win of you arrive during happy hour when they are only $8! Tried a few appetizers - and they were WOW! Forgot to take pics cuz everyone was diving in. The Pollo Asada Skewers with Elote was delicious! Moist, flavorful chicken pieces skewed and laid on top of the delicous, cheesy, elote. It was so good we ended up ordering two more plates! Then tried the Truffle Fries and they came out hot, crisp, and really flavorful. Wanted to take a pic but my friends were eating them up too fast! Last we tried the mini sausage corn dogs. These are different but in a really tasty way. Also ended up ordering another basket of these. And, since we were celebrating, splurged on ordering shots of Clase Azul Tequila and rang the bell top.... why not?! Will definitely be returning to try more of the cocktails and food.

Chantel C.

Yelp

It's a nice size bar with a cool holiday theme pop-up. However, they seemed understaffed and unorganized. There is a lot of SM surrounding the event they're hosting for the holidays that felt like false advertising. They only had 3 drinks included for free for the Holly Jolly event and the drinks shown online they did not have. The Santa sangria was disappointing. We waited over 30 minutes in line past our ticket start time to be sat and waited another 25 min before someone came to take our order. The dj did amazing, and the decor inside was awesome. The concept is nice, but it could have been executed better.

Courtney B.

Yelp

The music drew us in from the sidewalk, the vibe and service kept us there for the next two hours. Tim greeted us immediately and he let us know his wife was the DJ, they were both so friendly and enjoying the evening. The drinks we tried were all delicious and the lounge/speakeasy feel was top notch. Up until 11p I think they serve food but we did not partake in that. It was such a great find and I highly recommend checking it out. There are tables and plenty of additional seating both indoors and outside patio.

Paradise A.

Yelp

This place does not pick up their phone. I came here for my friends birthday, but the hostess said they only take reservations online. If no tickets are available then she cannot see us. She was rude and claimed there's no manager or availability. You can see from the photo there was definitely room. She had horrible customer service and the picture shown is 15 min after the "experience" started, Not only will I not patron the holly jolly holiday party at the big casino, but I will not patron the big casino for not picking up their phone when they are open to avoid this misunderstanding and providing proper communication. Total thumbs down. Also overheard other people disappointed leaving the show after we found somewhere else to enjoy a great dinner.

Austin C.

Yelp

Bar program and service are excellent. The bar itself(the physical bar) is made of white marble and is absolutely gorgeous. They have an eclectic food menu with so many different types of foods to try. With the ambiance of a Rat Pack era casino this is one of the nicest bars in the downtown area with great cocktails. Also they have a MASSIVE screen outside for the Astros games which will be nice this October!

Cole B.

Yelp

This place has been many other restaurants. Its location is great and right in the heart of downtown. The drinks were decent, but the food left a lot to be desired. We had two orders come out with obviously burnt bread that they tried to hide by flipping the sandwich over. We ended up having to send them back because they were inedible. In my opinion, they shouldn't have even left the kitchen. The crab pasta was gross - tasted like fish of the sea from the can. Yuck. Service was a 3/5. Because of the location, I may be back for drinks, but I'll skip the food entirely.

Scott E.

Yelp

Great meal, drinks, and service tonight. I've never been, but visited based on Yelp reviews. I sat at the bar and was served by Otis. He made me a great Manhattan, provided me with a Brussels sprout substitute for my salad on the steak special, and found some rare yellow Chartreuse to go with his recommended (delicious!) Key lime pie. Atmosphere includes tasteful, original House music and a few TVs (no sound, thankfully) featuring baseball-appropriate after a stellar win by the Stros. Bravo!

Natalie S.

Yelp

Came by the big casino for their holly jolly Christmas experience and it was definitely underwhelming. Tickets are about $25 and include one holiday drink. No ticket, no entry to the bar even if you just want to grab a regular drink. The most disappointing thing was the drinks, price and service. They have a list of about 5-7 holiday drinks, but for your entry ticket, you can ONLY choose between the holiday mimosa or the sangria.... Are you kidding me? For $25, I'd expect to at least be able to choose from the full list of holiday drinks. Service: no one came up to my table to take our order. It wasn't until my partner walked up to the bar to get out drinks that someone swung by to ask if we needed to place drinks. We were disappointed with the drinks but decided we would make the best of it and order another round. Well after that, no one ever came back to check on us so we decided to leave. The decor truly is cute, but I did expect more for the price. There's plenty of other holiday bars without tickets that have a better set up than this. I would not do this experience again.

Bebe G.

Yelp

I had a blast at The Big Casino, a holiday-themed bar that really knows how to celebrate. I made a reservation online and got a text confirmation, which was very convenient. They also gave me a ticket for a free drink when I arrived, and I picked the Santa's Sangria, a delicious red wine concoction served in a cute Santa boot. For dinner, I went with the Abominable Snowman Steak & Truffle Frites, which was tender, juicy and flavorful. I ended the night with an Open Fire Old Fashioned, a classic cocktail with a festive twist, served in a beautiful ruby red glass. The valet parking was easy and fast, and I got to check out the back patio, which had a cozy vibe and a huge screen for entertainment. I even met the owner Brian, who was very friendly and told me the story behind the name The Big Casino. It's a great place for dates and holiday parties, and I can't wait to go back.

Trish D.

Yelp

The food here is amazing, Deviled eggs, brisket sandwich, club sandwich, fries and the wedge salad. We were very impressed. Best wedge in Houston! Staff was very on point and knew our names before evening was over. The artistry of the drinks was fun to watch. Smoked bourbon, espresso martinis. Thanks to the owners for a great evening!

Keri D.

Yelp

The service, drinks, and food were absolutely wonderful. My husband and I went here as a special treat for his birthday (first night away from the kids in some time), and our bartender Terry was great! Recommend for anyone looking for a low key, reasonably priced, happy hour.

Cecelia C.

Yelp

The service was great. We went on a Friday night. The music was very good. The bartender did a excellent job, and it was very swanky and smooth kind of night

Alexandria O.

Yelp

The ambiance and location were great! The waitress was attentive The drinks were tasty.However, I'd say don't eat here. I would only come back for a happy hour special. They have a lot that needs to be tweaked before I'd consider returning! For such a big name they need a touch more of excitement.

Linda K.

Yelp

Had Birthday Party there in September! Great food, Great Drinks and Fantastic Service!

Dylan J.

Yelp

Hate to shit on an already struggling restaurant but this was insane. Service was terrible food was terrible, nothing came out correct, waited 30 minutes for dessert to come out and then we finally just left. Hate the restaurant that turns into a club vibe.

Ellen O.

Yelp

Unfortunately this restaurant was not good at all. The first bad sign was that it was nearly empty. While the waitress was friendly and the service was fine, the food wasn't very good. The charcuterie platter could have been assembled from grocery store items. The cauliflower was too salty and was with an unidentified firm cheese. It was just a strange dish. The fries were not crispy and had half melted large pieces of cheese on them. It was Wednesday and so steak night, and the steak didn't seem like great quality and the mac'n'cheese was extremely bland and underseasoned. the restaurant and bar were out of a number of items we attempted to order. The entire vibe was that of a restaurant about to go out of business.

Ashley Y.

Yelp

I came here, for their holly, Jolly Christmas pop-up with BucketListers. I was super excited to come because they just opened for the holiday and it turned to be a complete waste of time. The bartender was extremely rude. You could tell he was overwhelmed, but was very rude to me and my guest, I sat a table for about 20 minutes no one came to take my order. I had to get up to go find a waitress, and still waited about another 20 minutes to receive my drink. The only food I ordered were three chocolate chip cookies and unfortunately they came out burnt and I can tell that the bartender argued with what looked like the manager about them for about five minutes before actually placing my order, overall the ambience was nice and they decorated well for the holiday. But the drinks were overpriced on top of already having to pay for entrance. I did not think that it was worth it, and believe that the staff here needs a serious talk or evaluation of their customer service.

Nicole S.

Yelp

I want to say this was the best services Iv had in a long time. nothing in Nebraska compares to the amazing service I had from jayia!! 100/10 recommend this place to anyone!! will come back if I'm ever back to Houston!

Michelle B.

Yelp

The Holiday Pop Up Bar is terrible. They are understaffed. We waited an hour for drinks before we left. To their credit, we were refunded our money. Maybe we will try it after Christmas.

Annie P.

Yelp

First time here for brunch and this was an Outstanding Experience. TERRY really set the scene from the door to the exit. The service was impeccable and food great. This is must place to come to for brunch. Terry will be there to thoroughly give you the entertainment that you need for your brunch Experience!

Annalisa A.

Yelp

Great food and drinks I went on the night of a fabulous burlesque show and had the best time

Brittany F.

Yelp

must order everything on the menu!!!! sooo good!!! awesome atmosphere awesome people. nowhere like it around here!!! yayyyyy cant wait for yacht rock party!!!!!! woohooo!!!

@eater

15 Houston Steak Nights to Slice Into

View Postcard for The Big Casino

@eater

Where to Dine and Drink in Downtown Houston

View Postcard for The Big Casino

@eater

23 Houston Holiday Happenings to Get in the Spirit of the Season

View Postcard for The Big Casino

@infatuation

The Big Casino Kitchen + Bar - Review - Downtown - Houston - The Infatuation

View Postcard for The Big Casino

@eater

Downtown Houston’s Big Casino Kitchen + Bar Channels Its Pre-Prohibition Roots - Eater Houston

View Postcard for The Big Casino

David Williams

Google

Randolph Yu

Google

Erick Escobar

Google

Joe Ugarte

Google

Kaiser A

Google

Barry Cowen

Google

MJ was the bomb , he got us in the door from the sidewalk, recommended all the good stuff on the menu, even started us out with his order of truffle fries!

BATHSHEBA

Google

gena seamster

Google

Mahwish S.

Yelp

Jen S.

Yelp

Chantel C.

Yelp

Courtney B.

Yelp

Paradise A.

Yelp

Austin C.

Yelp

Cole B.

Yelp

Scott E.

Yelp

Natalie S.

Yelp

Bebe G.

Yelp

Trish D.

Yelp

Keri D.

Yelp

Cecelia C.

Yelp

The service was great. We went on a Friday night. The music was very good. The bartender did a excellent job, and it was very swanky and smooth kind of night

Alexandria O.

Yelp

Linda K.

Yelp

Had Birthday Party there in September! Great food, Great Drinks and Fantastic Service!

Dylan J.

Yelp

Ellen O.

Yelp

Ashley Y.

Yelp

Nicole S.

Yelp

Michelle B.

Yelp

The Holiday Pop Up Bar is terrible. They are understaffed. We waited an hour for drinks before we left. To their credit, we were refunded our money. Maybe we will try it after Christmas.

Annie P.

Yelp

Annalisa A.

Yelp

Great food and drinks I went on the night of a fabulous burlesque show and had the best time

Brittany F.

Yelp

must order everything on the menu!!!! sooo good!!! awesome atmosphere awesome people. nowhere like it around here!!! yayyyyy cant wait for yacht rock party!!!!!! woohooo!!!

The Big Casino

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