| Location |
| 615 3rd Street |
| (Corner of 3rd and F) |
| Hours |
| Mon-Tue, Sun 12 pm - 11 pm |
| Wed 12 pm - 11:30 pm |
| Thu-Sat 12 pm - 1:30 am |
| Phone |
| (530) 759-1990 |
| TBD |
| Website |
| http://theuob.com |
| Owners |
| Yungvanitsait family |
| Established |
| 2012-12 |
| Payment Methods |
| Type of payment |
University of Beer is a Downtown drinking establishment that specializes in beer. They have a very large number of options with two sets of thirty taps, and have free samples. They have a decent number of bottled beers, but as of now no offsite license (you can't carry them away). The menus are in the form of three big tv screens. One of which displays the current bottled beers, and two of which shift over the 60 different beers currently on tap. The alcohol percentage and the style appears next to the name and number. Kegs that are recently tapped have a notice in bold. You can look at the menu on the store ipad if you are so inclined. The beers are usually ordered by number if it's a tapped beer.
The bar has a nifty contraption built into it in the form of a metal strip that is constantly kept ice cold, it's a great place to set your beer to make sure the glass stays chilled...
It is independently owned by someone in the KetMoRee family. University of Beer patrons are encouraged to put in an order for either KetMo or Red 88 Noodle Bar, and the food will magically appear at UoB. No Charge. Full menu.
Weekdays from 12-5 they have "Study Hour" during which all beers are $1 off.
2012-12-25 14:06:12 Totally thrilled about this place opening. There's ample room in this town for several craft beer establishments. Aaaaand....that's the good news. With the caveat that I'e never written a negative review because...well..they seem petty and unfair, I write the following as unsolicited advice to the owners of this new place. I came in on the 23rd of December. Rainy day. Only two other customers in the joint. I sat down. Saw three staff attending to various things, only one of which was one of the other customers. And then I waited. And waited. And waited. For someone to say something. Anything. So here's my suggestion. Someone walks into your joint bartender....you say something. If you can't be there immediately, that's cool. No worries. But say that. Tell the customer you'll be right there. And then when do acknowledge the customer, here's another hint. Act like you give a shit about me and the beer you're serving. Don't act like you're doing me a favor, or that you're product sells itself. When you walk into the Beer Shoppe, you know you've arrived. The staff let you know they're happy to see you; have you there, and serve you a great beer.
On that point. So the new place isn't the Beer Shoppe. Its a different feel. Not better...not worse. Just different, but in a very modern and hip way. But here's the thing. Just because your place "looks" hip. Doesn't mean you should act that way. Final point, I'm not a student. I have tons of money to spend on great beer and I do. I'll travel hours and across state lines for a great brew house. But your prices are over the top. Think again if you think I'm going to spend $8.50 on a 10 oz tulip of a Tripel. Ain't gonna happen. I know the difference between shit and magic on tap. I'll pay top dollar. I really will. But I won't give you a penny of you try to jack me on the price. This town has ample options. For taps, City Hall Tavern, The Beer Shoppe, The Grad. In bottle, The Beer Shoppe, Nugget, Davis Food Coop, Aggie Liquor. Lots of options. I don't need to be taken advantage of.
So... Good Luck with the new shop. I'll be back to give you another chance because I'd really like you to succeed. Just tighten your ship and your staff. —mediator
2012-12-26 10:58:56 I've come to the UoB twice since it opened and really enjoyed each visit. The staff a friendly and knowledgeable. They offer samples of their beers on tap for free so you can decide which you want to try. With their hundred beers they have, that is definitely needed. They have a very cool ice bar to keep your beer cold. Not sure if that does anything, but it looks cool. One thing that needs work is their menu system, which is on three TV screens that rotate through your beer options. I was confused by it even when totally sober. So, they have a few kinks to work out but I think I will be going back for sure. —ChrisDietrich
2012-12-27 02:12:28 Not too keen to try this place out after reading the first comment. Besides perhaps a hipper atmosphere, is there anything this business does differently or better than the Davis Beer Shoppe? —ScottMeehleib
2013-01-02 09:53:21 Went here on New Year's Eve. They have 60 beers on tap with a few more in bottles. Prices were reasonable, however they don't show there prices on the menu. I know this is the industry standard for bars but I guess I'm just too used to the Beer Shoppe. I'd have to agree that the scrolling menus on the TV is a little annoying. The staff helped this out by bringing around an iPad, but it seems that they only had one for the entire shop. One thing I really enjoyed was how liberal they were with the tasters. All three of us in our party got two tastings apiece, all for no charge! I'd have to agree with the above comments about the staff. After checking our IDs no one came up to us for about 10 minutes, but the person who did end up helping us out was very helpful. But the other staff seemed annoyed that they had to work on New Years.
As a frequent visitor to the Beer Shoppe, I would agree that this place is different and it is hard to compare. Personally I prefer the Beer Shoppe. For one the staff is much friendlier there. One thing I did noticed is that I compared the on tap selections from the Beer Shoppe to here and they shared only two selections. Not sure if UoB rotates their taps or not. Would be amazing if they did.
2013-01-10 13:24:59 The raspberry cider and banana bread beer are very good, but this place is set up in an awkward way, so when it gets crowded, it feels crowded. Beer Shoppe is always busy but it's set up so that it doesn't feel like everyone is crowding the bar. Good beer, not sure if I would come back unless it were before typical drinking hours. —HannahToru
2013-01-22 15:05:49 Tried this place for the first time on a holiday during happy hour right after lunch. Our bartender, Michelle, was very friendly and offered us samples of beers (store policy appears to be 2 tests, then buy a beer. Then you get 2 more tests). Because it was happy hour it was $1 off pints, which put some tasty beers at a very reasonable $3-4 range. They had plenty of beers on tap and the bartender was knowledgeable with regard to any questions I had about the products. Will definitely be heading there again soon in the evening to check out how they handle a busy friday night. —RyanMeyerhoff
2013-01-26 09:09:41 Actually haven't been to the Davis Beer Shoppe (that I remember, anyways), but I would imagine that this would be a slightly more gimmicky version of it. The beer menu is on LED displays with the alcohol content at the end of each entry. (necessary?) And the 'JUST TAPPED' notation is a tad annoying as it seems more than half of them were.
On the other hand, there are lots and lots of types of beer on tap which is pretty cool in itself. —DavidBarnum
- 2013-02-22 08:45:41 To David Barnum, JUST TAPPED means they just opened the keg, not that it's out. Need to get your facts straight. —DonnieDarko
- 2013-03-05 20:35:46 To Donnie Darko, I see nothing indicating David Barnum thinks "just tapped" means empty. Need to get your facts straight. —Quey BINGO!!! —DavidBarnum
- 2013-03-07 11:18:53 Um, Quey, what else could this mean, "And the 'JUST TAPPED' notation is a tad annoying as it seems more than half of them were." How would it be annoying that half were just opened? Use the brain. —DonnieDarko
- It could also mean that the note was not very useful if it was being applied to most of the kegs, as it ceases to be notable and becomes a questionable metric. There are probably some other interpretations, but that was what my first assumption was, especially since it was also noted how many beers there were on tap. It could also certainly be a misinterpretation of what it means. The "Use the brain" comment was a bit harsh. Please don't be insulting to your neighbors when discussing things here on the wiki. -jw
- 2013-03-07 13:57:49 Whatever, jw. —DonnieDarko
- JW's interpretation matched my own. I found the same thing when I was at UOB - it wasn't half that day, but probably 1/3 of the 60 brews were labeled "just tapped." I rather doubt that they blew 20ish kegs in the prior day, and replaced all of them. Unless UOB is swapping out kegs that aren't empty (aka losing money), the "just tapped" label struck me as disingenuous. That said, I do like the idea of it. They should switch over to something like 24/48/72 hour, followed by 1 week, followed by more than 1 week. The time really does make a difference, especially for hoppy beers. I enjoy comparing whatever I've got on my home kegerator with the same beer out at restaurants. If I've got a keg of some IPA that's been tapped for 3 weeks, it tastes VERY different than the same thing at the Beer Shoppe, which rarely lasts more than a week. —TomGarberson
2013-02-20 12:11:51 This place is a good spot to get a beer. It gets a little uncomfortable when it's mega-packed, though, due to the layout. My main beef is that very single time I've been here, the same question pops up: why are the prices not on the menu? I understand that restaurants sometimes do not put alcohol prices on their menus, but you guys only sell beer and the price ranges from like $4-$10 per pint. I'm not a cheapskate and will pay for a pricey pint, but I'd like to know the price and quantity that I am getting. I think every beer store / bottle shop I've ever been to has the price, alcohol content, quantity in Oz of the beer on their menu. It would probably also streamline service, since no one would have to ask the prices. —chuckc
2013-02-24 06:25:54 When I first heard about U of Beer the main info concerned HOW EXPENSIVE a pint of beer was going to be. Turns out that was a bit of confusion. Yes there are $8.00 small glasses of specialty brews, but most choices are in the normal range you would expect to pay $4 to $6 per pint. Warning you do want to ask BEFORE you actually order something, ?? how big a glass will it be & ?? how much will it cost?? You will save yourself some unpleasant surprises of either it is an 8 oz glass and/or it is $7 or $8 for that small glass. Happy Hour (they call it study hour last all afternoon and the $1 off makes for some super bargains. Overall I'm pleasantly surprised that the place has as much seating as it does and that the choices and prices are pretty darned good. A suggestion I would make to the OWNERS = "post the freaking prices" so patrons can SEE for themselves before having to go through a big Q & A session with the bartender. I've heard the OWNER/S don't want to scare people away from the expensive beers so they make you ask. " I " as a BEER DRINKER, of long standing, do NOT appreciate having to ask every darned time just to find out what size a pour and how much it will be. It really is a turn off for MATURE drinkers. Yep you can read that as meaning that it appears the owners are focusing on the UNIVERSITY student crowd and figure it doesn't matter if patrons know the price, just get them to order and since they likely have lots of money they will pay whatever. Most beer drinkers that have been around awhile don't need to be toyed with. —MikePhillips
2013-03-17 11:54:19 Dropped in for the first time with my wife to check out the establishment. Very cool atmosphere and location. Customer service, on the other hand, was horrible. The place was not super busy but it wasn't empty either. We walked up to a mostly full bar and I waited to catch a bartenders eye so I could order a couple drinks. After waiting a couple minutes I moved over to an empty slot at the bar to get their attention. After waiting about 2 minutes there I pulled out a crisp $20, making it clear I wanted to order something. Still nothing. Not even a "hey I'll be right with you". Seriously, I waited 5 minutes at a fully staffed bar and not a single greeting from any of the bar staff. No, they were not busy with other customers. Which makes it even more baffling. Not worth our time and we won't be back. Too bad, because the place does have potential. —RyanO
2013-03-17 12:36:29 My husband, like most men, isn't one for complaining, especially taking the time to make a comment. So, when he and so many other men write bad reviews it should be taken with high regard. the service at UOB was terrible. My husband was being to kind to say we waiting 5 minutes. I think he meant to say 15 minutes! We literally stood in front of the bar for a good 5-8 minutes, to the point I was tired of standing waiting for service and went to sit down, while my husband moved to the other side of the bar to get someone's attention. He was he ignored again for another 10 minutes, even after holding a $20 bill in his hand. ...Salt on top of injury even the manager ignored us...instead the manager did unnecessary busy work and thought it was best to interrupt a group of younger college kids who were immersed in their own happy conversation and did not need his presence to a good time. Then he cleared a table, rather than inquire in on paying customers who obviously were in need of service. I waited about another 10 minutes when I looked over at my husband and knew he was not happy. To not spoil our date night we went over to several other bars and had a great time. We are a married couple in our early 30's, with reasonable income and Davis home owners. I think it is very foolish of this business to over look us and the other customers like us (see prior reviews) who have the potential of being good, long-term, paying customers. Foolish. Very foolish! We will not be back. —christyan
2013-05-05 13:02:32 I don't write reviews very often, but this place is great! 60 taps that change out quite often- easily the best beer selection in Davis! The barstaff is extremely friendly and helpful. I love the modern "hip" atmosphere of the bar. A little pricey, and I wish they would be more upfront about the prices, but overall a great experience. —DylanSchaefer
2013-05-16 13:33:06 I love beer. I know beer. I make beer. I drink beer. I love beer. I have wide-ranging tastes, love trying new stuff, and am willing to pay. So I was happy to see another spot open up; even if the name and the branding were pretty lame, Davis could really use another bar, and after about ten visits I can say that, for the most part, this is a good one.
THE GOOD: Genuinely excellent array of taps, not too many boob-tubes (do people still use this term for tv?), outdoor seating, and good mellow vibe in the bar itself (which is a surprisingly cool space). Ket-Mo-Ree has never been the best thai food in town, but it's a genuine boon to be able to get some with your brew. Some of the bartenders are first rate, friendly, and knowledgeable.
THE BAD: The iPad menus are a great idea, badly executed. They should have Beer name, Style, Producer, Producer's Location, ABV%, and price / pour size (if not a pint). If you can't do the programming yourself, pay some 14-year-old in town $25 and go pro. This isn't just for curiosity's sake: if I don't know the producer, telling me whether it's a Bitter or an IPA from San Diego or Chicago actually tells me a lot about what to expect, and helps me decide if drinking relatively locally is an important consideration; if I do know the producer, telling me whether a stout is from Ninkasi or Samuel Smith's tells me a lot. Telling me ABV helps me plan my drinking evening (if I'm planning on having a four-pint night, you can bet they're not going to be at 9%) and be responsible if I've already had something.
Not listing the pour size and price is frankly nonsense, reflects very badly on the place, and should be changed. It's a bar, not the French Laundry. Setting a pint and a small chalice of unexceptional beer in front of me and announcing that I owe $15 is a little surprising, but certainly not a deal killer; when I say "It would be nice to have the prices listed" as I pay, looking me in the eye and saying "You could ask" leaves an exceptionally bad taste in my mouth. Bad policy, bad service, and whatever extra you earned by surprising me into buying $7.50 pints is going to be offset by the fact that I'll choosing the Beer Shoppe, Burgers and Brew, and Village Pizza's taps for a month or so. And I'll be telling my friends the same. 30-day suspension, with hopes that I'll return to a good place that's gotten a lot better. —Swilltopower
2013-07-09 18:59:48 I was going to get all butthurt about the "corrections" made to my Wiki entry but then I realized this is the Davis Wiki and everyone is going to (and does) have their opinions.
Wow, "JUST TAPPED" doesn't mean they've just run out of that beer??? Mr. "DonnieDarko" I'm not sure how else to put your "get your facts straight" nonsense, but duh? Not to mention, this is a public forum where it certainly wouldn't kill you to be polite.
Use the brain? Seriously dude, you must be thrilled that you're sitting behind a screen name and can type away nonsense like this. I was being realistic in indicating that over half cannot possibly be "JUST TAPPED." Go ahead and rant away at that if you'd like...it'll genuinely hurt me. —DavidBarnum
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