Big Star Bar

Great dirty little dive off of 19^th!
Really low key, and cozy. You can actually hear yourself having a conversation. They also have decent priced drinks! Nice bar staff and plenty of seating.
Take a minute in the restroom to read some of the hilarious graffiti.

The definition of a dive bar. I thought the place was just ok, but I could see how some appreciate the cheap drinks.

Went in with a few buddies of mine on a Monday night and got treated like sh** by one of the bartenders. It took me over 10 minutes for me to get a beer anytime I needed another. Other than the disrespect from the prick behind the bar and the time it took for me to get a beer, this place was alright.

Local bar in the heights with a great music and service !!! Arian is an awesome bartender !! Great service all the time !!!

I had a grand olé time at the Big Star Bar. The bartender was friendly, the beer was cheap, and the jukebox had an excellent selection of music. One of my Tom Waits songs got skipped, but he can be an acquired taste. I am somewhat new to Houston. The clientele of big star seemed to be lacking that certain «I’m too rich for this» attitude that pervades this city. It’s just a place where people can go, have some drinks, and have a good time.

The definition of DIVE BAR.
If you’re in the Heights (ok, Shady Acres techincally), do yourself a favor and get a shot and a beer. Went in with a friend and did just that, and the bill was $ 16…and as much as I like Cedar Creek next door, that would have been like $ 25.
Not a place to take a date… unless she’s super cool. This is a place to go drinking. Bottom line.
Food: n/​a
Drinks: 5
Service: 4 (bartenders only)
Atmosphere: Divey-​Five, or regular 3.5
Price: 5

Seriously when you first walk in you think you are in someone’s house! I just love the spacious outdoor and the mirrors inside make it look larger than it is. Regardless this is the coolest little hole in the wall nothing too fancy. Also bar staff super super nice and constantly saw one guy busting tables and a female bartender running around checking everything. Did I mention the drink prices are that of a college town? ($ 3.50 screwdriver… On a Saturday!!!) I just loved it.

Drinks on Christmas Day… it’s a tradition and this place held up just fine!

Came here last night after work with a friend for drinks for the first time.
It was good – definitely a dive so I’m grading on dive standards. I’m not the kind of girl who gets turned off by dives, I enjoy them and their grit. A little dirt never hurt nobody! Just as long as my glassware is clean and my beer is fresh I’m happy at a dive.
Though it was a bit chilly out, my friend and I lounged in the outdoor space. I like it out there. Intimate, well lit, plenty of seating and little corners to which you can retreat with your pals. Two minor things about the outdoor space though – there was a firepit but it was not lit and it would have been way nicer if it was. Do the customers have to ask or do it themselves or like, what’s the protocol on that? Just curious. And also, the ground was a little too muddy – it’s covered in pea gravel out there which should help cut down on that issue so maybe it just needs some fresh pea gravel.
So there are my reasons for one star off is and additionally that, indeed it is kitschy and hell yeah they have a killer jukebox, but there isn’t anything much more inherently unique to this bar. Not that I know of at least. I would return if my friends wanted to meet here.

The place had a super chill atmosphere and it’s perfect for a casual night out. My only complaint would be that they had a house cat running around indoors. I’m extremely allergic to them and I couldn’t help but wonder the litter box was!

Uh hello? Don’t skip my juke. Don’t never skip a juker, I’ll tell you that right now. Came in on a cool fri and everyone seemed super chill; hippies, cynics, rappers, all of em. In the middle of a perfect juke list I deliberately planned for me and my babe, this bar completely busted my nut. Will not come back. Five stars.

Definitely a dive, but in a good way. Once your eyes adjust to the dark and red lit interior, make your way up to the bar. Plenty of variety in both beer and liquor choices. Relaxed, divey space with helpful bartenders.

This is my local watering hole. It’s low key, the crowd is mixed, the bartenders are nice and the prices are low. Live music on most Sunday nights. I spend 4 – 5 nights a week here just because it’s chill.

I only had beers here but the conversation with the bartender was incredible. He voices Japanese Animé!

First off don’t be afraid, it’s like falling down the rabbit hole. When you first walk in the red lighting and dingy bar is a little unsettling but don’t worry it’s incredible. They have a strong hoard or regulars, dirt cheap prices, a huge outdoor seating area, fires in the winter, and an Indianna Jones Pinball machine that won’t quit. *though be ware it does NOT give you your promised 6 games for $ 2.00 but merely 4 :(I’ve still dumped at least $ 100 into that machine tho to be honest*

Hipster Divey bar. Nice patio. Easy going atmosphere. Friendly staff.

Underwhelming. My vodka tonic tasted like dish soap. The Unilocal pictures make Big Star appear way cooler, more fun than it actually is. Inside was depressing, dark, dead on a Saturday night after 10PM. The few cliques there were far drunker than I, their booming voices drowning out the low-​volumed jukebox, so I could make out every slurred bit of nonsense they were shouting. Awkward! The bartender should’ve cut them off. A bar-​back was reading a book at the end of the bar. I love to read, too, so I thought, Ah! Here’s a basis for camaraderie! and smiled at him. Nope. He scowled at me and tucked back into his reading.
I like grunge just fine, but this place is more cutting-​corners-​cheap than banged-​up from rowdy fun grunge. Like if I hammered together some white-​washed plywood, brought in a pool table and opened for business. From the street, I thought the outdoor area looked fun but found out it’s uncomfortably snug. We had to squeeze in among the drunken yellers. One was laughing, tossing xmas tree branches onto the fire, releasing clouds of fumey smoke in our faces, as the only empty spot was downwind of the fire.
Back inside, I couldn’t get comfy at the unattractive, weirdly tall, small bar. Looked worn and tired and run-​down. The barstools were too short for the bartop, which came to above my breasts, making me feel like a kid at the adults’ table. I respectfully recommend that the owners renovate the bar structure (the actual base and bartop) – the key feature of any watering hole – as soon as possible. I think that could improve the place a lot.
I might give it another try some night my friends insist on going because it’s close to their house. Otherwise, with so many new or well-​established Houston bars still left for me to try, I won’t waste my time or money at Big Star.

I’ve had more late night hazy conversations with strangers here than anywhere else in the GHA. Why? Well, it could be attributed to the relaxed atmosphere or the shot of jäger warming my belly chased with an ice cold lonestar. Probably that last one.
Yeah, definitely that last one.
Somewhere down the dark path of 19^th sits a dive where you tell yourself, «I’ll just stay for one more» until its 10 til 2 and the bar back bellows for last call. I’ve learned to give in to the fact that when it’s Big Star night, I’m not leaving until the counters are being wiped down of that evenings beverage condensation and bits of peeled beer labels.
Big Star is that place that facilitates everything from the bands that are rockin’ like Dokken to intense punching bag competitions where the more aggressive sex can show their manliness. Inside the retro checkered floors will lead you to the sweet spot. the bar. There your new best friend, the bartender, will procure you your libation while you park it upon one of the weathered, well loved bar stools along the L shape bar. Don’t stay there too long, the journey continues and it only gets better from here. Stepping out the door you will find an eclectic group of people that are huddled around the fire pit or possibly holding a conversation with their mates from across the picnic tables. The first time you come here you may not realize that down the whimsical walk way there is another patch of land with scattered tables. That’s where the regulars tend to camp out.
Its a pet and significant other friendly so bring them along. Got a new broad? Skip the fancy wine bars and show her your playful side here. Pool tables and cheap drinks make for a great ice breaker activity. Going solo? Sit at the bar and chat up one of the badass owners/​bartenders.
I love this bar and foresee many more late nights and long talks to come.

I came here for a tumblr meetup awhile back and really enjoyed the space. I imagined them to have a photobooth but no such luck. They did have some video games and a jukebox. It seemed to be a dive bar with it’s own divey flare. especially with all the red lighting.
Reminds me alot of Austin. It reminds me of The Side bar on 7^th street or Longbranch… For me it’s nice to find anyplace that feels like my hometown.

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.