Rabbit's Got The Gun, a Northside Houston bar that built its reputation on free crawfish and late-night music, went dark in a hurry Friday night after city inspectors showed up, according to the owners. The shutdown, captured in a video the owners posted to social media, cut short a planned weekend event and left staff hurrying to move the party elsewhere. The owners told followers they plan to keep their events going by shifting shows to other venues while they address the city’s concerns.
Inspectors say permits were the issue
In the video of the shutdown, an owner identified as Nate tells viewers, "We just got shut down by the City of Houston, on some bogus ass building code sh-t," and claims the bar pays about $14,000 a month in taxes, according to the Houston Chronicle. An inspector in the clip asks where the permits are for the crawfish and tells staff the venue cannot serve food because it does not have the proper food and beverage permits, the city said. The confrontation unfolded at the bar’s usual spot at 708 Hogan St., the owners add.
Owners line up new locations
In a follow-up video, the owners called out Mayor John Whitmire and announced they would "move our party to 14 Kendall St" while vowing "we will continue free crawfish, God willing," per the Houston Chronicle. That same report notes that organizers plan to shift the Puente Mundial night to Da Houze Bar, and a public notice shows Da Houze has applied for a mixed-beverage permit at 2502 Elysian St., according to the Daily Court Review.
What the permits mean
Houston’s Food Safety and Inspection Program requires permits for any place that sells, prepares, or serves food, and temporary events often need extra paperwork and inspections to operate legally. City officials say those permits and routine inspections are meant to protect public health and cut the risk of foodborne illness, and recent updates to local rules took effect in 2025. The Houston Health Department offers detailed guidance on how those permits and inspections work.
A neighborhood fixture
Rabbit's Got The Gun grew into a neighborhood staple with a mix of DJs, taco-truck collaborations, and weekend crawfish giveaways that regularly packed the patio at 708 Hogan St. Local listings and reviews highlight the free-crawfish promotions that helped cement the bar’s following; see Corner for listings and community writeups. For now, the owners say they will keep posting updates on their social channels as they lock in pop-up locations and figure out their next move.
