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Categories: American (New), Beer, Wine & Spirits
Neighborhood: The HeightsMon-Wed. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Thu-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sun. 3:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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My confidante extraordinaire and I went to Block7 yesterday to discuss some serious business.... I must say I was impressed with the place.
Was my first time there - have driven by it many times thinking they just sold wine - which is fine of course, but food is a plus too.
Shared a bottle of Australian wine I believe it was, but with an Irish name? Is that what server said? Hmmm... whatever the case, it was an excellent choice - Tir Na Nog -- certainly one to find at Spec's if you can and try it at home.
Also shared the CK1 flatbread, name reminded me of the CK cologne... I mean the name, but the dish itself was about a 6.8... next was the stuffed chicken n salad - looked like a caesar salad sorta -- not so bad - give that one about a 7.7.
Overall atmosphere kinda open garage like, very cool, easy going and comfortable place. Needs a bit more feng shui, but it will pass for now...
Server was cool, seemed quite knowledgeable about everything we asked... if an owner was there, would have been a HUGE plus for one of them to come over and say, "Hey how's everything? I've not seen you in here before... we APPRECIATE your business - blah blah blue..."... that always helps for REPEAT business!
They had an actual wine store next door, although we never went in there - maybe should try that sometime.
I'd go back for sure... oh and the company, well Cristal gets a 9.2555.
I still love, love, love this place! I've been here twice this week for a mellow dinner and a good glass of wine on a Saturday night. The raclette and ham sandwich and the flatbread pizzas are amazing. The price of the wine is unbelievable. The patio is getting used more and more as the weather perks up.
I love how they support local artists...the artwork hanging on the walls changes out periodically and they've put out a cool cd of local musicians that they were giving out for free. They also have free wine tastings which are so much fun.
What a fun new place in the Washington Heights area! Block 7 is an industrial space with a bar,… Read more »
Block 7 - I am still waiting for you to "wow" me. I have been a few times and each time your bring me up and break me down all at the same time. What gives?
I am not a huge fan of the decor here. They are going for that unfinished / industrial look, but it's a little too "cold" for me.
Here is a list of things I was impressed with:
-Yes! The wine prices are attractive!
-Your burger. Original! I totally respected the Gruyere instead of American or Swiss. You were a pleasure.
-Fries were thin, flavorful and PLENTIFUL. One for the table is more than enough!!!
-Your cheese plate will do (though 13 Celsius is still the winner on this)
Here is where you fail for me:
- $4 for truffled popcorn? Really? Let's be frank here. You give me half the amount that comes in those microwavable mini bags. If you are going to make popcorn all fancy, can I get more than 2 handfuls?
-The same can be said for all the $4 snacks. They are all a notch better than free nuts at sports bars. If you really need a snack - splurge on the flatbreads because these "snacks" will not cut it.
-my friend got your Gulf Shrimp. She thought this was a main meal as it is listed under "Market" and priced at $11. The fact of the matter is, the dish is a tiny app the the size of my baby fist (I have small hands). If you want to serve this, go right ahead, but market it appropriately.
-Not that it was expensive by any means, but they never mention they are charging you for the water pitcher they keep refilling at your table. Sure, it's distilled. Sure, it's only about $1 per refill. But when you surprise me with the charge on the bill, it leaves my mouth a little dry (ironically).
The wrap up:
After my 2 mixed trips, I'm not done with you yet. I have a lot of lessons learned and am hopeful we can make things work between us. However, the money you save me on wine, you get back with your overpriced snacks, surprise water charges and falsely advertised offerings.
I have not visited your retail section, but am looking forward to it more than your restaurant /bar.
Came here yesterday for apps and a little bit of the vino. I like the warehouse with a dinner setting feel, and its a nice option that they can open the garage door when the weather is nice. The service is spot on, staff is knowledgeable and friendly, though a little slow at times.
The food menu is almost too eclectic... as for sharing apps they have truffled popcorn, some flat breads, but i just didn't see anything that jumped out at me. There is really no salad options, and sometimes you don't always want a whole entree. So I really wasn't impressed with the sharing options... but decided to order the CK flatbread, and the stuffed chicken which came with the one and only salad they seem to offer. And when I say it came with the only salad, this salad is not offered anywhere else on the menu... only if you order the stuffed chicken...did I miss something here? Anyways the flatbread was dull... the chicken was decent and the salad wasn't bad.
The wine list varies from inexpensive to a little pricey. Some of the sections will have a 34.99 bottle, and the rest will be 116.99 and up. It does vary, but maybe not quite enough for my taste. We went with the Australian grenache called Tir Na Nog. It was very good. Good enough to remember!
This place confuses me.
Signs that it's a casual place:
- Yelp says so
- Wait staff is dressed in jeans, tshirt, and tennies
- Seat yo self
- No decor
- There's an attached store
BUUUUUUUT... I walk in and I'm being inspected from head to toe by the clientele who are all dressed up and there for the people watching. Who wants to be watched when you're wearing jeans, tshirt, no make up, and hair in a pony tail? Well, I don't care. But you know...
I was confused by the whole self-seating thing because I didn't know if we were supposed to get a menu.... was someone supposed to take care of us within a certain time period?
After that passed, we picked our Malbec from the binder of a wine list and ordered our food.
WE HAD POPCORN! Buttery popcorn that has a hint of truffle. Maybe my palette isn't as refined, but it really just tasted like butter to me? Buttery popcorn for $4.
All that aside, my corn chowder was good and ginormous. Creamy corn soup with chunks of potato and a small dab of pico de gallo to accent it. I paired that soup with my portabella mushroom burger that had a nice vinaigrette flavor to it.
Husband's tri-tip was good, but it was the cheesy rice that pushed it over the top.
The place is huge and parking is easy. Not sure if I would come back.
What can I say about Block 7 that hasn't already been said? Well, for one, the service is out of this world.
I hate going to wine bars where the servers are so snooty they look at you funny when you order a rosé. Or - on the flipside -- where the server couldn't tell you what an albarino is. Block 7 makes the wine bar experience a pleasurable one, taking away the pretension so that you're not afraid to ask questions but maintaining enough sophistication to make even the most knowledgeable of oenophiles happy.
Our server this particular night took the time to hear what we were in the mood for. He listened dutifully and after a few seconds of hearing our group bicker back and forth ("I want something chocolaty," "No, I want something mild," "Screw you, we're going with a pinot"), he recommended a wine that appealed to everyone.
The wines are all fantastic. I absolutely love going to a wine bar that offers wine you wouldn't normally find anywhere else. After all, if I really wanted to drink Beringer, I'd just go to my local gas station to pick some up. And I especially love that this is a wine bar in every sense of the word - not a place that just decided to slap the title "wine bar" onto their storefront because it's trendy. You can tell the founders of this place really know their wines and pass that knowledge onto the staff. Such a gem.
Oh, and PS: don't feel like you have to valet. We were able to find off-street parking and walk a short distance to Block 7.
This is one of my new favorites in Houston. It's a really interesting concept - not quite a restaurant, not quite a wine bar, not quite a wine store....somewhere in between those three.
Let's start with my favorite: the wine. They aren't quite as cheap as Specs, but their prices are much more reasonable than the other wine bars around town (Max's, Cova, Corkscrew, Tasting Room etc.) Their wine buyer manages to pick out some really interesting selections and the staff is well educated on pairings. They also have some wine events that are worthwhile - free tastings on Tuesdays and sometimes on Saturdays. It's fun for 20 minutes if you're in the neighborhood and have time to stop by.
The food is also very good. They go beyond typically wine bar food and serve some more complex offerings. The truffle popcorn is quite good, and the croque monsieur is OUTSTANDING. This is not a grilled ham and cheese sandwich passed off as croque monsieur; this is the real thing. Raclette, bechamel and butter butter butter make this a Texas-sized version of what you would get in France.
I managed to get a bottle of wine (Chateauneuf du Pape Domaine de la Solitude - excellent), an appetizer, two entrees and dessert for under $100... you can't find value like that many places in Houston. Way to go Block 7!
Any time I drive by, this place is packed! Bf and I spontaneously decided to stop by and check out all the hype. I wanted to sit outside in the perfect weather, but apparently, everyone else had the same idea, so we had to settle for the bar. I'm glad we did because the staff was very knowledgeable and patiently helped us pick a bottle of wine that would appeal to both of our tastes. (Bf likes red wine, and I like white.)
For being a wine bar, I'm impressed with the quality of their food. Bf and I shared the croque monsieur and the b7 frites (fries). The fries were phenomenal! They were served with homemade ketchup and aioli. I scraped up all the crumbs. The croque monsieur was delish as well. I love raclette cheese.
Overall, I think Block 7 is a lovely addition to the Washington corridor (albeit off Washington).
I've been wanting to check this place out, but for months I just haven't had the opportunity...so last night me and a fellow wine-loving friend of mine went to sip on some vino.
Upon arrival, valet...boo. But it was cold, so at least it kept me from freezing my buns off. The atmosphere was industrial, which I liked because it stayed true to the style of the newly converted building. The place was packed, so we grabbed a spot at the bar to enjoy a bottle of spicy Pinot Noir. The wine list...er binder....was incredible. Many different varieties from everywhere, not one of which I recognized...and that's just what Block 7's strategy is. They are a wine retailer which focuses on stocking the good stuff from the lesser known vinyards at a great price. So when you buy your bottle at the bar, its at retail price instead of the huge markup you might see elsewhere.
Upon reading, the menu looked phenom! Truffle popcorn, venison sloppy joes, flatbread pizzas...mmmm! We weren't too hungry, so we grabbed a cheese plate and sweet potato fries. This cheese plate was gorgeous and surpassed the quality of The Tasting Room by far. There were four different types...manchego, stinky bleu, gouda, and something else I don't recall the name of....the accompaniments were a fig compote, bread, deliciously glazed pecans, quince AND truffled honey. Whuh? Truffle honey?!? It was absolutely delicious!!!! It paired quite well with the yam frites!
Now I just need to go back with an appetite to try the Sloppy Deer!!
We went here for a surprise birthday party for a friend. It was really well put together and the wine and food were excellent. The staff were super nice and I liked the whole vibe. We will be back.
Four of us returned for dinner on a busy Friday night and we noticed lots of problems.
1) There was no host and a waiter told us it was open seating. Open seating works great in places like Luby's but it was a full house.
2) Our waiter was not very familiar with the wines.
3) The wine list has been reduced by a considerable amount. I remember an extensive wine list. We were looking to purchase a bottle of rioja. There were four bottles available starting at $25 and the next was $90. Of coarse the lesser bottle was sold out and they didn't have anything comparable to it. If you are "Wine Company" please stock wine and have a better price point variety.
4) Kitchen ran out of bufala mozzarella. We ordered one of the pizzas that had the tastier mozzarella on it and the waiter dropped of a pizza that was missing the cheese. It was very obvious that it wasn't there and we told our waiter. She checked with the kitchen and they ran out of bufula.
5) The valet. We sat by the window and I noticed cars going in and out of the large parking lot. However, I saw valet using the same spots that a non-valet customer could have been using. It's kinda messed up that so many spots were tied up by valet.
I don't know if there was a change in management, but it was not an enjoyable night.
Bring your Specs Key Card!
Food: 6/10
Service: 7/10
Creativity: 5/10
Atmosphere: 6/10
I could not belive…
Read more »
I think this place is pretty awesome. The concept is awesome, the atmosphere amazing, and the service unparalleled. My buddy is a USC alum, and I met one of the owners at a USC event (he's a USC alum too). After the event, we went to the place and had a great time. I've been to three wine bars in the city, and this one has been my favorite yet. I recommend you check it out if you haven't already.
I got to go back with a friend of mine just over a week ago. I took the opportunity to try other things on the menu.
The first was the truffle popcorn, which we shared. Simple, yet profoundly great; until I tried it, I had no idea how much a small change could jazz up popcorn. I will definitely order this again on my next visit.
My main course was "the whole pig" flatbread. I normally don't do flatbread, and to be honest, I didn't know what to expect. Well, now I do. This is probably one of the best main courses I've ever had in a Houston restaurant, ever. This is served with some kind of green leafy vegetable on top; I'm not sure exactly what, but it goes very well with the meats. I'm hooked!
I don't remember exactly which wine we had; it was a red wine in the $20/bottle range.
On my suggestion, my mom and I went to check out this new wine bar/restaurant. The place was packed,… Read more »
Good wine selection and the duck was extremely good, but I was hungry. Atmosphere is a little loud but the staff is friendly and very helpful.
I finally made it down here and am glad I did. The lamb rack was about as good as it gets. The server, although a little overwhelmed on a weekday night, was excellent and took care of everthing we needed without intruding. All I had to do was poke my head up and grab his eye from across the room and he was there for anything we needed.
Our wine selection was priced at the exact same price as the grocery store! All the better knowing we could enjoy what we were paying for and not a ridiculous mark-up.
What a fantastic addition to Houston! I met a girlfriend there for some wine and dinner. We were both blown away with how delicious the food was. We did have to wait about 10 minutes or so for a table, they were packed and there was a special Oktoberfest event going on. It was well worth it. Our server was knowledgeable and steered us to a great wine. He was patient with us, we took forever deciding what to order. Both the rabbit flatbread and the red snapper were standouts. I have been craving both since we left.
I will certainly return!
My husband and I wandered into Block 7 on Saturday afternoon just to check it out. The bar/restaurant portion was not open at the time (that portion opens at 4pm) but the retail portion was open and we had the chance to talk to one of the managers/owners.
He told us that foremost, this is a retail wine store. They take pride in stocking wines that you will not find at the grocery or at Specs and they also pride themselves at not having much of a mark-up. In addition to wines, they also sell some specialty beers. They have a pretty good selection of wines (probably comperable in number to what you would find in the average grocery) and it looks like they also have a good variety of price points.
I think what will really set them apart from Specs (cause, goodness, I love me the Specs) is their emphasis on wine education. They provide a free tasting every Saturday and it sounds like they will have a variety of other seminars/tastings/presentations in the future. We did the tasting (which was actually a Belgium beer tasting that day), and the person presenting was interesting and did a great job.
I'd imagine you'd be all about this place if you are a true wine lover, but for me (the average wine drinker) I probably will continue to purchase my wine at Specs. But I'll definitely keep tabs on this place to check out their tastings and such.
Loved this place!
Ive only been once and only had 1 glass of wine and the "krack" dessert...but it was a great place.
The riesling that I chose was very good....the waitress actually brought me 3 or 4 to try first.
I went on a Wednesday afternoon after work. It was semi-crowded...but they dont have a happy hour so it was just people there for dinner or just regular wine specials.
Only complaints- it was FREEZING. Not just a little freezing, but REALLY, REALLY freezing. Several people got up and went to the patio. We were tempted to but didnt...
AND...I really wish they had Happy Hour. I think alot more people would go and it would really help their business if they had one...
There isnt much decoration and nothing too special about the layout. Its just a big space, tons of tables and tons of room on the patio also.
The menu looked yummy but we only ordered dessert.
Next time I want to have dinner and have more than 1 glass of wine :)
I'm gonna jump on the wagon and say that Block 7 is probably my favorite wine bar in Houston. I like the atmosphere being a place you can come dressed up or dressed down and still feel comfortable. Its odd but some how it has that feel to it, at least for me. Also, many places do not have a parking lot in this area so tally up some more points.
Basically what everyone has said I agree with. Prices are reasonable, being better than their competitive market, and their staff is nice and knowledgeable. I've also heard good things about their food from friends, which I haven't tried yet.
If anything, you should definitely check this place out if you're into wine bars. I'm more of a beer drinker (they have a nice selection of beers too) than wine but when in the mood, I'd have to say this would be my first choice. Only bad thing is that it is usually pretty crowded and it could be a very long time before you get a table.
Block 7 Wine Company just opened up for lunch today, and I was very pleased. I had the steak sandwich and it was one of the best ever! It was a beautiful day and we could sit inside beside the open garage door and it was wonderful. The people there are quite helpful, and there is plenty of parking!
I think Boheme has prejudiced me against all other wine bars. Block 7 has everything going for it: a nice space, fairly priced wine, less pretension than you'd expect being so close to Washington; and yet I can't seem to come up with a descriptor other than "solidly OK".
For me, the openness of the seating area was the biggest problem. The minimal decor felt sort of sterile to me, and I went on a busy Saturday night expecting to mingle. No such luck. I imagine going with a larger group of people would be a different experience, so that might be a better option.
As for the wine (the important part), the two reds I tried were both good. For a night out it won't be my first choice, but it's not a bad place.
It's exciting to have a new wine bar in the Washington corridor that has the trifecta: ample parking, killer prices, and plenty of elbow room. Block 7 just had its soft opening, starting out with a free tasting of Andre Clouet champagnes. The winemaker himself flew in for the event literally an hour beforehand!
The passion of the staff at Block 7 for good wine, food, and conversation was apparent immediately. They are excited about providing well-priced wines to the public - they function as a store first and then a wine bar, but it doesn't affect the atmosphere at all. In fact, the atmosphere is what makes this place so cool! It's pretty modern and sparse, but it doesn't feel cold.
As far as the wine selection, they have worked incredibly hard to provide a unique and varied blend of types of wine. We tried a malbec rose with some light snacks for literally 10 bucks a bottle and no corkage fee. Beat that, Max's Wine Dive! Most of the wines range from 6-9 dollars a glass, but the bottles are where you get the real steal.
What we tried of the food was fantastic - the edamame was a good starter, followed by some flatbread topped with rabbit & arugula, and finally a croque monsieur. If you're not sure what a croque monsieur is, just go with it...I had no clue either, but now I'm going to order it every time.
Went last Friday with friends at 6 p.m. CDT. Already crowded and filling up by the minute. We secured a table to the right of the bar, and before we finished our first drink, every table was full. Definitely a "see and be seen" kind of place, but in a very fun, happy way. No attitude, just really good vibes.
Very energetic and knowledgeable staff. I had prosecco and then a pinot grigio. Next time I guarantee you we will buy a bottle from the store, but it was fun to all try different things. Big plus for my husband was the fantastic beer selection... as a beer drinker he is often left out of most wine bars in town. Not here.
We also had the charcuterie plate... would have ordered more to eat because the menu was intriguing, but we had dinner reservations. We'll definitely be back soon.
Block 7 is a great addition to the neighborhood. I would give it a 4.5 if possible, already planning a return visit. The wine list is innovative and extensive and the price points are reasonable. The restaurant is an interesting space - very industrial, with interesting local art on display.
We visited before the grand opening weekend, and really enjoyed our dinner and our wine. The hamachi and the corn & arugula salad were both standouts. The snapper was a winner as well. I would skip the truffle popcorn and the "krack" dessert.
The only negatives were that parking can be a bit tricky, and the menu was small for the soft-opening. I really do hope they step the dessert menu up a bit - would love to see something other than rice krispies.
I like the food here. Including the burger, crack (dessert), fries, croque monseur. Wine was really cheap.
I have been here probably at least 7 times since they opened. We love Max's but since we found this place we stopped going there. However, Block 7's wine list is way more expensive than it was a couple months ago. A few months ago you could get a decent bottle for $13 now that they are doing so well prices have increased to about Max's Wine Dive prices.
I still like this place, but not as much since the price increases. I actually might consider going back to Max's.
I LOVED this place!
I went with a girlfriend the Monday before the Grand Opening and we were both floored by the pricing. BTG prices were pretty good, but the bottle prices were amazing and the list was pretty extensive. The food menu looked really good too. We split a flatbread (with prosciutto, peppers and dehydrated tomatoes) which was really good. I didn't get a chance to try the truffled popcorn, but I'm looking forward to it on a future visit.
We got there pretty early (right around 5 pm) and there was tons of parking available. There was an artist event there later that night, so it was really full by the time that we left, but I hope that's indicative of the future.
This is one of my new favorite places to go! I can't wait to go back!
Block 7 has the potential to be great; the menu is yummy, the space is generous but not cavernous, the tables are well spaced so that you are not sitting on your neighbors knee and there's lots of parking. It is *very* loud though and the staff love to scrape the chairs along the concrete floor.
What doesn't work is the staff. Not all the staff, perhaps just our waiter. Frankly, he didn't give a sh-- and he knew he didn't know anything about the menu or the wine list and he still didn't give a sh--.
We asked for specials and we had to remind him that there was grilled snapper posted.
We asked if we could sit at another table not under the blasting AC. He told us nope, they were full. So, we decamped ourselves to another spot 2 tables over.
We wanted to drink fizz - something yummy, non-vintage, and affordable. He sold us on a Piedmont which turned up looking like a Cab-Sav and he said "I think it's a rose, I'm not sure." So he vanished and when we grabbed him 10mins later to bring us something else, he said, "Oh yes, they are cooling it." But he couldn't have told us that when you left us sitting there like goons for 10mins?
Eventually (after 3 requests) he sent the water lady over.
We placed our food order but he forgot it and came back to take the order again (only realizing he should have put it in the kitchen when he opened his notepad and saw it already written down).
Food was good. Actually, the food was better than good.
We asked to order dessert and he said "Yep, fine, I'll do that for you." Then he vanished into the retail shop and only came back after we had ordered our dessert with another waiter.
Then, as we were leaving, we noticed that there were two bottles of fizz listed as specials from $59 for $22. If we had known we would have ordered the specials and, most likely, have had two or three bottle instead of one.
So, what can I say? I suspect that if we had not had that particular waiter we would be running back there this weekend, however our waiter was so awful and frankly just didn't care that we'll be sticking to the other wine bars along Washington and spending our money there.
We went to B7 and it was fabulous! Very unpretentious and laid back. The parking was indeed full so that's a great indication that something interesting is going on inside. The food offered was good, the wine selection fantastic and the staff superb. Overall, we had a great time even if we couldn't stay long. Definitely going to the tasting on Saturday, always fun trying something new!
Been to Block 7 a few times. Wine selection is broad and fairly priced. They do not have a full bar so don't expect mixed drinks. As for food try the burgers - they are the best thing I have had there. Truffle popcorn is not that great.
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