The Sandbar

I absolutely love this place, however tonight the door man was extremely inappropriate. I had friends visiting from out of town and I really wanted them to have a good time in lawrence so I decided to take them to sandbar. The line was expected, but the door man was obnoxious. I worked in management in nightlife entertainment in los angels for years and I never thought a human being like this existed in Kansas. He cursed at me and physically kicked paying customers out of the establishment. I hope the owners fire this employee. His is a white male with blonde hair and worked Friday night March 5^th at 11:30 pm. Please let this man go because he is ruining this bar. Again, I love this place and I don’t want to discourage anyone from coming here.

This place is hilariously awesome.
Trying to decide to go here? Ask yourself: «Am I a little bit drunk?» If you answer YES, go on in. If not, come back when you are.
Back in my college days, we’d occasionally migrate over here from Henry’s next door and they couldn’t be much different. Henry’s might be hosting «French Night» with martinis and wine, and Sandbar will be belting out Journey, serving popcorn, girls dancing on the bar and a hurricane blowing through.
We came over here after our wedding as we were staying at the Eldridge and walking through downtown. If you’d ever told me I’d be in my wedding tux and have my beautiful bride wearing her wedding dress into The Sandbar I would think you’re out of your mind, but here we were.
Side bar, the folks on Mass St. will treat you like royalty on your wedding night, it’s kind of epic. They’ll take your picture, hoot and holler, wish you well, give you whatever they’re holding. It’s great.
Back to Sandbar, where it feels like a continuation of a wedding reception. Drinks flow, crowd pleasing music and dancing go on and on, and there’s an overall positive vibe throughout.
Definitely an experience, and one I recommend if you’re out and about in Lawrence.

The drinks were good. They have a shot wheel that provides «discounted» shots (not really discounted, just makes you think its discounted because it’s on a wheel.)
Everything was incredibly sticky and dirty. I’ve been to plenty on bars, but you probably shouldn’t have trouble picking your feet up because the floors are so sticky.
The bar was VERY small. The music was 80’s and 90’s. That’s my kind of music, but it may not be to some people.
The bartenders were very nice and attentive though. Overall, a ³⁄₅.

If there was anything less than a 1 star it would get that. D-​bag central. Kool-​aid with vodka is their drinks. Terrible. Terrible terrible.

The best bar in the world. Period. The end.

I really can’t say enough good things about this bar. The staff are friendly and the bar is an all around good time.
That said, KNOW WHY YOU’RE GOING. As with any establishment, understand what they do before you walk in the door. The Sandbar doesn’t take itself seriously. That’s actually why it’s so much fun. Will you hear sing along songs from the 70’s 80’s and 90’s? Yes. Do people dance on the bar in mermaid costumes? Yes. Do they serve overly sweet tropical themed drinks that come with kitschy toys? Absolutely. Are you too hipster or too cool to relax and have fun in that atmosphere? Then it might not be your scene.
Don’t expect a hand muddled mojito or a 20 year old bourbon. Do expect great prices, shots always on special and people having fun.
Brush up on your island escape music (Buffett and Marley) before you go and spend a couple hours pretending you’re closer to a beach than you really are.
The escapist vibe runs thick here because it’s genuine. The bar does a great job evoking the vibe that every Margaritaville Café wishes it could without feeling commercial or forced. A great place to be if you wish you were a lot closer to a coast!

Our group arrived here quite late in the evening when their numbers were starting to dwindle. The staff then kicked us out of the bar stating that we’d have to finish our drinks outside as they were trying to close. We were like,“Ok, that’s fine,” and we went outside. About 30 seconds later, while we were outside trying to sip down the last sips of our purchased drinks quickly, one employee came out and unexpectedly started verbally attacking us. Talk about piss poor hospitality and customer service! He tore outside in a tizzy, describing how he would «literally» (yes, he said «literally») grab our drinks right out of our hands as we were drinking them because they were closed.
If you want your PAYING customers to leave, why not just tell them, «We appreciated your business tonight, but unfortunaley we are closing now. Do you need me to call you a cab?» He did NOT choose this route of what would have been successful service; he was beyond rude to our group. We tried to explain that we were an international group, and that none of us were from Kansas. We had just walked into the bar to get a couple drinks. When one of us asked what the name of the bar was (so that we could call a cab and tell the driver where to pick us up from), rather than kindly informing us or offering to call the cab for us, the employee chose to scoff loudly, roll his eyes, laugh in our faces, and walk away. We were trying to leave, but the staff was not helping us leave. I’m not sure if this employee assumed that we were local KU students out partying??? Well, we WEREN’T! (You know what you get when you assume).
I requested to speak with the manager of the bar who listened to my complaints but didn’t even offer an apology for the employee’s unacceptable behavior. So disappointing. THEN… In the middle of my private conversation with the manager, the irate employee walked up to listen to what I was saying and to blurt out rebuttals; I cannot believe that the manager did NOTHING. So unprofessional and disrespectful to the customer!
Sure, they have cutesy drinks, and it’s too bad that we were having a good time before this completely snobbish employee confronted us out of nowhere. However, the Sandbar will not be getting my business again, assuming that I’ll ever be in Kansas again.

AWSOME atmosphere.
A dive with class. How can you beat a Shark attack. Lol
Sitting in front of the large fish tank watching this guy.
Enjoying 2 dollar Tuesday, all drinks are just $ 2.00. :-).

I am new to the area, and had friends in from California. We were told to go to The Sandbar. I’m so glad we did! The bartender was amazing! He made us feel very welcome. The drinks and party favors that came with them were fun. The music was perfect. The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars was because it was a little small.

A Lawrence original. They will always have some sort of food to munch on while you’re sipping down their shark attacks or after taking one of the shots from the shot wheel. Great music! You can hear the pop punk sounds of the early 2000s like smashmouth, blink and good Charlotte. It’s kind of small, and can be a hassle to wade through the massive amounts of people trying to get up to the single bar the place has. Definitely a place worth visiting on the weekend

Love the staff they kill it every time!

I’m completely changing my review of this place. Yes, it’s still a cheap college dive bar, and no, the drinks did not get any better when we came here again. For the second night in a row. However, as it was Tuesday, you paid a $ 2 cover and then all your drinks for the entire night were $ 2. As in ANYTHING. Granted, they ain’t carrying any top-​shelf booze here, but a $ 2 Sierra Nevada draft is still at $ 2 drink. I’ll take it.
The one thing that greatly improved the esteem of this bar in my eyes (although «esteem» may not be the word I’m looking for) is their Hurricane. Apparently every single night at 10 pm, they have this big long production, with patrons standing on the bar wearing mermaid costumes, a bizarrely funny 10 minute video they play, a song and dance, and the coup d’etat: they actually blow big fans with napkins and foam all over the bar. Like a hurricane. I literally want to come back to Lawrence in the dead of winter next year for my birthday, just so I can stand on the bar wearing the gross mermaid costume, and do the Hurricane dance. I can’t wait.

I LOVE the Sandbar. Such a fun and exciting place! My friends and I make sure to go to the Sandbar when we go out! How fun is it to get toys and little surprises in your drinks?! (Fun surprises, not the kind you don’t like, of course: P).
The Sandbar is a great place. They have fun drinks and a kick ass atmosphere. Some people say that it’s «an old people bar», but I don’t see that at all. There is a full range of ages there and we are all just there to have fun and drink fun drinks! I love this place.
Also! If you’re there around 10 or 11 (or whenever someone buys one), they have a «Hurricane» where their big tiki head blows out lots and lots of bubbles and wind. That’s seriously my favorite part, besides the toys the come in their signature drinks! :) AND if it’s your birthday, you get a crown, what up, Sandbar?!
Just make sure, if it’s a Friday or Saturday night, get there early! I’ve been there past 10 and there’s a dang line outside! Definitely worth the wait.
On Thursdays they have an awesome deal. Buy a $ 5 glass (with a drink, and you get to keep the glass that has the Sandbar logo) and your drinks for the rest of the night are $ 2! How awesome! You get the glass, AND all of the toys that come with your drinks! Plus, they’ll give you a clean glass before you go home so you don’t have to take the sticky mess with you!
They used to have a really cool dart board that chooses your drink for you. And every hour they have new specials, which is chosen via «Price is Right» wheel. Pretty cool.
Oh! Guys, if you’re looking to pick up chicks, this is the place. It’s usually an older crowd and young women. I’m not sure why, but I rarely see younger guys there unless they are with their girlfriend or girl friends. So… go for it! It’s a fun place and very very intimate! Especially when it gets crowded!
P. S. If you ask nicely (and if it’s open) there’s a really cool upstairs with real sand. :) I’ve been up there quite a few times!
P. P. S. Buy a Shark Attack. BUT don’t forget to dump your shark (mouth first) in to the «water». Pretty awesome, pretty tasty, and you get a cool shark!
Bonus: They have free popcorn!

This bar is a lot of fun! I’ve been to several other tropical beach bars and haven’t found anything as fun as this one! There are several beach flavored drinks. Get a bahama mama if you want to have fun. There’s not a lot of alcohol in it, but there’s beads, a rubber ducky, and sometimes a fun pair of glasses to wear.
The juke box always has a familiar song. Lots of silly songs to sing along to. My husband doesn’t care for this bar, but every gal I’ve been with loves it. Most people never venture to the sand pit upstairs. It’s beautiful and peaceful if you want a less rowdy bunch to be around.
Overall, a good time to be had here!

I’ve been coming to Lawrence just about every Wednesday night since December to meet coworkers for dinner and drinks and we always head here at one point in the night.
Their prices are really reasonable and they have a wide variety of shots and tropical drinks. All the drinks are served by a very experienced and friendly bar staff.
My favorite part of the bar is just looking around at all the cool stuff on the walls and ceilings. I swear I see something new that I haven’t noticed before every time I come here.
⁴⁄₅ would visit again

Worst bar in town. If you like tacky gimmicks, then this is your place. If you value your dignity as a freethinking human being, don’t even come near this bar. I’ve been dragged here a few times and had to bounce early because their customers could not have been more annoying.
If you actually decide to go to the Sandbar, bring a few sharpened number two pencils so you can stab your ears and eyes out.

The Sandbar always makes me LMFAO. I’ve only been there a handful of times, and I like it for what it is. Some people LOVE it… I can’t say I love it, but I don’t have an aversion to it like some bars in Lawrence (Tonic, I’m looking in your direction).
Pros — Really fun for those nights when you’re the right amount of tipsy and you feel like being completely goofy!
Cons — I’ve always felt bad for the fish… I mean, the loud music has to be reverberating through their tank.
Warning — my sister didn’t appreciate me giving my 5-​year old niece the plastic sharks from my shark attack drinks like I thought she would. Hey, I washed the grenadine out first!

Free popcorn and Key West atmosphere in the middle of Lawrence, KS… what more can you ask for?! You can’t pass through Lawrence without stopping in at the Sandbar… make sure to order a hurricane!

My absolute favorite bar in Lawrence! Since they are tough on IDs, you skip the really young crowd that flocks to the Hawk and the Wheel. The fact the building is lime green sets the mood for what lies inside. Through the door, you are transported to a tropical oasis. Okay not really, but it is as close to a beach you are going to get in Kansas. The bar is tiny so get here early unless you want to wait in line, which can often be on-​in on-​out Thursday through Saturday nights.
The bar offers a variety of tropical drinks, including Bahama Mamas, Shark Attacks and Pink Flamingos. While I occasionally enjoy one of these sweet concoctions on Tropical Thursdays, I usually go for a Landshark draft! I love that they have Lankshark on tap. If you are in the mood for a sweet drink definitely go on Thurdays. You buy a pint glass for $ 5, and then the rest of your tropical drinks are $ 2. You can even bring your glass back on other Thursdays for the $ 2 deal. Tuesdays are also a great night with $ 1.50 almost anythings!
Around 10 o’clock, prepare yourself for the main event. Three to four people adorn in mermaid outfits make their way to stand on the bar. After a poem and hilarious video, an «indoor hurricane» ensures complete with wind and bubbles! Stand up on the benches and join in on the dance. Music is always good here, ranging from oldies to the occasional pop hit. Crowd is usually mixed with older college students and an after work crowd. As the night goes on, don’t be afraid to bust out your dance moves either standing on the benches or between the bar and tables!

Nothing beats a trip back to Lawrence and a night dancing and drinking at the Sandbar. NOTHING! Order the Bahama Mama and don’t forget to cover your drink with your hand when the hurricane starts!
The jukebox is the best collection of dancing and party music. No techno or soul music on this box. Only Jimmy Buffet, KC and the Sunshine Band and various Rat Pack crooners.
Mardi Gras beads come with every drink and once you reach a certain number of drinks (I forget how many) you are given a wooden backscratcher.
Sandbar, Sandbar how I miss you. May your Ode to Jimmy Buffet live forever.