The first time I walked into The Chat Room, I was a crying nervous wreck. The Man of My Dreams just walked out on me after a tenth month relationship, leaving me with a broken heart and an $800 a month apartment. A friendly woman playing pool looked at me, grabbed my shoulders and said "I'll buy you a drink, but don't get too hooked to this place." One drink became another that December of 2009 and I've been going here ever since. I'm as grateful as I'm mad that I didn't listen to her. Â Funny enough, she has since moved.
This divey neighborhood bar is pretty much the last of it's kind on Fort Worth's Near Southside Magnolia Avenue commercial strip. The neighborhood's quickly gentrifying. But while it's still here, go in and read the chalkboard listing the drink specials and then read the absurd, probably offensive quote next to it spouted by some drunk and/or high regular the night before. It's smoky--Fort Worth still allows smoking in bars--and the inside is left to be desired, but its charm isn't the aesthetic, its charm is that it's a freewheeling neighborhood gathering spot where the familiarity is as comforting as the drama among the younger regulars is discomforting. (Hey people, me included.) Regulars know more about music than themselves, think they know their shit, and are happy when you say "Shut the hell up."
In short, when government doesn't do enough to bring people together in a neighborhood, you can always rely on a drunk entrepreneur. I give it 4 stars because I gained a lot of weight going here.
Cheers, Chat Room.
Awesome drink specials. Cool Bartenders. Whether late night hysterics or afternoon on the patio, The Chat brings all kinds of folks together under the auspice of loud music and cheap drinks. Lots of good points for the random nature of interpersonal interactions, you never know who you're gonna meet.
Review Source:Hands down one of my favorite bars to frequent. Â This place is welcoming with their reasonably priced drinks, Â at-home atmosphere and fun patrons. Of all the bars in fort worth, this is the least likely place where you'll try to be picked up by a creepy old cowboy.
My favorite part is that when the weather is nice, I get to bring my fur-kids to have a drink with me.
My favorite bar in Fort Worth. Why? Because they have everything I could ever want in a bar:
-reasonably priced drinks
-it's divey
-great service and friendly bartenders
-pool table
-pinball machine
-giant TV
-vending machine with snacks
-cell phone charging station
-computers with internet connections, so you can keep  up with your social networking addictions
-jukebox with a wide array of music choices
-clean bathrooms (this is so very difficult to find at a dive bar)
-board games
My girlfriend is from Ft. Worth, every time I go home with her she takes me to one of the bars she used to frequent. We have been to lots of bars but The Chat Room is by far the best!
I love dive bars, I smoke, I like the 1994 internet vibe this place holds on to in the corner. You can find tons of bars like this in Austin, I think they are very rare in Ft. Worth. I do wish the bar had a better selection of beer, every bar in Ft. Worth seems to have Rahr beers which aren't really that good. I get that its local and kitschy but its just not good at all. I cant complain too much about that because I am happy drinking PBR and shots of well whiskey.
I felt so at home here, the comfortable fog of smoke. The awesome playlist I was able to select on the juke box. The cheap drinks, the interesting mix of pseudo hipsters and dogs inside the bar. I felt like the Chat room  provided me a comfortable rest from most of the cheesy corporate bars in Ft. Worth. I will definitely go back.
If I'm being totally honest, I don't particularly love The Chat Room, and that's an assessment inexorably linked to the idea that this place plays a little like the inside of an exhaust pipe, if the inside of the exhaust pipe housed a decent vibe and often times folks you knew and liked. And given the fact that the Fort Worth bar scene seems to be at times divided between those who may have noticed that a number of US cities have gone smoke free (Fort Worth's not there yet but it's apparently on the table), and others seem steeped in a time when smoke and bars were more universally simpatico...The Chat Room provides a bit of a conundrum.
Do I harp on the relentless fog, or focus on the cool and oft-cheery vibe? Both are facts, and I definitely don't begrudge those who enjoy this spot. But for me, my ticket was punched when the guy who sat next to me at the bar literally blew smoke in my face for thirty minutes. At some point, that's a politeness argument, I suppose, and I was bummed at the experience, especially knowing some folks who I genuinely dig were fans. That said, they do harbor a patio, and not beyond the realm of possibility that I'd give that a whirl. Seems I even caught a hot dog cart there making it happen. But in its current incarnation, if you're a non-smoker, the Chat Room, much like life, means picking your battles. I may be back, but likely infrequently.
I'm a smoker. It's definitely smokey, know that going in. But the food truck service, cheap drinks and divey badass atmosphere is worth checking out. The patio is pretty great. It's definitely got a specific crowd ... so you'll know almost right away if it's the place for you.
One thing I love about The Chat though --is that it is pet friendly. Bring your dogs leashed and they can taste your beer. That's pretty rad, yeah?
Okay, listen. Â I'm a smoker and I am not ashamed. Â I smoke when I'm sober, but I'm a dang chimney when you get a beer in my hand. Â At the Chat Room, it is okay for me to be a dang chimney. Â If you ain't into that kinda scene, find another place. Â
I'm also into dives, and this is pretty divey. Â It's relaxed, the beers are cheap, and the barkeeps friendly. Â When I came here, a gentleman was holding a memorial for his dog and had pasted/painted/somehow affixed a picture of the dog to the center of one of the tables and everyone stayed off it out of respect. Â It's that kinda place.
Also, they had Apples to Apples. Â Real chill. Â I dug.
Yeah, it can get smoky, but it is the only laid-back, divey, Denton-style bar on the West side. Somewhere between the older crowd and the TCU frat crowd. Gets pretty crowded on weekend nights after 10 or so. Great place to chill, pretty good (but not totally extensive) beer selection.
Review Source:Hmm... I'm not sure I understand why people love this place so much. The prices are okay for a neighborhood bar and the people are friendly. I bump into someone I know every time I am there.
Buut... I just can't stand the smoke.
I am happy to continue only enjoying the outside part of this place before Night Riders on Sunday nights. Perhaps when it gets warmer and I can sit outside on a nice afternoon, I will enjoy this place more and re-review. =)
If you're just looking for a spot to sit back, talk and have some drinks, this is the spot for you. Â Located near the medical district of Fort Worth, this bar is located inside of a fairly plain looking building. Â It really doesn't look like much on the outside (and we got a kick out of the fact that we walked through a door that had a sign on it that said "Keep Door Closed") but it opened up to a fairly good sized space on the inside.
We randomly stopped by on a Monday night and got to enjoy their drink special for the evening. Mondays are Happy Hour prices, all day so $2 wells/beers were on deck. Â We had a rum & coke and a pineapple & vodka, both of which were tasty and well spirited. Â They have a digital jukebox that had a host of music, a pool table, a poker machine and a pinball machine (that was unplugged at the time, to our disappointment).
If you have allergies and/or can't stand the smell of smoke, stay away, because this place has a strong smoke smell when you first enter. Â However, on a warm evening, you can avoid it by chilling on the outdoor patio. Â The bartender Jason was friendly and kept a clean bar area. Â He even cleaned all the tables when we asked for napkins to wipe off a wet glass ring on our table.
And they also have free wifi, with computers provided at the bar if you don't have a wireless friendly device. Â All in all, we were happy to visit this little neighborhood spot to sit and talk over cheap drinks. Â I wouldn't hesitate to stop by there again.
It appears to be a place where everyone can be themselves- almost to a painful degree- and everyone seems to know each other... in the biblical sense. Cigarette smoke, spilled beers, gossip from strangers, the most desperate guys I've ever met and noticeable dash of social retardation abounds. Possibly tolerable/interesting the first couple times your dragged there. Think twice about making it a habit.
Review Source:LOVE THIS PLACE. I moved to Ft. Worth from Denton after graduating from UNT and this bar completely makes me feel like I'm back in Denton...that is a compliment. The downtown scene here is very douchey and this bar and the Fairmount area offer a nice alternative to that area. The bar is nothing special to look at...small, divey, smokey, etc...but the people make it awesome. There is always good music on the jukebox and delicious tacos being made in the corner. The drinks are fairly cheap and the bartenders are ery friendly and remember you if you come consistently.
Review Source:man what a lame place to even drink at.  high priced drinks and how can you drink at a place with the same D-bag hipster wanna be's that show up every time. last time i was here was back 4yrs ago and i was just recently  forced to visit this crap hole again and what do i see? the same people i saw 4yrs ago still  doing the same thing. i felt as if i walked into a time machine. oh and the music DAAAAAAAAMN such lame sauce i hate this place!
Review Source:Absolutely love this place. I've been living in Fort Worth for a few months now, and I am having difficulty finding awesome dive bars. I don't want to go somewhere that I have to deal with people that are there to be "seen" or that are trying to act like they're 20 when they are in their 40s. This place is perfect because it's not those things. A complete dive with friendly staff and friendly customers. They don't have a huge selection of drinks or beers, but who cares? Give me a beer on any day and I'm a happy girl. Definitely going back.
Review Source:Not a bad spot, but if you get irritated by cigarette smoke easily, this ain't your spot. I've left here and woken up the next day sick several times. Seems like everyone that goes to the Chat smokes, and it's very hard to handle.
There's usually decent music playing, so kudos on that.
Excellent neighborhood bar. The staff is always super friendly, wonderful, etc. and whenever a new person comes in (unless it's just packed) the staff almost always makes an effort to introduce themselves. Great, if overpriced jukebox. Inexpensive drinks and good specials. There's almost always a good crowd going on, rarely will you walk in on an empty bar. I love their playboy pinball machine and the pool table always seems to be packed. Definitely the coolest bar in fort worth and the outside patio and free internet just make it that much better.
Review Source:What a fun little dive! If you're looking for 30,000 beers you'll have to go to Gingerman or the Flying Saucer, but what can I say...I'm a Shiner girl at heart. The Chat Room is on the hippest street in Fort Worth, Magnolia Ave, and it has a pretty laid back crowd. I heard there were computers inside--I didn't actually think people used them, but almost all of them were occupied with serious internet surfers...word. Be prepared to make friends; you will undoubtedly be sharing one of the picnic tables with someone else!
Review Source:Thank god for the Chat Room Pub. I grew up in this city and despite it being a college town there never seemed to be any place where locals could congregate with cheap booze, great jukebox selections, and a place where (eventually) everyone knows your name. In addition I've seen a few live bands here including Restavrant where I've never seen people get so crazy.
When you walk in to this very discrete box-shaped building you are greeted with checkered floors, pinball games, a row of computers, and probably a bartender with a sailor hat (who I've never seen without). Drinks are CHEAP. I've met some interesting individuals here ranging from hipsters to older couples to local musicians who all flock to this hole in the wall off Montgomery.
If any complaint I have it would be that it can get VERY smokey in there and sometimes someone will fill up the entire jukebox with shitty 90s rock (on the contrary, someone with better tastes will make your night with their line-up).
So to Fort Worth's hidden dive, I salute you.
Being as this is pretty much the ONLY cool bar in Fort Worth (in my opinion), I especially have to rave about it. :)
Seriously though, good job on this place, guys. It's a slice right out of the Bay Area. Too bad there aren't more cool places like this in God awful FW!
- Computers/internet in-house: Nice!
- Live music sometimes: Heck yes!!
- Good/cheap drinks: I'll drink to that.
- Friendly service: Never been rude!
- Extensive jukebox: Quite extensive.
- Excellent location: Magnolia St.!!!!!!!
- Lotsa parking: A whole big nice lot.
- Pool Table: Si. Too bad I suck at it.
- Rad environment: Indeed.. Props!!
I'll def come back here again when visiting friends/family in ol' Worthless. Keep up the good work Chat Room!
This is one of the only good bars in the up-and-coming Magnolia district. There are tons of great restraunts around the Chat Room to grab a bite at before you do your drinking. I suggest Spiral Dinner or King Tuts. My favorite thing about the Chat Room is the bartenders. They are all really friendly, quick, and attentive. They even try to remember you by name. Dave is especially great, he's the one with the booming voice and funny mustache. Inside the bar there is a pool table, some video games, a jukebox, and of course some computers with inet (hence the name...the chat room). They also have some art for sale on the walls by local artists. Outside there is a medium sized patio with some uncomftorable seating. The one thing I dont like about the Chat Room is the very very smokey atmosphere. But I guess you get that at most Fort Worth bars.
Review Source:MMmm....Yeah. First off I would like to say that this place rocks as far as barkeep staff. All the barkeeps are very freindly and excellent even when busy. When I first checked this place out a while back, this was by far my favorite place to chill and chat with friends...Now that the buzz has spread it's a bit different and this reflected on my rating where otherwise I would have definately gave this place a 5 star rating. The thing I hate the most about a popular place is that as soon as the buzz gets out, it's not too long far behind that the place gets swamped with loud, rowdy, and obnoxious kids all over the place. It now get's to the point where if you are not in there early enough you absolutely will end up standing. It really blows. Me and a friend are going to start up a bar down the street really soon and hopefully we'll be picking up the slack of cool people left that are having to turn around and leave because there is no seating left. I do like the awesome shows and the awesome Jukebox.
Review Source:We came here early so the place was pretty empty. Â In fact, we opened the joint. During peak hours, I imagine this bar to be full of folks clad in straight leg jeans and slip-on vans. Â I imagine the parking lot to be lined with fixies---drop-bars abound. Â I imagine angled 'dos and emaciated patrons. Â I couldn't tolerate a place like the one I imagine but in it's emptiness, I adore it. Â
I'm sure it's not as I imagine it to be, but it's fun to let my imagination soar. Â I like this place--super nice bartender, good ambiance and right across the street from Spiral. Â Next time I'm in Ft. Worth, I will return.
Did I mention free internet? Â Sweet!
Oh, how I love the Chat Room. The accommodating staff, the delicious suds, the spiciest (if requested) bloody mary, and the best group of rag-tag barflies that one could possibly hope for. The only drawback is leaving feeling like you've smoked 20 cartons of winston-lights, its a smoky place. But there is always space outside to sit and they often open the door to help out the ventilation. Check out this Magnolia Street gem!
Review Source:Yeah, I love this place. Bartender asked us our names, and after we cued up a few choices on the mp3 jukebox, he offered us a round of drinks!
It is literally a concrete box sitting in the heat on Magnolia. It is smoky inside, so honestly... when it gets crowded, I get outta there. It does seem like a good place for happy hour, relaxing with friends, and enjoying good music on the jukebox. They do occasionally book live bands, and the hip factor is totally major. Low on the douchal factor. Â I digs.
When you pass by The Chat Room, you don't see it. It's a modest white, square building with no windows. The Chat Room is themed to be an "internet bar" and there are around 10 computers up against a wall anyone is welcome to use, but I have rarely seen more than 2-3 people at them at any one time.
It is definitely a place to go if you don't want to been seen.
The bar staff are almost too friendly, but they do provide great service.
If you're looking for entertainment, they offer several TV's, 2 pinball machines (woo-hoo!!!!), Pac-Man/Gallga, an internet jukebox and, of course, a pool table.
Plenty of beers to choose from, a lot of mixed drinks, the ability to smoke inside and no food = a good time. Stop in if you are in the area.
One week ago, I had absolutely no idea about this place. Living in Dallas (and being inadvertantly caught-up in the weird power struggle that exists between sister cities - Dallas and Fort Worth) it's natural to see why I don't exactly pass down Magnolia Boulevard to buy groceries or walk the dog. To hear about the Chat Room, you have to know somebody. As it happens, I know my roommate, who knows his girlfriend, who knows her roommate, who knows about the bar. Just that simple. Place was packed on a Sunday night.
Here is what I saw: bicycles and scooters chained to the fence; philosophy majors chained to the dance floor; and tattooed vegans chain-smoking outside. The bartenders smiling and shaking hands and asking first names; beer drinkers standing at the bar and holding their dates around their waists and not minding the suds in their beards. The Chat Room is where happy Fort Worth hipsters go to avoid the massive, slag-heap of humanity. Every bartender there introduced himself to me and made the following inquiries: "How goes? Having a good time? How do you know about Rahr Beer?"
Oh, by the way, they have Rahr Beer. Rahr and Sons is a family brewed craft beer that virtually disappeared after they immigrated to the States from Rhineland, Germany. They make an exceptional amber lager and a pretty impressive IPA called Stormcloud. You can also take a tour of their facility on Saturdays, where they happily treat you with a cold Rahr beer - free of charge. To all you Texas-haters, take notes.
We went to the Chat Room last night for the first time. I really felt at home. This was in part due to the great service. Early in the night, Brad the bartender introduced himself to me, asked my name, and the spend the rest of night dropping by our table and addressing me by my name. I've never gotten that level of service at any bar. There was a good vibe, great music on the box, Playboy and Starship Troopers pinball, a patio out front, across the street from the Spiral Diner....man the Chat Room is just perfect. I should have written this review from one of the free internet terminals they had set up. I think I've found my new favorite bar.
Review Source:Oh Chat Room...
The closest thing to hip Fort Worth has to offer. That said- it really does deliver. It has that dive bar feeling sans creeps or almost-geriatrics. If you're looking for an under 35er place AND avoid TCU frat brats, this place hits home.
They have one of those digital jukeboxes where you can find virtually every song in existence, a bunch of free computers, and a couple of pool tables. Plus, they offer vegan white russians. Bartenders are very sweet. I also love that they work closely with Metrognome.
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