Automobiles

Driving directions provided by Magnolia Hotel Houston.

Get local like a local with these suggestions from HALL members.

Eat & Explore

Houston is serious about food and fun. Named the “newest capital of great food” by Food & Wine Magazine, H-town’s 10,000 restaurants represent cuisine from more 70 countries and American regions. You can throw a rock and hit a James Beard finalist or a place that’s been featured in Travel + Leisure, The New York Post, Food & Wine, or Southern Living. You can check out some of our famous places here.

 Restaurants and bars close to the Magnolia include:

•  Azuma. $$ Trendy eatery with a vast menu of traditional & inventive sushi along with teriyaki and udon noodles.  909 Texas St, Houston, TX 77002
• Batanga. $$ Buzzy, industrial eatery in an 1800s salon featuring Pan-Latin small plates, live music & a patio. 908 Congress Ave, Houston, TX 77002.
• Bovine and Barley $$ Meat centric bites and beer on tap. 416 Main St, Houston, TX 77002.
• Brown Bag Deli. $ Build your own sandwich. 702 Main St. Houston, TX 77002
• Christian’s Tailgate $ Lively sports bar featuring over-sized burgers and a big beer selection, plus plenty of TVs and karaoke. 1012 Congress Ave, Houston, TX 77002
• Conservatory Underground Beer garden & Food Hall. $$ Local purveyors of crepes, ramen, and more in a hip space with an outdoor beer garden. 1010 Prairie St, Houston, TX 77002.
• The District. $$ Specializing in dried aged meats and Southern cuisine. 610 Main St, Houston, TX 77002
• El Burro & the Bull. $$ Combines the best of regional and seasonal Texas ingredients for an authentic ode to our great state.  1010 Prairie St. Houston, TX 77002
• Flying Saucer Draught Emporium $$ Chain taproom offering 200+ beers and American pub food. 705 Main St, Houston, TX 77002
• Frank’s Pizza  $ Giant New York-style thin crust pizza available late at night. 417 Travis St, Houston, TX 77002
• HubCap Grill. $ Chill spot for oversized burgers with unique toppings. 1111 Prairie St, Houston, TX 77002
• Lone Star Taco Co. $ Casual eatery offering typical Mexican standards in a contemporary space. 1001 Texas St #100, Houston, TX 77002
• Moonshiners Southern Table + bar $$.  Rustic eatery known for its moonshine & whisky cocktails, plus Southern comfort food. 1000 Prairie St, Houston, TX 77002
• The Pearl Restaurant & Bar. $$ Coastal-inspired restaurant with a fresh, local menu.1117 Prairie St, Houston, TX 77002
• Prohibition Supperclub & Bar. $$ Craft cocktails, American food, and weekend burlesque shows. 1008 Prairie, Houston, TX 77002
• Sambuca $$$ Hip spot for American eats. Small plates for lunch and dinner paired with live music and dancing.  909 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002.
• Sandwich & Tapioca. $ Vietnamese casual dining spot serving sandwiches and simple dishes plus smoothies with tapioca pearls. 1001 Texas St, Houston, TX 77002
• The Springbok. Bi-level South African restaurant & sports pub offering a lively spot to dine & watch a rugby match. 711 Main St, Houston, TX 77002.
• Sunny’s.  No-frills cocktail spot with pool tables, TVs, & a neighborhoob vibe.. 902 Capitol St, Houston, TX 77002
• Table 7 Bistro. $$ Inside the Club Quarters Hotel.  720 Fannin St.
• Treebeards restaurant. $ Southern style comfort food. Multiple locations in downtown. For weekday lunches only, visit the historic Christ Church Cathedral’s social hall, 1117 Texas St. Also located in Market Square, the Shops at Houston Center, the Tunnels, and Pennzoil Place.

 Farther afield (by a few blocks):

• The Shops at Houston Center: 1200 McKinney St. Our downtown mall. *open 10-6 on weekdays, 9-3 on Saturday, closed Sunday.
• GreenStreet Downtown: 1201 Fannin St. Three blocks of shopping, dining, and entertainment across the street from South Texas College of Law Houston. Includes Lucky Strike, Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar, and the House of Blues.
• Reserve 101. Whisky bar with a relaxed vibe. 1201 Caroline St #100, Houston, TX 77002.

Houston offers endless attractions that appeal to the whole family.

• We have an aquarium downtown and our world-class museums and zoo are a quick train-ride away from the hotel.  What trip to Space City would be complete without a visit to NASA?
• If the great outdoors are more your speed visit the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center in Memorial Park, Bayou Bend, or visit Discovery Green Park here in Downtown!
• Love History? Take a trip to the San Jacinto Monument and Museum or the Battleship Texas. Closer to the hotel you can visit the Julia Ideson Library Building, the Heritage Society, or Glenwood Cemetery, the final resting place of aviator, industrialist, and reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes, Jr.
• If you’re going to stay longer, you can head to the beach and explore all that Galveston has to offer!
• Oh, and we have an underground tunnel system. In a city where spring starts in February, summer ends in late November, and there’s a lot of traffic, tunnels make sense.

Conference attendees joined Houston law librarians for dinner on Friday, April 6, for small-group networking at local restaurants. One group even got to see World Series champs in action at Minute Maid Park!

Exhibitors at SWALL/HALL 2018

We would like to thank our sponsors:

Inside Books Project / Austin, Texas

Inside Books Project is an Austin-based community service volunteer organization that sends free books and educational materials to prisoners in Texas. Inside Books is the only books-to-prisoners program in Texas, where over 140,000 people are incarcerated. Inside Books Project works to promote reading, literacy, and education among incarcerated individuals and to educate the general public on issues of incarceration.

LISP & the HALL Community Service Committee collected more than 100 new and gently used books for the Inside Books Project, an Austin-based community service volunteer organization that sends free books and educational materials to prisoners in Texas. SWALL members also donated funds to cover postage, packing supplies, and printing costs. If you still wish to support this worthy organization, visit the Inside Books Project online where tax-deductible contributions are always accepted. Help promote reading, literacy, and education among incarcerated individuals in Texas. Thank you to all who contributed!

- Heather Holmes, 2017-2018 LISP Committee Chair