JR's Bar and Grill

JR's Bar and Grill
Website
Logo
The 808 and 804 Pacific Buildings, left to right

Address	804/808 Pacific Street Houston, Texas United States
Coordinates	29°44′48″N 95°23′25″W / 29.7468°N 95.3902°W / 29.7468; -95.3902
jrsbarandgrill.com

JR's Bar and Grill is a gay bar in Neartown,^[1] Houston, in the U.S. state of Texas.^[2]^[3]^[4] Charles Armstrong is the owner.^[5]

Description

In an overview of the city's gay landmarks, Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle said JR's hosts dancers, drag performances, and karaoke and wrote, "It's a no-fuss place to congregate".^[6] Drag shows included Que Calor featuring Latin queens on Mondays, Charlie's Angels on Tuesdays, Millennial Dolls on Wednesdays,^[7] the amateur event So You Think You Can Drag on Thursdays, and The Super Sunday Show, as of 2020.^[8] Xtra Magazine's offers the following description of the bar: "very popular, hot young professional crowd, heart of gay Houston, karaoke, martinis, drag shows, amateur strippers and go-go boys".^[9]

History

Jr's was established in the late 1970s or 1980s.^[10] The bar has hosted and supported the Montrose Makers Market.^[11] JR's operates on Thanksgiving and Christmas.^[12]^[13]

Reception

Clint Hale included JR's in the Houston Press's 2017 list of the ten best bars in Montrose.^[14] The bar was also named readers' choice for the city's best gay bar in 2019 and 2020.^[15]^[16] In 2018, JR's ranked number 40 in a list of the nation's most popular gay bars, based on attendance estimates for the last quarter of 2017.^[17]

In Eater Houston's 2019 and 2020 lists of the city's "essential LGBT bars", Baylea Jones wrote, "JRs is a laid back neighborhood bar. The expansive space accommodates drag shows, karaoke, and RuPaul’s Drag Race watch parties. Outside is a scenic courtyard patio complete with a fountain and water misters for sultry summer days."^[18]^[19] JR's was a finalist in the 'Best Drag Show Bar', 'Favorite Bar to Shoot Pool', and 'Favorite Community Bar' categories in OutSmart's 2019 "Gayest & Greatest" list.^[20] JR's was a finalist in the following categories for the magazine's 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards: Best Drag-Show Bar, Favorite Community Bar, Favorite Men’s Bar, Favorite Place to Watch Male Dancers, Club or Restaurant with the Best Happy Hour, Club or Restaurant with the Best Martini; the bar won in the Favorite Bar to Shoot Pool category.^[21]^[22]

In Thrillist's 2020 overview of "Houston’s Most Important LGBTQ Bars", Kathryn Way wrote, "Established in 1978, J...; when people come to town and want to visit a gay bar, they go to JR’s."^[23]

References

^ Neartown Super Neighborhood Archived 2020-06-04 at the Wayback Machine; the Neartown Association now shows the super neighborhood boundaries as of 06/04/2019 Archived 2021-06-07 at the Wayback Machine and previously had its own boundaries circa 2008 to 2018 (Retrieved October 20, 2008)
^ "JR's Bar & Grill". Houston Press. Voice Media Group. Archived from the original on 2021-03-03. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
^ "JR's Bar & Grill". Thrillist. Group Nine Media. Archived from the original on 2021-06-07. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
^ "Best Gay And Lesbian Bars In Houston". CBS Houston. 2011-10-03. Archived from the original on 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
^ "Reopening the Montrose Bars". OutSmart. 2020-06-03. Archived from the original on 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
^ Guerra, Joey (2015-09-24). "Houston's gay landmarks". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Communications. ISSN 1074-7109. Archived from the original on 2017-12-24. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
^ "What's New in... LGBTQ Houston, Texas". Passport Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-01-02. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
^ Guerra, Joey. "Here are 6 places to see great drag in Houston". Preview | Houston Arts & Entertainment Guide. Archived from the original on 2020-10-24. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
^ "Your Comprehensive Guide to Gay Travel in Houston". Daily Xtra Travel. Archived from the original on 2021-06-07. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
^
Year of establishment:
- This source says 1978.
- This source says 1982.
- This source says 1986.
^ "LGBTQ Artist Launches an Outdoor Artisan Market in Montrose". OutSmart Magazine. 2021-02-11. Archived from the original on 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
^ Rozycki, David (2015-11-24). "Houston's 10 Best Bars Open Around Thanksgiving". Houston Press. Archived from the original on 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
^ Viggiano, Brooke. "51 Houston Bars That Are Open on Christmas Day". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 2017-10-04. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
^ Hale, Clint (2017-05-04). "Houston's 10 Best Bars in Montrose". Houston Press. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
^ "Best of Houston® 2019: Best Gay Bar". Houston Press. 2019-01-15. Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
^ "Best Of Houston® 2020: Best Gay Bar". Houston Press. 2020-01-03. Archived from the original on 2020-12-06. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
^ "Four Houston Gay Bars Listed Among 50 Most Popular Nationwide". OutSmart. 2018-02-06. Archived from the original on 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
^ Jones, Baylea (2018-06-18). "10 Essential LGBT Bars In Houston". Eater Houston. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
^ Jones, Baylea (2018-06-18). "Houston's 15 Essential LGBT Bars". Eater Houston. Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
^ "Gayest & Greatest 2019: Entertainment & Nightlife". OutSmart. 2019-10-07. Archived from the original on 2021-02-24. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
^ "OutSmart's 2020 Readers' Choice Awards Winners". OutSmart. 2020-10-02. Archived from the original on 2021-03-04. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
^ "Gayest & Greatest 2020: Entertainment and Nightlife". OutSmart. 2020-10-02. Archived from the original on 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
^ Way, Kathryn. "Houston's Most Important LGBTQ Bars". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 2021-06-07. Retrieved 2021-06-07.