The Den Campus Pub

I’ve been going here for almost two years. I always have good service. The bartenders are nice as long as you are nice. Since its a college campus you see a lot of idiots walking in with zero bar manners.
Luckily a lot of the regular campus restaurant stupidity is avoided because they have a 21 and up limit. They seem pretty strict on it. I’ve seen them refuse service to underage people a few times.
My two favorite sandwiches are the oh four four and the boxing kangaroo. They both come on an amazing hoagie style roll. The oh four four is a chicken buffalo sandwich. And the boxing kangaroo is a roast beef sandwich. Both amazing. But all of their sandwiches are because they use quality ingredients. Everything tastes fresh.
This is my go to place after an exam or when I have nothing to do in between classes.

Great drink specials, jukebox, and sandwiches. It’s also a great place to watch the COOGS play (or any game). I cannot say enough that the drinks here are good and cheap. The place is always clean too.
I’ll recommend this place over any other bar on UH campus (or near UH since it is technically off campus).

So me and about 8 others went here last night as a after spot for my sister’s birthday. Wasn’t but a few other people in the place when we arrived. My sister went to the bar to get a drink for herself and my other sister. The bartender (Tall African dude didn’t get his name) tells her he needs ID’s for all the people who are drinking, she goes back and collects her ID and my sisters and the bartender proceeds to tell her that he will not serve anyone under 21 years old. But get this all the people that i came with were all over 21. He never took the ID’s to verify anybody’s age. He then tells us that he will not serve us at all! BUT FOR WHAT REASON? He keeps saying that the sign on the door says no one under 21 will be served drinks. Dude if you would have taking the time to look at the ID’s we provided you would have seen that we were all of age. So we wanted answers but he intel got rude and loud and get this he called the COPS on us!!! Cop shows up and we explain ourselves and tell him we didn’t understand why he would not serve us. I will never step foot in this door again. He was the only bartender at the time and how he treated us was uncalled for. You would think that for a University Pub attached to a very reputable school such as the University of Houston that the service should have been stellar. I will be contacting management of this establishment as well.

Pretty good sammiches! Nice, friendly service!
Came over here to grab a quick bite before a wedding rehearsal at the A.D. Bruce Religious Center. Potato salad was YUMM! I remember coming here after a football game with my fiancé and devouring the potato salad QUICK! I got my sandwich very fast. Too bad I came alone, but overall it’s a good place for a bite. Definitely will come by again when I’m on campus.

Great sandwiches, tasty potato salad, and decent beer selection. Very friendly service.

When the managers are at the bar it is a well-​oiled (if slightly bleach-​smelling) machine. I really, really wanted to like this place and take visitors there but the bar staff (in the absence of oversight) are just plain rude. It’s a trial to get served — especially when it’s not busy as they will look right through you — and kinda not fun to drink there, why bother when there are so many new places opening up on campus who presumably want your custom?

Went there yesterday and did not enjoy myself at all. Went there about three years ago and it seems totally different. Lousy beer selection and lousy service. The music and TV levels are both turned on very softly so you can’t hear either one which very annoying. Either play the TV or music! I won’t go back there again. Anyone know of a good fun place to hang out and have a beer around UH?

The bartenders suck and will turn their backs to you and take their sweet time before giving you any service. The beers are cheap for college students but I’m not a broke college student and actually work full time. I gladly walked over to Pink’s pizza for better service.
Also it is a bunch of douche bag college bros and entrepreneur students from Bauer sporting their jackets like their shit doesn’t stink. Hey, I’m in Bauer too but I’m not going around prancing like I’m an elite and a trust fund baby.

Stopped by this bar before a UH vs. U of M baseball game. The bar is actually located on campus and was a short walk from where the baseball game was going to be at. Place is pretty small inside, but seemed like a hangout spot for UH students. Typical college bar — well drinks and beers. We sat at the bar so that it would be easy to get service. It looked like there was only one server, but the bar wasn’t really busy since it was mid-​afternoon. Nothing too exciting, but conveinent to UH campus.

Just your typical bar. Better beer selection than most though.

Great place to have a few drinks and grub! For the amazing quality if the sammiches, the price is low compared to eating anywhere else on campus.
I’m loyal to the Ace of Clubs. It’s darn tasty and extremely filling. If you’re in there ordering chips instead of potato salad, I will give you the death glare. THE POTATO SALAD IS AMAZING! Honestly, it’s good enough to be sold by itself.
Overall, the place is never really packed as people are constantly going in and out but it’s always an enjoyable atmosphere.

My favorite bar. Lots of people come in and out so bar never gets too packed. Try to make it out every week, especially on mondays. If you plan on going in often buy the mug, gives you a few extra oz’s for the same price as the regular size cups. They have alot of brews on top, including some beers from Houston which is always nice.
Bartenders can be jerks at times, but whenever they’re in a good mood it’s not bad. Owner goes in from time to time and judges your drink choices. Went in once and order a shiner and he said «you don’t want to drink that». Offered me a craft beer (which costs more of course) and I tried it only because I saw that it was 8^th wonder on tap. We talked for a bit after, but every time after that he never said anything and just mugged my group.
But besides that, I have fun there. They have the a juke box that use TouchTunes which can be pricey, and doesn’t have a large selection but can be fun to listen to a few songs.
Never grabbed a bite to eat here usually just go, grab a few drinks and hit up somewhere else to grab a bite to eat.

This is literally my favorite bar in Houston, here is why. It usually isn’t overly crowded, at times it does but it does not last very long. They have a good assortment of beers and drinks, they rotate drinks in and out so there is a mystery to having beer here. The food menu is not the best, but it’s good.
I mainly come on Mondays when they have 2 dollar beers. I come with friends and just have a dandy old time. Watch a Monday football game. It’s super chill. I enjoy coming here.

So what if the tables are sticky? So what if you get hit on by a drunk kid? And so what if you step on beer or what used to be beer? I love the Den and there are no ifs ands or buts about it.
This place has been my safe haven for a while now. Whether you are grabbing a drink after those long meetings on Fridays or after acing/​flunking an exam, it’s just nice to have place on campus to drift off to and hang with your friends. Each day they have a special on a different drink ($ 4 – 6). The drinks are cheap and the food isn’t bad. I actually like the turkey-​avocado sandwich and oh with a side of the potato salad (yum!). The bartenders can be inattentive at times, but it doesn’t bother me too much. They are pretty strict about IDs. A group of my friends got kicked out because one forgot her ID and another tried to buy her a drink regardless. Yeah, don’t do that!

Everything you expect from a campus pub! Cheap drinks, attentive bar tenders, great rotating local beers, and daily drink specials (LIT tuesdays!). As a broke college student or a faithful alumni — this is your spot!
TIPs and thoughts:
— Get. The. Potato. Salad. seriously nothing like it.
— During test weeks/​finals, the pub is always packed with students who are looking to de-​stress. So you might have to wait a bit for your drink during those times.
— Get to know the bartenders, they are truely great people who also hang around the bar when they aren’t working.
One of the great trends that the Den has adopted since it’s inception is the continuous rotation of craft beers.
Just recently, a really awesome brewery called 8^th wonder just opened up near downtown Houston. The Den was one of the first (if not the first) pubs/​bars that started offering their beers on tap. Some other taps are:
— St. Arnolds
— Karbach
— Buffalo Bayou
— Southern Stars
If you are into the Dos Equis, Bud Light, and Guinnesses of the world then they have that too. Something that is great for everyone, which is what should happen for the sole campus pub at UH.
All in all, a great pub with some great drinks and food. The bartenders and the atmosphere totally separate this place from other bars/​pubs that are around campus. Whether you are a cougar or not, you should definitely stop by.

I have never been inside but I work next door. I have nothing personal with these guys and I stand behind what I am about to say 100%
Most of the time people look like they are having a good time and so I keep to myself. Now if you have ever been to The Den you would know the parking situation is horrible. The parking lot holds about 20 to 30 cars max. Plus there business in the shopping center.
But…
Whoever owns this place, and I’m not making this up, sits at a computer and watches theses hidden security camera like a hawk! ALL DAY this one tow truck guy is in-​and-​out towing peoples cars. That includes customers of The Den and my coworkers cars. It really bothers me because most of the people who get towed are poor college kids.
Go to RICE, they have money!
Just a heads up.

Just okay. A classmate, his girlfriend and I ended up here after our last class to celebrate the end of the semester, and the only criteria for choosing the location was proximity. It’s in this odd little strip center location that made me feel like I was out in the ‘burbs somewhere, and doesn’t have nearly enough seating. It has a decent selection of beer.
Points off for:
— inattentive, condescending bartenders
— a women’s bathroom that was straight out of a nightmare
— plastic cups (HEY YOU’RE IN COLLEGE)
— having to walk through a cloud of Axe body spray to get to the door
— random bell ringing, the significance of which we never were able to discern
I’m not sure I would be back, especially with Moon Tower down the road.

When I walk in here I thank God that this place wasn’t around when I was a student here at UH. The Den is very matter of fact-​ly a sports bar. Imperial Pints, great beer/​ale selection, laid back atmosphere and great patio… I feel for the habitual student with a strong case of senioritis.
For the first campus pub if its kind since Coogs closed down a few years ago this spot stocks some good selection. The price is very competitive which remains especially true when The Den pours into those large 23oz pint glasses. I was slightly surprised by the higher end ales on tap. The «Sammiches» hit the spot. Had the opportunity to grub on a Reuben Sandwich. It was a triple decker! That alone will be more than enough to fill you up but then you realize they threw in a bag of chips…
What draws people here is clearly the combination of price and congregation. I find it amusing that the patio where patrons chief on smokes is opposite the UH Recreation Center & Gym. Hah! If you are lucky there might be some ridiculously know it all students that swear they are the source of all things pretentious. It is fun messing with them.

I’m not a UH student or alumnus at all. I ended up here after a Dynamo game one night, since some friends wanted to watch UH football. What better place is there to watch the game? The long island iced teas were strong, delicious, and cheap ($ 6! usually ~$ 8). The bartenders were really cool too!
Note: I wouldn’t worry too much about parking. I parked next to the Den, which is a student lot, but assigned parking lots aren’t enforced on weekends.

Working at UofH, I can’t complain about this place… and no, not of fear for my job security, but because it is a great option with excellent prices. Prices ranging from 2 to 4 or 5 bucks for a 20oz imperial pint??? Sounds good to me! I also devoured the SLAB sandwich – corned beef with sauerkraut on marbled rye. And yes… SLAB is an appropriate name because the sandwich seriously had a huge slab of meat on there. Fantastic!
I do wish they had a larger kitchen, but that’s no reason to knock ‘em down… just enjoy what they do offer… inexpensive drinks and some pretty tasty sandwiches.