“Meet Me at The Savoy” is a phrase that has been around over the course of 80 years in Houston and still is used today, now with a hashtag, to bring people together at The Savoy, a legendary neighborhood bar deep in the heart of Houston’s Historic Third Ward. The popular bar and restaurant, located at 4402 Emancipation Ave., was built as a neighborhood bar in 1940 and relaunched in 2021 by Black and Long Enterprises. The owners invite the community to celebrate Black History Month with them by spotlighting the historical gathering spot's role in people’s lives and the community over the years. In addition, the Savoy is asking Houstonians to reach out and share old photographs, memorabilia, and stories of the neighborhood staple via their website at www.thesavoyhtx.com.

Photos and stories selected by The Savoy team will be featured at the bar and on social media throughout Black History Month. In addition, families of the selected entries will receive a Free Dinner! The first photo to be featured at The Savoy for Black History Month, courtesy of Lena and Gerald Gilmore, was taken at The Savoy in 1954. Gerald and Lena Gilmore with Roosevelt Kirby at The Savoy in 1954. At the time of the photo, Lena was a 21-year-old student at Texas Southern University. Gerald was 22 years old and getting ready to attend basic training in the officer candidate school in Oklahoma, one of only two African Americans in the officer training program. The other officer candidate, Roosevelt Kirby, is also pictured in the photo. The photo was taken in August 1954, when Gerald took Lena to The Savoy on a short visit to the officer candidate school.

At the time, social clubs and fraternities would hold dances and events at The Savoy, where there would be a dance with a live band set after noon, coffee cups with Irish Cream on the table, and Savoy liquor under the table. Lena said they frequently went to The Savoy for the dances and also because you could go to The Savoy and always get a “set-up,” a half pint of liquor, a mixer, share cups, ice, and fresh cherries, long before mixed drinks arrived on the Houston bar scene. Gerald finished basic training in January 1955 and returned to Houston to get Lena in late January. During his short stay in 1954, when this photo was taken, their daughter was conceived, and they married in December 1955.

From 1940 to 2023, the historic Savoy has only had three owners, the last of which is Black and Long Enterprises, who purchased it in 2019, did a full-scale renovation and launched in the fall of 2021. In the previous two years, The Savoy has quietly evolved from a trendy bar with a food truck to one of the best gathering spots in the Third Ward for hand-crafted signature cocktails, frozen specialties, Mega Drink Towers, and a fantastic menu of elevated scratch-made dishes! The renovated bar and restaurant brings a fantastic new vibe to the historic building, with vintage motorcycle furniture décor and street-art walls, and a large outdoor patio, a staple of the original neighborhood bar, with booth and high-top table seating for up to 250 people. The new Savoy owners also plan to continue revitalizing and growing the iconic Emancipation Avenue Third Ward neighborhood by adding more restaurants and venues for the community to enjoy. To share a piece of history for the Black History Month Celebration at The Savoy, please reach out and share old photographs and stories via their website at www.thesavoyhtx.com

The Savoy, located at 4402 Emancipation Ave., is open from 4 pm-12 am Monday-Wednesday, 4 pm2 am Thursday and Friday, and 11 am-2 am Saturday and Sunday. The historic bar and restaurant have daily Happy Hours and Weekend Brunch and also offers catering and private events with a VIP Room for birthdays, parties, showers, and corporate gatherings.