The Ginger Man

azorie

Florida

3.09/5  rDev -27.1%
vibe: 2 | quality: 4.5 | service: 1 | selection: 4 | $$$$

Went early and found a place to park for 2 dollars. Very interesting place, why they choose to leave the door open in the Texas summer is a mystery to me, but what can I say. Your in the heart of Rice village, which is to say your surrounded by allot of Smart folks and money. The bar has nice outside area, again why you want to fry out there, one never knows but I guess if you smoke your going to have to live with the heat and humidity.

We did not at first run into any "problems" with locals as some have complained about, but then again we got here after going to eat lunch, so It was empty except for the bud guys giving a sales pitch, so we could not listen to the junk box, but it was ok.

Decent selection on tap, but after the flying saucer its a big let down, but again this is my kind of bar, small and quiet. Allthough another bar that is Quite expensive IMHO, but I see a trend here, if you want to drink imports from Belgium in a bottle at a bar, get ready for double retail prices and up. I got a 750ml bottle of La chouffe and it was 21.50 geez can you say super rip off, I sure can.

Service was the WORST I EVER SEEN. We was all ALONE and we could not get waited on, until I walked to the bar. ok they only had the manger and 1 bartender. After a while, like an hour late another person came in and THEY GOT WAITED ON!!

Sadly since we were not regulars we could not get the time of day from the bartender, she had others. No table service, so its just like a English bar. One assumes they get waiters later in the day, but we left before it got anymore crowded. Decent local hangout if you drink the cheap stuff, or have a large budget for beer every week.

I can see where if your not a local you get some funny looks, but as a fellow Texan I am used to noisy folks who ask your business out of the blue, just a Texas thing. I can stare back at assholes with the best of them. Still If I lived nearby I would revisit, as the manager on duty seemed very nice.One would hope the service would improve, being like we were IT for at least an hour. Needles to say NO FUCKING TIP!

06-27-2008 13:14:44 | More by azorie

joedon

Minnesota

3.2/5  rDev -24.5%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 2 | $$$

I stopped in here on a Thursday evening about 5:00pm. Very crowded and very loud. They have a patio which was crowded with smokers in addition to being hot and humid (this is Houston, after all). Inside is dark except for several loud TV's with football games going. I'm not sure what the decor is trying to achieve but it came across to me as a dumpy college bar (which it basically is).
Large selection of beers both on tap and in bottles. Small number of local brews (St. Arnold etc.). The beer was fresh and properly served.
Service is haphazard due to over-crowding and under-staffing. The bar was jammed with business suits so I had to take a chair and wait for a waiter to get served.
Almost nothing on the menu (like the NYC Ginger Man). Don't come here for the food.
I'm not impressed by this place. Brian O'Neill's was two doors down the block and much more my style for having a beer and a light meal.

09-28-2007 14:32:37 | More by joedon

jwff

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev -13.2%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$

I really don't know where to begin with this place except the past few times I've gone I've been extremely disappointed. The clientele is a mix of regular dudes who can keep to themselves and the drunk priveledged types that get too rowdy for their own good (even on the slower weeknights). Luckily the beer selection is good and always kept fresh with the exception of a few aged releases. Half pints are always a plus when you want to keep your head and try more than a few things. I don't really go anymore except when I have company in town or am in the area and have a hankerin for some St. Arnold from the cask. Also if you hear T. Rex - Raw Ramp playing then I'm probably there.

03-05-2008 23:12:52 | More by jwff

gixxerman

Pennsylvania

3.81/5  rDev -10.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Very rustic feel to this bar, sort of out of place if you ask me. Upon entering the space the first thing I noticed was a rather large crowd hanging out on the front porch. Inside was a bit dark, but very cozy. The have are 60? or so taps on the wall behind the bar, and I think they are all live.

They have updated draft list on the bar, everyone should find something they will enjoy. They also have their beer blends, I tried the 'Party Dog' which is half Dogfish 90 minute IPA and half Spaten Oktoberfest, it was very good.

The barmaid was very knowledgable. It was entertaining watching her try to answer questions like, 'What do you have that is like heineken?'. When you know she wanted to say, go get some beer IQ, then come back and see us.

The only food I saw was bagged chips and popcorn. Make you dinner plans elsewhere..

I will find my way back next time I am in Houston.

08-10-2007 03:35:57 | More by gixxerman

CHADMC3

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev -7.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

This place is very unsuspecting from the outside, just a few picnic tables and umbrellas outside of what look like a queiet little restaurant. Walking in to this place is like stepping back in time or somewhere else. The low ceilings, dark woods, old bottles and cans and dark ambience with subtle jukebox classics playing are really something to experience. We went on a Sunday afternoon, so it was a little subdued, but this place is awesome. By far, some of the best bar ambience I have experienced.

We tried one of their specialty pretzels, a nice compliment to a beer. Service was prompt, and one thing I enjoyed was listening to the ladies behind the bar talk amongst themselves about some the new beers they have tried. We sampled a Lone Star Stout, a Gnarleywine, and a Kwak. Their selection is good, but not nearly as great as other stops. Too many main stream beers here for me, but greatly varied regardless.

The small food menu had some unique offerings, but I didn't sample enough to create too much of an opinion.

If you're near Rice U, you gotta check this place out. Just a cool beer bar you won't soon forget.

05-08-2009 01:22:24 | More by CHADMC3

assurbanipaul

Texas

4/5  rDev -5.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I hate to say if you've been to one G'Man, you've seen them all -- but that's a very good thing because they all seem to have the same quality format. This Houston establishment (which I believe is the original) is not that different than the one in Dallas.

Located in Rice Village across the street from a high-end strip center, this G'Man faces more activity and foot traffic than the Dallas G'Man, which is more out of the way. Looks like a residential house, good-sized patio out front, lots of outdoor seating. Indoors is dark wood interior, another patio out back.

Somewhere around 80 beers on tap, with deference to the local micro Saint Arnold, which seems to have a strong following around here. Had to knock off a few points for service based on some mistakes (wrong glassware, error on tab) but that may be an individual instead of typical.

Overall, I prefer the Dallas location because this Houston G'Man is a little too exposed, too much in the middle of the surrounding area's buzz and activity (within a stone's throw of Rice University, TwoRows Brewpub and a Sherlock's Pub are literally across the street). But it's still far better than your average sports/themed bar.

PS: Smallest bathrooms in the world. I've seen larger toilets in 737s. Not enough room to even change your opinion.

11-07-2005 19:53:09 | More by assurbanipaul

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -5.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I counted 64 taps, while visiting the Houston location. The highlights were St. Arnold Christmas on Cask, Maredsous 8, and 10, and Spaten Optimator.
The atomosphere was as expected, having visited the Dallas location in the past. Low lit bar with some dusty, old bottles surrounding the shelving above the room. The Rice University crowd packs the place in, even for a Monday, along with the upscale snobby people speaking French not allowing me to get up to the bar. The backdoor leads to an outdoor section where people can take in the weather, or music...however it was way to cold to stand out there for more than a few minutes during my visit.
The quality seemed in check. I enjoyed my Maredsous 8, which was served unexpectedly in a pint glass, while my friend had a Stella Artois, which was served in a chalice...explain that one to me.
The service was ok the night we went. Perhaps a shade less than good. The bartender seemed busy but annoyed that we tried to get her attention. My friend, who I went with, is a former bar owner and bartender in Austin. He said that she would've never made it in his bar b/c she was having trouble juggling more than one thing at a given time. We had to go to where the waitstaff of 2 orders from. There is a sign hanging above the bar that says, "Do NOT stand here!" Considering we were getting ignored and couldn't fight through the land of coeds and frogs, we decided to ignore the sign and order from there anyway.
The selection is actually quite nice with drafts and bottles. Did I mention they have 129 bottles, as well? Not bad. I liked that they featured some things from St. Arnold and Real Ale. Too bad they didn't have any Live Oak, considering one of the rival bars on the other side of Houston reportedly has it. Oh well. Overall, not a bad place to visit.

12-11-2006 22:11:25 | More by weeare138

skittlebrau

Texas

4.03/5  rDev -5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 1.5 | $$

If you can find parking, this is a good place to relax on a weeknight. Moreso on Wednesday which is glass night, both here and at the saucer. I'd say the atmosphere is just right for what it is, although it has a tendency to get crowded, like any place in the village. I think it's a better crowd than its neighbors though.

The only downside is don't come here expecting to eat anything. They don't have much in the way of pub grub and what they do have isn't worth spending your beer money on.

01-02-2008 23:30:07 | More by skittlebrau

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.06/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

This is my third Gingerman (first Manhattan, then Greenwich CT), and it is probably my favorite of the brand so far. Apparently it's also the original, at least I get that impression. This location has a Texas feel to it, well-worn all wood floors which give the feel of an old west saloon, tons of beer bottles on shelves near the ceiling, and a generous number of taps. You can check the actual tap selection online, but I'll say it's almost a contender with the Manahattan location in terms of selection. Probably Manhattan is a little better, but it's subjective and in any case the atmosphere and pricing in Houston take the prize. There's a cask, serving St Arnold IPA while I was there. All other selections were solid if not mind-blowing. Definitely this establishment is worth checking out. My favorite in Houston.

02-24-2009 04:53:25 | More by TurdFurgison

jim102864

Connecticut

4.14/5  rDev -2.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

The third G-Man I've visited and neither Dallas nor Manhattan can hold a candle to the beauty and friendly demeanor of the barmaids at the Houston location. That alone made it worth the visit twice last week. This location is somewhat off the beaten path, particularly if you're not familiar with the Rice University area, and the parking sucks (as it does at the other locations). Business took me to Houston in August which is like travelling to Buffalo in January. The humidity in this area is nothing short of disgusting, so when I couldn't find a space and had to trek in the stifling heat from the oven that is the $10 parking garage across the street, I was none too happy. But the barmaids were so damn polite/hot, and the beer selection good (given the area), my disposition changed considerably. Typically small building, must've been a single family home at one time or another. Low ceilings and bunches of taps behind the bar. Nothing particularly extraordinary in that most of what they offered on tap is available where I'm from. I was ecstatic when the barmaid served me a Maredsous 8 in a pint glass no less and it was happy hour, so I saved 50 cents ie $4.50 which ain't all that bad. The Texas brew St. Arnold, which is actually a high quality product, was on cask with their Elissa IPA. Quite delicious though a tad lacking in hop bitterness. There actually were patrons in the beer garden in back, all of them obviously insane. The inside was quite tolerable since I parked me butt right underneath the smoke filtration system. That coupled with the ceiling fans made it quite comfortable, even when the place got somewhat busy. On my second visit a guy walks up to me and hands me a free ticket to the Astros game - box seat, 1st base side, seven rows up. Talk about friendly! Again, the tap selection is quality. Nothing terribly mind blowing, but solid nonetheless. Ditto for the bottle selection. It's a G-Man so well worth tracking the place down...just avoid it at all costs during the summer.

08-29-2007 18:02:11 | More by jim102864