Clint Hale included JR's in the
Houston Press 2017 list of the ten best bars in Montrose. The bar was also named readers' choice for the city's best gay bar in 2019 and 2020. In 2018, JR's ranked number 40 in a list of the nation's most popular gay bars, based on attendance estimates for the last quarter of 2017. In
Eater Houston 2019 and 2020 lists of the city's "essential LGBT bars", Baylea Jones wrote, "JRs is a laid back neighborhood bar. The expansive space accommodates drag shows, karaoke, and RuPaul’s Drag Race watch parties. Outside is a scenic courtyard patio complete with a fountain and water misters for sultry summer days." JR's was a finalist in the 'Best Drag Show Bar', 'Favorite Bar to Shoot Pool', and 'Favorite Community Bar' categories in
OutSmart 2019 "Gayest & Greatest" list. JR's was a finalist in the following categories for the magazine's 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards: Best Drag-Show Bar, Favorite Community Bar, Favorite Men’s Bar, Favorite Place to Watch Male Dancers, Club or Restaurant with the Best Happy Hour, Club or Restaurant with the Best Martini; the bar won in the Favorite Bar to Shoot Pool category. In
Thrillist's 2020 overview of "Houston’s Most Important LGBTQ Bars", Kathryn Way wrote, "Established in 1978, J...; when people come to town and want to visit a gay bar, they go to JR’s." ==References==