Neil's Bahr

This place was great across the board. I mean this bar is unique in that. The second you step into it. It feels like you got invited to your friend's basement party where everyone is cool with each other. If you grew up in the 80's or 90's in the States you will get a feel of nostalgia and if you aren't American it looks like a set from a movie in that era. The bartenders are approachable and helpful. The entire atmosphere feels chill and friendly. If I'm ever in EADO I will def pass through there.

Neil's always has been and always will be a nerd staple. I've been going since they first opened the old location, and it has always been one of the few "go to" bars for me. The new building is much cleaner and longer/roomier, but it DID lose some of the "homey" feeling that the old location had. Another thing is that it's literally right next to active train tracks. So be prepared for trains to go by from time to time. Also, unlike the old location, it's not within walking distance to any other cool bars or restaurants. But there IS a really good food truck in the parking lot most of the time, so that helps. Parking overall is better than at the old location. It still fills up if you get there too late, but it's not as bad as before.

Jean you gem if a woman! Not only did she serve us proper she gave us recommendations for other dive bars. Thank you for light radiating from you beautiful soul.

It's not a dingy spot like its former location, but it's the same great vibes. Patio is new looking but be prepared for passing-by trains. Really showed up for few moments, 1 drink, but will come back. Hole in the wall dive bar versus very trendy night club

Such a good pun! Wonderful, welcoming atmosphere that I was so shocked to find while in town for this work thing. Will be back every night I am here to at least play the arcade machine. A place that reminds me of home.

The lady at the bar was very rude soon as she asked for ID. After we were inside and settled in, a friend in my group wanted a soda and was asked for ID(I understand it's protocol) and told us the bouncer was outside to check ID's. After we explained their was no bouncer she told us he would be here in 10 minutes. We all just decided to leave and afterwards she kept saying rude comments to my friends about the situation like it was their fault.

I love this place is really chill and great games and comic books . The drinks are good too!

When my wife, my friend and I were doing research in places to go in Houston especially with my wife and I being huge gamers and huge nerds Neil's Bahr was one of the places that was recommended to us. We were definitely not disappointed . My wife and I are not really bar people but the the biggest thing I do appreciate about the place is how much it felt like being at a really great house party at a friends house. There are plenty of things to do with regards to your personal interests. There are plenty of video games to play and board games to indulge in. There is definitely something in the bar that will cater to your nostalgia. More importantly, it was nice to be in a place where you could have a conversation and everybody that seemed to be there was genuinely positive and incredibly welcoming. Major respect to the bar staff for being incredibly friendly and accommodating and giving great recommendations for a bunch of Canadians that have little to no experience when it comes to American alcohol. They were even nice enough to give us a list of great places to visit in Houston during the rest of our vacation there. Hope to visit one last time before our vacation ends.

Great vibe, staff, and prices. Had a good time playing some of the games they had available.

I love this place so much. There's limited parking in front and lots of street parking max paid parking across the street. Just be careful where you park, three streets over, we saw a group of people breaking into cars. Anyways, I love this place. They always have one tv playing the Simpsons, lots of comic books, video games, vending machines, and a ping pong table. Drinks were good, well priced. Good vibes. I love games. Everyone was pretty chill and laid back. No notes.

Great bar. Awesome ambiance and drink selection. A fun and comfortable place to spend an evening!

Super cool and definitely for nerds. Have you even figured out the name. A younger crowd on the night we went, super Halloween venue

We came here after an Astros game (great for a quick layover while you wait for surge prices to drop for Uber/Lyft). We ended up spending less on a few drinks than the difference in the fare! Bartenders were very attentive, and there was enough seating for those of us from the game who spotted the sign. They have a ton of comic books on the walls, free to read, along with several arcade machines and (our favorite) N64s free to play! After a few beers and a few games of Waverunner, we decided to head out, but bookmarked this as a Houston oddity we'll definitely be back to.

First time coming to Neil's Bahr and I must say it was a really cool spot. It was a Tuesday so it wasn't packed which gave me a chance to enjoy the experience. At the bar there wasn't really a menu and I wasn't offered one so I just stuck with beer. They have a bunch of racks with classic comic books and areas with tv's with Nintendo 64's and other game consoles. They had a room with a ping pong table which was a great activity if you are here on a date. Overall very laid back and a great place to have a drink.

Came with my girlfriend on a Saturday evening and the bartender was nice and helpful. Was a blast playing the video games overall 10/10

How can you possibly go wrong with this bar? Well, that is if you enjoy playing old 90s Nintendo games and reading g comic books while sipping down a beer. If you want to kick back, relax and feel like you are at a friend's house hanging out like old times.. I recommend Neil's bar. Classic comics, cool games and never ending drinks. I'll definitely be back.

This place is awesome again. Yay! Friendly service, great drinks, video game consoles galore.

Descent spot. Having video games, ping pong and comics is pretty cool. Casual spot, although I still paid $12 for a pretty so-so brand of tequila. Whatever savings comes with running a low maintenance dive bar doesn't seem to be passed on to the consumer here.

After paying $18 for a tequila soda over at the Toyota Center for My Chemical Romance, it was nice to walk over here with some friends and only pay $5 for the same drink. Not my favorite bar in the world, but fit the bill for the night. Food truck outside still open late on a Tuesday sealed the deal for me.

i love this place im so gay Lily sucks She likes mead She got mad that they don't serve mead I'be been so gay since ye old times papi esp for BADONIS Suck my ye old Adonis Sux at cruising USA

Great little retro bar. Service was excellent and prices reasonable. Retro video games and a decent outdoor environment.

First of all, love Neil's Bahr, love Neil and his staff, but the karaoke guy.... He was bumping friends up and that's whatever that's expected. Finally he calls my name. My song was playing and just before I could sing my first word, Robert turned my song off. He grabbed my mic and said, "Sorry, I promised I'd let him go on." and passes the mic to his friend. Sorry Robert, but being a karaoke DJ you are not allowed to make "deals". Don't ever take the mic away and cut someone off. Unprofessional. Take that shit to the sandbox. I'm giving this review 5 stars because Neil is my friend and has a fantastic staff and doesn't deserve any less. But the karaoke boy who doesn't like to share with strangers.... Eat rocks

fell in love here. great bar. really just filling out the character count here. had a gin and tonic, was good.

Welcome to your nerd paradise! Anyone who considers themselves a 5/10 or above on the nerd scale will LOVE it here. From comic books to vintage video games, Neihl's Bar has eveything you need to temporarily leave your mother's basement.* You'll find all kinds of people here from those seeking polyamorous couples to Gen Z'ers who love to roast millennials. But ultimately, everyone here shares a common love of Super Smash Bros and Mario Cart. Anyone who has puts their hands on a N64 controller knows that those games make you break a sweat but no fear, because you can get FREE bottles of water from the bar! So if you love Nintendo, Marvel, DC, or have a post-graduate degree in a STEM field, head to Neihl's Bar ASAP. Shoutout to Jean who is the coolest bartender ever. *Only kidding of course - I loved it here and do not live with my parents.

I've been coming here for over a year and just celebrated a friend bday on a Saturday night! Had an amazing time

Got games? Got drinks? Got energetic vibes? Look no further, Neil's Bahr has got you covered. I came here this weekend with a friend and LOVED it. They have some board games that you could pick through - so my friend and I decided to try one that was new for me and we also played a little bit of Mario Cart in their video game area. This place is such a laid back spot, everyone has such positive energy, and the drinks are incredibly affordable (I paid $21 including a 20% tip for 2 cocktails and a beer). I can't say that any other bar gets me like this one does. Coming here is easily a 10/10 experience.

Solid bar with a dive vibe but good games and people! Movie night is fun but can get packed.

Very cool atmosphere and friendly bartenders. Our group played ping pong and jenga. The drinks were well made and reasonably priced. I think what really makes this place special is the atmosphere. Yes it's grungy, but it's still very clean. The busboy is quick to clean off tables and drinks to make space for us. Jimbo is also a local ping pong coach that frequents the place. He was very friendly and became the unofficial jury for our friendly ping pong game.

At #neilsbahr glancing around at the paintings of ricks face (from #rickandmorty ) I knew I was home. This is one of the best #bars in Houston, in my opinion. Solely based off the atmosphere and the unlimited games you could spend an eternity here and never get bored. It's a magical place to bring friends or even meet new ones where you can bond over comic books or get severely agitated in an intense game of ping pong. Without a doubt this is a place that everyone needs to visit. IG: @hiddenfoodgems

***WELCOME TO NEILS FINEST*** I had a business trip in Houston and was thrilled to find a bar with ping-pong and arcade games! First time coming to this bar it was a great experience, next day I went to this bar it escalated to the worst experience I've had in Texas. Owner of the bar didn't take any of his customer service rules into affect. He took the words of his bartender and immediately rounded his employees up to intimidate me with the classic "Get going or we will fuck you up". I thought the situation was extremely unprofessional and unnecessary to approach the customer in such a manner. I Understand bars deal with intoxicated customers all the time, but I was coherent, needed a beer, and sincerely apologized about dropping a glass from my hotel in their parking lot. I'm not sure what's more embarrassing, me bitching about being kicked out of a dive bar, or the owner rounding up his boys to deliver a "cobra kai" threat to kick my ass if I don't leave immediately. I guess this is what they mean by don't mess with Texas, or else he will get 10 more hands to put me down, thus proving their testosterone levels are Superior to mine. As a tourist I thought ping pong here would be fun for me and my employees visiting. I was wrong. Very unprofessional and poor business ownership. Any locals reading this review, this is an easy bar to cash a lawsuit with; take some aspirin, Stay sober, catch a shiner from his bad ass crew and get a decent pay out from Neil's pocket. (Not legal advice, just a tip from my previous experience)

went here with my boyfriend on our trip. I'm very easily over stimulated and this place was fun without overwhelming me. I enjoyed the ping pong and drinks and my boyfriend is really into old games so he loved it! fun place to go and our bartender was sweet! if you're looking for a chill yet fun place, go here!!

Just what kind of establishment is Neil's Bahr? Well, I went there during the NFL playoffs, saw that none of the TVs above the bar were playing the game, and I asked the bartender if she could change the channel. She apologized that she could not - as per the owner's rules, one of the TVs was dedicated to Simpsons episodes from seasons 1-10, while the other TV was for movies (and was currently showing the classic Cage-Travolta maniacal over-acting fest Face/Off). She said that there was a TV for sports on the other side of the bar - and there was, along with: A ping pong table. Numerous free-play arcade game emulators with every old school game you could think of. Actual Super Nintendos and Sega Genesises (is that the plural form?) hooked up to tiny monitors. Hundreds of comic books. A bunch of Star Wars novels. Combine all that with beer and a dark, dank, divey atmosphere - and you basically have Valhalla. Great place!

We wanted to try this bar and it's pretty unique. I love the comic books, arcade games, and decor of this place. It makes me feel like I'm going back in time. The employees are pretty down to earth and overall, it's a very chill bar. Just as the bar looks like it came straight out of a comic book it's not something well kept. The chairs and tables all show signs of heavy usage and wear and tear. Overall, it's a pretty cool bar if you're into that sort of thing. It was fun, but not something I would deem my go to spot.

As Neil put it, a nerdy dive bar. Just my people. Had The Dark Cide. Excellent. Played classic video games and ping pong with my GF. Great time.

Sooooo rad. Enjoy. No spoilers! This place makes you feel at home. Such an amazing experience! A must see!!

Cool concept... dive bar... door guy was nice... there was a smell to the place... kinda smelled like an old dingy basement and restroom mixed with disinfect and fabuloso... so I think we went on a busy night because everyone who walked by kept saying how busy it was... it's probably a cool place when it's not so busy and you can play the games and enjoy your friends... So it's cool how they have square and you can see your purchases and stuff but they hold your credit card behind the bar and it's just like all laid out on the counter... seems like an unsafe thing and an easy way to lose a card especially when it's busy... but I guess if it works for them... bartenders are good... make nice strong drinks but like I said I think it was unusually busy and they just seemed stressed and swamped trying to get everyone's order and stuff... It's a cool place to hang without being overly crowded... I'm taking points off for the odor and the air conditioning... also for the poor layout and seating options... also another point off for this one guy who tried to pick pocket someone in our group...

First time in Houston and I found this place cause i was looking for bars within walking distance of where we were staying. My friends and myself were not disappointed at all. The bartenders were very nice. Got to chill, drink and play mario kart. Atmosphere was very laid back. I wish there was a place like this where I lived!

I love PUNNY bars! This one is everything you would imagine a nostalgic nerdy hipster bar to be! But the best part, not overpriced drinks! We were able to get whiskey for about 5 bucks a glass. And sit and read comics, play card games, board games, video games, talk nerd. It was the bee's knees!

Oh boy this may not be the most popular Sunday funday place but holy cow you are doing yourself a disservice by not considering it. Came here on the most perfect casual date. Laid back, cheap, and full of entertainment it was the perfect spot to hang. Literally feels like hanging at a friends place with comic books all the way around, couches, video games, ping pong, and plenty of board games to let you wait in peace. Also who doesn't want to watch 80s movies while you 'hang', drink, and play

Staff is super rude. Place is always either completely dead or way over packed. Parking is expensive. Drinks are expensive. Bathrooms are always dirty. You're better off just drinking and playing video games at home.

Unique vibe feel and even after all these years maintains its personality. Service ranges but isn't anything abnormal for a popular bar. Definitely a bar you can see yourself visiting from out of town. And for sure a bar that spurs a persons soul to return on good and bad times. Keep it up!

If you're looking for that man cave kind of atmosphere then this is the bar for you. Highly recommend checking this bar out.

This is an awesome dive spot. I'm from NYC and the vibe here reminds me of old Lower East Side bars in the early 2000's. Whenever I'm in Houston I make it a point to stop here. Do You Like Comics? You Like Video Games? You Like Solid Tunes good and Vibes? Then Grab some brews here.

I really like the idea of this place. I'm a big fan of ping pong, so any bar that has a table is already looking pretty good. Also, the various video game consoles and arcade machines sound super appealing in theory. However, there are two significant problems with this place: 1) This isn't necessarily the bar's fault, but it gets insanely busy! We're talking, "You can't come in because we're at capacity" busy. There will be a group of friends playing a particular console for hours, so you will basically never get to play unless you want to look like a jerk and interrupt their fun. Virtually all of the different machines throughout the bar are busy throughout the night, so all you have left are some of the older arcade machines, which brings me to my next point... 2) A lot of the machines seem to have something wrong with them. I've been here two separate times, and both times we've had issues getting various machines to work properly. For example, one of the arcade machines was running an N64 emulator with various games. A lot of the games didn't seem to work properly, or because the arcade machine had conventional arcade controls (joystick and a set of 6 buttons), the controls weren't really compatible with the games. My friend and I tried a bunch of different games before we gave up in frustration. Another machine in the same room was almost completely broken - someone in the bar recommended that we restart the machine, so we tried doing that, but it didn't really help. I think the busyness of the ping pong table might depend on the night, but people seemed pretty willing to take turns and be fair about it, so that was good. Overall, I think this place is either pretty cool or really disappointing, depending on how many people are currently there. If all the machines were working properly, then that would be a big plus as well.

I was debating whether I should give them 3 or 4 stars but I'll go with 3 since one of the people who worked there came and changed the channel from the U of H game to a UT game. UT lost by the way so I feel that karma is on my side on this! Seriously though, you're a Houston bar, in downtown Houston, 2 miles away from the stadium where the game is played at and you don't show enough respect to the undefeated home team because a guy in a "The Dude" outfit asked you to change it? (it was Halloween night) You could have at least asked to see if anybody else was watching it. Do you think they would change a UT game to U of H in Austin? I say nay. The other annoying thing about the bar is the smell. Behind the bar it smells like a pile of 4 month old laundry and in the sitting area it smells burnt grease coming from the grill outside. Parking is also going to be an issue, but to their credit they do have a few official parking spots and if you are willing to park far, you can do street parking; otherwise, you have to pay a parking lot. Now that the bad is out of the way, this is a charming bar. They have a ping pong table in the other room (there is a table blocking the door to keep the ball from escaping). They also have vintage video games and such to cater to "nerd bros" and their drinks are reasonably priced. That whole area has changed a lot since the oil boom so I'm curious to see how long it will last so go check them out if you are on that side of downtown.

Such a cool place!! We went as a trip to see manga and comics around Houston and this is definitely a chill spot to have a drink and come to find out play classic video games!! Made our night!

"Nerd Bar," as my friends call it, has become one of our go-to spots for birthday celebrations, after-parties, pre-gaming ... you name it. As many other Yelpers mentioned, Neil's Bahr is like stepping into an 80s-90s time warp with the ambiance and entertainment dedicated to classic gaming - you now, before Candy Crush and Farmville - comic books, Star Wars, etc. Other pros: food cooking on the grill, a patio, Houston-local Leprechaun Cider on draft, 'The Simpsons' on the tube, cool bartenders, and a surprisingly good lineup of singers on karaoke night ...and I loath karaoke.

We stumbled on this place after coming face to face to a backyard bully after shortly arriving to the city from out of town and parked the car by the baseball stadium, so to calm ourselves down, we went in for a drink and before we know it, we were there for the next two hours, lol. As soon as the boyfriend heard N64, it was a must. There were arcade games, board games, Jenga, table tennis, craft beer, Star Wars, extensive collection of comic books -- this is paradise for all hipsters and the . Drinks were reasonably priced and the bartenders were attentive. I would go again if I'm in the neighborhood.

Best hipster dive bar, if you're into that sort of thing! Can't wait for this place to open back up - great food via an outside patio bbq/taco service, stiff drinks, friendly people. Parking is a bit of trouble and there's a bum/s outside hustling, but it comes par for the course with downtown Houston :) Lots of cool games, ping pong, super friendly staff. You can play 80s vintage games while drinking your drink of preference.

This place has the best themed drinks, and if you get a chance and are feeling fun - don't hesitate to order one! They make a great "Pikachu." There's also a really nice guy out on the patio who makes fresh food, like burgers and the best $4 taco plate you're ever going to buy at 12am in downtown Houston! The drinks are reasonably priced and the staff treats everyone like a regular. Did I mention there are FREE arcade games and a TV that always plays The Simpsons, and another featuring a cult classic film (my first time, they were playing Labyrinth. Booze AND David Bowie? Sold.)

If you get the pun in the name of this bar, then this bar is for you. If you don't get the pun...you should come here anyways. Neil's Bahr is great bar with a great theme. I really enjoyed my visit here. The bar is reminiscent of a basement from 80's and 90's. There are plenty of old comics to be read, multiple video game console, an arcade cabinet, and a ping pong table. Ya, it has it all. It has a great selection of bottled and draft beer. It even had the debut of Level Up Lager from Southern Star. I came here for the Street Fighter II Tournament on a bit of a whim. Southern Star was giving out prizes and tapping their new Level Up Lager. The tournament was pretty cool since the bar had it played on their drop down projector screen. The guy in charge of the tournament did a great job, especially for someone that doesn't do this all the time. I liked that the bar had a bunch of couches to sit on and play games. The ping pong room was the perfect size, and their multicade was on point. I will be back.

This place brought me back to middle school...and I loved it! They had all of the old game consoles--Nintendo, Sega, N64...all you could ask for. Friends and I brought back our awkward pre-teen years with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mario Cart and Donkey Kong. The music was equally as nostalgic. We heard The Offspring, Limp Bizkit, Korn and other late '90s/ early '00s rock bands. The ambiance is chill and this is definitely a dive bar. It was dark and a little smelly--really playing on that teen angst. The beer selection was decent and there's outdoor seating as well as a food truck to satiate those late-night munchies. I don't travel to Houston often but when I do, I'll be sure to return!

Hellooooooo "Nerd" bar! I am totally in love with this place. They've got arcade games for older console generations like N64 and the such. It was pretty epic and the magazines were awesome. They've also got a table tennis table in the back that you. Can use. I plan on coming back here again for fun!

A lot of reviews call this a dive bar. This is not a dive bar. Dive bars don't have projector screen video games. Dive bars don't have a comic book collection. Dive bars don't have X-wing and Tie Fighter models hanging from the ceiling. Dive bars don't have a laidback and friendly clientele that never looks askance at anyone who comes in. Dive bars don't have floors that you could eat off of. In fact, dive bars don't even have tables you can eat off of. Dive bars don't have bartenders that know their beers (they have bartenders that get annoyed when you order anything more complicated than a beer and a shot). Neil's Bahr, however, has all of these things, if you haven't figured that out yet. This is a nice, clean bar, with very low lights. That's not a dive bar. There's a difference.

Cool place!!! Drinks were good and cheap. They have a bunch of comic books and consoles. Workers were nice and very chill.

I went to Neil's Bar with my boyfriend on St. Patty's day. I had to pee really bad and the bouncer was like the bathroom is for customers only. Which is fine, I was going to pee and then buy a drink. I dont know whether the bouncer has never seen colored people in this bar before but he followed us in a nearly yelled at us to go buy a drink. My boyfriend went to the bar to buy a drink and the man physically stopped from going to the bathroom, and then told us to get out. I went to buy a drink with my boyfriend and he still kicked us out. I don't understand how "bathrooms are for customers" means you cant buy a drink and get out. I had to pee, how is that a crime? I am a regular customer at Neil's, I have been there several times in the past year. We will never step foot in that place again.

It's okay I guess Just a typical dive bar with old games Location is hard to get to by public commute A lot of hassle From med center area we had to walk, take a train, walk more, take another train, then walk some more. Only about 5 miles away.