A fun, relaxing alternative

The Ritz Cabaret is a fun alternative to Houston's flashier or better-known clubs. The club is easy to find, off I-45 one exit south of Hobby Airport. The entrance displayed signage for a valet operation (at 2:00 pm) but no staff. I pulled into the (large) lot to park myself and noticed a young guy in a golf cart who offered to park it for me. I handed him a couple of bucks and kept the keys, which didn't seem to be a problem. Daytime cover was $8 (BTW, the whole idea of a daytime cover must be a Houston thing--five clubs visited this trip, all had a daytime cover). Inside, the Ritz has a large main room with two stages, a long bar on one side, and an open floor area with round tables and rolling chairs. Decently maintained, with several TVs and sport memorabilia, not a dive but an honest "guy's place." If you want faux upscale, go to Treasures or the Men's Club; I'll take the Ritz. The stages were well-lit, the music not so loud as to interfere with conversation. Drinks ($5-10) and lap dances ($20) were priced the same as other Houston spots.

Mid-afternoon, there were about 10 dancers and 25 customers, with a general laid-back vibe. Dancer talent was quite good--generally fit and attractive, and without question the most diverse assortment I encountered in Houston--blondes, brunettes, redheads, latinas, even one gorgeous Asian. No complaints. Stage tipping was sporadic, but the dancers seemed to appreciate the singles. Plus, some of these girls could dance (not just waddle around and act bored). One blonde in particular had spectacular pole work (the dancer I was sitting with said she had won a contest recently). Girls would circulate after their stage time, and most were friendly but not pushy. Had a nice conversation with a lovely young thing from Honduras, which led to some OK lap dances. Dances take place in a room adjacent to the main room with couches and pool tables; not much privacy, but given the unlikelihood of extras (I wasn't looking for any), it was fine. Net, I'd recommend the Ritz if you're in the area. Quality dancers, attentive waitstaff, relaxed attitude, and not a single ROB to be found (spoiler alert: they are mostly at Treasures). I will return.