The Den

Woo go Coogs! Honestly, we were driving around downtown and we pulled into the spot and it was awesome! The bartender was super friendly and so is everybody else around! Now mind you, we are a little bit older, but everybody still was very friendly and very nice! I had the brisket nachos. My husband had the chicken tacos and both were delicious. They had great drink options and a very cozy little atmosphere! Naturally, U of H was gonna win no doubt about that but right when it hit 7 o’clock that place was wall-to-wall packed! Will definitely be back again!

I look forward to exploring more of their menu options. I barely ordered tinders and fries and I was blown away by the simplicity mixed with a lively atmosphere and matching an ambiance that just worked. Even though I took mines to go the experience stuck with me. The price wasn’t anywhere as high as I presumed it would be. #iloveit

Just left about 30 min ago, Cool place, food was awesome, server was horrible. She barely greeted us when we walked in, did not have any type of welcoming attitude. Our son attends Houston and is in the band, so for us and I’m sure everyone else on campus, should be in an awesome mood after lasts night win. She killed the vibe as soon as she spoke. Someone else walked in as we were sitting down, and she was completely different with how she greeted them. I understand that she might knew them but it was very obvious that she made a choice to be how she was being towards us. Either way I would go back but just ask for a different server, not really sure what her name is but she knows. Go coogs !!!!

I’m a regular here & been coming here for years now. Yesterday I had a terrible experience due to one of the bartenders trying to steal from me thinking I was too much under the influence. I knew exactly how many drinks I had & when I reviewed my receipt, I got charged an extra $13 for cigarettes that I didn’t even know they sold. When I confronted the new bartender he told me he reversed the charge but then again, recharged me. This has never happened to me out of all my years coming here & I feel as if he tried to get me to pay for something that he wanted. If my money isn’t back on my card by Monday, I will be going back to speak to the manager. May I add that he usually works in the kitchen so why he was in the front I have no idea. 0/10 experience & they’ll never get my money again.

I don’t understand restaurants and bars that clearly list that they have a happy hour on their webpage and social media, but NEVER show on their webpage or social what the happy hour details are. I mean the Den clearly list daily every calendar day of the year their specials Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and clearly says they have happy hour 3 to 5 but don’t list what happy hour specials are, but will list the daily all-day specials. What’s going on?

Nice on campus bar so expect student age crowd of course. Multiple screens for sports viewing, a full service bar with good drinks that include variety of frozen Margaritas and happy hour specials. Unfortunately the burgers were microwaved so I won't do that again but there are other menu options I may try.

Placed a simple order for lunch with limited items and took an hour for the food to be cooked. Place was not full at all. Operations/ service need to be looked at for improvements.

The bartenders are friendly and there’s a few parking spots, but, unfortunately, The Den doesn’t have much to else to offer. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Visited after a Houston Cougars basketball game. Seemed to be a lot of regulars and college students here enjoying themselves, it’s not the sports bar vibe we expected. At 5pm on a Saturday with rap music blaring it’s more like a pregame spot for UH students to hit up before going downtown. 🕺🏼

I went to UH 25 years ago and stepping on campus today is jarring with all of the new construction since then. Coog's Den was a bar at the basement of the University Center next to the arcade and was a place where we would go for beers and snacks between classes. My professors would always be annoyed about this but they shouldn't have a bar on campus if they didn't want students showing up to class after drinking. Today's Den pays proper tribute even with a different location next to campus. They have liquor and a number of flat screens to watch sports. What surprised me was the number of customers on a weekend during the summer semester. They get a lot of regulars here from the neighbourhood and former alumni. Prices for drinks are reasonable as a campus bar should and their kitchen is stronger than the previous iteration. They don't have too many vegetarian items on the menu, but the cauliflower wings and fried mac & cheese are great. Shelby, our bartender, was great.

The Den, a favorite bar/hangout spot for UH Coogs and guests for years! This special place is where to go for good drinks and eats! Located across from the Campus Rec Center and adjacent to the UH Welcome Center, this quaint establishment packs a punch with it's plentiful choices of tasty American-style food and draft beer, and a cool place to chill in between classes, before or after a game, or during the lunch hour. Decked out in all things UH, you feel the Coog energy as soon as you step inside. There's ample seating at the bar, a table or booth, or even outside in the patio areas - especially when it's not buzzing with students. My only wish is that I wish this place were bigger. Seating may be a challenge if coming with lots of people and trying to sit together, so keep that in mind and plan accordingly. Having been aware of this place for years, I never took the time to actually eat here until now. On the recommendation of a colleague I had to try it! I went with the 0-4-4 sandwich (with a choice of crispy or grilled) and it did not disappoint. This sandwich was so good! Nestled in between a warm, soft sourdough hoagie roll are chicken tenders drenched in a tangy buffalo sauce, provolone cheese, and their yummy housemade ranch! And to top it off, a side of their famous (thin steak cut-style) French fries that are seasoned just right with a light crisp on the outside, soft and potato-ey inside. Omg! I see why folks like them so much- my tastebuds were dancing and my belly was very happy! At just a little over $12 for this meal, you get a hearty portion of food and it's filling! It's a nice portion size whether for lunch, or dinner. I can't wait to try their other menu options, but the 0-4-4 was a great starting point. The Den has found a repeat customer for sure! I can't wait to come back!

Visiting UH campus with family and staying at the Hilton nearby. Great place with good vibes and service. Solid bar style food menu and daily specials. Drinks were strong and its location cannot be beat. Nothing like this was available when I went to school a million miles away almost that many years ago.

Stopped in for a drink to wait for my son on campus who needed a ride since he recently had surgery. Nice energy and fast service. Prices were really good since they cater to college students. My drink had a heavy pour and was only $8! They have various daily specials. Hasn't changed much since I was a student 30 years ago. Definitely worth a stop if you are by campus.

I've never had such rude bartenders. I think her name was Katie or Kailey but she definitely needs to be in a new profession because she was so rude and slow. They never looked at you or smiled and when you ask a question your given such a dirty look. I've also never seen bartenders openly vape behind the bar which was disgusting. The food was good. But get new staff.

The wait staff were really nice and friendly! The nachos were delicious and the drinks were good. Everything was reasonably priced. Nice to just come grab a bite close to campus.

weather delay on game day - the den came in clutch. affordable drinks. good but small wings. delicious fries - thin potato wedges.

Food was not bad, the service was ok. But the ambiance was the coolest. We were tired after moving in our kid to school and needed food and drinks. Will come again

We recently stopped by before a UH basketball game. The Den team brought their A game. A big thank you to Camron, Chuco, and Hanna--we'll definitely be back. As always, Go Coogs!

Sup Yelpers!!! Came to watch the Saints play.. I didn't realize this place was on the the U of H campus. Lucky students. The vibe was cool, Austin is a sweetheart and was very attentive. They have specials everyday of the week so check out their website.. this place is open to the regular public and I think it's missed because there are so many other bars in the area. However if you want to come to a place Downtown that's reasonably priced and not full or harasser's, come here. Drinks are good and food is good too. I will be back. Hopefully I can convince them to put the sound on for my Saints game over the Texans HeHe

I'll be a senior at UH this year, and unfortunately I will probably never go back to the Den or bring any friends to the campus bar. It's sad, because after going here with my friends for a couple of years, I would imagine the same bartenders would recognize me. Unfortunately, the younger guy behind the bar with shaggy hair barely took one look at my ID before loudly telling me it was a fake on a busy Friday night. First, I am 22. Second, I have a regular Texas ID, nothing new for a bartender that's worked at the Den a while, and has served me on multiple occasions before. He also told my friend, who I was with, that her ID was also fake, BUT told the youngest person out of all of us (just turned 21 weeks prior) that her ID was real. Obviously, I told him to look at it again and he kept refusing. After going back and forth, I finally told him to go show the older guy behind the bar, who's also served me before. Within seconds after showing another bartender, he comes back looking embarrassed and trying to laugh it off. Doesn't matter though because all the frat boys and older folks sitting at the bar started rudely yelling at me and my "underage" friends to "get tf out" until the bartender came back trying to play it off. Bartender covered our drinks for the ordeal, but really wasn't worth being loudly humiliated in front of an entire full bar when I'm the legal age, and took way longer than necessary to be resolved. This place definitely needs real training for the bartender who can't tell the difference between a real ID or a fake one... in his own state... at a college bar.. serious problem & a perfect way to lose a group of customers. Nice way to remember regulars at your local campus bar!

The bartenders are friendly and there's a few parking spots, but, unfortunately, The Den doesn't have much to else to offer. ‍ Visited after a Houston Cougars basketball game. Seemed to be a lot of regulars and college students here enjoying themselves, it's not the sports bar vibe we expected. At 5pm on a Saturday with rap music blaring it's more like a pregame spot for UH students to hit up before going downtown.

We were leaving a comedy event at the Cullen Performance Hall and wanted something in walking distance. The Den was a 6 minute walk and did not disappoint. The staff was attentive, the fries are fresh cut, the wings were really good and the drinks are cheap. Can't ask for anything more. Lucky UH students to have such a cool campus bar!!!

Great food on Wednesdays! I love the mixed drinks and margaritas on a Friday night. Also a patio to smoke for those who partake.

Great service, and even better ambiance. Very nice people and bartenders that are quick to serve.

I have never been treated so horribly by bartenders before coming here. Mind you I have been here once before and enjoyed the aesthetic. I came again with friends and they claimed my ID was a fake(it was not) tried to say my friends was also a fake(it was not) but decided she was okay. Then they refused not only to serve me but my friends as well (even though their IDs were considered "real") because they had asked questions regarding why mine was being considered a fake. I had been served by this bartender previously and it is absurd that they would do this to a returning customer. Needless to say I was able to take my business to the Nook and was served without any problems. Will never be going here again and will recommend the Nook over this establishment any day. Worst part is that it would be the perfect campus bar except for the horrible service.

The wings are simply fantastic. Crispy exterior, juicy moist interior. The buffalo sauce is perfect, bit of heat while having that buttery taste. The fries are also great, more like flat rectangles than your traditional fry but still outstanding.

First our waitress was the BEST! Although it was game day she hustled the entire time making sure all the tables were taken care of. The drinks were spot on and I enjoyed the Shrewball PB&J drink of the month. The food was tasty as we enjoyed appetizers, Habanero Mango Traditional wings and the 0-4-4. They had games going on all TVs so was easy to keep up with all the games in action. Definitely will be back & recommend to all.

This place definitely needs a bouncer for game days. It puts the bartenders in terrible position to be serving and kicking out people who have been tailgating all day. We watched the bartender serve a group of kids multiple rounds of 14 shots, then cut them off understandably. But when they refused to leave she couldn't do anything about it. Meanwhile she was also yelling at patrons to stop standing on a table in the opposite corner of the restaurant. Cmon it's a matter of time before something awful happens here. About 4-5 people actually dropped and broke glass drinks while we were there. Maybe consider switching to plastic cups for this crowd. The other bartender served us bottles after we asked for draft on 2 separate occasions. They just didn't have enough staff. And they stopped serving food at like 6:30 or 7pm because it got too busy. In summary: yikes!

This is a bar that really just knows its identity and it's clientele. Tucked in a corner of campus near the Athletic Center, Business School, behind a couple of campus ministries, the Den is a great spot for students who are looking to grab a cheap drink after classes or before a game. They have a variety of daily specials, a decent happy hour, and cheap food. It's like a college student's dream bar. I've never had the sandwiches, tacos, or anything else, but from what friends have told me, it's mediocre bar food. Then again, for such low prices, what would you expect? The place is PACKED when the Coogs are on the road, and they're well equipped with a big projector screen along the far wall from the entrance. Staff is friendly and service is quick, but on game days you'll be waiting a while.

adding tips to the tab that the customer did not leave is unacceptable. mountain of salt in my drink.

I like coming here after a long day for being lost and pretending to know the curriculum I should know by now. You know what I mean.

I come for the cheap drinks and the 0-4-4 sandwich. Plus the potato salad is delicious. I wish I could get a huge bowl and eat it like cereal.

I love this bar. It has my heart and soul. Great food spot with a wide variety of meals. Great beer and it's all quality. The pinnacle of university of houston culture. Go here if you're a cougar or care about them.

Home. Great bartenders, great customer service, been coming here for years. Shoutout Chucho and Sal for always working hard and even overtime.

My fav campus spot. Collin is cool af, very relaxed but can also get rowdy. Come hang

Who remembers the old Cougar Den in the University of Houston UC Underground? For all you Cougars out there, you know it was that campus run dive where you could get beer, booze and questionable fried foods. It had absolutely none of the ambiance of Rice U's Valhalla, but we could call it our own. Well that place shut down I don't know how many years ago, but lo and behold, a new place has opened up with hearts and minds of students, faculty, and staff (that's me) in mind. The Den is a new campus bar located on Calhoun across from Entrance 1 and the UH Wellness Center. The key to my 4 star rating is great location (for UH folks) and the low cost. Two buck wells, two bucks for 20oz domestic drafts, and four bucks for 20oz Guinness. They have a decent sampling of 18 beers on draft and the usual call drinks. No food, but you can unofficially BYO Pizza from the Hut next door. Minus a star for spartan accomodations and potentially bad parking (unless you have a UH parking permit). Word is that the owners are hoping to be the first stop for people heading out on the town, and the last stop on the way back (for those Residence Hall folks). Me, I'll just go work out at Wellness Center, and then replenish my electrolytes at The Den.

What a great place to hang out and watch your favorite games. Full bar and lots of televisions and a great location. You must try the PB&J - that's pork, beef and jalapeño sandwich! I love the "shot wheel" if you have a hard time figuring out what to drink. So fun for lunch or late night.

Best place to get a drink after a stressful week of exams. Highly recommend it especially for UH students.

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 8th 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.

Great spot to kick it after or before class. The staff are extremely friendly and will remember a familiar face. The juke box is available to anyone with a wide variety of songs. Plenty of drinks on tap and bottles to choose from.

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.

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.

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.

Omg the most amazing little gem in Houston. And on campus??!!! What? We're visiting from out of town but we'll definitely be back! Gina is the best bartender ever!!! And I'm not just saying that cause my butt is drunk thanks Gina we love you!!!

The Jive turkey sandwich with chips and queso and a Rodeo Clown is my Go-To. It's 12 somethin am and the kitchen is still goin. The Draughts are cold. The music is great. The staff is very attentive.

This is my favorite bar, period. The drinks are good and cheap, it's right on UH campus, and it's dog friendly. The food is also pretty good, I come here just to eat sometimes. Plus there are a lot of regulars, so it can be the bar where everybody knows your name.

Honestly. I bet this place is good. But I don't drive and I heard good things about the tacos so I sent Uber eats. They came and they took their sweet time. I wouldn't usually rate something based on the driver taking too long but this food was gross. Unresolvably so. The macaroni bites are all that saved this review. I'm so sorry y'all. I hate giving negative feedback. But either step up your food game or stop using Uber eats.

Came here for my first time about a month ago and I've been a student here true past year and a half! I regret avoiding this place! Great prices and good food!

Fujio recommends this place so I got drunk with him here. There was just so many rare beers here in bottles. I tried the Session Lager from Oregon and I liked it! Cheap beers with very good Happy Hour all day special. Just look! Lonestar $1.50 Bud Light $2.00 Miller Liite $2.00 Shiner $2.50 Well Drinks $2.00 Jager $3.00 Jager Bombs $4.00 This is a great place to get drunk while you are in the area but I don't know what happened to the girls. 18 different tap beers served in 20oz Imperial pints. Very clean place with free wi-fi internet that is on UH campus that is across the street from The UH Recreation and Welness Center.

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!

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.

The place is snuggled in the heart of U of H and to come here for a quick drink from a long day at school. Coming here to unwind the place is fairly decorated and isn't such a bad place. Nice seating and has a small patio for you smokers. They have a good selection on drink which is great. But, sadly their rude ass service is why I gave 2 stars. The 1st bartender I got was great and got our drinks promptly. But, the second bartender that came in around five "heavy set white guy" was up right rude. He had 2 or 3 customers in front of me but, pretended to be superman and tried to remember my order. I was with a group of friends and ordered for the table. Assuming the guy couldn't remember he was frustrated and quite frankly didn't appreciate my "bigger" order. I am paying for a service not an attitude. No need for this especially on a long day after class. This rude experience ruined my experience.

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.

Wonderful staff, nice selection, and awesome food! If I'm not in class, I'm at the Den trying to make my way through a tub of potato salad and a Long Island Iced Tea. Love these guys!

Your typical hole in the wall bar. Bartender was nice. Biggest complaint: we came in on Taco Monday to find that they 'ran out' of tacos an hour and a half early. Do NOT tease me with tacos. -_-

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.

Its nothing special, the service is really poor and the prices arn't great. I had an experience in which the manager essentially hassled a friend for bringing in a bottle of water and she was never offered a drink or food for the hour that she was there sitting at the bar. I've also ordered drinks from a table and had the bartender just put them on the bar without giving me any notice that the drink was for me which is just annoying and really lame service (the bar was not busy). I hope that UH gets a new bar with all of its expansions and push for living on campus, because having no competition for this bar has not forced them to improve.

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 8th 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.