Red Door, The

I must admit, I've always liked the Red Door, and have never had any problems until a couple of weekends ago when I went out with some of my friends, one who was black. He was not let in because his "pants were too baggy". I understand the baggy pants thing, but his pants weren't baggy! It was such a blatant lie and I was so angry at the doorman, but they just stood there and didnt care. Not only was my friend embarassed, but I am telling all of my friends about how they won't let in anyone that is not white. The review below was spot on about the "paper bag theory". Not a good way to do business. Pros: always packed, nice rooftop Cons: door man, "paper bag theory" more

Honestly I love this place! Which may surprise some because I'm Black. I've been here several times and never have I or any of my other Black friends been denied entrance. Until Friday, December 14th. That day one of my two friends was denied entrance because the doorman said she did not resemble the photograph on her Texas ID. I thought this was a joke! I couldn't believe that he was serious. That night after my friends and I left I tried to figure out why all my other beautiful Black female friends had been allowed in and this one hadn't. The only answer I could come up with is the "Paper Bag Test". For those of you who are unfamiliar with the "Paper Bag Test" let me explain: It's a test in which your skin color is compared to that of a paper bag. If your skin is the same as or lighter than the paper bag then you'd be considered an acceptable Negro. However if your skin is darker than that of said bag you would be considered too Black and likened to trash. It's not fair and I apologize to my friend for subjecting her to this humiliation but that's life and I don't make the rules. My advise to those minorities planning to visit the Red Door is dress to impress and establish a Plan B maybe Swivel :) Pros: The Rooftop view Cons: The doorman more

look, this is a high class place, where you better dress like you own the damn city!! so if you think your going to just waltz in wearing just a polo shirt and some baggy pants your deff wrong. i suggest a casual suit for the guys and a nice dress for the ladies Pros: its hard to get into Cons: closes at 2sm more

After reading the 50+ reviews about my favorite lounge/nightclub in Houston, i would love to say something: RACE is not the same as CLASS. I am sorry for you if the doormen can smell CLASS from a mile away. It's not a matter of what color your skin is. It is about how classy and sophisticated you are. If you walk through the crowded terrace you will realize what i am talking about; you hear English, Spanish, Italian, French, and more, but the common denominator is: classy people. Also, a Crown on the rocks is $6, whereas in other places it goes for $8. Pros: Great drink prices, awesome terrace Cons: once a bartender yelled at me because i didn't keep an open tab and ordered again... more

By far this bar has to be in the top of its class/ Everything from it's intense house to the refreshing outside breeze upstairs makes this THE BAR TO BE in Houston. believe me I have been in Houston for 9 months and I LOVE IT! Easy to meet girls/guys. Excellent music. Perfectly priced drinks. AWESOME bar tenders. Gorgeous women... what else do you need??? About the crowdedness.... hey!! IT's THAT GOOD!!!!! Pros: Everything from the scene to the gorgeous people Cons: NOTHING AT ALL!!! more

I would never go back to the place, nor will I ever recommend this place to any one. I have heard from people and read the reviews about how discriminatory the doormen are, but I decided to check this place out anyways, chalking up the bad press to solitary events. Boy was I wrong. Our group consisted of three Asians, and two Hispanics. The doorman didnt even bother looking at my friends ID, he glanced at his slacks and said they were too baggy. Sure, because people buy baggy slacks all the time. Im not sure it is even possible to buy baggy Hugo Boss or Banana Republic slacks. However, he did allow other white people wearing the same type of attire as my friend in without hassling them about thier clothes. We had girls in our group, and the doorman would not allow one of them in because he said she needed two forms of ID. And of course, the group of white people behind us were allowed in without a word. That pathetic doorman needs to be fired. Skip the Red Door, no one needs to be hassled or humiliated by some power hungry r*cist doorman. more

Just your average mid-town club/bar... You know the drill - pay for parking, stand in line, hear the techno, go on the roof, etc. Nothing really special about this place but I guess if you're going to go with ordinary, they're better than the other ordinary places. Pros: meh Cons: meh more

I went for my birthday a few months ago. As soon as we told the bartender it was my birthday, we got free drinks. Most of the other patrons were good looking, and the music was great. The view is breathtaking. And, from the parking lot, when you've heard about the view from other people who've gone, you think, "yeah right, okay, we'll see." But, it's fantastic. The drinks, the ones we paid for, weren't overpriced, and there are a couple of places in the immediate area that you can walk if you want instead of getting your car out of valet and driving elsewhere. Pros: Location, VIEW FROM UPSTAIRS, service is awesome. Cons: Valet your car and you have to wait 45 years to get it back, only 3 or 4 other cool places close by. more

I went on a Saturday night around midnight and got in right away, wearing jeans and a hoodie. Our friends, dressed much nicer, were turned away about 5 minutes later because one was wearing non-athletic sneakers. The people were pretty attractive, but it's so crowded you can barely move. The bartenders appeared to be working really hard, but we decided to leave after attempting, and failing, to push our way to the bar for 15 minutes. Pros: pretty people Cons: way too crowded, dress code? more

People complain about the doorman but he keeps the trash out. It's an elite place, not an 18+ dance club that admits anyone with a pulse. The drinks taste great and cost less than many other places but good luck finding your way to the bar. The repetitive electronic music gets old fast. It?s a great place for a young educated professional to meet people in the same financial situation. Dress your best or you won?t get in. Pros: Great Genetic Quality Cons: Music more

I went this Saturday to a friends party here. She had reservations a private area and all. Me my girlfriend and a friend showed up after everyone had gone in. We walked up told the guys at the door about the party and the asked if we were lost and if we were looking for The Red Door. We told them about the party they said we could go in but then the little guy asked my buddy for ID then let him in and my girl but he stopped me and said my pants were too long (they were just above my heel). I could tell what game he was playing so I told him i would roll them up he said he could not overlook it. Then I called my friend who was having the party. I told the doorman I had a white friend coming to vouch for me and when he did he let me right in. Nothing aganst the 2 other guys they were going to let me in but I guess that was before mini me came back from his break. Once I got inside the music was not that great the waitress was awesome she brought me serveral drinks without me having to ask and the prices were very cheap. It was crowded so that sucked but all together it was okay.When we left there were a couple of asians trying to get in and they were getting the run around as well. So it is worth going if you come with your white friends so they can vouch for you. more

One evening I was enjoying a wonderful night out with a few old friends. We'd spent most of the evening at Sullivan's and decided to keep the great night going and head to Red Door. BIG MISTAKE! We got to Red Door and the door man indicated that he could not allow us in because the guy that was with us had on baggy jeans. He was wearing a nice collard shirt, kenneth cole dress shoes to match and a pair of jeans. He was put together very nicely AND currently this is pretty standard bar/club attire for males. Feeling helpless, we watched as the doorman allowed individuals wearing flip flops, old tattered jeans, muscle shirts, tacky dresses...and the list goes on...right in the door. What I'm saying is there were far more less "elegantly" dressed people that were going right into the club, so for him to turn us down had to be some reason other than the jeans. Furthermore, my friend's jeans weren't even baggy! I have been to Red Door many times in the past, but I can say with conviction that I will never give this club my business again! Lastly, this is the type of behavior that should not be condoned in 2007. more

Red Door = eye candy everywhere, great social scene, genuinely friendly staff, tasty cocktails and good tunes...Everytime is a Good Time!!! Pros: SERVICE more

Not a bad place if you can get past the doorman. Ive seen many people get turned away by him. Inside the atmosphere is decent if you can look over the fact of it being really old. The drinks were good and worth the money. Music was a more on the trance side; not quite my cup of tea- mixture is good but not all one kind. Pros: Drinks Cons: Doorman, "Selective" more

this 2-tiered establishment has a bumpin club downstairs and a very spacious upstairs patio that serves as an outdoor lounge - perfect place to get your groove on and then get away and mingle without yelling over loud music. it's definitely an older crowd's venue, but it won't disappoint. it caters to all preferences and offers one of the most breathtaking panoramic views of downtown.* Pros: upstairs patio lounge, panoramic view of downtown Cons: parking, crowded more

Red Door has a good DJ that plays some great music. It's always crowded. Lots of hot girls and, unfortunately, plenty of competition. more

Everytime I go here, I have a good time. It gets crowded and sometimes it's hard to get a drink, but their patio is awesome, they play good music, and the crowd is always great there. Bartenders are good there and the line is never ridiculous. The doormen are also extremely unpretentious for a place like this. Pros: good crowd, patio, doormen are cool Cons: parking, sometimes overly crowded more

For everybody calling the doorman a R____, get over it. They have to have that door policy or they'll go out of business. We've all seen what happens to clubs when certain groups "overrun" them, then decide to move on to the next trendy place and leave the former place to die off. Red Door consistently packs in crowds on the weekends because they have been able to avoid this. Sad, but true. I like the place because I know that there will be a crowd free of riff-raff. I've been going to Red Door since they opened several years ago, and I've always had a good time. If you can get it, it's a fun place. more

First of all, I've never had a problem getting in to the Red Door. They rarely even ask for, or look at, my ID. I dress well, am fairly good looking, and (more importantly) bring a hot girl friend(s) for bypassing lines. That being said, the drinks are nearly toxic. At least you're getting your money's worth of liquor, but dear god... if you sip straight vodka/tequila/rum/bourbon for fun, it should be fine. The place is usually packed, so theres no fear of a dead club. As for the scenery/eye candy/singles? Any remotely cute girl is either there with a boyfriend, or shes working some older guy who is pretending to be rich. Big time $50,000 millionaire syndrome here. In general, its a well dressed, but unattractive crowd. Id rather see hot people in ANY kind of clothes, than ugly people in trendy clothes. Can clubs do that? Pros: crowded, no wait, atmosphere Cons: fake crowd, unattractive, drinks more

we were a little bit hesitant about coming here after reading others' reviews, but we had a great time. the bartenders were friendly. awesome crowd. great view of downtown. good music. highly recommmend. would definitely come back. Pros: friendly staff, scenery Cons: limited parking more