Editor's note: This article has been updated to clarify the Feb. 3 event was to celebrate the opening of the storefront vinyl shop, Off the Record powered by Cool Heads Prevail.

Tucked behind a vintage record store in Downtown Houston, Off the Record, a vinyl-themed speakeasy, honors the legend of music icon George Daniels, who grew up in Houston's Fifth Ward.
The listening lounge celebrated its official opening Feb. 3 with a new partnership with Maven Coffee Co. (Courtesy Michael Ma)
The speakeasy opened Nov. 2, and celebrated the grand opening of its storefront, Off the Record powered by Cool Heads Prevail, on Feb. 3. The February event also honored Off the Record's partnership with Maven Coffee Co., which was developed by Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr.

Maven's cold brew concentrate is the main ingredient in Off the Record's signature cocktail, the Brown Sugar Brew—which is crafted with the coffee, Grey Goose Vodka and cotton candy.

What to expect

The 3,600-square-foot bar was designed and built in-house by the Off the Record partners, per an Oct. 30 news release, completely renovating the Bovine & Barley space. Seating includes five booths and five couches that can be reserved for groups.
The two-level venue is open Monday-Saturday from 8 p.m.-2 a.m. (Courtesy Michael Ma)
The venue features a 41-foot wraparound bar, with 30 gold records on the wall from top-selling albums of all-time, including Nirvana, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Michael Jackson and Pink Floyd. There's also a semi-enclosed upstairs lounge, dubbed George’s Music Room.


Initial programming at the listening lounge include Motown Mondays, 80s Tuesdays, Latin and Reggae Wednesdays and 90s on Wax Thursdays. DJs slated to play at the bar include local Houston talent Beat Sicarios, Gracie Chavez and Good Grief. Off the Record plans to bring in DJs from all over the world, along with pop-ups with local Houston record shops.

The background
From left, David Anderson III, Steve Rogers, Jason Lowery and Mikos Adams collaborated to create Off the Record. (Courtesy Michael Ma)
Off the Record occupies the space that formerly housed restaurant and bar Bovine & Barley. The owner, Jason Lowery, is still involved with the speakeasy through a partnership with other nightlife veterans, such as Steve Rogers of Bar 5015 and The Warwick fame, David Anderson III of The Heist Agency, and social media pro Mikos Adams.

“Off the Record is a listening lounge, and it’s also a record store with a story behind it,” Lowery said in a statement. “We wanted to bring a spot to Houston with culture, good music—a place that makes you want to pull out your Shazam and figure out what song is playing. If you’re bar hopping, hopefully you’re not going to hear the same thing here as anywhere else.”

In their own words


The speakeasy draws inspiration from Daniels, who is Anderson’s uncle, per the release. Daniels moved to Chicago and opened the iconic George’s Music Room in 1969. It became the largest independent record store in the Midwest, earning a reputation for helping to launch artists’ careers, and made a name for itself by catering to all demographics and genres.

“That’s the same thing we are going for at Off the Record,” Anderson said in a statement. “My uncle is a huge inspiration in my life, and he was instrumental in a lot of artists’ careers. We want to pay tribute to that by bringing that touch of history to this exciting new concept in Downtown Houston.”