Cool place to check out untapped, eclectic local talent. When I say eclectic, I mean eclectic. The night I was there, I heard a bluesy/country hybrid act, a violinist, an alt rock band, and a guy who sounded a lot like Linkin Park.
CHEAP, CHEAP drinks. $2 wells the night I was there (a Sunday), and in perusing other Yelp reviews, it sounds like I was there on a "pricy" night. I saw some interesting beers on tap.
Only downside: Smoky as haaaiilllllll up in here. But, that's Denton.
I do appreciate that they have a 50 beer tour markup thing, like a mini-Flying Saucer they're trying to get started up, but it's also ridiculously smokey (with poor ventilation) and looks like a turbo-bass British techno sex dungeon down there, so that is a little off putting, and smoke ruins craft beer. If I was to try and get some of their beers not available in the above part of the Abbey, I would probably try and walk upstairs with it to avoid the smoke and techno.
Review Source:I have been here once before when I just passed by one night and heard some interesting music coming from downstairs. Turned out to be a 17 piece big band orchestra... definately different. They were playing big band music that my parents listened to when I was little. They even had a singer.
At the time they had some great beers on tap including the 512 Pecan Porter. Plus a really great selection of bottled beers. Being that it's basically a basement, it was dark and it wasn't really crowded at all.
Fast forward many, many months and I decided to make a return. This time it was 80s/90s retro night. Wow, I am starting to feel old. This time the music was loud and had some great bass going on... although wasn't thrilled to hear Vanilla Ice.
As for the beer this time around.... no 512, they did have Smithwicks and Franconia Blonde, and as far as I know the bottled selection is still the same... but mostly people were ordering bud lites and Miller Lites.... in other words, bad beer. But it's still a decent place for live music and the beer isn't expensive. $4.50 a pint.
I don't go enough to know what their normal is, I have my places I like to go to in the square, but still it's a local Denton business.... support it.
Been here a couple of times now.
Cheap drinks, decent sound system, and they have some good bands drop in now and then. Â Also a limited menu from upstairs (The Abbey Inn) if you're hungry, with a few booths to sit down. Â They have mixed drink specials even on weekends, and it's walking (okay, stumbling) distance back to UNT.
My "$" price range is based on the drinks (and they always have drink specials) - the food is a bit pricey, but you can refer to "The Abbey Inn Pub" listing for more details on the food.
Not much on tap, unfortunately.
It's a bit small, so when there's a good band playing it gets pretty full.
The Abbey Underground is one of Denton's best kept secrets. $1 wells on Friday and Saturday nights, no cover, while talented DJs play dance music from the 80's and 90's. This place is HAPPENING!
On Thursday nights, there's live swing music played by some of UNT's most talented jazz musicians.
Point of clarification: Don't expect to go here to have a nice chat with friends, this place is loud. Expect to dance your brains out, you funky party weasel, and get your drink on!
The Abbey Underground is a basement bar and occasional music venue right off the main Square in Denton. It used to be the Boiler Room but recently was taken over by the restaurant above.
The first time I stepped into this place, there was a 20 piece band playing big band music. Another night a burlesque show. Another night Opera on Tap. All of these shows were free, allowing people like me who are skeptic of the place to check it out without committing $10-$15. The Abbey Underground is really developing itself as a serious music and performance venue, tapping into local talent.
In addition to the music venue, the bar has pool tables / booths in the back for people just wanting to enjoy a drink with friends. The bar is fully stocked, with a good selection of beer on tap. You can also order food from the restaurant above. The Scotch Eggs or Fish & Chips are great for appetizers.
The only cons: It can get pretty smokey in there and often during busy nights they seem understaffed.
I'd been to the Abbey Underground a few summers ago, and the upgrades they've done since then have really improved the place! It's still basically a basement bar, but there are more places to sit and it looks more like a real establishment now. I also forgot how cheap it can be to drink in Denton! When it's crowded it can be hard to flag a bartender, which is the only way to get drinks since I didn't see any servers, but I think that's probably typical of a busy bar.
Review Source:I really like this place. Great priced drinks, nice staff and they have free events all the time. Plus, I've performed here several times and it is always easy. The crowd there is very eclectic and fun, and thanks to the upgrades they've done, there's now plenty of seating. I would highly suggest checking out their calendar of events.
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