Happy Hour Scene: Dog House Tavern

​The Place: Dog House Tavern
2517 Bagby St.
713-520-1118

The Hours: Monday through Friday, 3-7 p.m.

The Deals: Domestic drafts and bottles are $2.50. Import drafts are $3, and wells are $3.50. Lone Star and Mickey's are $2.

The Scene: "This is my religion!" a young man said as he stood at the bar at The Dog House Tavern on Wednesday night. He waved his hand over a pitcher of Miller Lite and a stack of frosted glasses.

Then he bought a round of Shiners for a group of guys sitting at the end of the bar, who greeted his gesture with a chorus of "Thanks buddy!"

The young man acknowledged them, and as he walked off, he tapped his chest twice, kissed his two fingers then pointed a peace sign toward the heavens.

The joys and pains of Midtown.

The Dog House Tavern is stuck in the heart of the neighborhood, at McGowen and Bagby, across the street from Midtown staples Tipsy Clover and El Patio. The place isn't Pub Fiction big, but the size is able, with a large bar and booths and a few tables set up outside.

On Wednesday night, those were empty, but inside was about half full. The bar was lined with older men and younger women, and random groups of 20- and 30-somethings dressed like they'd just come from the office.

Say what you will about Midtown, but, in a weird way, the scene felt like the epitome of happy hour:

A warm bar on a rainy night full of people smiling and downing after-work beers, all while Journey (Lights) pumped from the speaker. Things seemed all right.

As we started on our third beer, we realized the place had filled up a bit. A young woman ordered a round of shots and carried them on a tray to a table behind the bar. The Journey disappeared and was suddenly replaced with Sinner's, we think, "Born to Rock."

The woman with the shots made it to her table and passed them out. She toasted someone's 30th birthday with incredible grace: "Start chugging, you pussies!"