Blue Box

The BLue box is always a great place to hit up for Happy Hour. While it is a bit more pricey than most places (alot in the Downtown Area have craft cocktails for $ 5) the ones here are $ 6 during their Happy Hour, and they typically have 4 cocktail options to chose from as well as House Wine, Draft and Wells specials.
The Happy Hour time, when I happened to go on one Tuesday, is from 5 – 8, there is typically a work corwd there. People of all ages, usually office workers that stop here for an after work cocktail.
There menus rotate seasonally, and they always have delicious and amzing cocktails. Tip: the further down you go on the Menu, the Boozier the cocktail! They always make great drinks, though they are a bit pricey. ranging from $ 9 — $ 12 dollars in the prices. They do have a couple of house infusion shots that are interesting.
On Thursdays they have themed nights and the have DJ’s on Monday.
On the weekends, this place is PACKED.
It’s great for Bar hoping. Get food somewhere at the pearl early, then come here, Cured, Southerliegh, Stay Golden, La Gloria, Tacos and Tequilia, the are really does have alot going for it!

Blue Box is a strange place. Located in prime real estate within the Pearl complex, the wife and I previously had drinks there approximately a year prior to our most recent visit on a Saturday night around Christmas. Our first visit was early on a Friday evening. We practically had the place to ourselves, as there were only a handful of other guests scattered around the fairly cavernous bar. We sat at the bar, service was on point and our drinks (especially the Hoodie Season) were solid. On our latest visit, we got there around 10 pm and the place was packed with patrons, many if not most, seemingly watching the Cowboys game on the big projection screen. Even though there seemed to be plenty of staff behind the bar, given the size of the crowd, service was much slower than on our previous visit as it took much longer to get the attention of a bartender to place an order and to receive our drinks. It was probably still worth the wait, as my Rick Flair ($ 9) was a pretty decent tasting drink. Of note, though, I seemed to recall enjoying the Hoodie Season a lot more.
I’m still not sure of what to make of Blue Box. Its cocktails were well conceived. I’d place them a notch below those found at Esquire Tavern, Francis Bogside, and the Brooklynite. Its execution of those cocktails was reasonably well done, but your mileage may vary depending on who’s making your drink and how crowded the bar is at the time. The most puzzling thing was that Blue Box seemed to me to lack an identity. Is it a chill cocktail bar focused on making craft cocktails for people who are looking for a good drink or a high volume sports bar and/​or nightclub catering to a less discerning crowd of drinkers? The bar’s generic, minimalist décor was no indicator. Regardless, the next time I’m in town and at the Pearl, I won’t hesitate to stop for a drink at Blue Box, but I wouldn’t make a special trip. 3.5 stars.

I stopped by Blue Box after dinner for a drink, and I had an enjoyable time. The atmosphere is great, good crowd, and watching the Spurs on a very big screen. The bartender did a great job. I would recommend Blue Box.

Nice Deco and potential but I can’t get over the horrible customer service… Just stopped by for a quick drink with a group of friends after dinner… The bar tender had an awful attitude, my husband asked him what was the problem and he pretty much ignored Us and threw the tab at us. We paid and left. It’s sad that a place with great potential is jeopardized by the essential… customer service.

Decent drinks, kinda pricey, but hey it is the pearl, and we all know what that means, more of an upscale drink stop then your typical bar. I prolly won’t be back unless someone else is paying ha ha

The drinks were good! The free food was good! Service was horrible! The bar was dead at 6pm and the «female» waitress working this eve would not bring our drinks to the table. She said «when it’s ready for me to come get my drink, it will be sitting at end of bar». Heaven forbid she takes 5 extra steps to hand us a drink.

Blue box… how I love you and hate you all at once. I love you for the fabulous drinks, infused shots, and location. I abhor you for the hangovers that follow after every time I visit you. That being said, a night at blue box is always a good time with strong drinks that loosen you up and ensure fun to be had.
The tequila infused with pinapple and Serrano pepper is out of this world. Wowee! I sipped it and enjoyed every moment. The GinGin mules strong and tasty. Any mezcal drink here is delicious. I love it! Yes, it is overly crowded, and yes you will have to wait for your drink… but it is soooo worth it. Weekends dress up rather than down. Cheers!

No star at all! I’ve been a regular customer at this bar along with some of my friends but the bat tenders never valued us. Tonight (dec 10), the bartender took time to pull us out on the side amidst being so busy and lecturesld us on how they got slammed and so busy. He told us to order all together at once. I felt unwelcomed and that he was so arrogant. I will nwver spend a single penny in this place.

I have been coming to Blue Box since they opened. It is, by far, one of my top 3 bars in San Antonio. I have had the pleasure of getting to know the bartenders over the years, and it is refreshing to see the same friendly faces. Their mixology skills are exceptional, creative, and consistent. Feel free to tell them what liquors you like and don’t like, and watch with baited breath as they create a drink you didn’t even know you loved.
The ambiance is casual. I recommend you sit at the bar during the week as they don’t offer table service. However, on the weekends they have a very friendly and engaged server who works the seating area in the main bar. Also, this is not a restaurant; so don’t expect food. They focus on the drinks, and trust me, that’s what you want.
I’ve taken out-​of-​town guests here, and introduced many locals to Blue Box. Without exception, the bar, the liquor, and the staff never disappoint.

Four stars when it’s not busy, for sure. They have a great selection on unique drinks and beer. I typically go during non-​peak hours, so service is awesome and the staff is really friendly. If it’s your first time, try one of the shots that’s made from the vodka they make there. A little sweet, but very good.

So I am finally getting to post this review up I hate this place!!! These people who work there are totally racist. The first time I went, I was with a group of friends (6 of us total) all Asian, and the bouncer at the door said we could not get in because it was too full at the moment. I understand this and so we waited. However while we waited, they let several other groups of people and single people go inside he bar without a wait. I would say a total of 15 people went in after we were told we had to wait. These people who went in were other ethnicities and none were Asian. When asked the door guy about this he said it was too full still and couldn’t let such a large group in! Really??? We left after this!
Second incident, my friend (also Asian) wanted to go get a drink since we just finished having dinner at the Pearl. Blue box was the only option that time for liquor nearby. This time we went in without incident but this time it was the bar staff I ran into a problem. This was weekday night so the bar was not busy. Plenty of empty seats at the bar and all around. We stood at the bar for 20 min and no one even so much as glanced at us. Instead the bartenders were washing glass, dusting, or talking to each other. One bartender stared straight at us while polishing a glass! During this wait however other patrons were more than happily getting their drinks from these bartenders. We left fuming!
I recommend to the management of this place that they should teach their staff that racial discrimination is wrong, stupid, and illegal!

Cocktails are good, but the place is too loud, very crowded, and just not really my scene. Good place to grab a drink while you’re waiting for your table at La Gloria, but really a place I’d want to hang out. Felt like the kind of bars that are everywhere in Houston. Doesn’t really seem very San Antonio.

First off let me say there is no actual signage that identifies this establishment. at least none that we could find. there was nothing above the door. nothing on the door (which is made of this really interesting blue finished metal).not ANYWHERE! If it wasn’t for the friendly gals at Lick we never would have found this place and in hindsight I wish we hadn’t.
We walked in and noticed several open tables and only a few seats remained at the bar. after an uncomfortable stand and stare we decided to grab a booth because there was no actual hostess or greeter person of any kind at the door to welcome us.
We sat looking at the drink menu hoping to enjoy a refreshingly cold «hand-​crafted» cocktail before dinner. the ambiance of the bar. and a toast for actually finding this place. and we waited and waited and waited for someone to approach our table. needless to say no one even acknowledged we were there much less took our drink order.so.we left.
The two bartenders. who were laughing and enjoying their conversation behind the bar. sort of glanced our way when we entered the bar then sort of took notice when we walked out. but not much.

One of our first stops on a night of bar hopping with family and friends while visiting San Antonio. I loved the vibe of course, some would say it’s hipster. coming from SF I guess I’m into that;) The mixologist were all very friendly even though we were in a big group they did a great job at being attentive as well as crafting great cocktails.
We ended up having one too many of the spicy pineapple shot which was highly recommended by my uncle. Although I’m not huge fan of sweet shots this one was an great combo of sweet and spicy! I wasn’t a fan of the strawberry shot.
Next time I visit I would def like to go back! :)

If you’re looking for a place that prides themselves on high dollar apothecary but tends to sell more PBR than anything… you’ve found your place. Pretentious bar ran by mucks trying to impress the «30K Millionaires» of San Antonio. Go across the street to Golden Gloves…
–A resident of the Pearl

Olaf is one of the best bartenders in San Antonio, but if you place him in the a crowded bar with a crowd that orders vodka tonics instead over an old fashioneds it quickly detracts from the ambiance.

We stumbled upon Blue Box while exploring the Pearl District. You will know that you have arrived at their door by the unique metal light fixture made of repurposed metal from the old Pearl Brewery. The space is dark with a speakeasy feel.
Blue Box is a true blue cocktail bar serving up the classics and their own specialty seasonal cocktails like «Hoodie Weather». I found the attention to detail from the mixologists impressive. The staff was helpful in providing cocktail suggestions and sweet enough to charge my cell phone for me (thank you!). With that said Blue Box does not neglect the beer and (ahem) wine drinkers.
Jesse ordered the «Treat Yo Self» with ingredients that included bourbon and egg. This lovely cocktail surprisingly tasted like a dreamsicle! A friend opted for the tequila based «Bangarang» which she reported was strong. I was happy with their small but thoughtful wine selection. The Bodega Cuarto Dominio «Tolentino» Malbec had notes of black fruit which I love.
This is the place to be for happy hour at Pearl! Happy hour runs Monday-​Friday, 4pm-​8pm and includes:
$ 6 cocktails
$ 1 off both wells and domestics
$ 5 shots
Tip: they have a small dog friendly patio.

The name elicits jokes from all angles and immediately sets the «theme» of your thoughts. What is hanging from the ceiling? Giant test tubes? Unrolled Magnums? Interesting ambiance.
The bartenders are master mixologists and provide expertly crafted drinks with a smile. The atmosphere is dive bar meets secret lodge, but it’s still warm enough to make anyone feel welcome.
Prices were very fair… It seems they receive night cap overflow from La Gloria, so it tends to get busier after dinner time. Pretty chill little spot!

After trying Blue Box twice, I’m still on the fence between a 4 and 5 star rating. My husband has been thoroughly impressed with everything about BB, from the atmosphere to the hipsters tending the bar to the amazingly unique cocktails. But something is holding me back from giving it a full five stars. Regardless, it’s still a great place to grab a delicious drink, and whatever rating I choose to give means that I will definitely go back.
The first time we stopped by, we had a couple of the beers that were on tap. The draft beer was not inexpensive; I think we paid around $ 8 for a pint of Karbach. That’s a little more than I like to pay for a beer I can buy at H-​E-​B. My husband decided to go for a «real» drink for his next round, and as we were sitting at the bar, he told them what he liked and the bartender took it from there. Watching the bartenders create their masterpieces is part of the fun of this bar, so my second recommendation (the first being: skip the beer… go for the other stuff) is to go at a non-​busy time and sit at the bar. You’ll get to see all of the different styles of crafting these beverages and really appreciate what’s going into making your drink.
The second time we stopped at Blue Box was with some friends who were in town. It was happy hour, so we tried some of the $ 5 cocktails on special. We tried all three, and all of them were impressive. That time, we were also able to escape without a crazy tab!
For beer drinkers wanting to stick to beer, you’ll probably pay more than you want to, and this isn’t the place to go for beer anyway. But for those of you who enjoy cocktails, I definitely recommend. You won’t be disappointed.

So I’ve been to Blue Box on a couple of occasions before, and while I liked it I wasn’t a huge fan. Reason being, there is always a bunch of pretentious zzz holes in there.
I recently went on a Saturday night and those same individuals were there in force. The bottom bar was ridiculous. You could barely move from the door to the bathroom, it was bad. Almost had to shove someone for not moving when my girl and I were trying to walk through. Anyhow, we went upstairs to the smaller bar and it was the best decision I could have made.
There is only one open chair at the bar so I give the seat to her. Mattie the bartender, comes out from behind the bar and pulls up a chair for me. This cat… let me just say that this dude singlehandedly made our experience there into an excellent one. He is 97% the reason for the 4 stars. We order and old fashioned and… I can’t remember what she had but I remember her saying it was strong. Exactly the way she wanted it.
She finished her drink and wanted a Long Island but I convinced her to ask Mattie for his opinion. She told him what she wanted, he nodded and went to work. I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a name for what he made, yet it was a damn good drink. Plenty of alcohol, great taste… she enjoyed it.
So any good mixologist can concoct drinks with different ingredients, and Mattie was no exception. Some of the drinks he made contained fruit, which he offered to us. Between the grapes and the watermelon… this dude was the ultimate mixologist and host.
So if you go, fight your way through all of the wannabe, look at me people and make your way upstairs to see Mattie. Dude clearly has it all figured out, and will make your experience exactly what it should be.