Not a fan of bloody marys to begin with, but they are not impressive at all. Â This is one of those old run down "good memory" places where the bartenders are more interested in each others stories than making a drink. Â I think I ordered 4 different shots before they knew any of them and then they had an argument amongst themselves and still screwed it up. I almost want to give two stars because it was interesting to watch, but no I think honesty is the best policy
Review Source:My favorite bar here. The bartenders are friendly, the drinks and food are cheap, and the patrons are all good to be around. It's a good place to come and relax with just about anyone. It's a fun dive bar. The food's really cheap, and those hash browns alone are great for the munchies.
Review Source:I had a lot of fun at this place. The drinks are dirt cheap and everyone is crazy nice. Even the weird looking ones are. I will recommended this place for drinks anyday. But on the other hand the food was not that great. I hate to write something bad about this place but the queso taste like velveeta and the quesadillas was way to spicy. And I never left a bar where I smelled so much like smoke. But if you can get past that I would go here for sure.
Review Source:Beared hipsters? Check!
Cheap happy hour specials? Check!
Stinky hippies? Check!
Token black guy? Check!
Thad Ziegler guy? Check!
Overflow from TxSt art dept.? Check!
Salty burgers? Check!
Loaded quesadillas? Check!
Heartburn? Check!
Tagged up yearbooks? Check!
Badass bartenders? Check!
*gasping for air* I can go on and on about this place.
Ah Showdown, "The Amusement Bar!" Whenever I went to college at Texas State Univ, this was my #1 favorite dive bar to go to. One of the few places in San Marcos where you can come as you are; no fancy dress code & a great local atmosphere. Showdown has a great & diverse bartending staff, really cheap drink specials, & the "happy minutes" between 5pm-5:15pm is fun!
In addition to the drink prices, Showdown also has great burgers cooked to order. Not sure what they season them with but they're probably the best kept burger secret in San Marcos, especially since Tap Room up the street can get really crowded.
I no longer live in San Marcos but whenever I am in the area I still enjoy stopping in for a quick drink or lunch. And our mug is still there waiting!
I really don't like writing bad reviews but I really don't like this place. Its absolutely nothing special. I have tried the bloody marys, I would recommend getting one if you want to drink and have a snack because they definitely hook you up in the olive department.
Last time I was there I asked the bartender if there was a limit on the card purchases and she said no. I got one drink and closed the tap leaving a nice tip thinking we were not staying long. I later discovered we were going to stay and went to get another drink. The bartender told me I couldn't reopen the tab. I was very irritated but I didn't cause a scene or anything but if I can help it I wont be going back.
Sorry ya'll!
p.s. This place is a hipster magnet. seriously.
Showdown is...Showdown.
I'm sure every city has a bar exactly like Showdown. You can come in for Happy Minutes in the early afternoon and catch the daytime drunks, or later in the evening when the hipsters invade. The crowd changes throughout the day, but a few things stay consistent by the hour. There seems to be an established "regular" crowd - if you are not a member of this crowd, expect a scowl from most of the bartenders, and expect to be ID'd over and over again, even if the bartender/door person recognizes you and you were just there the night before.
Drink prices are about average - no real specials to write home about, but nothing crazy either. Some pitchers can get expensive (I think Fat Tire  runs about 14 bucks) but if you stick with Lone Star or Ziegen Bock, you won't hemorrhage money from your pocket. People swear by the Bloody Mary, but it isn't my style. I do usually get a cup of olives, though. It is EXTREMELY smoky in here, and this is one of the main reasons I don't come in regularly. I would expect a smoking ban to change that this November.
They have pool tables, foosball tables, a Pac-Man table upstairs and we have even brought board games in there before. There are a couple Showdown curiosities - the disgusting basketball net and the Showdown mugs. Above the jukebox hangs a basketball net that has apparently been stewing in the bar's smoke for about 20 years and as a result is completely covered in brown fuzz. Above the bar hang mugs - these mugs are numbered and belong to frequent customers. They also seem to collect the lovely smoke remnants everything else in the bar collects. I'd imagine you could get addicted to smoking just by drinking a single beer from one!
Also, an internet jukebox? Yuck! Go to the Restless Wind for a great CD-filled jukebox, or petition Showdown to one-up them and install a 50's style vinyl-playing jukebox. Sit on it, Potsie!
"Austin dive"--dive-bar look but much more fun, friendly, and hip than a true dive bar.
The place retains a fairly uniform crowd of coolkids, which is great for Austin transplants and those who believe Austin is the coolest city on Earth. If you're not a hipster, Showdown is probably not the bar for you.
The seating is awkwardly arranged throughout, making for uncomfortable arrangents for both large and small groups, especially if you've come to chill and talk. A few of the bartenders are also not the most friendly people in the world. And, as noted in other reviews, there's only one pool table here, which is typically taken.
This bar was one of my favorites last year, with employees who knew my named and chatted a bit, but recently it's taken a wrong turn somewhere for me. The staff has gotten angrier and one bartender/staff in particular seems to always wear a "F*** You" face, even when smiled at.
Also, it seems that the drawings on the wall in the set-in area have gotten less clever and more...realistic? I'd rather see "A&G FOREVER "11" than 12 disgustingly large and veiny...you know what I'm going to say.
Their drinks are still pretty good, but I kind of avoid going here anymore if I can help it.
Don't make any jokes. I had an expired license, though I am 34. My friend made a joke about the rest of our party being underaged and we were asked to leave by a an Asian looking female bartender, even though the rest of our party was over 30. Guess the tacky decor marches the staff- brainless. One star is not low enough. I am disappointed I cannot 0 star this bastion of ignorance.
Review Source:One of my favorite places in San Marcos, you can hang out here without going broke. Lots of people start off their night here. There's lots of room but it can get pretty busy pretty quickly on a weekend night. I hear they have food here now as well , but I have yet to order it.
Shiner and Ziegen  Pitchers around 9 bucks... not to shabby...
Friend took my fiance and I here on our vacation and we ended up here twice in one night. I was able to order my own drink for the first time and they told me the actual name of it so not to confuse people. Great staff they are funny. everyone there was basically a regular. All the same type. Hippies that love to drink. Great bloody mary though. Pool tables are hard to get a hold of once people are on them, they take quarters. But you can purchase quarters on your tab which i thought was funny.
Review Source:I liked this place. It's divey, but that's not a bad thing in my book. A good group of locals were having fun when I got there, around 6:30 (I was killing time before a play). The bartenders had to study my ID for about 5 minutes because it was from Alaska, but I'm kind of used to that by now. Staff was friendly, there were lots of places to sit, and...the bloody mary was excellent! Spicy and FULL of green olives. Exactly how I like it. Also, very cheap.
Review Source:The only place I know where a person can get a bloody mary (Which are AWESOME, get it without the ice) two pints of ziegenbock, and a bacon cheeseburger with chips (Very good) for under 15 bucks!
This dive bar is a perfect place to spend an evening with friends, just a block away from the pretentious faux clubs of the square, it serves all who are over 21 (the bartenders are on the ball and very professional with checking IDs) and ladies from the little black dress brigade and the hipster runoff from triple crown are all welcome and not at all out of place here.
Beer selection is... Average, it is not as expansive as the taproom, but they do have populars on tap and do remember regular's orders, they include bottles of cider at a reasonable price.
Blah blah blah blah blah, Good music, good environment (Provided you aren't a pretentious dick, if you want a country club, what are you doing in san marcos?) good service, good prices, and good food. Wanna spend an evening on the cheap playing pool, fooseball, or meeting new people? Come here, and don't forget to show the bartenders some love.
I love me some dive bars.
I was recently in San Marcos to see a friend and it was suggested we meet up at The Showdown. Little did we know that it was the end of the summer semester and literally every student from Texas State would be shoved into this little bar trying to drink their grades away. It was a mad house.
Even with that, there was no pushing and shoving and a nice young man let me cut in front of him for my Diet Coke. I say "nice young man" because I now realize that college age kids could almost be my children. Instead of wanting to give them my number, I want to give them motherly advice.
Some more highlights? Simpson's pinball, y'all! Excellent people watching. Seems to be a place where most everybody knows each other.
The only thing I didn't like about the Showdown was the smoking, but that's not really the fault of the establishment as it is of the local government.
A friend that attended Southwest Texas State called The Showdown her "all-time favorite bar ever". Â This was her hangout during the College Years, Â mostly because of 1.) the amazing Bloody Mary, and 2.) the old "First Customer Drinks Free Until the Next arrives" deal. Not offered these days, but we still made a trip down to San Marcos.
The outside is dumpy. Deceiving. Stucco, late 70's modern. Ugh. But walk through the door and be transported to a cool old style pub. Â Signs everywhere, pool table, small side rooms, great day bartender and friendly regulars. Â
And she was right about the Bloody: bartender Justin hooked us up with a spicy House version, the best part being 1.) the handful of cocktail olives instead of a celery stalk and 2.) the 3.60 price. THREE DOLLARS SIXTY CENTS for this amazing cocktail!? Â I just added The Showdown to my list of favorites!
I put together a video podcast of out trip to the Showdown (and side trip to the strange former Aquarina Springs). Â Please check it out at <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F9PLNa0&s=d25ddacbb44a90bae31e89d47b75c6aae7b6d800a89a516d3dd45a24db05f92e" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/9PLNa0</a>
Showdown is an awesome place to hang out with friends and have a good time. Â The bartenders are really cool and their drinks keep getting better and better. Â The prices are good too. Â
I wish they would have more pool tables and more TVs to follow several games at a time. Â Minor detail though!
Showdown is the only bar I truly love in San Marcos! Â
The Bloody Mary is to die for and is the house specialty. Â After just one taste, it's no wonder it's an award winner. Â What makes them so great is that they make them from scratch and top it off with an entire handful, yes- and entire handful, of olives. Â Can it get any better than that?
Showdown is also one of the few bars that always has my drink of choice cold and ready - the Woodchuck Pear Cider. Â
The crowd is great and sometimes strangely diverse, but that's what makes it a real San Marcos dive bar. Â The jukebox has anything a person could ask for, and their foosball tabel is my lucky table!
Showdown serves up the best Bloody Mary I've ever had in my life. They don't use a mix but have an in-house recipe, and it is fabulous. They also do a very good job of kicking it up a notch if you're like me and like your Bloody Marys extra spicy.
This place is your quintessential Texas dive bar. The decor looks a little rough, but appearances can be deceiving. The atmosphere is generally a lot more chill than other places in and around the square. Refreshingly, most people do not go to Showdown to be seen, but just to hang out with friends and maybe shoot some pool. The bartenders are generally very prompt with drink orders and are also generally hilarious people if it's not too busy and they can spare a moment to chat with you.
They do not serve food here beyond a few bags of chips and salted nuts, so make sure to eat something before meandering over.
Best Little Dive Bar In Texas. Â Well if its not that then it is a close second. Â The Bloody Mary is a house special and a cure for the most annoying of hangovers. Â The bar itself is an eclectic mix of well bar stuff form signs to dart boards and weird hanging lights that don't belong anywhere other than a dive bar. Â It is a great place to meet friends and have a round or if you need a late night meeting place then the back room behind the bar is a must visit. All in all a decent establishment.
Review Source:This little dive is a great place to have fun with friends, in a place where it's a little rowdy, but not too much to where you can't hear your friends.
They usually have beer specials and if you're a good regular, there is a rack of customer beer mugs where you can keep your own individual mug.
The music is great and the energy is mellow but always fun. It's about two blocks from Texas State University, and a block off The Square. Check it out some night.
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