{"id":418499,"date":"2026-08-27T19:40:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T19:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/418499\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T19:40:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T19:40:13","slug":"angel-share-the-houston-bar-inspired-by-dolly-parton-hosts-a-tribute","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/418499\/","title":{"rendered":"Angel Share, the Houston Bar Inspired by Dolly Parton, Hosts a Tribute"},"content":{"rendered":"

Downtown Houston\u2019s cocktail bar Angel Share<\/a> has always had an intriguing premise. Here, you can drink for a cause. Every beer, glass of wine, cocktail, and dish ordered comes with a ticket that patrons can use to vote for one of four featured local charities. In the end, the tickets are weighed, giving each deserving nonprofit a percentage of the monthly donation pot.<\/p>\n

The inspiration behind it all? Dolly Parton.<\/p>\n

Owner Mary Ellen Angel<\/a>, originally from Magnolia, Texas, says she modeled the bar\u2019s mission after the iconic country singer-songwriter and philanthropist, whom she calls Angel Share\u2019s \u201cpatron saint.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAll women from the South, we grew up loving Dolly Parton,\u201d Angel says. \u201cShe made such an impact on my life. She was just so deeply generous, unpretentious, and kind in approaching everyone with love and acceptance, with the goal of lifting everyone around her. She was an early example of being a woman who was unapologetically herself, practicing quiet inclusivity and supporting and helping the people who can\u2019t help themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

The dedication is further solidified by the bar\u2019s makeshift shrine\u2014a painting of the Queen of Country and a nearby chalkboard message reminding everyone of Angel Share\u2019s devotion. \u201cEverybody knows Dolly Parton, but not everyone knows how hard she works for the betterment of the world around her,\u201d it reads. \u201cShe is an advocate for child education and a donor to modern vaccine research. We see you, and we love you, Dolly.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Owner Mary Ellen Angel took a page from Dolly Parton\u2019s book when opening the Downtown bar Angel Share.<\/p>\n

That message hits even harder this week after social media exploded with tributes for Parton, who died on Tuesday, August 25, at age 80 following a battle with cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI cried like a crazy person,\u201d says Angel. \u201cWe\u2019re kindred spirits, me and Dolly. \u2026She resonates with everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parton was the prolific songwriter behind more than 100 million records sold and 3,000 songs, including the Grammy Hall of Fame\u2019s \u201cJolene\u201d and \u201cI Will Always Love You\u201d \u2014 but this week, it\u2019s her legacy as a humanitarian that\u2019s resonating most.<\/p>\n

Since 1995, Parton\u2019s Imagination Library<\/a> has mailed a free book every month to enrolled children from birth through age five, a program she started as a tribute to her father, a man who never learned to read but whom she always called the smartest person she knew. It now reaches five countries and has put more than 300 million books into small hands\u2014a scale that makes it one of the largest childhood literacy efforts on the planet. Her giving reached beyond books. Early in the pandemic, she donated $1 million<\/a> to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center after learning researchers were close to a breakthrough. That money helped fund the early testing behind Moderna\u2019s COVID-19 vaccine.<\/p>\n

Despite the critics, who often attacked Parton\u2019s looks, she remained largely unbothered. \u201cShe knew who she was and knew she had a good, kind heart,\u201d Angel says. \u201cThat\u2019s inspiration\u2014to see someone who treats someone with warmth and remains deeply humbled.\u201d It solidified a message for Angel: \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter who you are and where you came from. Even if it\u2019s not on a grand scale, you can make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2021, Angel got her shot. After serving as general manager at the now-shuttered Downtown bar OKRA Charity Saloon<\/a>, where she helped run its fundraising program for two years, the previous owners sold her the bar and everything in it for $10. They advised her not to continue it as a charity bar, worried that she wouldn\u2019t make any profit. \u201cI was poor,\u201d she recalls. \u201cI didn\u2019t have all this money.\u201d Still, she resolved that continuing the charity aspect was the right thing to do. She was going to make it work\u2014just like Dolly.<\/p>\n

\u201cDolly Parton came from the ground up,\u201d she remembers thinking. \u201cIf she can do it, I can do it. I have the same generosity and love in my heart. I\u2019m scared, but I\u2019m still gonna try to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In the spirit of the Queen of Country, Angel Share continues its charitable mission, donating a portion of its profits to four local nonprofits featured each month.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The bar features disco-cowboy decor, plush seating, a pool table, and ritzy cocktails.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Upstairs seating gives a tucked-away feel.<\/p>\n

Angel took over the bar, renamed it, and put her own spin on it\u2014commissioning a painting of Dolly Parton from Kati Ozanic-Lemberger, a local artist whose works have been prominently featured at Houston\u2019s beloved Art Car Parade. Hoisted in the back half of Angel Share under the sunroof, the eye-catching painting often catches a warm, natural glow.<\/p>\n

Today, the bar, which is nestled in an 1880s building, is a standout mix of old and new, with original brick, glamorous plush velvet seats, a photobooth to document memories, a pool table for the competitive, and neon-glowing reminders like \u201cchange the world.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

It all worked out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But like Dolly, who did tons of charity work and rarely talked about it, Angel says she, too, prefers to work quietly, meaning many people aren\u2019t aware of her bar or its backstory. \u201cWhen [people are] doing the work that\u2019s in their heart, you don\u2019t have time to market yourself,\u201d she says. Instead, she brings the focus and visibility to the nonprofits she aims to raise money for. Each month, four charities are featured, with their missions explained on a plaque above a box where bargoers can cast their vote. Not only does it give these do-gooders a chance to receive more money, but it also educates visitors on who they are and what they do.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since its earliest inception, the bar has raised around $1.4 million, all of which has gone to locally based nonprofits. \u201cIt\u2019s a little bit at a time, but it adds up,\u201d Angel says. \u201cIt makes a difference to these nonprofits who are boots on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

During Angel Share\u2019s Saturday tribute to Dolly Parton, guests can purchase drinks featuring the singer’s image. Proceeds will go to the Dollywood Foundation.<\/p>\n

Now, following the outpouring of messages she\u2019s received in the wake of Parton\u2019s death, Angel is planning a tribute to the woman who inspired it all. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m grieving, too, and it\u2019s kind of hard for me. I knew this day would come,\u201d Angel says. \u201cIt\u2019s sad, but I also want everybody to be happy.”<\/p>\n

Angel Share will host a Saturday celebration featuring a playlist of her music, themed cupcakes, and butterfly decor, all the while encouraging attendees to don their fanciest rhinestones and wigs. The featured cocktail will include an impressive printed photo of a smiling Dolly herself; a portion of the profits from every drink will go to the Dollywood Foundation<\/a>, which benefits Parton\u2019s Imagination Library, scholarships, and other forms of education for youth.<\/p>\n

Like Dolly, Angel says she didn\u2019t come from much, and she doesn\u2019t have children. Instead, her legacy is lifting the people around her\u2014a philosophy she believes everyone can emulate to make the world a better place. \u201cI just feel like the universe is always looking out for us, even when it feels like we\u2019re losing,\u201d Angel says. Dolly Parton has been a reminder of that, especially at Angel Share. \u201cHer energy and vibe still live in this space, and our hearts\u2014everybody\u2019s heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Dolly Parton’s legacy will never be forgotten in Houston\u2014especially at a bar like Angel Share.<\/p>\n

Know Before You Go<\/p>\n

Sport your best wig, rhinestones, and butterflies for Angel Share\u2019s tribute to Dolly Parton on Saturday, August 29, at 4pm. Entrance is free. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. 924 Congress St, Downtown.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Downtown Houston\u2019s cocktail bar Angel Share has always had an intriguing premise. Here, you can drink for a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":418500,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[56,58,57],"class_list":["post-418499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=418499"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418499\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/418500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=418499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=418499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=418499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}