The Drag Bar

NEVER GOT SERVED!
4 people in the bar. Ordered pizza downstairs, went up and took a seat at a table. The bartender eventually appeared behind the bar proceeded to roll a smoke talk to a fellow patron at the bar and then look at his phone then continue to talk to the guy at the bar, all over about a 30 minute period. Never acknowledged me. I would have ordered a beer, but didn’t care one way or the other.
Bar’s loss not mine!

Wow. I tipped one of the Bar tenders for an order heavily & then when I didn’t tip the other one who closed out a different tab for me, the other bar tender literally yelled at me. So unprofessional and unwarranted. Seriously do not patronize this bar or especially the rude bartender with the neck tattoos…

It is a bar. That is more or less its chief benefit and limitation, along with its location almost directly across from UT West Mall Station, perfect to sneak out for a beer before or after class.
Patrons are mostly older undergrads, sitting eight to a table drinking cheap beer and shots. I’ve never been there very late, so the crowd has generally been sparse and mellow. Décor is old, skanky, divey – it is, after all, a campus dive bar. Several TVs are on for requisite collegiate sports viewing. Since it is upstairs, no outdoor area for sunning or smoking, a limitation if half your friends, like mine, still believe that smoking is cool.
This would probably be two stars were not there a few notable exceptions: 1) beer and liquor selection, while not huge, is good, with several well-​chosen Texas crafts and some reasonably up-​shelf whiskies; 2) daily beer specials make something there just about free every day; 3) average, yet reasonably priced, pizza from Austin’s Pizza downstairs can be ordered by the slice at the bar and delivered to your table.
The bartenders, also, have always been nice and attentive, although, again, I’ve never been there when it has been busy. But nice and attentive can never be taken for granted at campus bars, so good for them.
On the whole, don’t make the place a destination, but if you’re looking for a $ 1 Lone Star on Wednesday or a reasonably priced 512 IPA or Bulleit Rye near UT, stop in there for a couple. It’s not a bad place to pass an hour or two.

The Varsity Bar is a tucked-​away rough cut gem in the heart of the Drag, almost directly across from the West Mall entrance to the UT campus on Guadalupe. It’s casual, friendly, architecturally open with beautiful towering vintage tin-​tile ceilings and casement windows, and it doesn’t sport a cover or an attitude. The bartenders are young, friendly, and helpful, and will let you sample the variety of local tap beers before buying a pint.
It’s a great casual place for legal drinking-​age groups on a weeknight or weekend night (and yes, I speak from experience). Most of the time, they’ll have live music on the stage in the corner of the best view on the Drag… wall-​to-​wall windows all across the back and down the right corner. You can see the UT tower glowing orange on game nights from your seat.
It feels like a private treehouse club disguised as a garage apartment, except with clean restrooms. They have it set up with casual wooden tables and some space to dance if the mood strikes. After all, the room is huge; it takes up the entire top floor. There are two big-​screen TVs, both set to sports channels. I smell potential… and pizza… all over this place.
If you want to check it out and you’re looking for a big sign, you won’t find it. Look for Austin’s Pizza on Guadalupe, then go in and up the stairs before you get to the pizza counter. Or better yet, order a pizza and take it upstairs to enjoy with something from the bar. This is the laid-​back campus area vibe I’ve been missing way out in the ‘burbs.

This place has… uh… how should I put it… character! Yes, that’s the word, CHARACTER. Or rather, it’s full of characters.
A lady friend and I stopped in here 4:00 on a Friday for a beer. A little flustered from the barrage of homeless asking for spare change we quickly figured out that the stairs for Varsity Bar were located inside of Austin Pizza.
Varsity Bar is not the place to bring Mum and Dad while visiting UT or the Harry Ransom Center. It’s all the things I remember about college the first time — shots with dirty names, the smell of old beer and a bartender who knows that «making a deposit» also means «taking a poop».
I’m pretty sure my Roganbeir was $ 4.00. They have a small but decent collection of taps. More then the standard Natty Light and Bud. Lest you think it’s a dump… well, it is a dump. But remember what I said about character? Varsity Bar has it, it might just not be your favorite kind.
Everyone seems to know everyone who wanders in and despite the fact that my hair was still wet from a cut I still received a friendly «hey there!» when we strolled up to the bar.
I don’t think I’ll be bringing anyone I need to impress to Varsity Bar but I’d bring my friends, they don’t care that I wear flip flops.