Petrol Station Coffeehouse

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Set in a residential area. You wouldn't expect a good beer destination here, but one definitely exists! Indoor seating options include 5 regular tables, 2 tall tables, and seating for another 15 or so along the bar. Outside there are quite a few tables in back and several in front. All the beers appeared to be good choices, at least they were all craft beers. The tap list on my visit:
Stone Cali Belgique
Hopsickle
Stone Ruination
Southern Star Buried Hatchet with coffee
DFH 90 minute
Stone Double Bastard
Stone Old Guardian
Saint Arnold Spring Bock
Modus Hoperandi
and 3-4 others.

Must have been Stone night/week/month. Prompt friendly service, I think I was served by the owner... Low number of taps but all quality. Highly recommended for the great choices + laid-back atmosphere.

02-23-2010 01:57:38 | More by TurdFurgison

champ103

Texas

3.45/5  rDev -19.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 2.5 | $$

The Petrol Station is a gas station converted to a bar. It is tucked away in a neighborhood a few miles north of the 610 Loop.

There is a good sized patio outside and in the back. The bar zig-zags back and forth a bit inside. One TV to watch ball games. Beer mirrors and various brewwania hung on the walls. A chill spot if you can find a seat and get comfortable, which is always an adventure.

Anyway, on to the beer. Now about 35 taps of craft beers, and every once in a while a cask. All the beers rotate. one of the best selections in town. If you are a hop head come here. Always some IPA's. They also make a point to support local Texas breweries. 512, Jester King, No Label, Real Ale. Usually the quality is good, though I do not like how they do cask. No hand pump. They just tap the cask to an extra line (kind of a pseudo cask) or a gravity. Sometimes the less popular beers sit around a little to long for my liking as well. I hate how they pour the beer as well. All the way to the top, no head. Some might like that. Not me.

The food use to be really good, now just bad. I was not that impressed with the Reuben. The burgers are what they are known for, and lately they are really hit or miss. I have had to send back my last 3 burgers. One was not cooked at all (literally raw meat), one was burnt to a hockey puck, the other was raw in the middle again. Some new stuff since the kitchen build out. I tried some duck tacos. I could barley eat it, way to many bones. The pork belly sandwich is chewy, over cooked and a chore to finish. The fries are limp, burnt, and somehow soggy at the same time, not good at all. I am pretty much done eating here.

The service can be ridiculously slow. At peak hours the line can go out the door, and it can take 30 minutes just to get up to the bar. Sometimes it takes more than an hour to get the food as well. This place has pretty much outgrown the small kitchen and limited staff.

Overall, one of the best selections in town, and I love the feel here. Though it is growing to much for its own good. Even with the new kitchen build out, it still takes forever to get food. Service is still hap hazard, and takes forever, and even more crowded. Just to much of a hassle to come anymore.

05-13-2009 20:58:07 | More by champ103

armock

New York

3.75/5  rDev -12.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Atmosphere - Well its an old neighborhood gas station thats been converted into a bar so its cozy to say the least. L shaped bar that seats about ten or so with four taps at one end and the rest on the wall. Very limited seating inside but lots of picnic tables out front on the patio and in the back yard.

Quality/Selection - With only 16 taps and usually five of them being IPAs the selection is a little limited for what I'm used to around town. However the majority of stuff they have on tap is usually pretty impressive and they're always getting strange/special kegs that none of the other bars get.

Service - As others have said it depends on when you go because of how busy they get. During non peak times the bartenders are quick with a beer and will talk beer. However when its busy be ready for a wait.

Food - They have a small kitchen that puts out some bad ass food. On my last visit I got the curry chicken salad sandwich and it was awesome with a good touch of spice to go with my cask Hop Devil.

Overall this is a good place to go for some good beer and a good burgers and sandwiches.

10-27-2010 23:06:37 | More by armock

wolffman17

Texas

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Petrol Station is fast becoming one of the better beer bars in Houston. They focus mainly on American craft beer, all on draft (no bottles)...quite possibly the only bar in Houston that doesn't serve BMC. Various coffee drinks and wine are available as well. Whole bean coffee, roasted right there in the shop, can be purchased to go also.

As the name implies, Petrol is located in what was an old gas station. It is a true neighborhood bar located in the middle of a residential area. There is plenty of outdoor seating, front and back, and the small interior has a few tables to go along with the zig-zagged bar. A room to the side has a couple dart boards and an old pinball machine (working??). Laid back, no frills vibe.

Beer quality and selection is top notch. Granted you are not going to see 50+ taps that the Flying Saucer or Ginger Man have, but you will not have a hard time finding a good beer to drink here. The owner seems to be hoppy and big-beer minded, but you'll also find a wheat and a pilsner or two. The taps rotate frequently. They do have two cask engines but aren't on all the time.

Service can be hit or miss, mainly because it's only the owner running the bar (including serving the food, busing tables, etc.) and one guy in the kitchen. With that said, they work hard to make sure nothing is overlooked and everyone is being taken care of. I recommend sitting at the bar for the best experience. (7/20/09 Edit: bumped up service rating; they've added a couple more on staff and orders are filled much quicker now)

The food is great for a small bar like this. The hamburgers, Reuben, and meatloaf sandwich are hard to beat.

My one main complaint is that they use the shaker pint and ONLY the shaker pint. Belgians/Belgian-styles: served in a shaker. DFH 120 Minute: yep, served in a pint glass. Doesn't make much sense to me and doesn't do the beers any justice. For the most part the glasses they use are ok for what they serve, but appropriate glassware when called for would improve the experience.

Overall highly recommended as a beer stop in Houston.

05-13-2009 17:21:10 | More by wolffman17

beenitty

New Jersey

4.63/5  rDev +7.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $

Stopped by this place at to meet up with trading buddy and brother from another mother lnashsig on my recent trip back home to houston.

Quaint place stashed away off a few side roads near Ella Blvd in North Houston. Had the urge to drive past it, looks like a dive from the outisde, lol.

Around 7pm on a Friday, people were bustling enjoying themselves but not crowed at all. ~10 seats at the bar, ~ 6 large picnic style tables inside, and large back patio. Didnt count the taps but more than 30 and all styles with about 2/3rds being all texas micros. 512, Independence, St. Arnold, east and west coast goodies and all different styles. I couldnt remember them all but this is definitely the type of place that you wont be able to try everything you'd like in one sitting. Since I was a visitor, everything on tap may not have been impressive to the regulars but this seems like the place to get rare releases as well.

Shared CBS, Older Viscocity 2008, Zhukov 2011, Kuhnhenn Bourbon Braggot etc with the staff and the head guy Troy is an awsome guy. Sharing is encouraged and rewarded. Oh and my round of beers were 12$ and I'm not talking about Natty Light, incredible to pay 3$ for top notch beer considering what I pay in NYC/NJ.

Burger I had was no joke as well.

Oh an all the workers there have awsome beards, like a secret beer cult.

I wish there were more places in my new home like this one in my old home. Highly reccommended and definitely better than GingerMan Houston just on selection alone.

11-09-2011 13:56:33 | More by beenitty

BgThang

Texas

4.03/5  rDev -6.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | $$

I've heard of this place a few times mention with different events here and there. I did not realize how close it was to my dad's house. I went there to check it out.

It has 14 taps and 2 cask which is mentioned already. You better like hoppy beers and big beers. If your a saint arnold's fan you may be left in the cold. The bartender I was talking to said he did not like their beer's as much as some other beers he has access too. He also mentioned that he loved ska brews. So go figure. I did not try any food here due to just eating alot of bbq my dad fixed earlier that day. I did have a moylanders and a DFH90 min here. both were great. Real fresh. The atmosphere is pretty nice. It is an old gas station that has been converted in to a beer bar. There is alot of seating in the back and front in the outside areas. The inside of the place is pretty small. I give props to the guy for bringing some more options to this area of houston. If I was back in the area this would be my go to bar. I did recommend to the bar guy to grab some (512) beers if he could. He is talking about driving down to pick some up. I recommended the pecan porter and the wit which ar emy favorites and are nice twist on the styles. I also mentioned that alot of people dig their ipa as well. Ther eis one tv that had the UT game on. The crowd was quite noisey in there. Mainly 3 or 4 guys arguing about something and one getting mad. Dunno thought I may have to due some bouncing in there, but it settled down quickly. I wish the place great success.

09-27-2009 19:22:07 | More by BgThang

Onslow

Texas

2.93/5  rDev -31.9%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3 | $$

This place could get two different kinds of ratings: an awesome place early in the day when no ones around but jesus, turns unbearable at night, takes 20-30 mins to order a beer and you have to shout at the top of your lungs at the same time .. . Great burger, horrible horrible fries. One bathroom for the entire place, took 30 mins just to pee. place has grow to big for its boots.. i will only go again if in the area and if they expand the bathrooms, servers, and taps.. but the 10 taps they do have were quality, mostly big beers- no sessions... they do the occasion cask and the parkings a joke, maybe 7 spots then all down the streets. ..

03-25-2010 14:05:35 | More by Onslow

ottovon

Arizona

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $

I have been here a few times and love it. it has a lot of outdoor seating, both in the front and in the back. it is a converted gas station, so there is still covered seating outside from the overhang that covered the pumps, and the other tables have unbrellas.

the food is excellent. i have had the meatloaf sandwich and the lamb burger. both were very tasty and the fries are fresh potatos they cut in house (i believe).

they always have a great selection of beers. 14 taps of nothing but craft beer and 2 casks (they dont always have a cask on though). the taps are always rotating. i think everytime i have been i have seen a different beer. i have had within the past month double bastard, '06 sisyphus, '06 old guardian (served in a pint glass), avery maharaja, and real ale real heavy to name a few.

the prices are very good. i am always surprised by how little my tab is.

they also have beer dinners. i will be going to one in june. it is with ska brewery. so i can update about that when i go to one.

i will definitely be going to this place a lot.

05-13-2009 14:34:53 | More by ottovon

SWMeyer4141

Texas

4.71/5  rDev +9.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Heard good thing about the Petrol Station, and was in Houston so gave it a shot. It's located in the middle of a neighborhood, kind of odd.

Real laid back atmosphere, wish there was something like this in Beaumont.

Beer selection was great. Had a 512 Pecan Porter and a Real Ale Sisyphus. Staff knew alot and was fun listening to them talk beer. Although I didn't eat the food looked great as well. Definitely need to order something next time.

Will be back whenever I'm in Houston. Great place

03-07-2011 20:10:16 | More by SWMeyer4141

Rustoleum

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

The Petrol Station has become my new favorite place to relax with some quality craft beers. I've been here a few times now, and it never dissapoints. They have a nice European style beer garden with tables and umbrellas with great landscaping and lighting. The beer selection is always top notch. On my most recent trip, they had Bear Republic Mach 10 and Double Bastard. Their are a lot of locals from the neighborhood that are always friendly and the service is top notch. I've only eaten there once, but the burger was great! Highly recommended!

11-25-2009 17:30:19 | More by Rustoleum