Bubba's Big Deck on the Guadalupe River! Bubba's used to located in Gruene along the river and was washed out in floods way too many times to even count. They would rebuild, just for another flood to hit again. Well, the finally gave up. ... Until... Bubba's found the old Abbot's River Outfitter location along River Road. It really is a perfect location. I love that they have a second bar along closer to the river to spread the crowd out. The bar is open air, laid back, perfect for tourists or the local crowd... very biker friendly. If they still have jerky options, grab a variety. We did, and the jerky was good enough for me to mention if that says anything. You know, when out in the middle of the country, you just gotta take advantage of what's available if the munchies arise. Might as well grab another ice cold beer too! My best friend and I have always loved hitting up Bubba's and we are happy to see they made a comeback! read more

This review is for other bands that might be thinking about playing at this venue. Directions: Finding the place from San Antonio is not difficult. Directions on the web appear to be accurate. From San Antonio, take I35N. Take the Rueckle Rd/337 exit and at the stop light go left across I35. Follow 337 until you see River Road. Turn left onto River Road and follow it until you see Bubba's on your right. Load-In: Load-in is not bad. Coming down River Road, there is a short driveway in front of the stage that you can pull off on to unload. It will take you up to the level of the stage (which is considerably above street height) and you can transfer your gear from there to the stage. Although most of the path is planked with wood, you will have to negotiate some steps to get everything onto the stage. Once you've completed unloading, you can move your vehicle on the driveway so that it's out of the sight lines from the stands across the street and just leave it in place. Stage: Bubba's stage is an unusual conformation. It's outdoors, located between the two main buildings and set right in front of a tall rock face. The stage is covered and protected from the sun except in the late afternoon, when stage right gets plenty of direct sunlight. In fact, the sun was so strong that gear on our pedalboard overheated and shut down. We found that directing a fan to blow directly on it solved that problem. The stage itself is two levels - a lower front platform about five feet deep and a higher rear platform slightly less deep. Stage right has an extension of the lower level out in front of it which we used to put the stage-right PA stacks on. There is no place to put the stage-left stacks except on the lower front platform. This significantly reduces the space for the band. As a three-piece band, however, we had no problem at all with fitting comfortably on the stage. The rear platform is perhaps two feet higher than the front platform and makes a nice drum riser. Our drummer had no problem putting his kit up there. The power situation is somewhat funky. There is an outlet hidden on stage right, but it has no power. There is a white outlet box on stage left with a single pair of outlets that have power. A duo might be able to run a small PA off this. We used it to run our PA tops and some of the stage gear. A mysterious extension cord was draped over the wall at stage left. Our bassist used this to power his gear. There are more outlets on the wall of the building off to the band's left. We used these to run the sub-woofer amps. Everything worked fine and we had no popped breakers during the gig. Be sure to bring extension cords. All outlets were grounded. Lighting: The venue has no stage lights. You will want to bring your own. Sound System: The club has no sound system, so you'll need to bring your own. We ran our entire system and had the unusual experience of being complemented by a number of folks who were pleased that we were loud enough to actually present a real rock experience. You need to understand that your audience is on the other side of River Road, at least 90 feet away so, if you're playing rock, a pair of 15" woofers and satellite tops on poles aren't going to cut it. Layout: The stage is located outdoors between the two main buildings on the side of the road opposite the river. Although there is an open, two-story, covered seating area across the road, it is not directly in front of the band. There is no seating in front of the band on the stage side of the road. The bar is in the large building to the band's left, so there is no problem with bartenders and waitresses being unable to hear orders because of the band. Volume: We were able to bring our volume up to what we considered a comfortable level for a classic rock band with no issues. Note that it took our entire 10,000 watt FOH system to do this. Comfort: This is outdoors, so there is no temperature control. There is no real windbreak for cold days. The stage is covered for summer use, but you will want to bring fans. Be aware that the rock face behind the stage is home for a number of insects, including bees and mosquitos. You will need insect repellent. Miscellaneous: We broadcasted this gig via Facebook Live and had trouble maintaining an Internet connection during the broadcast. Parking: Parking is along the street. Venue Management: Pleasant and easy to work with. We look forward to our next gig here. Overall: We had a very good gig. The crowd was enthusiastic and responsive. We are excited about the prospect of returning for another engagement. read more

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I've been a patron of Bubba's for years. This is a "new" location for them. They used to be in Gruene. Now they're out River Rd. But NOW all patrons have real river access. So you can grab yourself a bucket of beer and go hang out in or near the water. And you've never EVER met a friendlier group of bartenders. They're the best. Mixed crowd. Lots of bikers, but kid friendly during the day. You really should stop in. I read a review that said that no one was there. He/she left out the crucial word...yet. read more

Love this place. It is what it is. On the river, music and cold beer. I have never heard anyone there working or drinking make a racist comment. read more

This is a great hang out place right on the river. Love the location, love the friendly staff, love the beer prices. Always a place to bring your bike, your car, or just with your family to enjoy the river. Great smoked meats and cheeses are available. Additionally, there is a food stand right next door and plenty of great eats. read more

Location, location, location. Have driven passed many times and the place is dead. Literally dead with not a soul in sight.