Shakespeare Pub

Recommends

houstontxgal

Joined 3 years ago

Great friendly bar where you can feel comfortable. Everyone makes you feel right at home. They are some good drink specials during the week, especially on Wednesdays when ladies can drink for 1/2 price. The music is consistently good and they have music almost every night of the week (except Monday I think).

Doesn't Recommend

cougaboutown

Joined 5 years ago

Biker Dump. Ok, if what you're looking for is a place that has some pretty decent local music talent and you don't mind the rundown nature of where you're at then this place might work for you. I would never take a lady here. Never. The beer is good and that is saying something given the proclivity of Texas bars to have any kind of Budweiser or Shiner you want. But, the crowd is best described as rough. The number of tatoos significantly outnumbers the cumulative IQ. I ain't a snob. But, I'd just as soon spend my time in a place with a clean floor and a crowd that have more on their mind than what their favorite brand of cigarettes is.

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Despite the highbrow name, this Memorial dive bar gets funky with live blues and zydeco music nightly.. This Memorial watering hole is a funky joint that prides itself on offering some of the city's top blues and zydeco bands, almost always with no cover charge. Expect a friendly mix of suburban regulars and music fans of all stripes. Smallish and dim, the pub's long hours and modest drink prices encourage a low-key "bar fly" element to make it a home away from home. But when popular performers like Sonny Boy Terry or Zydeco Dots take the stage, the dance floor becomes one of the livelier spots in town. Other entertainment includes foosball, pool tables and darts. There's also free WiFi.

Recommends

schatziegirl

Joined 5 years ago

Best blues and all around regular spot. I guess I could venture around town to get the most out of every other bar but ultimately it is all here in this one place. Great music, good draft beers, well poured drinks and a comfort level that makes me return often to see friends made on the spot.

This is by far the best bar for many zip codes around and a welcoming harbor in an unexpected neighborhood location. A good crowd of people seem to find it for the nightly music. Located just off the main Memorial Drive hustle with a nice off-street patio for relaxing, meeting and smoking if you must, the bar has earned its praise by featuring the best blues headliners from the region. It has done so for many years.

Unbelievably there is quality music every night ? a hard feat for any venue in any town. Blues of all shades, romping Zydeco, a night of country western standards and often a pre-Friday blues show happy-hour with an incredibly calming upscale Brazilian samba trio - a refreshing add to the line-up. And, there are darts, pool, foosball and bar TVs and parking.

The young new owners are friendly and hands-on. The bartenders care, interact and remember you and your preferences. Patrons walk in from all strata ? oil company locals and visiting internationals, rugby leatherheads, friendly singles, bikers, builders, traders, bankers, excavators, plumbers, sculptors, architects, writers and dog lovers. You?re a regular if you visit more than once.

Living in New York City and in the Houston area part-time, this place substitutes for the social and music scene quota I consider my daily requirement for maintaining a level perspective. Shakespeares stands up to the best of them - grab a Guinness here.

Recommends

KellyGarrett

Joined 5 years ago

Had a great time, until.... This past Friday was my 2nd trip to Shakespeare's. Neat place, very relaxed atmosphere, friendly bartenders, great live music. I was having a good time with a group of about 9 friends until a young couple with their 2 little kids arrived. Apparently they see nothing wrong with exposing their ~5-year olds to a bar full of loud music, alcohol & drunk people. For me the place suddenly wasn't so relaxing with little kids underfoot, climbing on the foosball table & leaving their sippy cups on the pool table. I would have stayed longer & had a few more drinks but if I was looking for that kind of atmosphere I'd have gone to Chuck-E-Cheese.

Recommends

AnnTu2008

Joined 5 years ago

Nice atmoshpere, friendly staff, bad mgmt. decsion though. I went to Shakespeare's for the first time this past Friday night. Nice atmosphere, live music, kind of small, but otherwise a nice place. The bartender was very friendly. Once I left the bar and got a table, a couple of the bartender's were very attentive and came by numerous times to make sure that me and the other people at my table were doing okay. My only complaint, and it's a biggy, is that the managmenet did not adhere to the age limit! It was after 9:30 pm when some people came in with their very young (6-7 year old) kids! Okay, first, there is an age limit to get into a bar and second, it is morally wrong to subject children to a bar scene!! I blame the irresponsible parents mostly but the managment also. I could not believe they allowed small children into the bar, no matter what the reason. You should get a baby sitter or be a responsible parent and stay home! When customers go to a bar, they don't want to have to deal with small kids running around. They (we) want to relax. I hope that managment realizes this and does not allow this to happen again! I actually left earlier than I wanted to because of the kids. I may go back but if this happens again, they will lose the possibility of a very good customer.

Recommends

gsonex

Joined 5 years ago

Best bar in Houston. As a huge blues fan and a regular at Shakespeare?s for years now I can safely say that this is my favorite bar in Houston (and trust me I?ve tried a few out!). The service is always fast and friendly, the price is right and the music can?t be beat. If live music is your thing, they have it EVERY night with no cover charge (so don?t forget to kick a buck to the band if you?re diggin? it). If you?re a smoker there?s a nice little patio out front with tables and chairs and if you?re not, you won?t smell like an ashtray when you get home. It?s a bar with a great vibe - everyone?s relaxed and having a good time. Sit back, play some pool or slip on your dancing shoes it?s not hard to find your happy place here. If you?re a blues fan and you haven?t come here you?re missing a fantastic time! Trust me, you won?t regret it!

Recommends

cam77079

Joined 5 years ago

Love it never leave it!. The best place for listening to blues, and drinking some beers at the same time.The staff is super awesome, atmosphere is very comfortable.

Recommends

Jam1

Joined 5 years ago

gereat place for great live music and drinks. I have been a regular at Shakespeare's Pub since I have moved into the area almost 2 years ago. And I personally don't feel I need to go else where to get my weekly dose of good hometown house rockin' blue Houston style. And as far as I am concerned Trey and Sheila are the best thing that has happened to the place in years from what I can tell. The previous owner was good in his own right but was possibly out of his element with an establishment that has this much heritage, and while I have never met the original owners I am sure they would be proud of the way Trey and Sheila have taken over and is attempting to continue with the heritage that they started. They are very conscientious about the heritage and take that heritage into consideration with every decision that is made there...they are young (not even 30 yet) and are taking strides to ensure that yet another generation is able to be to introduced to the true essence of the blues in a blues worthy environment.

The staff: IS GREAT; and they work very hard for every customer; and I mean every customer to make sure that they don't go without their beverage.

If you find yourself on the west end of town on any given night of the week and want to hear some good live music and enjoy a good beverage then I say drop in and see for yourself...I would be willing to bet that you will be back.

Recommends

inkstinkt

Joined 5 years ago

BEST HOUSToN BLUES BAR!. Shakespeares is definately one of the best kept secrets of Houston! Great music (blues, zydeco, etc), the staff are super friendly and welcoming-specially the lovely owners! The locals are good for a laugh as well. The Shakespeare also has dart boards, pool tables, and a small dance floor! Be sure to check it out Friday and Saturday for it at its best... but its open seven days a week featuring live music from about 9pm on! Go on in and say crazy Alistair sent you!! If anyone has anything bad to say about THIS joint, they truly dont know WHAT THE HELL they are talking about! Rock on!!!!! SHAKESPEARES!!!!