Anvil opened on lower Westheimer in 2009, back when a proper Old Fashioned was hard to find in this city, and it has been setting the standard ever since. Bobby Heugel and his crew built the place around The 100, a house list of the classic cocktails every bartender here learns cold, and that list still anchors the menu next to a short run of seasonal originals. The room is narrow, dim and loud in the good way, with bottles stacked to the ceiling behind the bar. A generation of Houston bartenders trained here before opening places of their own, so a drink at Anvil is a little like visiting the family home. Sit at the bar if you can and let the person shaking your drink steer you.
What to expect
- It is very dark inside, with only a few booths and tables, so expect to stand at busy times.
- Bartenders work fast and can make nearly any classic you name.
What to order
- Anything from The 100, the house list of classics
- A seasonal original from the short menu
- A spirit-forward stirred drink, which is what this bar is built for
- 2009Opened
- Bobby Heugel and partnersFounder
- The 100, a list of classic cocktails used to train staffHouse canon