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Big Star Bar At 1005 W. 19th St.


galahad1743

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  • 1 month later...
I just saw that one of the old hispanic bars on 19th street between Durham and Beall has been renamed the "Big Star Bar." This is close to the new Cedar Creek. Anyone know anything about this place?

The Big Star Bar is being opened by one of the co-owners of the Pearl Bar on Washington, Brad Moore. Brad is a long time bartender at Rudyard's (2006 UltimateHouston-Best Bartender), as well as stints at Poison Girl, McElroy's, and Pearl Bar, to name a few.

The last I heard, he's waiting on the final permits to be issued so he can open up.

It's supposed to be a relaxed 'neighborhood' type bar with a good jukebox (featuring of course, "Alex Chilton" and "Big Star" cds) and a pool table. Myself and others that know Brad, can't wait for it to open. The Big Star Bar should be a great addition to that area of the Heights. :D

-Joe O

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That would be cool.

Provided it's more Rudz/Poison Girl and less Pearl Bar. No more enforced trendiness, please. We just want a place to drink. And smoke, outside of course.

I would think that location would have a hard time enforcing trendiness, but I suppose stranger things have happened.

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That would be cool.

Provided it's more Rudz/Poison Girl and less Pearl Bar. No more enforced trendiness, please. We just want a place to drink. And smoke, outside of course.

The enforced trendiness at Pearl Bar was not Brad's idea. The other owners overuled him on the direction that bar was going to go. They won't even give him a bartending shift. That's why you see him working at other places and now opening up a place he can really call his own.

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good to hear... i can appreciate pearl bar for what it's become recently (good place to take visiting friends... and besides, it's still a lot less "trendy" than a lot of other places), but would definitely patronize a more relaxed atmosphere in the heights.

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So i've never been to the Pearl bar, what's the deal with it? Is it one of those overly trendy bars, where people go to be seen?

So that means the Candelaris folks are to blame for the "direction" of pearl bar. Such a shame for the neighborhood.

Is it open yet? Would love to go.. even though I live across the GD street from pearl.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Successful? I guess that is how you would measure success? I think Pearl Bar ran off a lot of their regualrs and its unique atmosphere when it started catering to trendy people (i.e. bottle blondes, greasers, affliction t-shirt wearers) by enforcing rediculous dress codes, playing "club" music and jacking up prices and IMO its changed for the worse. I used to frequent that place and tried to pop in for a drink the other night and told I wasnt allowed in because I was under dressed and wearing a hat. Guess my money is no longer good there, oh well, they don't seem to have any problem takin it at Dark Horse or anyplace on White Oak...

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I have only been to the Pearl Bar twice. The first time was before the place actually opened. Brad was bartending on the back patio and the inside was still being gutted. Even though I was sad to see the loss of the music venue I was excited about the bar and the reuse of the space. The second time I went I was in complete shock. I expected a friendly neighborhood hang out not the see and be seen place I ended up at. I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

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Successful? I guess that is how you would measure success? I think Pearl Bar ran off a lot of their regualrs and its unique atmosphere when it started catering to trendy people (i.e. bottle blondes, greasers, affliction t-shirt wearers) by enforcing rediculous dress codes, playing "club" music and jacking up prices and IMO its changed for the worse. I used to frequent that place and tried to pop in for a drink the other night and told I wasnt allowed in because I was under dressed and wearing a hat. Guess my money is no longer good there, oh well, they don't seem to have any problem takin it at Dark Horse or anyplace on White Oak...

yeah, went to pearl 2 saturdays ago and the guy at the door told me to take my hat off, to which i replied "are you serious?!?"

it's amazing how quickly that place transformed into a scenester spot.

loking forward to patronizing big star bar in the near future.

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FWIW, the hat thing may not be about enforcing a hipster/trendy dress code as it is about keeping a certain (gang) element out. It is very common where I live for bars, restaurants, even bowling alleys to refuse to let someone in if they're wearing a ball cap, even though it's pretty much the uniform of Chicago's hipster north siders. I've read a number of reviews on Yelp where women were asked to take off their pink hats, too.

On the plus side (for women), it helps the ladies spot us male-pattern baldies early so they know what they're getting into. A little truth in advertising.

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FWIW, the hat thing may not be about enforcing a hipster/trendy dress code as it is about keeping a certain (gang) element out. .

I'd rather not hang out in a place that "might" support the gang atmosphere, and have to take precautions to make sure it stays out... I guarentee if it still a live music/free spirit/good times bar it wouldnt have that problem and would be building a better long term clientele (sp?). Eh, I won't be happy until I open a traditional English pub or a traditional red dirt bar...

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  • 4 weeks later...
Guest abcdefghijklmnop

I couldn't help reading this and really do not know whether I should be hurt or mad. My name is Mark and I am the doorguy at Pearl Bar.

The first thing I would like to say is if I have ever turned down someone away because of being underdressed, it was because he had a tank top on or athletic/gym shorts. This has actually only happened about 5 times. Most of which people have come back because they changed their clothes. As far as the hat thing, I have NEVER told anyone directly "Take off your hat."

I actually would simply tell you that on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, not hats are allowed. And there are a couple of signs on the windows saying this. Simply telling you "Take off your hat." I would never do.

The no hat thing and wife beaters are only in effect for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, beginning at 9:00 pm. Just think about that. That is 15 hours a week. Pearl Bar is open 74 hours a week. So the majority of the time, there is no dresscode. Pearl Bar is one of the most diverse bars in the city. You hear people say that it has turned to be a yuppie place. Another person will say it is a place of douchebags. Another person will say it is fratboyish. Someone will say it is a place of affliction tshirts. Do you know how different all that is? On a Friday or Saturday night, there are more flip flops than there are Gucci purses, Ed Hardy and Afflcition tshirts.

Anyone is welcome in Pearl Bar. Is it such a negative to see a blonde who likes to dress nice or someone who wears a certain brand of tshirt? It may surprise you, but they may actually have something in common with you.

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Pearl Bar is one of the most diverse bars in the city. You hear people say that it has turned to be a yuppie place. Another person will say it is a place of douchebags. Another person will say it is fratboyish. Someone will say it is a place of affliction tshirts. Do you know how different all that is?

Not to pick on you, Mark, but, No, I don't know how different that is. It all sounds bad. :blush:

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I'd have to agree, it all sounds bad... Maybe we do have something in common but it certainly won't be found in the reasons why we go to Pearl. Mark, youre perfectly correct, there is nothing wrong with a bottle blond dressing up to attract her weekly serving of self centered, pretentious man. I, however, do not want to be in the same bar, and was simply stating so. We shall find our common ground elsewhere.

Whats the opinion on Big Star Bar???

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I realize that two new bars on the same street do not exactly indicate a trend. Does anyone foresee this area along W20th as a new hot spot for clubs and restaurants? Are there other new businesses going up along there?

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Maybe it was just me, but I got the impression that the Press review was slyly poking fun at the patrons of Big Star Bar. The "not a douche-bag bar" was a quote, not a statement by the reviewer. Most of the people mentioned in the story were stridently proclaiming their uber-coolness at escaping the Pearl Bar and moving up to Big Star. And they all rode scooters. ;)

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Maybe it was just me, but I got the impression that the Press review was slyly poking fun at the patrons of Big Star Bar. The "not a douche-bag bar" was a quote, not a statement by the reviewer. Most of the people mentioned in the story were stridently proclaiming their uber-coolness at escaping the Pearl Bar and moving up to Big Star. And they all rode scooters. ;)

Doesn't that almost sound like too much of a pendulum swing in the OTHER direction? When did Pearl Bar replace Crome as the focal point of our derision? Won't it be nice when the 2nd Great Depression levels the playing field, and we can all share a pint of warm beer under the Katy Freeway bridge in perfect harmony?

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Guest abcdefghijklmnop
I'd have to agree, it all sounds bad... Maybe we do have something in common but it certainly won't be found in the reasons why we go to Pearl. Mark, youre perfectly correct, there is nothing wrong with a bottle blond dressing up to attract her weekly serving of self centered, pretentious man. I, however, do not want to be in the same bar, and was simply stating so. We shall find our common ground elsewhere.

Whats the opinion on Big Star Bar???

A bigger version of Poison Girl. I did a review on it on Yelp. I like the place. I was really hoping to hear country music being played from the back of an orange vintage pickup truck.

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