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House of Blues
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Wed. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Thu-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Valet
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sat, Sun
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- Yes
56 reviews for House of Blues
I love House of Blues, although they have seemed to up their drink prices recently. I was there a few weeks ago for a concert and I had three Shiner Bocks. All in a can. The tab came to $18. Woah.
I used to like eating in the restaurant before shows, but their menu has changed and I haven't really cared for the food the last couple of times. How can one screw up a pepperoni pizza? Well, HOB can.
For the music rooms of HOB I give two thumbs up. I've seen smaller bands, like Southern Drive, perform in the restaurant area and that's always fun. I've only been in the Cambridge Room once for New York Dolls, and that was a neat experience. The room is a lot smaller than the main room so it's more intimate. I think I even remember a wall of couches in the room. The main concert area is pretty kickass too. There's not really a bad view of the stage anywhere in the room unless someone really tall stands in front of you, which ALWAYS happens to me. The sound is great, and it should be because they updated their sound system not too terribly long ago. There are three bar areas, so no matter where you are, expensive booze is close by. The bartenders are always on top of it. Even in really crowded shows the wait to get a drink is never that long. I've recently seen beer tub girls too. The seating area upstairs is pretty kickass. They even have waitresses that will bring booze to you! I will complain about the TV's around the venue where you can watch the concert. I don't know what kind of projection they have there, but it needs to be updated. Watching the bands on the TV make me feel like I'm watching someone's home made bootlegged concert video. It's ridiculous.
I'm not sure how the membership to the Foundation Room works any more. I'm guessing you still have to pay for the VIP membership. I've been in there a few times and if you get the chance, you should check it out. There's a bar, plenty of places to sit, the upstairs patio, private rooms. It's plush.
They offer valet parking and there's also a lot right next to the building, but I usually park under Woodall Rodgers for $5.
Overall the venue is clean and fun and I adore it even with the price gouging on the drinks.
It's certainly not arena, but HOB is just a little too corporate for my taste. There are actually several venues under one roof, varying in size. Everything is all nice and cushy, pretty and clean. As with any concert hall the drinks are over priced. I seen the band Horrorpops here a while back, they put on a good show. Maybe I attended to many shows at Deep Ellum Live, which was pretty bare bones to appreciate this place. If I want to see a concert I don't want to be in some place that looks like it was decorated by octogenarian.
I forgot to mention they have a little sit down restaurant inside, and they sell souvenirs. After screaming my lungs off and blasting my eardrums out in the front row I'm really not in the mood for a whole wheat tortilla quesadilla and a $40 t-shirt.
I was surprised that there were so many different rooms in this little building. I went to the Foundation Room for a networking event. I cannot comment on the food or drinks, but the decoration and the service was very good. There were plenty of people to guide me to the right room and they were friendly. The room looked very classy and cushy, which was really perfect for the business networking event.
Valet parking was expensive: $15. Drinks were on the pricey side, but not ridiculous for the quality of the venue.
I liked it enough to go back to explore different rooms and food.
This is one of my favorite venues in town for concerts, but I like the HOB restaurant mostly for the atmosphere and patio. The menu is more expensive and has fewer selections than when they first opened. The service is somewhat friendly but always slow and downright lazy. While I always love going to HOB for concerts, eating here is like hanging out with a self-absorbed friend that has just enough charm to overcome their shortcomings. So the venue gets five stars, the restaurant three.
The House of Blues is an eclectic, weird, yet "cool" place. I'm not sure about the other ones, but this one looks like it was designed by The House of Madame Cleo. Is there really a yin yang emblem above the stage in the Foundation Room? And is that a 3rd eye I spot with both of mine? And is that incense burning?? . . . Wait, no . . . . I'm at the Snoop Dogg Concert.
I came here Sunday night for dinner, the Cowboys Game, and then the concert so I was hitting the House of Blues with the three pronged "Whatcha Got" effect. Here's what they got:
Wasn't too crowded for the game, as I've never really heard someone say, "Hey, let's go watch the game at The House of Blues". Although, it's not a half bad venue for those of us powderpuffs that like to watch football more for the company rather than the action.
Dinner started off sketchy, as the waiter looked confused when we asked for menus. "To order food", we had to explain. Which was a shame, because I wonder what other orders he was taking. Menu is standard, nothing really stood out. Had Cobb Salad and sweet potato fries. Both were good, but nothing to write home about.
The real winner here was the venue for the concert. I enjoyed the acoustics, and I preferred sitting upstairs . . . because there were seats to be sat on. Bar service was fast and prompt. A nice, intimate venue to see some of your favorite acts up close and personal.
Haven't been to their gospel brunch yet, but I hear that's a real winner too. I'm not a huge fan of chains, but House of Blues seems to have a winning formula for chains-that-also-happen-to-be-concert-venues.
For pure concert reasons I give House of Blues five stars. If I were to include their food and wait time to get a drink it would be probably three stars.
I've seen more concerts here for the single fact that acoustics work amazingly here. No matter where you stand the sound envelopes and rings pure.
It's a rather simple venue with not much "local" flare (hello chain), but it's still worth seeing concerts here.
Parking a in a paid lot so bring cash ($10).
I brought my stepdad, my mom, and my boyfriend here for the Graham Colton concert in the Cambridge Room and was floored by the excellent service. My boyfriend uses crutches to walk, so the bouncer that checked our IDs at the front cleared everyone out of the way on our long journey to the Cambridge Room. He set us up with comfortable seating and notified the other staff members to check in on us to make sure we could see at all times. The personal attention and thoughtfulness of the bouncer really impressed us.
The Cambridge Room is really comfy and cozy with a bar in the back, couches lining the perimeter of the room, and awesome painted designs in bold blues, reds and yellows on the walls and ceiling.
Everyone is close to the musicians. It's really awesome.
A couple more things that make me love the House of Blues:
1. Staff members shirts say: HOB staff, which reminded me of HOBBITS. The staff was friendly, just like hobbits.
2. My Blue Moon came with a giant orange slice. I can have my beer and drink it too!!!
Very cool venue, that books some pretty good acts. I've seen The B52s, The GoGo's, Santogold, and Sonic Youth here. Really not a bad seat in the house.
The balcony seats are pretty cool, sometimes the ticket price isn't much different and you can walk up and down.
Drinks arn't cheap. Eat at the restaurant, and get in line first.
I love the artwork.
No refunds or exchanges on tickets, that sucks.
I like HOB for small shows because its a clean, intimate venue. I'm not a huge fan of the over priced valet, but you can park a few blocks away for pretty cheap. Just be prepared to wait in line if only one of the pay machines is working.
For certain bands, I recommend springing for upstairs balcony where you can sit down. You feel like you're right on the stage and you can see everything clearly. Theres a bar up here, too so you don't have to fight your way up and down the stairwell and through the masses.
However, there are plenty of shows where you want to be down in the crowd, which is my favorite place anyway. The closer you get to the stage, the crazier it gets. If you're trying to avoid that, just hang back a bit and you'll still have a decent view of the stage. On the bottom level, you have two bars to choose from, though neither is very quick. I've never had a drink here that I thought was made strong enough for the price I paid. To be honest, skip the booze unless you're going for beer. You'll save some money and the stress of battling your way to (and from) the bar.
While this isn't my favorite venue, I'll continue to watch bands here because tickets are reasonably priced & I like the location. Still, I will continue to pre-drink to save my cash, though!
My buddy and I decided to surprise our wives with a surprise brunch here on a Sunday. We shared a table with other guests which turned out to be first-timers like ourselves so that was pretty cool too.
Once we arrived the wait staff did an excellent job explaining how everything works when it comes to seating arrangements and the entertainment.
The food was typical breakfast fare and very good at that. The Gospel show (sorry, I can't recall the name of the group) was decent, however I didn't particularly like it when one of the band members asked everyone to stand to join in singing just as we sat down to eat. I wasn't expecting that nor was I interested in participating. Nevertheless I had a great time and will definitely return again.
This is my second favorite place to see a concert in Dallas. The place is intimate. Good seats all the way around. Nice bar. Seats are comfortable, but then again, who really sits? And the acoustics are just fantastic. We saw Velvet Revolver there in 2008, a month or so before they broke up, and Slash's guitar was so clear and crisp. The best I have ever heard him. I just love this venue and wish more of my fav bands would play here and not the old Starplex, whatever the new name is that I can never remember.
Went to see High on Fire, Converge, Mastodon and Dethklok. For the ridiculous ticket prices these people charge the sound quality should be phenomenal. It was not. F*cking horrible. All I could hear for all 4 bands was the kick drum and an overall bassy sludge permeating the mix. Aren't there supposed to be guitars in metal?
The bar? Overpriced and warm beer.
Got so fed up i went and ate a burger, it was pretty good, ended up the only saving grace for the night. But I can go plenty of other places for that where I don't have to pay ten bucks.
No way will I step foot in that place again.
Although nothing could ever replace the Gypsy Tea Room, I will admit the House of Blues is not that far behind.
I've seen a few shows at the HoB and none of them have disappointed me one bit. I do like the idea of being able to sit down upstairs, but I think the action is all on the standing room concrete floor in front of the stage. The energy is contagious and if you are seeing a concert in a venue smaller then Nokia or Yellowpages, HoB is the ONLY way to go.
One of the big perks of the HoB is the restaurant. Before its existence the thing was to try to find a spot to eat or have a drink before a concert then making it to the venue in enough time. HoB was smart and rolled a whole evening's events into one place...brilliant!
The best part- if you get the opportunity to visit the Foundation Room, TAKE IT!! The Foundation Room is amazing! It is it's own secluded bar basically. The primary room is circled by couches separated by beautiful velvet curtains. The actual bar sits to the right of another isolated area in front of the entrance. In a whole separate room is what we dubbed the Karma Sutra room. It has a flat screen television and is filled with art and museum- like decor, which are mainly engraved with Karma Sutra symbols. If I was ever turned into a genie this would be my bottle!
Parking is easy and convenient- valet in front, self park in the back. So ladies don't be discouraged to wear your heels, unless your in standing room and wearing 5 minute heels. You will have a good time here!
I'm not a huge fan of HoB.
*It's far too over decorated to look like it's not.
*There's a surcharge on tickets even when you go TO the venue to buy them.
*Parking's a hasstle
*As a girl - I don't feel safe going by myself because I'd then have to walk by myself to my car
*Everything costs an arm and a leg
*The sound is good and the lights are well done.
*I'm not impressed with the videography
*Walking the cooridoor of smokers to just get in is annoying; what's the point of them smoking right next to the entrance? The smoke's coming inside anyways
*Little to no room for band merch to be set up
*Shows always seem like they're late there
Maybe I just really miss the older, local venues, but I'd prefer to go somewhere else to see a show than HoB. I really have to want to see a show in order to go here.
Flickerstick. Oh how we'll miss you. Even now as I am writing this review days after the sad, heart wrenching, phenomenal, emotional, and gosh dang beautiful last show of this band.... I want to cry. Well that and the fact that I am listening to a very sweet and sad song right now. Aw... there are no unicorns or rainbows in the air tonight. But there were on Saturday at the HOB.
I remember watching this band in Denton, being front and center for their show in LA for the VH1 Bands on the Run show and I will remember their very last Dallas show forevs. The beginning of the night started with festive a fake birthday celebration dinner at the HOB restaurant (review to come) and it ended up with my best girl and I holding each other crying and singing like little girls at the last Debbie Gibson show. The lead singer lost it through the last two songs too. And if Brandon cries, we all cry. *Sigh*
If you don't know Flickerstick, you should do yourself a favor and look them up. Their music is amazing, but their lyrics will have you forgetting your name... and possibly where you are. Every single member of the band is a great musician, so when joined up they are like a posse of perfection. I can't be sure, but I believe this is what love sounds like.
More about the venue... I've never seen the balcony so lively. If you want to come watch a show, but also want to sit and chill or watch it like a live theater show, opt for the balcony seats. Of course you would have missed the lead singer's glorious stage dive (more of a glide) and crowd surfing, but hey whatever floats your boat.. or doesn't. The HOB is nice because you don't find yourself being moshed into. It's like everyone has this sense of being there for the music.. not being there just to beat each other's arses. Interesting concept.
The bartenders are still quick, and if you're lucky you will get Casey to be your man for the evening. Clue: He's the cute muscular dude usually wearing a hat and a contagious grin. I believe he works all the major shows.
Oh and another cool thing? They actually have some pretty inexpensive shows compared to everyone else. I've heard of bands choosing to play here so that their fans don't have to pay and arm and a leg just to see them. Thas nice. So basically 5 stars again for the HOB. Gather your crew and come out for a good night of face-melting music. Pretty happy about this place.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
8/28/2008
I feel like streamers should be flying around, unicorns should be skipping over rainbows, and cute… Read more »
Great bands I've seen at HOB:
Bayside
Coheed and Cambria
NOFX
Flogging Molly
Citizen Cope
Boys Named Sue
RX Bandits
Portugal the Man
I could go for hours and hours, but I'll spare everyone the awesomeness that I've had because I don't want my fellow Yelpers jealous.
In short, HOB is an awesome venue and the best place to hear live music in the metroplex in my opinion. The sound and lights are top notch and the drinks are ridiculously reasonable for a main stream music venue. They've got a couple smaller rooms where you can catch acoustic sets and I've never had a problem finding a great spot to watch the tunes (the pit, at a table by the bar, on the bar. . .it's all good homie).
They book everything from local talent to the big guns, hip hop to country, thrash to soul and even the occasional stand up comedian (Bob Sagat was there this past summer).
Don't be a sucker. Let the douchebags at TicketMaster rip you off a couple times a year for the sake of good music. It's well worth the $82 surcharge.
Last night was my second concert at HOB. Oh my goodness are those bouncers busy dudes. I think our Santa from the other night was at his second job....he was all over escorting goobers out the back door when they were interrupting everyone else's good time.
As far as expensive booze, I had a tequila shot...not sure of the price since I begged someone else to get it for me, but I'm sure it wasn't ridiculous.
The music sounded terrific and MOST of the people were under control.
I like the cozy feeling you get with the bands while there. Good stuff!
I very much appreciate having to go thru security so I'm not sure why that would be a concern for anyone else....safety first, right?
Looking forward to another show here soon!
We saw the Fray here. It was great! I love being able to be so close to the band if I want to, or keep my distance. What ever I want! Usually with general admission, I tend to get warm. Somehow they kept the temperature at a good level so I didn't have to worry. Sound was good. Parking was $10. Pretty easy to get in and out of the parking lot. I was allowed to take my camera in so I got some cool shots.
I didn't have any food or drinks so I can't rate that.
I prefer being able to sit down so I took off a star for that. I shouldn't have to pay hundreds of dollars to not have to stand for 5 hours.
We saw Cowboy Mouth and the Killdares here. Loved them! While I had heard of them before, I had never seen Cowboy Mouth prior to this show. I was an immediate fan.
Not a lot of people can do GA shows, but I love them. We got there shortly before the show was scheduled to start and still ended up front and center. Can't complain about that. Lost a star for parking fees. The other HOB's I've been to either have free parking or validated parking available. But that's not going to stop me from going back.
While I can't get over the $15 valet parking and $10 self parking, the $4 cans of Bud Light, and the no smoking policy, House of Blues has a few redeeming qualities.
1.) Between bands, a girl wandered through the crowd of rabble in general admission in front of the stage selling ice-cold beer out of a beer tub she carried on her head. We rabble don't want to loose our awesome standing spot by the stage by leaving to go to the bar, which presents a problem, because of course we want a beer. Therefore, it's really cool that they cater to the customers with a mobile beer tub girl. Actually, at $4 a can of beer, they know they can make more money if they can circulate their over-priced piss-water to the hot and sweaty rabble standing in front of the stage. That's kinda a win - win situation though.
2.) The bouncers. Seriously, I have never seen such cool bouncers - ever. They didn't interfere with the mosh pit at all. They only went into it twice that I saw, and one of those times were to help someone who had fallen and hit his head. Towards the end, they stood at the edge of the pit and helped a guy who came to the side not get trampled while he tied his shoe. The bouncer even shined his flashlight on the guy's shoes to help him out.
A bouncer did go into the crowd when someone sparked up a marijuana cigarette though, but come on, House of Blues is not the grassy area at Starplex.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
4/3/2008
The first thing you notice about The House of Blues when you pull up is that you have to pay at… Read more »
What an awesome place! Hosted an event at the House of Blues and was beyond pleased with the staff, food, and decor. House of Blues - Dallas has some cool bands and shows. Some of the items in the gift store are pricey, but one-of-a-kind and worth it if you are looking for a unique gift. I didn't think that the bartenders making the drinks were that great...
Tips for going:
1) You can get free tickets to shows if you eat lunch on Mondays.
2) Try the gumbo soup with the cornbread muffins. You'll be glad you did.
3) You HAVE to check out the Foundation Room...it's a very "interesting" room....
I've been to House of Blues in San Diego and in Vegas... both for music events which are great venues. Last Tue-night I was invited to go to this Stoli Vodka event featuring a Cirque du Solei type-act... I'm not sure if it actually was "Cirque du Solei"... or just a similar act... anyway it was pretty cool. It was definitely crowded that night... well I guess if they advertise on Facebook that there will be free Stoli than swarms of people are to be expected, right? I wasn't even planning on going out on a work night, but how else do you get to meet new friends if i keep saying no to the invites. I'm just visiting, but I still have to keep myself from being bored while I'm here.
Been here only once for the Melvins show a couple of months ago.
The show was in the "Pontiac-Garage" section of the venue which was pretty small, but not 'cramped.'
Upon arriving to the venue, of course you have to pay some lot-croney 10 bucks to park your car in gravel. The next thorn-in-your-side is emptying your pockets and getting 'wanded' with a metal detector prior to entry. After that, pretty much smooth sailing. I bought my ticket online the day of the show and picked it up will-call without a problem.
Drinks were priced appropriately for for most downtown-Dallas venues (5 bucks for a Heineken, in a can, not a bottle.) Neither exhorbitant or a bargain.
The sound quality was sub-par. I base this on comparisions to previous Melvins shows at the Granada in Dallas and Stubbs in Austin (both of which the sound was excellent.)
And in terms of the infamous 'camera' policy that people have warned about, I managed to smuggle my pocket-sized Canon digicam past the ticket goons and took a full SD-card's worth of pics. I was even approached by a bouncer who witnessed me taking several photos during the show. He simply asked me to turn off the flash... a reasonable comprimise.
I give this place 3 stars due to the marginal sound quality, the silly metal-detecting procedures and the steep parking cost. Aside from that, not too bad of a place for the show I went to. But the Granada in Greenville is most definitely better on all grounds, except for a convenient smoking area.
I'm a non-smoker so non-smoking rule = 5 stars
I'm a drinker so booze prices = 3 stars
I like to stand and stay awake when watching a show so less $ for floor ticket = $5
I hate paying for parking so $10 to park = 2 stars
I like small-medium venues so 4 stars
Saw Dr John and The Neville Brothers here...very cool vibe...watched the whole thing from front and center = 5 stars
Star average = 4 stars
Note to self: bring earplugs next time!
My first ever visit to a House of Blues...we went strictly for dinner, and not for any music event. So the review is strictly on the food.
We had a mixture of sides and appetizers, the best of which was the cornbread. Delicious. Could've done without the Catfish Nuggets.
I had been menu surfing on the Internets, and was sold on the Chicken Fried Steak. Unfortunately, when I got there, they had only Chicken Fried Chicken. Pass. Another member of our party got that, and said it was decent. I went with the Ribeye, which was solid as well. Another wanted to go strictly for the Jabalaya. To each his own.
The Key Lime Pie was surprisingly good. I left more than stuffed.
Service was ok, but not spectacular, and the mixed drinks were weak. But I guess to properly review this place, I'll need to come when there's some, you know, actual music playing.
i like the sound system here. Spoon was amazing here in '07. Ghostland Observatory was out of control around New Years last year.
The downside is that shows and drinks are damn expensive. You can count on a hefty tab when you leave this place.
Now for GOSPEL BRUNCH. pretty awesome experience, albeit a short one.
The food was excellent southern stuff and breakfast standards - jambalya, chicken, waffles, eggs, potatoes, etc. - which I proceeded to mix together.
Again, the downside is you pay $35 to get in and alcohol is not even included.
The music show was a blast. My gf and I got pulled up on stage to shake some booty with some grandmas which was entertaining to say the least. It ended way to soon I thought
Please note, this is a positve 3 star rating...as in A OK with an ! at the end.
also, this review is for Gospel Brunch, not music as I have yet to see a show at this place. I think. Anyway.
We went to the inaugural gospel brunch last May (I think, or was it the year before?). Since it was the first one, they pulled out all the stops. Star Spangled Banner, Color Guard (I think that's what they call those dudes who spin their guns and salute?) etc etc.
A very charismatic and entertaining hostess, dressed in various flamboyant costumes like a cross between Vegas and Church. Yep, exactly what you are picturing right now. Several bands, all of them gospel and all of them "get up out yo seat and dance" fun. Everyone in here was twirling napkins and getting their praise on.
The buffet had an amazing selection, everything from fried chicken and pork chops to an omelet station, waffles, carving stations with prime rib and turkey, mac and cheese, grits and biscuits.......you name it!
The only issue we had on this first visit was since they hadn't done it before, they hadn't figured it out yet. They had one long buffet so the line was insane. No other issues, though.
We were instantly hooked, and despite the relatively steep price ($35 pp) we evangelized to everyone we knew and decided we'd come at least once a month.
On subsequent trips (I've been 3-4 times since) we were disappointed to learn that they cut back on the show (it's not near the hoopla we experienced on day 1) but thrilled to learn the broke up the buffet lines into a few sections so not everyone is waiting on that one old couple to pick out which slices of bacon they want before moving on. (oh wait, that was me!)
The only complaint I've had since is the bar issue, as I am one who is not afraid to get my drink on at the same time as getting my praise on...the waitresses are hit and miss on bringing drinks, so your best bet is to go to the bar and get your Bloody Mary/Mimosa/whatever else you want to drink (hopefully not Jack and Coke since, come on dude, it's church...have some decorum!) but the line tends to get a little redic.
Overall, I think it's a great way to entertain out of towners or take the parents and let them know that even if you arent making it to sunday school at least you are going to gospel brunch!
When you're done, walk down to the Living Room bar at the W. It's by far the best thing the W has to offer.
The House of Blues is officially my favorite music venue in DFW. I've seen Bands from Coheed and Cambria to Eisley play there and they all sound fantastic.
Some smaller venues have a tendency to not prperly adjust the sound for different types of music. I'm impressed that during a good loud rock show you aren't fighting the volume and you can hear a nice balanced show. At the same time, you can see a more laid back band with a softer sound like the Raconteurs and enjoy the acoustics.
I'm old so I prefer seating during shows. At HOB prefered seating is in the balcony. I've yet to find a bad seat here. I avoid the floor during shows that may encourage the stupid act of crowd surfing. HOB doesn't allow moshing but that won't keep you from getting kicked in the head. During more tame shows general admission is fine. You can see the stage from any angle. I should know, I'm short. :-)
They have a loose policy of "Jumping the line". You have to eat and you have to spend $X and it allows you to pass through to the concert without having to stand in line outside. During bad or hot weather this is fabulous. Keep in mind, they typically do not allow same day reservations and I think they won't seat you till your entire party arrives so plan ahead.
In terms of food, it's not bad. It's not great but it's better than most food you can get at a concert venue. There are few choices for us veggie types but you can make it work. If you eat at the HOB take your time and check out the memorabilia around the venue. They pay tribute to many oldie but goodies.
The restaurant gets 1 star because the service was good. As for the food, not so much. Everything was either way over seasoned or to greasy. It was a huge disappointment. I had a turkey wrap and they even messed that up! Crazy...
Now for the good part:
5 Stars for the Venue!!!!!
If you have yet to see a show at the HoB, you're missing out. The sound is outstanding and there isn't a bad seat in the place. Sign up on line with HoB to get special offers and some great discounts on certain shows.
My first time at HOB was last night on my birthday to see devotchka. I went up to the box office and asked where to go and the doors had not opened so me and my twin sister sat outside while she smoked a cigarette, when all of the sudden a guy in an all black suit came up and asked us if we wanted to go up to vip! Of course we where more than happy to do so. The lounge was awesome and me and my sister felt kind of like rockstars and actually got to meet some of the bands family members and chat with them. It was a great birthday treat!
After that it kind of went downhill. The show was in the Pontiac garage, and it was packed... I'm pretty sure it was all of the bartenders first nights working, ever, because they were completely flustered and unable to efficiently serve anyone. And the girl bartender apparently had never seen vip wristbands and asked the other 2 bartenders if were allowed in there...I'm pregnant, I wasn't drinking (obviously)... I was just waiting with my sister but I was still annoyed she wasn't trained properly and had never seen a vip wrist band before..?
As Laura n. said, this place is horrible if you actually like a band and want to hear them play. A large group of people where sitting behind of me talking the whole time, and when I politely asked them to please be more quiet they told me to eat shit and proceeded to "accidently" spill beer on me. Note to any other frat guy out there who goes to 'indie' concerts to pick up chicks...don't spill beer on a pregnant girl on her birthday. Needless to say he got a verbal beat down and didn't speak a word for the rest of the show... I have never been to a show and had this problem, while I can't blame the venue, it soured the whole experience.
The sound was fabulous and I did enjoy my time in vip, and the drinks were cheap from what my sister got. I will go here again without a doubt. All in all it's a nice atmosphere, good sound, and cheap drinks... just watch out for inconsiderate concert goers!
Trendiness meets vomit.
Please note, my review will expand to more positive heights once I do indeed drop a zillion dollars to go to a show here, but till then, we're limited to the bar, a few cocktails, and too many A&M alumni.
To begin, this part of the city is my least favorite when I'm responsible for driving/parking. I'd rather eat a waterbug than valet, so you can imagine my amusement at this venue's "lot."
Infraction 1: I'm handed a glass of wine with perfectly-formed lipstick replicas of a previous patron's sip-smudges. This glass hadn't seen soap and water in God knows when.
Infraction 2: John's bloody mary looked, smelled, and tasted like, no kidding, pasta sauce. It was thick, over-spiced, and lacking alcohol. If I looked hard enough, I'm sure I could have found some chucks of ground beef.
Infraction 3: Paying a price for drinks that had been blessed by the Pope himself, except that our drinks were not, in fact, blessed by the Pope himself.
The place looks pretty cool inside, and I'd like to try the venue. But really, if it puts the Granada out of business, I will burn the MoFo down.
I've seen two shows here in the past month (X & Blind Melon). The facilities are pretty nice. It's clean. It's laid out pretty nicely too. Pretty much every seat upstairs has a great view of the stage. I don't go to too many shows, but this is the nicest small venue I've been to.
I wish Yelp would give you the option of a 1/2 star, because this review should really be 3 1/2. What keeps it from being a 4 is the expense.
I'm not a total cheapskate, but I don't like having to pay $7 for a frickin well drink. Granted, the well bourbon is Jim Beam, but c'mon. And at the last show, the drinks were cheaper, so I don't know if they vary based on who's playing. Shiner's were $5 last night and only $4 last month. Prices may have just went up.
My other complaint is HOW LOUD THE FUCKING SPEAKERS ARE WHEN YOU SIT IN A BOX SEAT. I'm shouting because I can't hear a damned thing today. It's my own fault...I should have remembered how loud it was during the last show and brought ear plugs with me, but fair warning for you. If you are going to sit in the box seats (which are directly in front of the speakers), bring some ear protection.
I know that some people view arrival of HOB as the landing of the Evil Empire. Yes, it sucks that they have undoubtedly taken some clout from the Granada and may have led to the ultimate demise of the Gypsy tea Room. Yes, standing in security lines and being wanded takes some of the fun out of attending a music event but sadly, this is the nature of our times so we must deal with it.
So, overall this chain venue has done a pretty decent little job. I never felt like security was obtrusive in any way. If anything, I liked how there were enough people to direct you when needed. The floor was adequately sized. The sound was not the best but did the trick nicely. Drinks were priced as expected but the pour was good and the bartenders workd their asses off to keep lines moving.
Overall, this location was far better than some others in the chain, and although it lacks the ambiance of a Granada, it is a comfortable, safe place to see a show. One huge complaint is that sometimes prices for some of their 70s & 80s has-been bands are way too expensive (B-52s, I love ya but $75? Come on!)
I went to this place on New Year's Eve and boy was this place packed! Same is the case on any other weekend. Nice restaurant with a great bar and live music and lots of concerts every now and then.
The food is good and the music is fun. Great place to freak out on a Friday night.
Watch out for that tab when you booze!
Music venue: pretty damn good...one of the few places where the bar is right there to get a drink while you are watching the show. enough said, Smoking outside...minus one.
Restaurant: Uh, seriously, never come here to eat. Think of an overpriced touristy restaurant that you would avoid like the plague in another city and act accordingly. My pork chop was so dry and flavorless that I barely ate half of it...that goes for the mashed potatoes and green beans too. The best thing is to get the cornbread with the maple syrup/honey flavored butter and some voodoo shrimp appetizer and call it a night. Or follow my example and just drink your dinner and be done with it.
Wanted to review the restaurant at HOB. The menu has a variety of things available - burgers, pizza, pasta, steak, snacks - really something for everybody. I've only had the sandwiches and the apps thus far but liked both. The pricing isn't too bad considering that they are "The Man" and service was okay too.
It's crowded before big shows but if you're going to catch a smaller act during the week it's a good bet for quick seating and dinner before the show.
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First time going, the staff was friendly. I didn't like the atmosphere so much.
Too much was going on for me. I got there pretty early enough to probably be right infront of the stage, but as more people started to line up, they said to make two lines. One for 'fast ticket' or something [if they ate or bought something there], and of course I didn't so I was in the middle of the new formed line.
I got to take a couple of pictures until security said my flash was too bright. Seriously..
but I suppose its better than nothing.
TOTALLY forgot to mention, for some reason it smelled really really bad in that room, like garbage. just horrible
Wow, after reading some of the reviews here, I was expecting this place to suck. But, perhaps I just had a really great experience. We went to see the Peter Murphy show on July 12th (oh.. and my review of Peter Murphy: AWESOME!!!!). I had some friends who had a VIP package and done a meet and greet, and my hubby and I happened to run into them as they were about to go up the elevator to the VIP lounge, and the doorman let us go up with them. He was super nice. (Thanks doorman, you're cool!)
I thought the lounge upstairs was pretty flippin' sweet. It had a middle eastern theme going on and smelled like incense. I like incense. The service at the bar was pretty good, and I felt the prices were not out of hand, in fact they seemed to get cheaper as the night went on, which is weird. I had no complaints about the drinks.
We ended up sitting upstairs in some extra box seats (we had GA tickets.. but nobody was sitting there.. why waste them?). The whole place has great seats, it's a pretty intimate location, which I love. The sound was great as well. (Uh... did I mention Peter Murphy is pretty much God?) After the show we hung out on the upstairs patio and drank and chatted until closing time. The waitress outside was really nice and put up with our drunk ramblings.
Soooo.. I have zero complaints! We had an amazing time. Granted, had we not had a sweet VIP experience, I may be writing a different review.. but for now, this is it.
We went to the HOB to eat dinner and see Blues Traveler. We had a great time. The restaurant was fun and the food was good.
We were able to park for $10 in the lot next to the HOB, but for $2 more we could have valet parked instead. We had seats in the balcony and we thought the view and the sound was great. The only reason they don't get 5 stars is because of the multiple lines to get in. Since we got there early and we ate at the restaurant, we were able to go in 10 minutes earlier than the 7:00pm door time. While we waited we were wanded with the metal detector and braceleted for alcohol. After that we waited to have our ticket scanned, and then we went downstairs and waited for the doors to open. It all seemed kind of pointless.
Overall a great experience and we can't wait to go see another act.
Went to HoB for the first time tonight to see Common, and I liked the venue more than I thought I would. Here's the breakdown, because everybody loves lists:
Pros:
1. Excellent sound
2. Stage is extremely high, unlike the old Gypsy Tea Room stage, which was maybe three centimeters off the ground.
3. Great sight lines from almost everywhere. There are pillars on either side of the soundboard, but aside from that, no complaints.
4. No smoking. I love not smelling like an ashtray, and don't think cancer seems all that fun.
5. DART access means my car doesn't have to go anywhere near the West End and I can save $10 on parking.
Cons:
1. Goddamn, these shows are expensive. Maybe I'm just used to the little indie shows I grew up going to, but I hate forking over $45-50 every time a band I like comes through.
All in all, I dig this place. It's not somewhere you'll go to get trashed, unless you have a $100 bill burning a hole in your pocket. And sure, there are no seats downstairs, but if you can't stand up for a couple hours, maybe your nursing home shouldn't let you out at night. If seeing a good show is your main objective, I think this place will leave you satisfied.
