- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Big Star Bar
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Dive-y
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
76 reviews for Big Star Bar
Review Highlights
"Eclectic as can be, awesome fire pit, cheap drinks."
(in 20 reviews)
"I highly recommend going to Cedar Creek to have a few beers..."
(in 9 reviews)
"Good beer prices, awesome laid back atmosphere."
(in 10 reviews)
Loading...
76 reviews in English
-
Review from Brent G.
Houston, TX
1/9/2012
I love this place! Went here for the first time the night before thanksgiving when they first opened. Yes the fire pit is awesome and so is their beer selection. This bar is always random and a great place to have a drink with freinds. They have a pool table and juke box as well. Good times!
-
Review from John S.
11/21/2011
Pretty awesome dive bar. The cheap drinks and great beer selection go a long way. Another reviewer mentioned how it looks like an an abandoned Mexican restaurant (to hide in when being chased by zombies).. Independently, I came to the same conclusion... However, the mirrored walls and low ceilings made me think in it's last iteration, it must have been some crappy strip club... it would explain the big seats (with rips in them) and sofas??
Anyhow, the staff is pretty cool. It's definitely no frills... but really awesome music. There is a patio out back too.. A friend of mine says its like the polar opposite of the all yuppie fest in the area... I'll have to check it out and report back. -
Review from Julie S.
San Diego, CA
1/3/2012
This is a fun little hangout, low ceilings, dim red lights, crazy furniture and random pieces you find at a garage sale or dumpster. I liked the picnic benches outside and the fire pit to huddle around to stay warm. The drinks are cheap for sure. Great for groups and people watching! Haha..
-
Review from Jeff L.
Houston, TX
7/19/2011
Love this place! Cheap drinks and pretty good vibe pretty much always.
This is a bar for people who like bars and aren't trying to be something they're not. -
Review from Shaun D.
Alvin, TX
8/3/2011
Great beer selection. There was so much that I wasn't expecting. I asked about the Abita, guy pulls out a limited edition S.O.S. he was saving {Gold Star}. The staff is incredibly friendly i didn't mind hanging out though when I got there the atmosphere reminded me of:
"You know when you're watching a movie and the main character is being chased by zombies and he ducks inside of what he thinks is an abandoned building but looks sort of like when a mexican restaurant closes living the husk of what once was. Then the hero boards up all the exits so as to not be eaten alive."
Yeah thats what big star looks like on the inside. the outdoors is very much like a back yard. Its real chill. -
Review from Amber W.
7/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cheap, no frills drinks. A dive bar at its finest.
Great outdoor area that is perfect for hot nights and cold beers and an indoor area with Ms. Pacman and a punching bag strength game.
All in all, a cool place with nice bartenders that will suggest shots for those (like myself) who don't usually shoot their drinks.
Parking is kind of a hassle because of Cedar Creek, but you'll find a place if you drive around. I used to live a few blocks away, and it's hit or miss on safety, so bring a friend along for the walk. Buy them the Miley Cyrus shot. -
Review from CAROLine T.
Houston, TX
6/17/2011
Dark, dingy, low ceilings... checkered flooring.. yeah why not??
It's a good place to just kick back and have a silly conversation with your friends. Hey the women's toilet is clean! Which is an A+ in my book for a dive bar! -
Review from melanie b.
Houston, TX
5/29/2011
I certainly don't frequent dive bars, but went to wish happy birthday to someone last night.
When you walk in it smells like those cherry bomb atomizers in the bathrooms, it is dark and the clientele is a definite mix. Going outside you encounter a small outdoor area with picnic benches - small and intimate, In the way back area is a stage for music (I visualize Tejano probably) and it is big and just right for a larger crowd.
It is a welcome change to the pretentious and mediocre Cedar Creek. If you aren't a "germphobe yuppie, it is worth a try. An improvement over Shiloh Bar on Studewood. -
Review from jennifer b.
Houston, TX
10/15/2011
Just moved back to Houston this summer, living in the Heights (grew up in Rice Village), and have been exploring the neighborhood searching for the good spots. Decided to check this place out to avoid the parking struggle and crowds around the corner at Cedar Creek.
Was impressed from the beginning. Dive bars are definitely my preference, but for whatever reason, they often come with an air of hipster pretension. This place was the complete opposite; from the moment we walked through the door, the bartenders were extremely friendly and engaging, whether recommending good beers or telling us about upcoming events. The crowd matched the ambiance, both exactly what I was looking for; unassuming, fun, and casual. Luckily, the weather was nice- after reading the past reviews, I can't speak to the lack of A/C issue, but it would definitely sway my decision in the summer heat. But until then, I plan on frequenting this place often!! -
Review from Mia G.
Houston, TX
4/5/2011
What's not to like here? Eclectic as can be, awesome fire pit, cheap drinks..... Oh wait the bathrooms could use an upgrade here... But maybe they are eclectic too. This place isn't what you expect from the outside. It's almost like someone's house with a lot if retro furniture and decor. They have a juke box so You can pick your own music and be tortured by what music others choose .... It's all good here.
Big Star is probably ranked number one dive bar in Houston.... It not it's really really close. Visit this bar and you are sure to have a good time. -
Review from Tawny T.
Houston, TX
6/23/2010 ROTD 9/7/2010
I came here for punk rock karaoke a few weeks ago, and I really dug the vibe. It was laid back, dim, and had a good number of people milling about and being generally friendly. For me, it was a bar where you make small talk with tons of different people and generally chill out with a beer, which is one of my favorite types of experiences.
The drinks were also pretty cheap, and the bartenders were nice.
The patio/fire pit area is cool, although if you see roaches crawling up the walls like we did, I recommend going inside immediately. I say this because I basically have PTSD after having one of them fall off the wall and fly I KID YOU NOT directly into my forehead. Neither me NOR the dude who got splashed with my rum and Coke were particularly thrilled, and I'm not sure either of us were aware that this type of thing was even POSSIBLE beforehand.
So you know, my only real advice here is: avoid the life-changing horror of flying roaches if you can, and enjoy a beer at Big Star. -
Review from Sandra V.
Houston, TX
11/17/2011
Too much of a hipster hangout for me. Attempted to play music on the jukebox, instead they had satellite radio overriding the jukebox so my tunes never came up. I won't be returning.
-
Review from Lauren A.
Houston, TX
6/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
It's taken me a few trips to appreciate it, but I'm digging Big Star Bar more each time I visit. The inside always feels a bit odd to me with the random couches and pool tables but the patio is pretty great. Lots of picnic tables and even a fire pit... not that it probably gets used much in Houston.
Dive bars like this place make me want an ice cold Lone Star and honestly, I don't think I would drink anything else here. The drinks are cheap and the bartenders are friendly. There's usually always something good playing on the jukebox and the few times I've gone it's never been too crowded -- which is great since you have to park on the street.Listed in: BEER!
-
Review from Derek E.
Houston, TX
12/1/2010 1 Check-in Here
Only spent 30 minutes here so I will need to give it another try, but it was a decent bar.
Drinks were good, not really strong but not exactly weak either. The Bartenders seemed nice and welcoming.
What I really wasnt excited about was the feel of the place. Dont get me wrong, I love dive bars. LOVE them. But this one just felt alittle to dark and dirty for my taste. There was also a very small crowd so it just didnt have a fun feel to it at the time.
I really liked Grand Prize, which I believe is owned by the same person, so I guess I will have to give this place another try. Decent 3 stars though. -
Review from Allison M.
Houston, TX
4/6/2010
I am having a deja vu experience despite this being my first visit to Big Star Bar. Why do I feel like I am in the basement of a frat house at the University of Illinois? Something about his place seems very house party to me from the mismatched and broken furniture to the random beer themed wall art: this is a frat boy meets hipster's wet dream.
I did not go on the patio which seems to be, from previous reviews, the place to be. I will say that the drinks are strong and cheap and you really can't go wrong there. I did, however, spend far too long in the bathroom reading up on some fascinating graffiti. Thankfully, it was not too busy early on a Friday night and I wasn't bogarting the stall from any ladies.
I am really not very cool and I think people are cooler than I will shout from the rooftops *5 Stars* all the way. I have a strong feeling that your ability to love this bar is in direct correlation to the crowd you come in with. I hope to bring some of my cooler friends here and I'm sure Big Star could earn themselves an additional star or two. -
Review from Eren M.
Houston, TX
After many failed attempts of trying to persuade Alex A. to put his shirt back on, I was convinced they wouldn't let him, or the rest of our group into this bar.
I was wrong however. The fourth star was given for the simple fact that they 'did' let him in without his shirt on. Yes, that alone deserves one star, and I think the rest of my fellow Yelp friends will agree. Did I also mention that he was already a bit more than just tipsy?
If it was not for Mike W. I would have never known this bar existed, as its tucked away and I seldom visit this part of town. It's pretension/drama free, kudos. Small yet cozy. Our group spent most of the night outdoors in their patio. The bartender served some strong drinks, and he was also nice enough to provide Alex A. with a free T-shirt, but it didn't stay on for long.
Inside they offer a small lounging area with some comfy couches, and I also noticed a jukebox and a pool table. A fun time was had by all this night. See pictures for proof ;) -
Review from Farrah A.
Whoops. I forgot to write an update after having my 2?th bday here last December. Thanks to Mike W, the bar fixed up "Farrah Shots" all night--pink per my request--and the gang had a ton of fun. I even fell asleep on the couch ... and they didn't kick me out! 5 stars for that night.
Now *last* night, I came back to Big Star Bar after a heck of a day. So I met Mike W out for a few (two) Lone Stars. He was there with his best bud, Hondo. (Big Star Bar is pet friendly: cats, dogs) I met Arian, the bar manager, and after reminiscing on my bday, he added another Farrah shot to their drink list: Farrah's Faucet (yes, spelled like the drink faucet). Go in and ask for it!
The crowd was laid back, as always, and I took notice to the large, dome-shaped rooftop added to part of the outside patio. Phew, this summer's gonna be hot!
Look forward to coming back, hopefully in happier spirits.Listed in: Houston - Bars/Lounges - Good…, Houston - Dog-friendly, Houston - Nightlife - The…, Houston - Dive Bars, Houston - The Heights
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
11/16/2008
I've been trying to get my butt out here for weeks. Ever since I heard this place was set to… Read more »
-
-
Review from Eva L.
Houston, TX
6/9/2009 ROTD 11/24/2009
Tired of the club scene? Looking for a low key place to kick back and have few drinks? Maybe even bring your dog? If you're not into looks, take a load off at Big Star Bar. As dive bars go, this place is an unlikely gem. Don't let the sketchy exterior fool you, it's just as sketchy looking inside as well. I kid, almost. After all, this IS a dive bar - sketchiness is part of the charm. What makes this a great dive bar? Let's see: pool table, check. Juke box, check. Really tiny bathrooms, mish-mesh of furniture and an outdoors area complete with picnic tables and gravel, check, check aaaaaand check. Unassuming and unpretentious, this place appeals to all sorts: the sportos, the motorheads, geeks, preppies, hotties, notties, hippies, wannabees, waistoids, dweebies, douches - they all passed through at one point in the night.
The barkeeps are great. I expected that our group would be denied access since a certain fellow was shirtless and three sheets to the wind but I was wrong. I guess they see all sorts pass through the place. The bartender was supercool, even tolerated a hug from the shirtless fiend and managed to clothe the fella with a Big Star Bar T-shirt (what a hero!). Drink service was swift, tasty, the barkeeps were very friendly, the crowd was entertaining and a great time was had by all. Thanks!!! -
Review from Anthony H.
Houston, TX
11/20/2008
Thanks MikeW my mate for bringing us to your part of town (wherever we were ! )
We came here after the Yelp get together at Kobains and I was glad of the change of pace because Kobains was not doing anything for me, nada, zilch, schnisselwitz (Oh shoot, another new word just came out , don't know from where. Just pretend you never heard it and keep reading)
May not be everyones cup of tea but its a bar and its real and I liked it. For any Mods kicking about out there, there are some blokes hanging out here who ride Lambrettas and Vespas. That took me back a long way I can tell you. One of the lads I spoke to had brought his Mod Styleee all the way from NY and that was another shock for me.
I was in the original wave all those years ago and it has died out in the UK and now I see the second wave rising here in Texas. Reaching for my Northern Soul collection and going back. Everything else about this bar was eloquently presented by my mate Emerson so I am going to save my ink and just send you here to the thoughtful and extremely erudite Mr EF... Take it away my man....
http://www.yelp.com/us...Listed in: A Brits guide to the…
-
Review from mark s.
Katy, TX
10/15/2008 8 photos
I came here on a Wednesday night, hoping to hear old country music being DJed from the back of an old orange pickup truck. Yes, you read that right. Old country music and an orange pickup truck. It only happens at Big Star Bar on Wednesday nights, so I didn't want to miss it. I am a fan of unique things, and this would be one of them. Unfortunately, it was raining so I had to settle by listening to the music inside.
Big Star Bar has nothing new inside, and that's the way it should be. You will not find plasma tvs here. You won't find a new tile floor or a new ceiling. What you have are tube televisions and the same tile from what I believe, was the cantina before it became Big Star Bar.
There is an old vintage radio by the entrance. Who knows if it works or not. There is a pool table and a lounging area. The patio/backyard has some tables and grass. I believe this is the area that needs some attention. It may be a work in progress.
You won't find a valet here, but there is plenty of parking on the side of the not-so-busy street. It almost feels like a house party on the outside. You see cars parked, but not in a parking lot. Then you look at the building of the bar and on the side, you see people standing around with drinks in their hands.
If you are familiar with Poison Girl, then this place is pretty much your place. Maybe just a bit bigger.
I would give it 5 stars, but the patio/backyard thing isn't finished.
Don't be surprised if it gets a 2009 Houston Press Best New Bar Award. -
Review from Matthew K.
Houston, TX
4/16/2010
Brad and his crew of bartenders are some of the coolest people in Houston. The Big Star Bar is tucked away in the heights, and offers a rocking patio, great jukebox, very affordable prices, and a great local crowd. Been going here since it opened, don't plan on changing that any time soon.
There are fire pits to keep ya cozy in the cold, a covered sitting area outside for the rain and heat, and some pinball, pool, and video games to keep you entertained.
On top of all that, Big Star has some actual mixologist tricks up their sleeves. While all of the bar staff are friendly and talented, go ask Arian to make you one of his signature drinks. The names are as good as the booze!
Good people. good drinks. good bar.Listed in: Houston, Tx
-
Review from Chris S.
Seattle, WA
6/30/2009
This bar is weird. I really should LOVE this bar. After all, it's got most of the things I love about a good bar. Unpretentious crowd. Good bartenders. Cheap prices. Decent "feel." Okay location. Alright patio area. Decent music.
But for some reason it just doesn't quite do "it" for me.
I just can't put my finger on it. I suppose it's just that nothing really stands out and screams "Come to this bar! They have ________!" (fill blank with anything cool that makes you want to go back)
When suggested to go there, I normally will. But if I was the one doing the suggesting for a group of friends, I don't think this bar would be on the top of my list. Plus, if I'm going to drive all the way to that area of the Heights, I'd rather see Cedar Creek. Much better feel in my opinion. -
Review from Venu N.
3/1/2009
3.50 stars. The Big Star Bar is remarkably unpretentious and compares favorably to the Montrose bar Cecil's. What I found on my particular Friday night visit was a friendly set of laid-back bartenders who served cheap drinks to a small group of patrons in a relatively cavernous space located on the fringes of the Heights.
What I did not particularly care for from Big Star Bar was the odd location. It basically becomes a destination spot because it is so far from other bars. Yet, the Big Star Bar is simply not a destination bar. It serves well as a dive, but it's too far from everything to even qualify as a neighborhood spot. Also, on the night I visited, we were treated to over an hour of remarkably crappy 80's music that turned out to be a bartender's ipod. I loved the bartenders here, but the music certainly did not match the crowd.
If you are a girl, you will probably want to know that the bathrooms are kind of disgusting. Then again, it's a dive bar so you should expect that. -
Review from Matt S.
Houston, TX
1/3/2010
After reading some of the reviews here about this place, I was really looking for a lot better experience than what a buddy of mine and I experienced. Upon walking into the place, it is what it is...a dive bar. I usually enjoy dive bars. On the inside, it has checkered floors, couches, and some games. On the the outside, a fire pit.
The bartenders were friendly and fast, a plus. However, the crowd there was full of the nerdy hipster type that looked like there were trying too hard. Maybe it was the night we went. All the guys had shaggy beards and I swear I saw a girl wearing a curtain. Usually I dont have a problem with the "hipster" type, but it felt like we were in the South Park episode where the smuggy people were smelling their own farts.
I'll probably go back just for the experience of feeling like an outcast by a bunch of band nerds trying to be cool. I'll be sure to bring a glass for when the smugness reaches critical mass. -
Review from Agustin S.
Houston, TX
11/24/2008
Believe it or not, I'm walking on air.
I never thought I could feel so freeeee.
Flying away on a wing and a prayerrr,
Who could it beeee?
Believe it or not, it's just me.
Great American Hero...Seriously! So I walk into Big Star Bar Saturday night and this is what the DJ is playing and everybody is singing along. I couldn't help but join in. Is this a dive bar or the house I lived in while in college? There really wasn't much of a difference, hell they even had a fire pit outside.
Big Star is really laid back, and a great mix of people. The patio has a few picnic tables and on this evening they had the fire pit blasting. Parking is not an issue, just find something along 19th st. I didn't have any problem considering how packed Big Star was. There really isn't any thing flashy or pretentious going on at Big Star just great people, good beer, and friendly service. That's how you keep them coming back folks.Listed in: So you call that a Patio
-
Review from Sam V.
Houston, TX
12/12/2008
The best way to describe this place is "uncomplicated". A no frills bar that can't possibly get anymore laid back. The fire pit outside is a novelty (although I am not one to want to smell like smoke unless I'm camping or barbecuing) and the patrons here are as easy going as they can be.
I liked the very old school country music (I am not one for modern country stuff) with the classic vibe. There is not much done here in terms of atmosphere, but this is one of those places where the people are the atmosphere.
Oh, and when I visited, I either had too much to drink, or there was a cat sitting at the bar. -
Review from Jeremy G.
Houston, TX
Updated - 10/27/2010
Most of the bartenders have learned how to smile and they have recently opened up the back patio area, so now it can hold some serious numbers outside and has a second firepit.
Bring your own logs!!
As always the drinks are good and the beer cold and for the "sex in a canoe crowd", quite cheap.
They have also upgraded to a vending machine for chips and chocolate back towards the Rudz style bathrooms.
I would give it five stars if they had some comfortable bar stools of the right height for the bar, but it is part of the shtick, and they are too busy papering the bar ceiling with Jager labels to notice.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
5/24/2010
Even with the inadequate AC and the cat litter box style "patio", it is an interesting place to… Read more »
-
-
Review from Jennifer P.
Houston, TX
6/27/2009
I really want to love this bar. I do. I came here on a late Friday after a group bike ride. I asked a few people about the place before. "Oh, it's a total hipster hangout," sighed one guy on a white Raleigh converted into a fixed gear.
I arrived expecting the place to be packed with trust fund "musicians" who bar tend/ wait tables. But the patio and inside were empty, save a few tables. The tables that did fill up as the night progressed were taken by shaved-head, cargo-short wearing dudes who rolled their eyes when I sat on the edge of their picnic table.
However, the bar's decor and music selection both are great. It's as if Rudyard's and Lola's had sex, but Lola's isn't sure Rudyard's is the father but the kid looks close enough that no one asks questions. So who knows... spawn of Rudz and Lola's, or maybe something totally different? It must have been an off night.
If hipsters aren't here, then where the hell are they? I guess I'll just have to find another demographic that will make out with me and never call. -
Review from Ryan G.
Irvine, CA
6/25/2011
A dive bar the way that they were meant to be. Great atmosphere, cheap beer, and an outstanding back patio area. A Juke box and a number of different arcade games scattered around give this place just the right kind of feel. If I have the chance to visit Houston again (visiting from Los Angeles) this dive joint will definitely be on my list.
-
Review from Alex A.
3/16/2009
This has taken me a while to write but the evening I turned up at Big Star Bar is still fresh in mind. After I left however, not so much, anyway....
I headed out to Big Star on a Wed evening to meet up with Mike W. and his trusty pooch Hondo (did I spell that right). Mike had informed me that he would be a little late but his boy Arian would take care of me at the bar. Now Mike had also mentioned that the place kinda looks like a sh*t hole on the outside but not to be deterred and cruise on in, I must admit as I rolled up outside I did have to take five mins on my own to smoke a cigarette and puff my chest up a bit before heading on in.
To be honest it's not bad at all and their was only like 12-15 other people in the bar anyway, sure enough I met Arian the bartender and Mike's long time buddy who turned out to be super-sound and looked after me whilst I waited for almost an hour for my man to turn up (yeah that's right Mike!).
Anyway this place is cool, cheap drinks plus you can choose from Arian's own personal cocktail menu named after famous people who ain't so famous anymore. Gary Busey springs to mind, genius, but we opted for the Fonzi (heyyy) which warmed the liver up nicely.
Big Star Bar is definitely a "get what you see" type of place, no need for pretentious "dudes", jocks, douchebags and whatever other degenerates Houston finds wandering the streets. No, good people, good drinks, = good times. Bit of a trek outta town and because there ain't much else out there then it can seem like an arduous task, not for me, I'm gonna head out again especially as I'm told it gets a bit more "lively" at the weekends.Listed in: I drink therefore I am…
-
Review from Todd S.
4/5/2011
This is a cool dive bar in an otherwise boring suburban setting. They need this place. BSB draws quite a few hipsters and a strong ink crowd. It's eclectic in the way that it looks like something that Lamont Sanford would make in the back of his pop's place (Sanford & Son). In the colder months, the outdoor fire pit is a pleasant social focal point. The people are chill and the drinks are cheap. The place has a good vibe... if not a tinge of the hipster brand of elitism. Meh -- it's still a good place to throw back a few with friends.
-
Review from Gretchen P.
Houston, TX
11/20/2008
I've found my new favorite dive bar. I think of it as a Heights vintage and antique shop themed dive bar. Absolutely awesome. What makes it even more extra special, you ask? The jukebox. I could have dropped at least a ten-spot on music. Nothing's Shocking, Van Halen, New York Dolls, Aretha. If I hadn't been beckoned outside, I would have spent all night playing pool, listening to the jukebox, and watching classic movies on the cute "vintage" television sets.
Outside was far more interesting and entertaining. Fellow yelpers and I sat around the fire pit with the rest of the bar patrons on many picnic tables, watching a guy spin records in the bed of his truck while people swing-danced (is that swung dance?) in the parking lot. Awesome! Oh, and there was a coozy tree. This would be a pipe with coozies attached by Velcro. You can keep your beer (or in some of our cases, mixed drink) chilled.
Someone mentioned, and I just want to reiterate, it is like going to a party and hanging out in their backyard...only instead of chipping in for a keg or getting your beer out of a cooler, you walk to the bar. It's like a highly organized party, where someone else cleans up. Rock! -
Review from olivia b.
Houston, TX
5/29/2009
Hi Ho Hi Ho , Its Off To Big Star We Go!!
We did drink drink drink drink drink drink drink
In our bar the whole night through
To drink drink drink drink drink drink drink drink
Its what we like to do
It aint no trick
To get tricks stop
If ya drink drink drink
With a beer or a shot
In the bars (Echo: In the bars)
LOUDER: IN THE BARS(echo: IN THE BARS)
Where a million drunks
LONG: ggggeeeetttt dddrrruuunnnkkk (get drunk)
We drink drink drink drink drink drink drink
From early evening' til' night
We drink drink drink drink drink drink drink
Up everything in sight
We take our time
Then find some more
There's thousands to be sometime born
And We dont know what we drink them for
We drink drink drinka drink drink
Well, anyway that was more of a commitment that I originally thought it would be.
Big Star. Reminds me of what the downstairs of Fitzgeralds looks like. It's kind of thrown together but, it works. I loved the patio with the huge carport covered with swimming pool noodles so you won't hurt your head if you accidentally bonk your self.
Drinks are cheap
Jukebox is great
Pool Table is fun (and way to go with having plenty of sticks and chalk)
Bartenders are great
Bathroom is WAY too small.Listed in: Places I get drunk
-
Review from Emerson F.
Seattle, WA
Updated - 12/15/2008
Let me tell ya. I look goooood in a tuxedo.. lol. I went to my companies Christmas party Saturday night. It was black tie, so my date for the evening an I were dressed to the T. The party ran from 8-12 which meant we still had some time to kill. I was racking my brain trying to think of someplace familiar, lounge-feeling, quiet enough to talk, but cool enough to people watch...Only 1 place came to mind...
Yup, we went to Big Star in a Tux and Evening Gown on a Sat night. The funny thing is, no one batted an eye. That's why this place is the coolest bar around. Actually, there was SUCH a diverse mix of people in there, we somehow looked just right.. You had a guy in purple skinny jeans that was a dead ringer for Michael Bolton, a few alternative lifestyle couples, a black couple in a tux and evening gown (oh wait...that was us), and various other people that would look strange mixed together at any other bar, but here somehow blended great.
Plus, it was my first time ordering mixed drinks and they are STRONG and CHEAP... This place deserves 10 stars...Listed in: Man-Mecca's, The Bargain Basement
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
11/19/2008
I spy with my little eye something that is __________. There is an infinite number of things you… Read more »
-
-
Review from David N.
8/31/2009
This place was interesting. It felt like a random mix of everything.
There were pool tables and arcades in the back. History channel was on all of the tvs. There is a big patio on the side with a bunch of port o pottys, I'm guessing no restrooms?
There was also vintage 70s furniture to sit on but it reminded of something from an old porno set.
A plus is that this place has cheap strong drinks!Listed in: Houston: Worst Bars
-
Review from Dave L.
Houston, TX
1/3/2009
Big Star Bar + $2 Schlitz + Vintage Playboy Mags + Outdoor Firepit = GENIUS!!!
JP = coolest bar tender in the city. Mahalo brah!Listed in: Drinky Drinky Time!
-
Review from julie p.
Austin, TX
11/23/2008
So I finally came out here and found myself enjoying this dive waaaaaay more than I though I would. I didn't just like it, I freaking loved it. Nestled in the Heights on the west side of 19th St, now sits this true Texas dive that attracts some cool ass friendly folks, and thats including the bikers. Even though the place wasn't overly packed I liked how they had 3, ...yes 3 bartenders working there on a Saturday night. The fire pit is also quite entertaining when you get a bunch of boys who resemble pyro's having fun.
Cheap drinks, awesome bartenders, laid back setting with some ambient lighting...... this place is full of win.
* their red house wine is very tasty = PListed in: drinky drinky
-
Review from Will B.
Houston, TX
11/6/2009
I love this place, but last night was the second time in a row that the female bartender (The girls at Cedar said her name might be Jesse?) was rude to my friend and I. The first time, she screamed us for politely asking her for change for the jukebox, and last night, she was surly when we ordered our beers as soon as we walked in. The guy with the facial hair and glasses is friendly, and I love the jukebox and atmosphere, but otherwise, I'm pretty over this bar as long as she's there.
Not sure what her problem is, but I've never had a bartender as unfriendly as she is. Apparently, she's unaware of her own attitude, because when I was ugly right back to her, she claimed she had no idea she was acting that way.
Great jukebox, though (Use Your Illusion 1 is such an underrated album), with tons of favorites and diversity. Beers are cheap and the patio is trashy, just like I like it. As long as those Todo Moto fags aren't around, it's quiet, too. -
Review from Heidi H.
11/23/2009 5 photos
This review is long overdue. I love, love, love Big Star. I think the outdoor area with the fire pit is just awesome. I LOVE to sit outside and drink with friends.
Inside is also pretty awesome: comfy couches, jukebox, tables...even the restrooms are kinda rad in a dive-y way (attachments here http://www.yelp.com/bi...). The bartenders are always super personable and I like the crowd.
Did I mention they're dog friendly? Well, it is.Listed in: The Heights, Fav H-town spots to get my…, Dog Friendly Houston
-
Review from MOrgan C.
Houston, TX
11/16/2008
Yeah baby...no scumbag valets here! I really dig this place. So extremely low key and unpretentious. I met new people all night and didn't see any attitude, just friendly faces.
There is a cool little fire pit outside, best of all no one is strumming a guitar or singing anywhere in sight of it!
