Can anyone explain a ';set up'; Bar, and any advise how to go to one without getting into big trouble?

They have them in Texas. The sign might read ';beer and set ups';.


What I think it is, is people actually bringing in their own booze bottles in to the establishment, which is a HUGE no no in any other kind of bar. They provide the glasses and Ice, but how on Earth do they make any money. Moreover, I go in there and find a bunch of guys really wasted, and it is not easy to avoid arguing, fighting, etc. Any advise as to what kind of places these are?Can anyone explain a ';set up'; Bar, and any advise how to go to one without getting into big trouble?
In addition to the glass and ice you mentioned, they also sell you the mixer, at pretty high prices too. But by buying your own booze and paying for just the set-ups, it's still a lot less expensive than going to a normal bar. I grew up going to 'set up' bars as a kid in S. Dakota, usually to watch bands our friends were in, and yes, the crowds were always fairly mangy. You couldn't see three feet because of the smoke, and we were all just packed in there like sardines. For some reason, in my town, these places were always in the basement of a warehouse or some other old decrepit downtown building. As a kid, I remember having a lot of fun in them. No one was ever of age, and we were never ever carded, even though almost everyone there was 16 or 17, after all, the establishment wasn't the one that sold you the booze, so they were in the clear. This definitely couldn't happen in todays world. Nowadays, I imagine these places would be full of poor, toothless, next-to-homeless bums and their indigent crack-whores: the wretched scary types who just don't wanna drink alone and would rather drink in a place reminicent of the real bars they can no longer afford. Advise??? Unless you love trouble or watching trouble happen real close to you, just keep moving on the the next establishment.Can anyone explain a ';set up'; Bar, and any advise how to go to one without getting into big trouble?
In Texas you need 3 types of liquor licenses. One to serve beer, one to serve beer to 2am and one to serve hard liquor.





SO, if they don't have the one to serve liquor and only the beer ones, then patrons are allowed to legally bring bottles of liquor to the bar. The bar would not make any money off the people bringing their own bottles, hence they sell ice, cups, and sodas. And will not allow you to bring your own because they want your money.
The bars charge for the setups. It can be as much as $5.00. You add your own alcohol to the glass.





It's their way of getting paid for the facilities, even if they don't have a full liquor license.





I've never seen bars that have a beer license, but are BYOB for other alcohol. I have been to some that are all BYOB and charge for setups.
Hello...that's just a universal ';Frat Party';.