Shoeshine Charley's Big Top Lounge

Post rodeo stopJumped off the rail after the rodeo looking for spot to chill for a bit. The live band was great and the crowd was lively. Whimsical christmas lights and dive bar drinks from friendly bartenders. One of the door guys was a little overzealous - hounding me for taking my topo chico outside. Calm down man, it's just water :P

Is this place still open? We tried to go there yesterday, and it looks like it's all boarded up and part of it is a taco place.

Place was pretty cool, dive bar for sure! Bartender was super nice and very attentive.

So fun. A super kitschy dive bar right on Main Street! (Next to the Continental Club.)So you don't really go here for the drinks - no fancy cocktail menu or beers on draft. Grab some Lone Stars, enjoy some live music inside, take in the decor, then continue drinking on their shared outside patio. Such a bizarre place with so many twinkly lights inside, weird mismatched furniture, etc.Games as well! A very unique place - don't miss it! An underrated Houston bar!

All eyes on me in the center of the ring just like a circus.When I crack that whip, everybody gon' trip just like a circus...Ah, Britters. You coulda shot your hot and *amazing* circus vid right here at Shoeshine Charley's. Everyone else thoroughly described the kitchy decor at Shoeshine Charley's Big Top Lounge, so I won't bore you, but I just want to add that I love the velvet Pink Panther poster/painting. I came here for the first time on one of Houston's most recent rainiest night (Which one, you ask? I know. We've had so many lately.). An ex-coworker was in town, Flyp P, so a bunch of us were out to kick it ol' skool. By the time I got there, everyone was "on a different level," but I played catch-up with a few glasses of their house wine. Not too shabby.Get this: No cover and there was a lively honky tonk band playing. A few patrons were out on the small and dark dancefloor having a blast, including a woman doing turns and twirls in her electric wheelchair. I think I've just arrived to Awesometown, y'all. We moved the party outside--for the smokers and just to hear ourselves think--and played a few games of Pac Man, checked out the *ancient* jukebox and just kicked it. The bartender was a hell of a lot nicer than the ones at CC and faster, too. When closing time came, my friend John K and I were content to see our bar tabs were insanely small. Flyp-dawg, however, had a larger tab than expected for drinking Lone Stars all night. Methinks a few of our drinks made it onto his tab. Whoops. We'll getcha next time, brah. I like this place and give 'em two thumbs up. Impress your date or out of town friends by making a night of it here, along with The Continental Club, The Mink, and Tacos A Go-Go just a few steps away. This is why I love H-town. Variety, folks.

I came to this bar while waiting for the headliner at the nearby Continental Club. It was pretty quiet, but provides access to the back patio, The Pachinko Hut, and also if you continue down the hallway, you can get into the Continental Club (free of charge). Their back room has a few bar games but most of them are unplugged and may not even be working anymore.The bar, or lounge as they call it, is much quieter and designed to be more of a typical bar you will find in the older buildings along Main Street. They have a small stage set up at the rear for performers and small bands. Lot of interesting stuff to see either along walls, roof or tucked into the crannies behind the bar itself. Along with Continental Club, they post a drink special on a white piece of paper at the bar. e.g. Corona $3.

Dark, small venue with live music. I love this place. It's decorated like a circus big top so it's interesting. The crowd was interested in the music. Great place to hang out!

I love this place... I'll just leave it at that.Okay, they want me to say more... Who doesn't like Christmas lights and great local music, year round??

The bouncer at the front was nice. However, Curtis refused to reimburse our cover after we had already paid next door at the Continental Club, which has the same ownership and a connected outside area. He had reimbursed others who paid to get into the Continental Club, but he was very rude and unhelpful to us. This review is specifically about Curtis and his rude behavior, which left us with a negative impression.

Went here for NYE and did not regret it. Like its sister institution The Continental Club, the drink prices are great and this was a great spot to listen to the Allen Oldies band. I love places with crowds of diverse ages. The couches are a nice, intimate touch.