Before you get your unmentionables in a bunch over this 3 star rating...let me explain... I came here after an event with some friends. One of said friends was on the fence about going out, but (without coercion) willingly agreed to hit Benders for a quick beer and check it out. Once arriving, said friend turned into a grumpy frumpy and refused to have a drink, opting instead to mope around, suck the fun out of the air, and basically give his best impression of a tree stump. The OTHER friends and I were having a great time! Huge patio, the same great drink selections as the other locations (Barfly's etc...) and same great prices. Unfortunately, we ended up slugging our beers, so I could get the Princess home before he turned back into a pumpkin. My only negative about the bar itself was that it was so dark, I could barely see three feet in front of me. So, for now...we remain at 3. I hope to return very soon without the fun police in tow...confident that Bender will live up to my expectations. read more

Dive on by Dive right in D'ive wanted to stop in for a while - glad I did. Okay I'm already out of puns. Great dive bar at Congress & Ben White. Feels to me a bit like Hideout for the South. But with less patio. It's your standard, dimly lit, grungy feeling, torn booth bar where people can just be people. And drink. And that's all I have to say about that. read more

The god forsaken sweet bun strikes again! Way to ruin a perfectly decent burger guys. If it had been on Texas toast, or even a sesame bun, it would have been pretty good. But a sweet bun that just falls apart in your hands is just crap. I want to find the people that started this sweet bun craze and slap them in the face. The tater tots were yummy though. If I just went to the Bender Bar for drinks and a few games of pool or whatever, my experience would have been a lot different. They have two pool tables, a foosball table (which I beat Kat B at... I show no mercy!), a couple of dart boards, and a few video games. That's plenty to keep my drunk ass amused in a bar. The other big plus for Bender is the jukebox. Damn, this thing was loaded with great stuff like The Pixies, Murder City, Nofx, Johnny Cash and various other bits of awesomeness. If I ever go to Bender again, I won't get the burger, I will be the first to put my money in the Jukebox, and I will gather some folks up for some Naked Photo Hunt on the Megatouch machine. That would easily make the experience a whole lot better than the stupid sweet bun burger surprise I had this time. Pros: Awesome Jukebox, Good Tater Tots, Plenty of Bar Games to Play Cons: Sweet Buns!!!, It was Ludicrously Dark in There. read more

DUDES: I never thought I'd say that I'd eat AND love a salad from a bar. The spinach salad with fluffy leaves, crispy bacon, red onion slivers, and creamy goat cheese crumbles with balsamic vinaigrette on top is insanely good. And at $5.99, I can definitely roll with that price. At this time, I'd also like to give a shout to John, the bar manager. He makes a special effort every time I'm in to greet me and keeps the great service going all night. All around, a terrific neighborhood set-up by Mr. Marcus. read more

i have been coming to Bender for about 6 years or so and I thought to myself, "Why have I not given this place a review?". My friends and I describe Bender as our version of "Cheers". Most of the bartenders have been working there for years and still remember us by name, even when we haven't been there for a few months. John (the owner) has always gone above and beyond hospitality and gives us a friendly welcome whenever we stop by. I can see from the outside perspective that he doesn't put up with bulls*it from amateur boozers. However, he was kind enough to tolerate my blundering and belligerent best friend on her birthday while making sure she had someone drive her home safely. Bender takes in the likes of everyone; from the girls who laugh too loudly to the old man sitting with Johnny Walker. I have never brought anyone who feels out of place coming here, as it is a breath of fresh air compared to the stereotype that is the downtown crowd. The music varies with their jukebox choices ranging between old school Dr. Dre to Primus and The Sounds. If I had one suggestion, it would be to change or add more music to what they already have. Then again, this is a part of their all-around consistency that hasn't changed since I first started going here. I haven't explored all of their food menu, but we made it a weekly event to go on Tuesdays for their 25 cent wing night. The wings are small, but still a great price compared to most other wing bars in the area. They have different food specials on weekdays and I have seen it change a few times. I am a huge advocate for fried pickles, and theirs are the satisfying fried goodness I need after a few stiff drinks. The drink options as well as prices never disappoint. My better half is quite a beer snob, and he is always impressed with the brews they are able to get on tap. They have had a lot of the Lagunitas varieties (Gnarly wine, Lil Sumpthin' Wild) and in years passed, they were able to get Shiner Cheer on tap which is my favorite winter seasonal (and which I miss, oh so very much). The low prices have maintained as well. $2 Lone Stars and $2.50 wells, with a 50 cent discount during happy hour. They pour their liquor drinks generously, so I always have to prep myself before the first sip. This is especially in favor of my wallet weight. The same is equally true with their shots. I would describe them as "double gulpers" and not for the dainty. This has spoiled me when I find myself disappointed at the size of shots I get from other bars. I know what to expect when I am here, whether it is for a big game or just a regular Monday afternoon. I hope for Bender to always stay the same and provide the great sociability to the regulars and newcomers and the authenticity that it's known for. Oh, and for some reason I really hate when people call it "Benders". Don't ask me why. read more

It's very interesting how all the reviews for Bender follow the same outline. I, too, have been wanting to try this place out. It's so close to home and cheap. My friends didn't want to have anything to do with this place even though we checked it out back when it was Woody's. I was finally able to convince the darling husband to join me in a few beers. Yes, it does look pretty unappetizing from the outside, but I knew what was inside waiting for me. -Cheap beer -Good bar food -Rocking music -Interesting crowd (not in the bad way, but the way you can spot your own.) -Burgers that remind me of my old haunt, The Boulevard Grill -Lot's of room to roam -Fried pickle slices with ranch -Beer pitchers The reviews tell the story. I really want to become a regular here. read more

Decided to head to Bender after the EPIC FAIL at Red's Porch. I was excited about visiting Bender because of the owner's other exploits around town... some of my favorite spots. Bender did not let me down. Like the other places, it has a dive bar type of feel on a sort of large scale. Decent beer selection (Pinstripe on draught!)and prices, friendly bartenders, and random movies on behind the bar (they were showing Quarantine... which we stayed to finish watching) are only the beginning of the awesomeness that is this place. The jukebox is AMAZING.... so many things to choose from and didn't have to wait for too long to actually hear the songs. Also, Indy 500 pinball. What a brutal game! I also had my ass handed to me in pool, which isn't a difficult thing to do... but it was a serious ass whooping. I'll have to make a point to return during my southside living excursion. read more

$20 to get 4 of us drunk? $3 tanqueray tonics? Clean? Balanced pool tables? Clean? Yea, I'm in. read more

I'm new to Austin so I really don't know much about the city just yet. I relied on yelp to help me find this bar/grill (mostly bar). It's like my sanctuary now! Lol the drinks are cheap and the food is wonderful! I've only been here twice, but each time the service was great. Pretty sure I'll be a regular. read more

Some say the x, make the sex spec-tacular, make me lick you from yo neck to yo back, then ya, shiverin, tongue deliverin Chills up that spine, that ass is mine Skip the wine and the candlelight, no Cristal tonight One of my favorite bars to go to when I want to get a little twisted off. I don't drink at the house, and I don't drink for the taste. I drink to get drunk. This place fits my bill. Bender is close to the house, no hipster douches, and the prices are right. The bartenders are way chill...they make sure you are always on full and the prices are way great. Every time I go here, my tab is at least thirty percent less than what I expect it to be, and my hangover is worse. Tons of beers on drafts, good happy hour prices, and a fat patio for us smokers. ************Best burger in town Get the waffle fries P.S You're welcome for the Biggie lyrics read more

Can't believe I've been coming here for years and never even tried the food before last night. The $2 pork tacos were legit some of the best tacos I've had in recent memory. The pork was tender, obviously slow cooked, and perfectly seasoned. The cilantro was fresh and crunchy. The corn tortillas were soft and obviously no more than a day old. All around great. Bender will always be my #1 thanks to their cheap ($2.50) wells and strong pours. I can't even tell you how many times one of the bartenders has poured me a glass of vodka and actually said, "I don't have much room for tonic. Is that cool?" Of course that's cool, dude. Don't ask such silly questions. With drinks that strong and prices that low, I actually have a hard time hitting the $10 credit card minimum without needing a taxi or a friend to take me home. (Because I'm a lightweight.) read more

So I was at Little Woodrows South with a friend and sat their shaking my head. Why you ask? Well thats a silly question! If I knew you were going to ask such silly questions I would have told you to hold them till the end of the review. The reason is it seems when Texas Roadhouse closes the fist pumping predators dudes who work their work their way over. As they pound every gross Jager Bomb you hear them woot and pound their chest together. This is when I uttered "These guys must have never gone to elementary school because they don't know how to use their inside voice. We need to find another bar." Thats when I noticed one of the bartenders heard this. Getting ready for what I thought was going to be a verbal lashing, I was very surprised. "You two should try Bender." Thats right a bartender telling us that another bar is our type of bar. She told us how its more chill and less noise. So we checked it out. "So how was it Britton?" Well first off I thought I told you to hold your questions till the end. Second, she was right! I mean it has an awesome jukebox, great selection with 3 types of cider and a bunch of beers on tap and they are all cheap! I mean you can get a good pint for $3.50 and a Strongbow for $4.50. With a kitchen in bar (mind you it closes at midnight) you are able to grab some fine grub with 25 cent wings being a common special they have. The staff is really friendly and is always willing to chat with you about whatever movie is on or humorous stories. This is one of those bars that you go in three times and they know you. I mean it is owned by the genius behind Bar Fly's and the Hideout. Let me end with this statement. In the past week I have been 3 times and plan on going tomorrow. read more

"What's brown and rhymes with Snoop?" asks the douchy guy With his tool of a friend and gothy girlfriend. "umm....poop? Says me. "Dr. Dre". Says the douchy guy. That, my friends, is a clear example of what to expect at Benders. Very interesting mix of south Austin peeps looking for a decent place off of Ben White to indulge in alcoholic beverages. The food is actually very good for bar food. The waitress didn't even flinch when I ordered a salad instead of greasy fried food. I was truly expecting week old lettuce and microwaved chicken. Instead, I got crisp lettuce with a heap of freshly grilled chicken and blue cheese dressing. Yummay! Best part about Bender is that the drinks are so cheap that you think the waitress forgot to ring up a couple. Leave a nice tip, please. read more

This was the third stop in a fruitless search to watch the Patriots-Giants game at an actual sports bar. (Third Base was wayyyy too packed, Pluckers was charging $10 to get in because of some blasted UFC fight, so this was the next option since I don't know the sports bars around here very well. Anyway.) We walked in to about five people -- two of which worked there. Gulp. It was quiet. REAL quiet. No music. Plasma TVs on mute. Before we could turn around and hightail it outta there, the bartender greeted us pretty warmly and joked about our in-stereo response. We decided to stay. I ordered a Tito's and tonic, and the bartender did not disappoint. Queso and seasoned waffle fries followed. The fries did not disappoint, but the queso was a bit Velveeta-y. I inhaled it, regardless. We asked to hear the game, and the bartender immediately turned up the volume for us. I swear he was plucked straight from a WB show: Cute, funny, personable, energetic. He even had the requisite white towel hanging out of his back pocket. And he sported a heavy pour for both of my drinks. Music from the juke box sporadically played, but the selections were killer: Tool, The Smiths, DMB, Duran Duran. It was all over the map. I could see some singalongs if the place was packed. They have pool tables in a side room and a smoking patio out back. Behind the bar were four plasmas showing sports of some sort. Our TV was in HD, a nice touch. When we got the bill around midnight, I almost fell over when I saw each of my drinks was $3.50. SCORE! At least that took away from the damper of the Cheatriots win. I would've given more stars, but the place just didn't have the right vibe the night I went. It seemed like the 10 or so patrons who eventually shuffled in were friends of the bartenders, which is fine, but I wasn't part of the club, so I couldn't quite relate. I'm willing to come back and try again since the people seemed friendly. And the drinks were on point. read more

So, I'm not changing my stars on this one, but I wanted to update because of a few changes to the place that may or may not affect whether you'll enjoy your visit or not. First, they have built an AMAZING new deck out back. Unfortunately, they still haven't invested in any new tables or chairs, so there is still a lack of seating. I guess at least now you don't have to worry about an intoxicated patron drunkenly stumbling backwards down the sloping grass area out back and knocking over your drink, or being completely sober and just leaning back a little bit too far in the chair that you were lucky enough to snag. As a result of this new deck, they will no longer be allowing four-legged drinking buddies. Extra points to John the bartender for petting my dog while he told me Marla would no longer be able to join me on their patio. I'm not sure I understand the reasoning for this, since it seemed to center around the fact that they had covered up all the grassy area and the dogs would have nowhere to "go". I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone allow their dog to "go" within the confines of the patio, and I'm positive that I've always taken mine outside the gate to take care of business. But, whatever helps them sleep at night. This probably won't change the fact that this is my favorite South Austin bar, but now that summertime and nice weather is here, I may spend more time somewhere where Marla can get a drink, too. read more

Going against the trend here, review for the bar at night. I have been to Bender on a number of occasions with several different groups of people. The place is over crowded and the bar is to small. On top of that, yes they have pool, however, only 1 table???? The pool table is placed in a room to the left when you enter, it has some arcade games but honestly they should just knock down the retaining wall and open the place up. The place gets stacked at night and not to mention the back yard patio where nobody ever leaves, half the people that are there aint even drinking. Good luck with parking, you might be int he parking lot for about 15 minutes then give up and park down the street. Beer prices are not bad, if you like drinking out of cans... They have a small dance floor, good i guess? I have been to better places like lets say....The brew exchange, Mollys Pub, Rack Daddys, The warehouse with along list of others! Benders is like that place you see all the D-bags walking around with their expensive designer shirts and girls who are desperately trying to be seen with their friends showing off. Cheers. read more

Been going here off & on since 2010 when I lived in south Austin. I love this bar! Nothing fancy about it. Very dark & dingy inside, gives off a dive bar vibe but is more of a neighborhood bar than dive. Great rotating craftbeer selection that occasionally produces a selection that you haven't seen anywhere else. Great nightly food specials with Tuesday nights ($0.50 wings) the most popular night while their weekend specials keep you guessing which ends up being a different creation from the chef. I've tried their creations many times & haven't had anything bad yet! If you're into drinking outside, Bender has a big back patio with plenty of seating. Perfect for large groups inside & out. The only thing that gives them a 4-star: No pets allowed. Their large back patio would be perfect for the 4-legged companion. Otherwise, great bar & worth checking out if looking for a good time without going downtown! read more

This place is not what I'd call a dive. They're almost a little too un-divelike for this part of Austin. However, they have decent beer prices, nice bartenders, a fantastic juke box and an outdoor seating area. I'm reserving one star because I hear their food is good but I haven't tried it. Update: It still isn't a dive, but after a follow-up visit, I just want to point out how nice their bartenders are. "What can I get you, darlin'?" just melts my icy little heart. I'll be back. read more

Hey, Southies! Come. Drink. Here! Bender is a really cool bar that can easily be missed due to its location. Situated on the southwest corner of Congress and Ben White, I must have passed this place up a million times on my way home. Yasmine A., however, was good enough to set up a happy hour yesterday so some of us south Austin girls could check out our neighborhood bar. The inside: Dimly lit, stained concrete floors, candles for ambience, and nice wall art. The bar: STACKED! A boozehound's dream come true. The bathrooms: only two stalls, but very clean. The entertainment: Jukebox, arcade stuff, pool, and a washer pit outside. The patio: very very spacious with plenty of tables. The food: Huge burgers (on Hawaiian rolls), awesome chili dogs (really good chili), and good salsa. So, after a night of sitting around a table with the girls, imbibing some really tasty hefeys at only $3 a pint, and gabbing about friends, sex (or lack thereof), and designer handbag birthday wishes, we came to the conclusion that Bender was a pretty cool bar. And we're making it our personal mission to make it the Nomad of the south! read more

This is not a pretentious up scale place like most of the downtown scene, but it's not a train wreck bottle throwing type nightmare bar either. It's that perfect blend of beards and weird that make Austin both annoying and sexy. It is an eFFING awesome divey bar with cheap drinks and legit happy hour specials. I recommend the wing happy hour night, which I think is either Tuesday or Wednesday night. They have bar food and drink specials every night. It's a true Austin hangout with lots of locals and casual atmosphere. The food is amazing and did I mention, cheap? The bar staff is cool and make awesome stout drinks that let you hang out and unwind. Take a sip, have a chat, play some pool and have a shot at Benders. You won't regret it if you can remember the night at all. ;) read more

Okay place! Too loud and rude staff, but the food was good. Wouldn't go there again as I would rather prefer places were people treat customers well. read more

Diiiiiiiiiirrrrrt cheap! Wahooo! I think it might have still been happy hour when I got there, but my bottle of Miller Lite was only $2. Mix that with a good bar menu; typical fried stuff, like pickles. Yes, please. And I am still able to order for a slightly healthier choice of a chicken wrap.Plus, we were able to play some Micheal Jackson and Pixies on the jukebox. This place is not fancy at all, so I can go in my jeans and hoodie, bring a whole bunch of friends, and have a fun night without having to go near downtown. read more

Wow! I'm impressed with this joint. It's close to home, NOT downtown, and pretty kickass! Nice large patio with washers area (you could do 'shoes too if you brought them). Inside is large, lots of booths and tables, and fairly easy to move around in even when it's slammed. TVs are always playing a good movie or some kind of action/extreme sports footage, which I dig, and the bartenders are quick. The game room has tons of games - classic video games, Golden Tee, darts, pinball tables, foosball tables, and of course, several billiards tables. The food is surprisingly good - the veggie burger is one of the better ones in town, IMO, and the wings are also tasty (jalepeno lime sauce). The beer selection is impressive - it's not too wide (there's only about ten or twelve good beers), but it's always something new and tasty in ways that Bud Light drinkers will never appreciate. And what I really appreciate about that? It's usually $3.50 for a pint. That's right folks, Guinness and the like for LESS than $5 a pint! With a seriously quality jukebox (and I'm a music snob), Bender's becomes my favorite Southside neighborhood bar. Stay away, yuppies and Yankees! read more

I heard about it for weeks before I finally went. Like most people I thought shopping center, sports bar, dude-bro-bra type place. Don't know about you, but for me that's pretty much 3 strikes your out. So me and some friends go after a trustworthy recommendation, and boy was I wrong. I take one step in, they're playing Pavement on the jukebox, its dark and cozy and the crowd looks like future friends. What more could ask for you say? My friend Rachael says plus they have a patio to smoke; Heaven. We go outside, order our drinks, enjoy the nice weather, talk about stuff, light up a smoke, order more drinks, say our goodbyes, and that's all you got to do. Also thrown in were I can't believe this place is on the southside, and close to us and its so cool, pretty much said every twenty minutes. Great Bar, Great Bartenders, Great Drinks, Great Place. P.S. 5 various drinks with Tito's= 17$, I shit you not 17$. read more

These guys do a great job with the covid precautions. The foods always great. Love the wings and steak night. Black and blue burger is also my favorite. The bun is sweet and compliments the salty burger, spicy sauce and funky blu. The staff is fast and friendly every time. read more

This bar is weird. It's definitely not as divey and cool as a lot of the Yelp reviews make it out to be. It's located in a strip mall off the highway access road. Bender Bar seems suited for someone who enjoys Saturday night club hopping on 6th street -- maybe Bender is where they would go on a weekday night, or if they were a couple years too old to go bar hopping. A watering hole for people who used to be in frats and now have grown up jobs. The music is really, really loud. Like almost comically loud for how mellow everyone in the bar is. We could barely have our conversation over the Gorillaz songs that were blasting, and for a while there was no one in the booths to either side of ours. The atmosphere is weird, and I still haven't quite figured out how to describe it. When we got there, the only waitress on duty walked the floor about three times in ten minutes, passing right by us every time. She seemed pouty and rude. So I had to go up to the bar to order drinks and food. The bartender was pretty friendly. He mixed our drinks pretty strong. The veggie burger and waffle fries were forgettable. As I said, it's not a BAD bar, but it's definitely not for me, or probably any of my friends. After two drinks, we closed our tab and headed to the 04 Lounge on Congress, where we had a waaaaay better time for even less money. read more

I love this bar. Everyone gives shout outs to bartenders at various bars around town, but few recognize the support and kitchen (BOH) staff. First off, if you want to find a bar to be your 'regular' watering hole...this is as good of an example as I've found. The bartenders are super friendly and will happily engage in conversation if you feel like being a human. The drinks are cheap and wonderfully strong. The food...the food is great. Bar food sure, but it's awesome. Reminders of small town bar and grill locales. The support staff at Bender is simply amazing. Door guys, Kitchen staff, Barbacks, Managers: I've encountered nothing but friendly and professional service and help from all of you. Hold your heads high Bender staff...you're doing the lord's work. read more

A girlfriend was having a going away party here and I stopped by on my way to another commitment. Other than the 25 cent wings, I can't think of a reason to go back. I have noting negative to say, just can't think of anything great to point out. If you live around here, probably the perfect spot to grab a drink with your buds, but I wouldn't go out of my way to return. read more

On the heels of Mugshots as my favorite bar. I come to Bender in the afternoon early evening if I get off work Downtown before the Sun starts it's final decent. It's right on the bus route I take to go home. Staff is Awesome! Food great! Beer...$2 Lone Star pint and $3.50 a pint for some of the best local beers around. High ABV beers $5 most of the time. This is a bar for everyone! Stay from open to close and you'll experience a variety of people Austin has in one place. If main room gets to be too much, there is the patio or the game room. I am happy they have Darts! Ask bartender for house set of dart if you don't have your own. A great time to be had at Bender w/o the Downtown hassle. read more

I'm a 64 year-old lawyer, in town for the night, looking for a drink and a veggie burger, and every place I drive by is so crowded I can't park. I see this place, park easily, sit at the bar. Bartender's very friendly, music's good, veggie burger is one of the best I've had...and I've tried a lot of veggie burgers as a vegetarian who left UT in 1975. I really, really like this place. I will fefinitely come back here on my next trip. read more

I have lived within a few blocks of this place for about a year now, and I only went to it a few weeks ago for Catherine T.'s ROTDC. Now this place is a little nondescript bar in a strip mall. There is no indication that this place is bar other than the sign that says its Bender's. Great happy hour. Great food selection. I had the dollar Lone Star's and was happy. Along with that I fulfilled my hummus addiction, with their house made hummus. It was surprisingly unlike regular bar food. It was real food! I was happy. I will come here again, because I live so close by. read more

Several years ago, some dude behind the bar at the Hideout told me his dream of opening another bar in South Austin, but he wasn't sure his wife was going to go for it. I don't remember exactly, but I want to say it was about a new baby or something. Well, I'm glad the wifey relented, because that guy was really good at bars. I heard it was open, but I'm a northie these days and quite happy with Hideout/Pour House/Barflys/Mugshots, so I only recently ventured down south to check it out. As with the other bars, the staff is very accommodating and approachable. Apparently we got there before it opened, but the bartender welcomed us in anyway. We played darts and Ms. Pacman and had a very enjoyable time. On an unrelated note, this location used to be the original Serrano's and in fourth grade I ran into my crush and his family dining at the table next to mine. After that, I begged my parents to eat there all the time, in hopes we'd run into him again. read more

It was a very nice place. The drinks were good and the food was great. I only have a few issues with the regulars that go there. One tried to start a fight with my friends over the pool table when we were being nice enough to let them play a game with us. Then when my other friend got lost and end up on the outside deck. He was told by five guys that it was closed to new customers and that he wasn't welcome. Might come back might not. read more

I really like Bender Bar. We've been coming here now for quite some time and I enjoy the space, not too crowded usually. I think I might have mentioned this before but the games are really fun. The pool tables both work now (I think one was broken last time), and they did add a new ski-ball machine which is cool. The food here isn't bad, it's pretty much bar food but it's good. They have fried pickles, chips & queso, chicken tenders, burgers, etc. So far, everything we've ordered food-wise is decent. The staff is very friendly, always on top of things, brought us extra chips when we ran out, etc. Pitchers of beer are decently priced, and I like their outdoor patio because it's huge! read more

Best. Wings. Ever. It's late-ish on a Thursday, it's been a long week, and I have zero desire to change out of my stretchypants or roll off my couch right now. But, WINGS. read more

Bender is a solid option for down-South drinking. It's got a laid-back neighborhood bar vibe, and I get the impression that most of the clientele actually do live nearby. The plethora of beers available at super cheap prices headline their offerings, but the games and the patio area add to its appeal. There are some bars where you can really only expect to show up and talk with the group you showed up with, but Bender's atmosphere makes it easy to socialize. Random conversations abound, so if you're looking to get out and meet some new people, this is the place to go. read more

It's a fucking cave in this place. Dark. As. Hell. Like I'm trying to see what I'm eating, but can't ever really. Nevertheless, it's a comfortable bar. Super cheap drinks, never too loud, never too crowded, just enough to enjoy a delicious burger (and damn, their burgers are delicious). They also have cool old-school things and games and such. But go and eat their burgers, especially the Texas Burger with guacamole and serrano peppers. Sweet bun. Waffle cut fried. ON POINT. read more

Bender doesn't care about manners. That's probably why it's so dark in there. In addition to a bar, requisite giant flat screen TV, and pool tables, Bender also has 25 cent wing night on Tuesdays. 25 cent wings, you say? I'm totally there. There is a minimum order of 10 wings, but I'm sure you'll hardly be satisfied with 10. The wings are pretty small; if you didn't know better, you would think they were serving quail. Or organic, pastured, free range chicken. The medium buffalo wings were pretty spicy, and I'm glad the bartender saved me from myself. I ordered blazing hot wings but I think he changed the order to medium. Or they taste the same. I'm not sure. You seat yourself and order at the bar, they bring the food to your table. You dig in with your hands and eat like a starving animal, and no one cares. Also no one can really see you because it's so dark. After demolishing 30 wings with my bff KK (not to be confused with my bf, K), we left feeling like champions. read more

Well, I had my review all worked out in my head, but all the points I wanted to make seem to have been pretty well covered already. I think Bender is exponentially cooler because of its location. I normally make it a policy to dislike big bars in shopping strips, but Bender is an exception for sure. Good selection of booze, great prices, a big backyard, and a marked lack of downtown d-bags. It has three environments to choose from: the rowdy back yard, the dark barroom, and the brightly lit game room. The place is clean, I've never seen a fight, and I've never seen it packed. Oh, and the jukebox is amazing. Tied with the Hideout for being the closest to my own CD collection. read more

This place couldn't find an identity to save its life. Maybe if it is because they are in a strip mall where they stick out like a sore thumb or maybe it is because they try to be a dark dive bar-esque place either way this place has no soul. I have never had a good or bad time at Bender's its always just made me wish I was somewhere else. I figure the only reason this place is still open is because the food isn't bad and they pour a decent drink/shot. All in all I would definitely be fine never coming back but considering I have friends that do come here occasionally I will begrudgingly return. That thought alone saddens me. read more