Lei Low opened in Houston's Heights neighborhood in late February 2014. The force behind Lei Low is husband-and-wife tikiphile team Russell and Elizabeth Thoede.
Lei Low serves drinks inspired by the historic tropical standards, but in their own modern style. Although Lei Low doesn't typically serve food, they do have occasional luau events.
A brightly colored mural of a tropical scene adorns the front entrance. Inside, the centerpiece of the space is a dramatic thatched A-frame structure behind the bar, which holds a collection of tiki mugs. There are a couple of vintage Witco pieces, and a few colored floats hang from the ceiling. There is seating in green booths, or on stools along the large bar. Tiki posts are found between booths and behind the bar. A grand peacock chair is near the entrance. Along most of the walls, the decoration comes in the form of framed art hung on framed pieces of lauhala matting.
CurlzGoneWild is a regular at Lei Low, and is usually there Usually weekends.
December 15, 2021, 4:50 PM
We love Lei Low! It’s a nice chill tiki bar with delicious, high quality drinks served in fun glasses. It doesn’t look like much on the outside but you are truly transformed when you walk in. Nice bar to sit and chat with your friends. My only wish would be that they improve the back patio to make it look a little nicer.
What a great tiki bar! Friendly and welcoming, exotica music, great drinks, fun decor... it is perfectly Houston and perfectly tiki. No theatrics like Hale Pele or the Disney bars, but a wonderful place to get your tiki fix.
CurlzGoneWild is a regular at Lei Low, and is usually there Usually weekends.
December 15, 2021, 4:50 PM
We love Lei Low! It’s a nice chill tiki bar with delicious, high quality drinks served in fun glasses. It doesn’t look like much on the outside but you are truly transformed when you walk in. Nice bar to sit and chat with your friends. My only wish would be that they improve the back patio to make it look a little nicer.
What a great tiki bar! Friendly and welcoming, exotica music, great drinks, fun decor... it is perfectly Houston and perfectly tiki. No theatrics like Hale Pele or the Disney bars, but a wonderful place to get your tiki fix.
After many many business trips to Clear Lake TX, a friend and I finally made trek into Houston to Lei Low’s. Clear Lake only has the (shudder) Volcano Room, so I was really looking forward to getting my tiki on at the highly ranked Lei Low’s. The strip mall exterior has a neon “RUM” sign over the door and a large tiki mural painted on an adjoining wall, so it’s a wonderful experience when you open the door and get a face full of tiki. The interior décor is pleasant with lots of old tiki ephemera and delightful art on the walls, including what looks like original pieces. The bar has lots of seating and there a number of booths. We sat at the bar and had a wonderful time talking to the staff while sipping our way through five cocktails (each). I really liked the “Chai Diver”, a Lei Low version of the cold buttered Pearl Diver (8/10) and a one-person Rum Barrel (8.5/10). Of the others we sampled the Mai Tai (6), Space City Painkiller (7), Special Planter’s Punch (7), Fog Cutter (7.5), Jump the Shark (5), Bush Pilot (7), and Barefoot in the Sand (7). All of them were obviously made with care and used what looked like fresh juices and quality rums. A minor nit would be that all the drinks should have top-shelf garnishes … it really makes things special. Only two drinks really did that, the Rum Barrel that had both the custom Lei Low cocktail picks (great) and a paper whirly-gig (wow, original), and the Shark (served in a shark mug with splashes of fake blood and a life preserver gummy). The music was also bit of a disappointment (6.5/10), being a mix of soft rock tunes with a few exotica tunes here and there. I’m really a proponent of having 100% exotica … for me it makes going out tiki-immersive. Will I go back? Most Certainly. I can’t wait. I’m even getting a 4th anniversary mug!
This is a nice tiki spot in Houston. The bartenders are helpful and kind and the drinks are tasty. Patrons were tiki enthusiasts (they had their own mugs stored at the bar for them to use!) and fun to chat with. The spot was quiet on a Thursday around 5 which was nice. As others have stated, parking is less than ideal. I would recommend this place for tiki lovers in Texas!
A Houston gem!!! I visit when I can and only not too long as to not remember when I did. Parking can be a bit tricky but the locals in the area are kind of used to visitors parking in the neighborhood as property is scarce in the Heights. Once inside, prepare to set your mind adrift as the sights, sounds, and scents take you elsewhere to a land without traffic... without stress... without as much humidity and heat that is Houston. My favorite bartender is Ben whom is a transplant from Canada that is forsaken snow and ice for the change in latitude. Great drinks, great atmosphere, and a crowd of friendly like minded folks that are indulging in the pseudo-fantasy of travel and mystique.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! I'm visiting from New Orleans, and checked this place out with my husband. Dark. Seedy. Perfect. We will be back on every subsequent visit to Houston. Don't change a thing. (Except maybe parking. 😬)
I love Lei Low. I live in Austin and sometimes make the 5 hour round trip trek just to get away for a bit and have a good drink or few in a proper tiki environment. Sometimes we even caravan with a few friends and get a nearby hotel for the night so we can really make a go of it. David is my favorite bartender there. He's courteous and knowledgeable about making cocktail, and always goes out of his way to please us. But everyone there including the owners knows us by now and is welcoming when we come through the door. Their menu seems to change seasonally and they do fun events like Trader Vic or Donn Beach tribute nights. The decor is definitely tiki but not kitschy or over the top. The have some quality Witco pieces and tributes to tiki temples of the past. All around great spot.
The Lei Low is something SO special. Given the awful lack of tiki in Texas, a bar like this that does it right is to be treasured and protected. It has everything you could want - an amazing, attentive, and friendly bar staff, absolutely delicious and innovative drinks, and a fun vibe. I brought my boyfriend to Lei Low over the weekend to celebrate his birthday, and it didn't disappoint. Everything we had was wonderful. They also have some killer swag - Mai Tai glasses, shirts, and cool swizzles! I already want to go back - this bar is a tiki treasure!
I visited Lei Low on a Friday night and it was absolutely jumping! Houston socialites have definitely embraced this bar and made it a hot spot. That being said, it's a good idea to Uber there because the parking lot is very small. The drink menu is very impressive and offers hot varieties of tropical drinks which is rare and very comforting. I would suggest that they feature a signature mug year round and not just at their anniversary. The shark bite was by far the best drink presentation. I was also very enamored by their decor ( although some came from Home Depot...I know...I buy stuff there too!) featuring topless wahines. I think most tikiphiles including women accept that a topless velvet painting of an island beauty is not shameful....it's the way things should be! Visit this place for sure. My final piece of advice for the owner is the build a better display system for your mug collection. Most of the patrons aren't paying attention, but I did and there were some good mugs ( i.e.: your Frankie's slot machine mug) hiding behind other mugs that were hard to see and the lighting was poor on the display.
enchantedtikilounge is a regular at Lei Low, and is usually there few times a month.
September 3, 2015, 11:46 AM
If you've never been to Lei Low in Houston and you're reading this within a 1163 mile radius of Houston, TX, you're CLEARLY missing out on the best bar experience you could have so start walking, riding, driving or flying to Lei Low. The most authentic tiki bar experience outside of Hawaii, California and Florida. Look it up, read the reviews, and check out the pictures!!! TEXAS... We're blessed to have this gem in our backyard!!! ON A SIDE NOTE: The only thing they are missing is their own tiki mug!
Made the trip out to visit LeiLow when I was in Houston for an event and I loved it!! Great drinks, they truly do their very best to provide an amazing cocktail to their customers. I loved everything about the place, and the owners enthusiasm for tiki was definitely apparent. I had a great time and will always make LeiLow a stop when I'm in Houston. Great job guys!