Valhalla — Restaurant in Houston

Woah. After reading these negative reviews I felt compelled to write one. This is clearly an “outlier” bar, very different from usual ones you would find or expect almost anywhere else. Below I’ll address some of the things that a number of negative reviews brought up. To begin with, the “bar” ITSELF is probably not the ideal place to actually have a drink - typically you buy a drink there and then go outside where seats and spaces are plenty. Second, ties are not allowed inside the bar; if you wear it, you need to take it off before going into the bar. Third, there are very limited public parking spots inside the university, but this is a rule that applies to the entire university, not specifically to the bar. If you are street smart or familiar with this place enough though, you might be able to park your car outside the bar on certain dates during certain hours without problems. Fourth, what’s wrong with cash only? One of the oldest and the most highly rated bars in Houston, La Carafe, is also cash only. It’s your own fault rather than the bar’s if you didn’t know this or didn’t bring cash. Lastly, this is not a high-end bar, so everything is far away from being fancy; if a fancy bar with superior service is what you look for, look elsewhere.

There is a reason that the bar is sometimes called a “secret”: the norms and traditions of the bar, which are probably different from almost any other bars, are not widely known, and people generally expect/assume you to know them before visiting this place. Not everyone will like them, so perhaps not everyone will like the bar! Personally speaking, it’s a great bar that provides a casual environment to relax, meet new friends and...

Valhalla, a divey supposedly grad student pub that's on the Rice University campus, is definitely a somewhat of a hidden spot to all Houstonians alike. Now if you did go to Rice U at one point, you will have heard of this pub but for people who never been there before, it will be a bit hard to get to it.

One of the thing I've notice is that people actually just park along side of the curb on the inner loop with hazard light on. But don't take my word and do it as there's still a possibility you will get ticketed for doing so. Now you could always park at the visitor parking spot which is a few a bit of a walk from there to the pub. Once you get near there, you would most likely see people drinking beer outside with a small plastic cup. This means you're on the right track and you'll just need to find this old wooden door that will take you under the building.

Now, again, this is a very divey joint. The best thing about this place is that the beer is cheap, like really, really cheap. There's always a decent rotation of beer on the tap or you could go a bit premium with bottled beers in the fridge. They also sell various snacks and sandwiches for a very fair price. One thing to remember is that cash is king here. Now they serve everything in small plastic cup but it's definitely a good deal still.

One of the downside is that the music can vary based on the volunteer staff's mood. Then there's also the volume of the music as if you sit near the speakers, you could barely talk to your friends that's sitting right in front of your face. Now that I finally visited this place, I am more experienced on knowing where to park...

This is a classic meet-up place with my group. You don't have to be a Rice student or alum to go here (I'm not). It's a great place on campus, but it's kind of hidden. There isn't really a sign or anything pointing to it. The bar itself is undera building - you have to walk down steps to get there - so it feels tucked away and secret. The selection isn't large, but it's good, and most of all it's CHEAP. This is probably the least amount you will pay for a beer in Houston. You can either enjoy your beverage in the cozy bar, which is usually sprinkled with a few grad students and people from the neighborhood, or you can go back outside and sit at one of the tables in the courtyard out front under the large, beautiful live oaks. All in all it's a great place to hit up when you just want to talk with a friend and don't want to deal with a crowded place. My running group goes here at times too though, and they have also done well handling a large group, and there is more than enough room for people to...