Been here many times with mixed experiences. Sometimes the staff is extremely helpful others rude. It smells like the Penthouse Penthouse (rumor has it you can just pee where ever you want there). This is probably the bottom of the barrel as far as the SA mixology bars go. Sometimes they have a good DJ playing, but more often than not they don't.
The most annoying part though is when they try to fabricate that they are busy and force you to wait in line when there is clearly enough room for you to go in. What is that? Just let me get a drink.
Blue Box is everything wrong with the revitalization of San Antonio's 'urban core' by converting former structures into high priced condos, restaurants, and bars. Â While Blue Box does have a premium location, it sort of reminds me of the bar that 1604 clubbers go to when they feel like 'making it a downtown night.'
5/5 douche factor most nights. The vibe sort of reminds me of the Houston mixology scene. It just gets way too crowded, and the amount of time to make a drink makes your wait even longer. It's a mess.
While it attempts to be a moderate 'mixology bar', most of the premium cocktails I've tried ended up tasting like dishwasher. I'd much rather go to 1919, TBA or even the Brooklynite without having to deal with the Blue Box crowd. Service is terrible, since most authentic industry would rather work at more premium locations. Acoustics in the space are particularly terrible, and it feels like a huge fire trap.
While there are some quality establishments at Pearl, Blue Box should probably be avoided unless you want to yell at your friends while waiting in line for drinks.
Go early, or the douche canoe crowd will fill it up. Literally, they reach max capacity at times so keep that in mind.
When it's not packed, the bartenders are phenomenal and friendly, and offer up some killer cocktails.
Please don't go here and order a Dos Equis. I'm looking at you, 3 piece suit guy from last week.
My husband and I checked out this bar and were not at all impressed. Â We walked in and waited near our table for a while before my husband had to walk up to the bar. Â We were not acknowledged at all when we walked in. Â Customer service is horrible. Â The bartender acted like we were doing him a favor. Â They try to be cool and hip but they are far from it. Â We have traveled a lot and have been to some upscale trendy bars and this is not one. Â Rude bartenders who think they are better than you is not cool. Â Good service equals good tip, duh!
Review Source:ZERO STARS!!!!! Lets see where do I begin. Â Ahh yes how about the toddler bartender throwing a temper tantrum. (Sidenote: I so wish he was reading this) we order our drinks and stand around the bar. Bartender takes the napkins and throws them at my friend. He says, "who is paying for the napkins" I tell him "I am how much is it I am paying cash"
He walks back and somewhat acknowledges his childish and highly unprofessional attitude by only charging me 30 for the drinks? No apology. Where did he think the SEVEN of us were going? we are standing there having our drinks not looking to bolt out the door and not pay our tab. Â What a joke. Â For a place that seems to want to present a high class atmosphere they should try getting rid of the idiotic childish bartenders. Oh yea bitchy bartender dude, next time ask, I have some mydol for you. Xoxo
This place is hip but that's the extent of it. I went when they first opened and were extremely understaffed being it was opening weekend and it took over an hour just to get my drink. Did I mention they didn't even know how to make some popular drinks and you have to tell them how to mix it???
Review Source:Listen here, I'm not even that much of a fan of anything but a nice cold beer, however this place was nothing short of amazing. If you have the good fortune to make it up to the bar upstairs, and  find the very talented (and male), Maddy ...well, you are in for a night you won't forget.  We are from San Antonio, so the thought of going outside my bubble, downtown (gasp & groan),  was less than appealing. However, the drinks that flowed last night were surely conjured up first by angels, because they were DIVINE! I had more fun last night than I have had at a bar in as long as I can remember. My boyfriend, a crown and Coke guy, loved the Bloody Maryish drink Maddy made, and he was shortly given much grief by his buddy, until his friend tasted it himself, and then sheepishly ordered one for himself! I'm telling you. This place is something special. I even met one of the owners & his girlfriend, and they were cordial and friendly, and explained the difficulty they were experiencing giving excellent customer service and providing guests with the exceptional quality and artistry of their libations and also not angering patrons having them "wait"...hey, let's cut them some slack for crying out loud! I only had four drinks all night, because they were indeed busy (imagine that on a Saturday night), but I can assure you, (aside from some cool-ass bar in Barcelona or SoHo) you won't find anything even close in San An-one-horse-town-in-tonio).  I hesitate even writing this, because I don't want the Blue Box to lose its charm, but then again, I'm a nice southern gal so my southern hospitality is getting the best of me. I am anxious to go back, an that says a lot. Enjoy!
Review Source:They have those drink-ologist bartenders here who specialize in exotic fruit and herb-infused drinks. Good music. Has a lounge-like feel. If you're looking for yuppies and "that 60's" themed dressed gay men you came to the right place. You kinda have to be with the right people and in the right mood for this modern bar. No SNACKS available because everyone in there is anemic.
Review Source:HORRIBLE, RUDE BARTENDERS!!! Â
I dropped in with a work colleague after a wonderful dinner at Boiler House. Â This woman who had to be a prostitute came in and invaded my personal space (bar was empty) and kept shedding her pitiful "weave" onto my expensive handbag. Â I nor my guest said nothing but as soon as he went to make a call, bartender approached me and told me there was a place to hang my bag (which probably cost more than what he makes in a month), under the bar. Â I told him I would like to keep my bag in front of me but he could just as kindly ask sluts like that to keep their distance from me and my handbag. Â He gave me a sarcastic sigh, rolled his eyes, and walked on and I was in no way disrespectful to him. Â I then asked the other bartender if that was unreasonable and he started to argue with me saying there was some guy sitting on the other chair on other side of slut which there was not at the time she was invading my personal space. Â I really think she was trying to steal. Â This is the riffraff this place is attracting so please to not take any valuables and if you want to be treated badly, I suggest Dick's on the River Walk where it is much more affordable. Â I'm also glad that I'm not the only one complaining about the staff, read on!!
This was my 4th visit over the past 6 months or so. Â The first few were OK; usually just had a hard time getting the bartender to notice me, but no big complaints. Â Until the last time I went in, which will be the last time I'll go in. Â Rude bartenders. Â And now there's a huge TV loudly broadcasting sporting events and the bar has filled with the unsavory-type bro-hans you'd expect at Hooter's. Â What do you want to be, Blue Box? Â A cocktail bar or a sports bar? Â Horrible service, horrible atmosphere. There are plenty of other places to drink in town, I'll be steering clear from now on.
Review Source:The rudest, stupidest and most pretentious third rate bar in San Antonio - avoid at all cost.
You are made to wait outside like you are entering a VIP Vegas Club by guys in sweaters two sizes to small and  who I doubt can count high enough to determine what capacity is or what the word means.
The line a cheap illusion anyways, letting dochebags and hipster girls while making very pretty ladies wait outside or not be allowed to go upstairs. If you are letting me go up to cool balcony and not letting the 3 pretty ladies go up there - you got it backwards.
Avoid this sausage fest, this bar will fall apart like other bars that try to be exclusive than inclusive.
Only saving grace is drinks are ok but you would get a pizza from Domino's faster than you can get a drink in this place.
Please put a sign outside so stupid people like me can find you! Once inside what I thought was the stairwell entrance to a parking garage, I was quite happy with the cozy bar behind the unmarked doors.
They have a bar dog who is just about the sweetest thing ever. The drinks are good. They do some cask aged stuff and had a huge board with special cocktails listed. When I first came in, the barkeeps were chatty and fun but that smiley-ness deteriorated as the evening progressed and they were replaced by other bartenders.
Upstairs, it was a different experience. The bartenders "up there" were great and liked to talk booze.
If you're in the Pearl, it's worth checking out Blue Box for a pre or post dinner drink. Â Just look for the unmarked doors across the street from Sandbar. Or wander around like a lost moron like I did. Eventually, someone will take pity on you.
Love this place! It reminds me of the bars in Philadelphia when I lived there. The drinks are amazing and the ambiance is good. The bartenders are friendly and they do remember your name. The crowd tends to be young professionals Monday thru Friday. On Saturdays there is a small line so come early. The Blue Box is a great place to have a cocktail after work or as a meet up spot before you go out on a Friday or Saturday night.
Review Source:I ended up downtown on a Tuesday afternoon/early evening with a friend and decided to introduce her to all the bars that are underground or that have no signs. We ended up at 1919 and started chatting with a gentleman that told us about Blue Blox and the world-famous "Olaf" - or as I refer to him now - Â "ruler of the upstairs realm". He was amazing. There were 4 of us - a very diverse group - and we just told him what we liked and he made concoctions specific to our tastes. This is the way of the people from the "upstairs realm" and now I see why he's famous in this town. Awesome. I highly recommend :) When you go, tell Olaf Chavah sent ya...he has no idea who I am but it would make me feel good and that's what ultimately matters.
Until I have more shenanigans to share...good day to you...
Chavah
I'm of two minds about Blue Box. When it's a Tuesday night and I just want a well-made cocktail and somewhere I can here my friends talk, Blue Box is amazing. Upstairs, Olaf and co are making amazing cocktails with fresh ingredients. It's dark and cozy. But late on Friday and Saturday nights, the crowd gets rowdy and douchey, and there's a bouncer preventing too many people from going up to the second floor. Boo! So go for those rando cocktail nights, not for partying.
Review Source:Was off to a great start with this place (like I'm sure everyone is) with it's primo location, stylish decor and history behind what "the blue box" was at the Ole Pearl Brewery. The management ruined it for my friends and I. Stay away from a bartender named Matthew. He can start off entertaining and turn into a complete a**hole in about 2 seconds. Shouting obscenities, calling my friends racial slurs, arguing with customers instead of pouring their drinks were just a few of this guy's behaviors. Soo much for a neighborhood bar...this guy kicked us out for calling him rude and followed us up the parking ramp cussing, ranting and asking us "where are you from?!?" Well guess what Matthew? We are all from San Antonio and you made the decision to spend our money elsewhere extremely easy last night.
Review Source:The cocktails are great! It can get crowded at times and it can take awhile to get a cocktail, but it is so worth it. The bartenders know what they are doing. If you want anything miller or Bud just keep on walking. This bar is for serious adults who want to imbibe. And, if you can get him, Olaf is the best bartender in town!
Review Source:I really enjoy the atmosphere of Blue Box- vaulted ceilings and great decor, you can't help but feel 'cool' in there. The mixologists are always very friendly and attentive. This is the kind of place you go up to the bar and tell them what liquor and flavors you like, and they'll whip something up for you. The cocktails are good, don't get me wrong. However, they don't compare to their competitors (Esquire/1919). I have never been to Blue Box during peak hours, but it's great for Happy Hour (although I'm not aware that they have Happy Hour Specials)- the downside- no food is offered. If you get hungry you can hop to one of the many restaurants at the Pearl.
Review Source:I have been there a few times with mixed results. Â Sometimes the service is good and other times, not so much. Â I have been there when it was dead and I couldnt get any service from the bartenders. Â My worst experience was when the bartender poured me a draft beer that was moslty foam. Â When the foam finally settled, I only had half a glass of beer. Â He did this twice. Â At the price they charge for it, they should pour it better.
Review Source:Well I have to say that we were excited to check out this place; however, even though Spinal Tap's amp goes to 11 this bar doesn't need to try to out do it :( Â The music was wayyyyy too loud. Â Thank goodness for the outside seating, as that is about the only place you can hear one another speak. Also, no wine list, Really? Â This was just a Meh for our taste.
Review Source:A straight-up bar in Pearl is a good thing. Blue Box makes it even better with awesome bartenders and a relaxed up-scale theme.
It's better to go in without knowing what you want. Just tell the bartender what you're in the mood for and something amazing will arrive shortly. My wife played bartender roulette and came up with an amazing pear martini that translated into a couple more rounds. I had my usual Old Fashioned which was nicely done.
Like most everything else in Pearl, this place is pro-dog and there were a couple folks swinging by with pooches. Also lots of foot traffic from those wandering around.
Blue box initially comes off as slightly pretentious and a bit pricey but give it some time, and I am sure it'll grow on you. I tried probably every champagne and vodka drink they had on their chalkboard menu, and enjoyed every drop. Not seeing anything you want on the menu? Just tell the bartender what you like and they will craft something special for you. The wait is a slight problem at this place because you have about 3 bartenders making labor intensive drinks while trying to chat with patrons at the same time. The drinks are well worth the wait though.
The crowd is a mix of mid 20 somethings to mid 30 somethings. People are nicely dressed but not to the 9's or anything. There was a lot of inter-group mingling, which is nice especially if you are looking to meet new people. Good music, but not too loud.
Tip, if you are having an especially long wait at the downstairs bar, head upstairs, it is usually faster. Watch your step on your way down though. I've seen people trip and fall, ouch. Â Also, the bar is slightly tricky to find if you aren't familiar with the area. Just park under 281 between pearl and sam's burger joint, and walk towards Pearl's "PARK" sign.
Since when is it "sophisticated" to NOT provide service? Â I visited this bar with friends from out of town, thinking it would be a great place. Â We sat at a table in front of the bar for fifteen minutes, and nobody recognized us. Â There were only ten people in the entire establishment. Â Finally, the bartender walked up to us, and said, "We EXPECT to be busy, so you can only order drinks from the bar." Â WHAT? Â I am aware of Precious Olaf's Bar-with-an-Attitude upstairs, but I did not expect to be treated so rudely on the "main floor." Â Dear Owner: Do not claim to be a "high end" bar, if you cannot show common service courtesies. Â Picture yourself "elitist", if you desire, but I will not be back.
Review Source:Ahhh, much better the second time around, just as I was hoping!
I visited Friday for after work drinks with some girlfriends and we were able to make ourselves comfortable at the wide open bar. I have to say, these guys make one of my favorite Pimm's Cups, plenty of freshly muddled strawberries, sliced cucumbers and oranges, served in a copper mug.
What I think I loved most about this particular visit was the friendly banter with the group of bartenders. They're fun guys and do a good job of keeping the mood light while still taking care of you. Just beware, if you have a tendency to talk "valley girl" (as I do after a few drinks), they will most likely make fun of you. It's all good though because these guys can take a joke too. I will definitely try to come around 5 or 6 from now on, since I had a really great experience when they weren't as busy and crowded.
We arrived at the Pearl Brewery early for dinner reservations we had over at Il Songo Osteria and decided to grab a drink at Blue Box. Â Walking into the bar, my first impressions of Blue Box was on the positive side. Â The look of the bar had an upscale feel with lots of seating at the bar, high-tops, or booths for your choosing. Â
However, my experience was anything but positive. Â Im am very sad to say that this was my first bar/ restaurant I have ever had to walk out of. Â As we approached the bar to sit, the 2 bartenders working didn't even acknowledge us. Â So while we waited we looked over the chalkboard drink menu on the wall, which sounded fun to try. Â Once we decided what we wanted to drink we tried waving down the bartenders, but I guess they were to busy prepping lemon wedges. Â So we kept waiting for someone to take our order, and we kept waiting...and waiting....and waiting.........
After 20 minutes of waiting, in a half empty bar with rude/ lazy bartenders, we walked out of Blue Box
This can't even be called a One Hit Wonder. Let me start with the positive....the decor is beautiful. That is it.
When I Â arrived a little after 5pm to check out their HH I was first off baffled by lack of signage anywhere. Ok, I get it they want to be cool. (Think Green Lantern)
There were three dudes behind the bar and none seemed at all interested to be there. I was disgusted by the amount of Vermouth they poured into my dry vodka martini and not too thrilled with the massive amount of ice that was served in my drink.
There are no HH specials, obviously they are far to cool to do that.
A friend ordered a Black & Tan and the "bartender" gave him a blank look and simply said he didn't know what that was and shrugged. My friend had tended bar for years and would have been glad to tell this young dude what to do but the bartender did not ask only offered him a bottle of Newcastle (no glass).
After watching the entire bar staff take a shot with a customer and one of them TAKING HIS SHOE OFF holding it in his hands to retie it and go back to mixing drinks we left.
I hope the owner installs some cameras and cleans house as this place has great bones but is rotten to the core.
Been here a number times and each time it gets better. At this point I have even started to bring some of my entertainment clients and each person has really enjoyed the place especially Olaf's Pimm's Cup!! Drinks upstairs take longer but by far better than the mixology drinks found in many other bars.
While definitely not designed to be a "speed bar" the bartenders are very knowledgeable is meant for a laid back relaxing experience, If want Fist pumping head somewhere else. If want a truly remarkable drink that will shed the stress away and  give your group a nice relaxing night go to Blue Box.
I was excited to try out a new place and I can see the potential for this to be a really great bar. We arrived earlier in the evening and it was a great place for my friend and I to chat and catch up. As the evening progressed it got significantly busier and we were very jammed into the bar as people tried to order over us and squeeze in next to us. It was a weekend night so I guess that was to be expected. The music was all over the place as another person mentioned. With a lot of people in there, it gets pretty loud. The prices are a bit high as others have mentioned but the place was packed by the end of the night so they must be doing something right. They did a wonderful job on the decor and design of the place however I felt like I was at some secret club because the name of the place wasn't on the building or outside as far as I could tell. As we were leaving, a car stopped us in the parking lot to ask where this place was so I know I am not the only one that didn't see a sign. The parking is free so that is also a plus for the place.
Pros - Great ambiance, free parking
Cons- Can get over crowded and loud, high drink prices
You have to visit Blue Box on an 'off night' (tues-thurs) in order to really appreciate the experience. After having a less than stellar cocktail at the main bar (prickly pear and lychee martini - I wouldn't recommend it), we moved upstairs to the loft where things got much better.
For those that don't know, the upstairs bar is home to bartender extraordinaire Olaf Harmel (google him!), who specializes in hand crafted speakeasy style cocktails (i.e., lots of bourbon and gin). My date and I ordered a Manhattan and a champagne cocktail and both drinks were seriously out of this world. Although the wait was a little longer than usual (about 10 minutes) it was so worth it! Olaf really takes his time with his cocktails using fresh fruit and his own infusions, and he tastes everything along the way to ensure that it's as delicious as he intends.
We will certainly be back, but will skip the hipster scene downstairs and head straight up to the loft to enjoy another great drink by Olaf!
I love the story behind the name and I love the idea of this potentially being my neighborhood bar, but so far it's fallen short for me.
I visited the second night they were open and the staff didn't seem very excited or engaged with their customers. I sat at the bar while the bartender made my drink (an old-fashioned) right in front of me, but never engaged in any conversation with me.
The second time I visited and ordered the my signature drink, they really skewed it up. They remade it, but it still wasn't good. I didn't even finish it.
The prices are on the high end (on average $10 for a cocktail) but I don't find anything about Blue Box that justifies the price. There are other area bars that make perfect cocktails for the same price with the added benefit of great service.
I really want Blue Box to be awesome so I can call it my "Cheers" so I really hope they work through the newness and find themselves soon.
Coming from Chicago, the bars like this aren't anything new... bartender wasn't the most helpful and either their soda tap was busted or they just had flat coke... ah well. Â Also the music was all over the place in terms of getting your head bobbing, to immediately depressing you with a WTF slow song.
Review Source:A full service bar at the Pearl? Â Cheers! Â While not everyone knows everyone else's name just yet, Blue Box will be the place where people can finally mingle late into the evening. Â
The interior of the bar feels airy and open (weird for a bar) considering its high ceilings. Â There are large windows on the entire west side of the bar which lets patrons enjoy the view of the goings-on outside. Â
Blue Box just opened and will grow into its own. Â There are local brews on draft and the cocktails are made with skill. Â Christine made us some kind of Acai Martini which was great. Â Check it out!
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