Bartender Chat: Lindsay Howard of Darkhorse Tavern

Photo by Ginny Braud

Lindsay Howard: Mistress of the Bloody Mary

When you wake up on Sunday morning feeling less then stellar, all you need is a little hair of the dog...and maybe some actual dog hair too. As my mom says, "Just rub some dirt on it and get back in." Sunday afternoon we went over to Darkhorse Tavern to catch up with Lindsay Howard and meet a few regulars, including a sheepdog named Marley McBarksalot.

Can you tell us a little bit about the bar's history?
Darkhorse is just over seven years old. Brian, one of the owners, built everything himself. He built this bar from scratch, the tables and chairs, but the walls and tin ceiling are original.

How would you describe the crowd?
We have a very diverse crowd here. On Friday and Saturday nights there are some stragglers from the West end of Washington that come over, but for the most part we're an untarnished bar. We get a lot of art car crowd in here, a motorcycle club, and the dart league comes in every Wednesday night. For the most part we get a lot of beer and whiskey drinkers; it's a dive bar.

What are some jobs you've held besides tending bar?
I'm a Jackie of all trades -- I've done just about everything under the sun. My first job was in retail, then I was a waitress, but I was a terrible waitress. I've worked for a travel agency & a florist. My real passion was for advertising and marketing but when I was laid off, I got into real estate. After real estate I got back into bartending. I actually went to school for hotel and restaurant management and managed several bars in the early 2000s.

What do you love about bartending in Houston?
I love the people; I've always been in businesses where I'm able to interact with so many different kinds of people.

Signature drink?
Bloody Mary!

Here's her recipe:

Lindsay's Bloody Mary

One and a half ounces of vodka
2½ - 3 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp of horseradish
¼ - ½ tsp black pepper
A dash of celery salt
A splash of olive juice
A couple of dashes of Tabasco
Lemon wedge squeezed

It's served in a rocks glass with ice, so there shouldn't be much room left for the Bloody Mary mix. Just top it off, shake well and garnish with olives. Lindsay's Bloody Mary is her recommended hangover cure...along with a shot of Jameson.

Photo by Ginny Braud

$3.50 on Sundays, open to close.

You get to play 3 songs on your jukebox.
I would play The Clash, maybe London calling, MSTRKRFT and The Pixies.

Where do you like to go to get a drink?
I work at another bar, Houston Avenue Bar, so I'll go over there quite a bit. I know everybody; I only work over there one day a week. Truthfully I work 60 to 65 hours a week, so I don't get out very often, but I do also like Rudyard's & Kohn's.

Lindsay pulls a wildcard question from the questions box (from the loaded questions board game).
What's the most beautiful thing in the room you're in right now?
Marley!

Photo by Ginny Braud

Lindsay & Marley the sheepdog. He's a real life version of Sprocket from Fraggle Rock!

For more info and specials, visit dhtavern.com, and be sure to stop in on Sundays after 4 p.m. to try one of Lindsay's Bloody Marys!