Bar 11

Good for just going out for a fun night on the Southside. Usually go here a little later in the night around midnight or so. Do some shots, dance, draw ridiculous glow-​in-​the-​dark things, stagger out around 1:30 am and get a slice of pizza. I always have a fun time.

Some people call this a frat house, maybe if a frat house is run by a couple of 50 year old guys, but dont get me wrong its a fun place.
You order a drink and its supppper boozy, with it you get candied necklaces, stickers you can write inappropriate things on and put on people, confetti popper things and other random nick nacks.
Guys that are bar tending, probably the owners, are a bit older but keep it fun, they light the bar on fire with booze, have random instruments and hats they give out, and generally try to keep it fun and interesting
Every time i have been there i have not spent too much but leave drunk and happy

I’ve heard the hype, and bar 11 deserves it! I went here Friday night for the first time with the fiancé and a group of friends. It was so fun! No need to dress up, and after coming from a Pirates game, I was thankful for that! There were nametags, highlighters, blacklights, mannequin legs hanging from the ceiling, police lights, sand on the floor… overall a funky, fun atmosphere. The bartenders lit the bar on fire and literally spat fire! The music was throwback and wonderful. The drinks were strong and reasonably priced. Downfall: 3 $ cover at the door. Definitely the best dive bar in south side! Sorry Jack’s!

My favorite bar of alllllllll time. Great place to hear music of every era and enjoy the quirkiness that Bar 11 has to offer (mystery beer vending machine, candy necklaces, name tags, etc.). Generally there is always a good amount of people, but never overcrowded to the point that you can’t move. And you will NEVER find yourself waiting in a line to get in. Drinks are well priced. Oh and the bartenders are the best. Super friendly and are pretty much there to party with you.

It’s like a frat house you can go to when your done with the college parties. First time going was saint patties day so there was a line of people and the bar was full. But not over stuffed. The best drink I had was the Orange crush. It was amazing! Most dive bars can’t mix a descent drink but this place put others to shame.
They also had poppers and toys on the bar with smoke and foam machines. It’s tacky but in a good way.
I’m giving this place 5 stars since for a drive bar it’s a damn good one and a great place to grab cheap but awesome drinks with friends.

This bar is off of the beaten path of d-​bags that normally frequent the Carson Street drag in the Southside. The bartenders and owner are legit. Very friendly, funny and accommodating. There is a lot to do here. You can make up weird names for your friends with the black light sensitive name tags, play a random instrument with the bartenders, dance in some soap bubbles that fall from the sky, spin the wheel of fortune, play with the cracker jack toys that get thrown in your drink, or eat a piece of your neighbor’s candy necklace. The drinks are well priced and the music is always my taste (80’s and 90’s and generally good to dance to). The bar is on the divey side but I feel that this is appropriate for the quirky off-​beat atmosphere. If you are in the Southside, you definitely need to check this place out.

Love the black lights, Flaming Dr. Pepper, mystery beer machine, toys, candy necklaces and 90s throwback tunes!

I have only been here on New Year’s Eve. The bar and owner are simply amazing! The energy and friendliness you will find in this bar makes you feel like you are hanging out with your best friends in their super cool basement. The drink prices are lower than what you would find in neighboring bars. If you are looking for a laid back time with great friends then check out this place. If it’s not you’re style you can easily walk to the many other places the Southside of Pittsburgh as to offer.

This is one of the weirdest places I’ve ever been. It’s sort of like drinking in a shed full of random stuff– plants hanging from the ceiling, lights strewn about, toys that come with drinks. I felt a bit claustrophobic because there was just *too much* going on with the décor. I did enjoy the music and pricing, but it definitely isn’t my first choice to visit.

This is deff a dive bar. They apparently do different theme nights throughout the year. They played good music and the beer was reasonably priced. It was a nice place, but dead the night/​time we were in there.

This place still gets four stars from me. I still love it here even if I can’t get here as often as I did in the past. Nothing in here has changed, which is a good thing. Might I also say that this place isn’t so bad to visit during the day time either (St. Patrick’s Day).
The most recent visit was just as fun as the past. Lots of people bumping into one another, putting those candy necklace ice breakers to the test. The music was blaring, people were loud, and hearing was at a minimum. When I come in here, I usually stick to a margarita, which is what I ordered. I had a bit of a wait, but it was for the good. They needed more limes, so I had fresh limes for my margarita. The bartenders were very friendly as well, making it about a hundred times better.
I definitely need to stop in here more often, but only if I have the day after off… if you know what I mean.

I think I stepped in dog shit here. The sight inside the bathroom is so jarring that it actually hurt my feelings.
Holy shit, did you just pour me an 18oz glass full of vodka? You, sir, are a saint. However, you work in a pile of poo.

This is an atypical review for me. I’m accustomed to discussing tangible aspects of an establishment such as the food and the beer. Every once in a while I’ll discuss atmosphere and ambiance. For Bar 11, my review has to be focused on atmosphere because that’s what they are selling.
I think their goal is to promote a fun, friendly, and engaging atmosphere. There are highlighters to draw on each other. They give out candy necklaces which I suspect have some inciteful intentions. The bartenders are quite friendly and are good at engaging patrons. There are certainly pieces in place to set up an environment where people are comfortable and open to strangers.
The music selection is what my friends typically play at 4 AM once we’re back home after a night out: old pop songs. It’s not music that gets me excited rather I feel like the night is coming to an end, but this association is contingent on my own personal experiences.

If you can’t make fun of yourself than this is not the place for you. If you want to have a fun time with friends, get «cray» and meet new people def check it out. If I had to describe it, I’d say its a mix of Kesha meets an Insane Clown Posse torture chamber hidden in the depths of a west Virginia corn field… From the outside you don’t even know its a bar with a big steel door and flappy meat curtains you have to walk through to get in. I think there’s a $ 5 cover after 11 and that’s usually when its starts to fill up, but once your inside though, welcome to one of the hidden gems of nostalgia and fun on the South Side.
There’s all sorts of people here, some dressed up, some dressed down and nobody really cares what your dressed like because they’ve come to dance under the black light, play with glow in the dark highlighters writing goofy stuff on your skin, friends skin or name tags that they pass out (hint hint… good and easy fun way to meet someone!) eat candy necklaces, get glow in the dark mixed drinks, drink a pounder of PBR, or play with some of the toys they give you when you order a drink like butterfly rings, or little green army men. I believe this place has one TV but don’t plan on watching a game or anything because it’s usually turned to the Cartoon Network Channel.
The dance floor is small and can def get crowded fast… next thing you know your nut to butt with someone else at times barely able to move. There’s all kinds of things hanging from the ceiling depending on any recent themed parties the place has thrown which I’ve heard are pretty awesome but never been to yet, and there are bubble and fog machines that go off throughout the night and sometimes the bar tender/​owner spits fire across the bar. Fire hazard, most likely, but fun at the same time haha.
I must say, if you’ve come here to use the mens bathroom, perhaps think otherwise. It looks like an atomic bomb went off in there with no stall to the toilet, and one broken urinal and a shitty faucet. It wouldnt surprise me if there was a petrified pile of poop hidden in the corner for the last 5 years, but it just adds to the ambiance of the place.
I can see how people either love or hate this place. I probably wouldn’t suggest this bar to anyone over 30 because its more geared toward a younger more rowdier crowd or if your looking for a fancy night out with your guy or gal. This is just a down right, we don’t give an «eff» lets just have a fun night kind of place to attend.
May your drink always stay cold!
Yours truly, The Shaw…

Hidden gem off of Carson street! You could easily pass this bar without knowing as it is located in the middle of a Southside street of mostly homes. It reminds me of going to a college house party. It is small inside and usually crowded late on Friday and Saturday nights. I recommend going early to grab a drink. The owner and workers are so friendly and want everyone to have a good time. They decorate the bar with themes, have super fun themed nights (winter/​summer solstice parties), give out candy necklaces and put cheap plastic toys in your drinks! Nice selection of mixed drinks and bottled beer. I also highly recommend the New Years Eve party with prepaid tickets of open bar for $ 60.

Combine loud music, black lights, drunk young kids, trick shots, goofy toys like candy necklaces, and a bunch of young drunk kids. You’re only starting to get the idea…
I wouldn’t call Bar 11 a good bar, but it’s certainly a fun party and worth the trip at least once.

It’s the «Dude’s bar» if Pittsburgh had a Dude. you know who I am referencing right? Ok good we can on with this review then,
What has not been mentioned? The perks, candy with your drinks, toys with your drinks hey if the company sucks I can always entertain myself with toys right?
Mixed drinks come in large glasses 6 $ strong from the right bartender, one of them is an awesome guy. Once a smarmy college student bet me a lame bet then told the bartender i would get his round of shots. The bartender said ladies don’t pay and they were on the house.
I have been here on Halloween, cinco de mayo, and just any old Friday night. I have to say like any bar it depends on the crowd, yes it attracts college students like any bar on the southside, yes college stupids i mean students… achieve a whole new level of drunk tomfoolery that I can find annoying as a 30+ yr old.
But it can still be fun with the theatrics at the bar which sometimes involve fire, a drum set and of course the Dude in his sweatband and Hawaiian shirt. The music is nothing special but again this bar doesn’t boast a dj or live band.
Here are my tips:
Bring cash the ATM looks like its from 1990,
If the Dude isn’t in and the only bartender there is the bearded one skip it.
Don’t bring insecure chicks here, too many young college girlies and boys. I made that mistake she had to run off like she was on fire, because they have little name tags with marker and a guy wrote something rude on it and stuck it on her. Ideally these name tags are meant for fun and for yourself, but still I would have told him where to shove it, and moved on.
Sometimes on the holidays like Cinco De mayo they have really awesome drinks, for example they had fresh oranges and a juicer. They made cocktails with whipped vodka, fresh OJ and club soda they were 100% delish and I wasn’t drunk.
Use the ladies room because there’s a mannequin head in there and its pretty sweet.
If the owner is not there and hands over drumsticks to some idiot who thinks he can add to whatever music is playing its best you’re really hammered or just go, it gets pretty miserable.
Watch the step outside the covered door, to the sidewalk bar it goes down and its dark so you will never see it.

This place was my kind of bar. The doorman was covered in skate graphic tattoos and wearing a santa suit. I sat on a stool that had a sticker that said «TITS» and on the bar ahead of me was written «I smell like bigfoot’s dick». Am I in heaven? I ordered a shitty shot of whiskey and a shitty beer and within seconds, was given exactly that. Cost almost nothing, tasted awful — and was exactly what I needed.
The owner even came over and handed us stickers, candy necklaces, a fluorescent marker, and some cheap plastic toys to keep us entertained. Entertained we were.
I WILL BE BACK. I apparently now have a new favorite bar in Pittsburgh.

I had an absolute blast here on NYE! I think the stars finally aligned for a fun New Years Eve. FINALLY! You know how it usually goes, let’s over hype the holiday thinking this will be the best night EVER! Then some couple starts fighting, someone throws up, or it ends up being a total snoozefest.
Going here I had no expectations at all. It was $ 50 all you can drink, which to me, is a decent price for a NYE special. There was even a good spread of snacks. Although it makes me a little nervi eating off a tray of food halfway through the night with lots of drunk strangers, I was still impressed. You could also «help yourself» to your own drinks in one corner. It was more like a back room though. There was spiked lemonade and punch jars next to laundry detergent. Don’t mix those two up! This year, not like years in the past (or so I’ve been told), you could go behind the bar and make drinks too. But this year the owner and a couple bartenders were back there serving drinks. They also had random coolers of beer (Yuengling and Miller LIght) in every nook and cranny… so wherever you turned, you were stocked up!
They only sell 75 tickets. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but this place isn’t that big and it was the perfect amount. Normally if you’re in a bar or club, you’d be packed in like a sardine, fighting to get a drink or accidentally bumping into a super sweaty dude. No thanks!
And the biggest factor for me that night (drum roll please)…the music! It was a great mix! Let’s face it, on NYE (or any night out, really) I just want to DANCE! It was a mix of fun current pop songs and old skool hip hop (don’t lie, you can ALWAYS get down to Big Poppa!). I was dancing the entire night long! Which definitely made my feet very unhappy later on (my fault, I needed to wear sparkly heels!).
At midnight, they passed out those popping firecrackers full of streamers you get on the 4^th, which are SUPER fun but most likely a SUPER fire hazard. No fire though, just lots of popping! I kept collecting them and putting them down my shirt to stock pile for just the right time to pop another one! And no, I was not even drunk! They also handed out 40oz of Miller LIght to everyone and anyone. The great thing was, no one got out of hand. No fights. No one seemed like they had gone too far. It was just good old plain fun!
Only downfall: You can still smoke inside. Yuck!
Hot Tip: Get there on time for this event! Starts at 9pm ends at 2am. You paid $ 50 bucks, number one, get your money’s worth. Number two, there’s NO PARKING after about 10pm in the South Side on NYE.
A great way to ring in the New Year if you ask me! This may just start a new tradition for me!

This place is insane-​and by insane I mean absolutely freaking awesome! This little dive looks unassuming from the outside, nestled a few blocks off of busy Carson St, but don’t be fooled-​step through the doors and welcome to crazy town!
You walk into a room full of smoke from a smoke machine. Britney Spears might be playing, or maybe a little Ram Jam-​who knows! Once you squeeze your way up to the bar and get your drinks, the bartender gives you a handful of plastic toys-​fish, rubber ducks, spiders, candy necklaces, rings-​again, who knows what you’ll get here! The place is decked out in black lights and they give you highlighters which are then used to write all over each other. A foam machine also kicks on every 10 minutes or so leaving those standing under it covered in bubbles. Just nuts. I would recommend having a few drinks before coming here, the craziness might overwhelm a sober person.