Driftwood

It is one of these times when I should have looked at Unilocal before picking the bar. But it was raining like hell and we had to get inside…
Let’s say that if you intend to just grab a beer before people start going out then the prices are decent… however you should not stay long! Indeed, when the predrinks start, it is not a classy place to be. Full of guys coming to be hammered and girls doing the same. We were able to guess if people were coming to this bar or going someplace nicer depending on how they were dressed!
Well if you are looking for easy targets, to put it nicely, go there!

Decent food. I ordered toast and Strawberry Jam, the chef made it for me even though it wasn’t on the menu. Absolute bargain at 60 pence. It’s the kind of joint that at first glance should be a student bar but ends up being full of soap dodging football casuals from places like Clydebank and Anniesland colleges.

Myself and David S (Lily M) went out for lunch and really only wandered here because we were skint and didn’t fancy spoons. They always have a great deals on when we had been in the past (99p Beers Huzzah!!!) and the food was… well… edible. We’d also had issues with the bar staff on a night out a few years ago so we’d avoided it up untill now. We were worried the place would be packed despite it being a Sunday however it was empty.
On arriving we were greeted by the staff member behind the bar who was absolutely lovely and was a complete delight to talk to and then sat up at the back area which has completely changed since the last time I was in. Before it had a really strong Mexican vibe, although a little thrown together, and although the vibes still there it’s a little bit easier on the eye. Instead of the Mexican vibe it reminded me of the ocean and boats, which being called Driftwood I suppose makes a lot of sense. My only complaint with the new décor is the tables are really thin and could barley hold two of our plates, however I must admit the big dome roof totally made up for it!
The food itself was delicious! We both have the Beer and Barrito deal which was £5 and came with chips or rice and two pretty full pots of salsa and sour cream. Mine was Veggie and David had beef and we totally demolished them! They were so tasty! I was a little disappointed as I had ordered rice and got chips but after I tasted the food it was totally forgiven, the bar maid also replaced the drinks with soft drinks for those who don’t drink beer.
All in all we’ll be back to check the place out at night and will defo be back in for lunch at some point.

Driftwood is student central, and will always be packed with them at any given time you arrive. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad place to go to, it’s okay, but on busy club nights, due to it’s location, it’s going to be absolutely chaotic.
A lot of space, decent bar staff who chat away to you and lots of alcohol can make for a good night, but I wouldn’t advise going for the food in here — it’s sort of terrible.

This place and ‘The Hall’ across the road are almost exactly the same. Minor differences. Both can leave you very, very merry with change. And a lot of that too. Bursting £10 and £20’s forgetting that huge amount of change weighing you down. Leaving the ‘I have no change, pat on the pockets’ chat to the homeless guy as you walk home ridiculous.
Beverage cheap and the same with the food. Last time I was there I had the Spicy chicken baguette thing, was for lunch. Not too bad but nothing mind blowing. Pint of coke (due to work regulations) always tasted funky. Not in the good way. Decent bar staff no real problems.
I was there before the latest revamp and I have been there after. Lick of paint and some other Joker out of Batman-​esque paintings. It’s something to look at.
Decent sized place too so can fit large groups. If you fancy this place I would probs suggest starting here then moving on. Cheap drink can attract all sorts. I prefer The Hall mostly because I cannot be bothered crossing the road, but both are alright.

This exactly what it says on the tin. It has twigs and branches hanging around the walls and, metaphorically, it attracts the kind of customers as if they were washed up on the doorstep. Don’t get me wrong, though. there aren’t dirty old smelly tramps sipping on the cheap booze. There are a lot of students because it’s right at the at the end of Sauchiehall Street.
I like it because everyone in the place is happy, both the punters, AND, the bar staff. The manager is clearly visible at all times and she regularly interacts with customers as well as keeping a constant check on the bar staff.
It is comfortable and the meals, as well as the drinks, are very inexpensive. I wasn’t in at food times, but, I did get a look at the menu and it covered a lot of my favourite foods. Next time I go I will visit at the food service time and report on the quality.

Go on the right night and you are (or at least you were) getting a vodka mix for 89p. Now it isn’t the biggest glass, but of course for 89p your buying loads at once and you still leave at the end of it with some money in your purse. Its wonderful :)
I like the overall look of the place also, I find it cosy. The food is not top class but I’m not a top class girl and so its actually one of my top eating choices when I’m venturing that side of the town. Main meals are like £4.00, extra sides are like £1.50, and curly fries are on the menu (this is so important to me). For under £10 it can fill two bodies to the brim! I like it!
They also have a pub quiz on occasion. Now this is were my A-​OK 3 star rating has been knocked from a 4. There was a time not long ago were me and an intelligent group of friends liked nothing more than to search for a good Tuesday night quiz! and so Driftwood here we went. They had quiz posters scattered all over those walls! teasing us that there wonderful quiz was starting in just a few hours. Like every other week, my friends and I were feeling lucky. Could this be the week we take that cash prize? Feels like it! So we got our comfy table, in good position to the DJ (we didn’t wanna miss hearing any of those important questions, we were letting nothing get in our way). So there we were, just a little while to go now, lets buy some more drinks. About 10 minutes to go, getting excited, nervous, lets have a drink. Time for the quiz! yeeeeeey… oh, nothing, ok, I guess the DJ is behind schedule, lets wait some more. Why does he keep playing more songs when he should be introducing this quiz! why hasn’t he even mentioned that things are running late! Its Tuesday night, it’s 9.30pm, and we’re sitting at a table with a big poster in the middle saying «TUESDAY NIGHT QUIZ, 9PM» just like the one plastered on the entrance door. Anyway so I got fed up. I went to the bar and I asked what was going on with the quiz, reply «oh, I don’t think we’re gonna do that tonight» ok ta, thanks for letting us know.
So by this time we had all drank quite a bit in our long wait and we were drunken angry. So after writing «LIARS» all over the poster we left unsatisfied. But ya know, other than that its a great place to drink!!!

Came in here on our last night on our visit to Glasgow for a final drink before we returned to the hotel and we were very disappointed.
From the outside it looks lovely but once we got in it was just full of roudy, pervy men and «do-​anything-​for-​a-​drink» women.
The drinks were crap and served in plastic cups and were very expensive.
Never again.

Was in Driftwood the other night and it reaffirmed why I think it’s a bit of alright. Here are some reasons —
— Cheap booze (99p for a bottle of Fosters, 1.50 for a Sourz shot)
— Food!
— Patient bar staff… and I mean patient. My friends were up dancing on the table and I was talking jibberish at the bar and they were lovely.
— Good atmosphere.
So to conclude, I feel a wee bitty old for this place now. And the big groups of guys who were drinking in here the other night intimidated me a bit (I’ve become very reserved these days, ha). But the fact that I tried to get free booze at the bar and didn’t get chucked out as a good sign, and for servicing the students of the community it’s rather good indeed.

Driftwood is nothing special and reminds me of my early clubbing days where we would head here before going to The Garage. Drinks are inexpensive, the music is alright and there’s usually ample places to sit and chat with friends. Most times I’ve visited everyone inside are usually half cut, it doesn’t matter what time of day it is. Must have something to do with those 99p shots.
I really don’t like the toilets in here, they are in serious need of a make-​over and I try to avoid using them if I can. Pretty dingy, and not so clean.
As far as student bars go, Driftwood is a-​okay.

Its just the Hall wearing a sombrero and calling its self El Halleo. Ned/​student drinking hole that survives solely due to its location, cheaper than water drinks and lights dimmed so low that you cant make out the wafts of mank floating by.
Give it a miss and if you cant, wipe every single surface before you come into contact with them.

One of the longest serving places in Sauchiehall Street, you need only take a look at the pricelist to see why this. Drink is astonishingly cheap here, perhaps more so than anywhere else in the city, and its close proximity to so many nightclubs means it doesn’t have to be very good to do well.
And it isn’t. Packed full of students during the week and a slightly neddier crowd at weekends, this is a place for under 21s and only worth visiting if you’re seriously skint but can’t face drinking in the house.
There are worse places. No, really, there are. But not for me, nevertheless.

Targeted towards students with the super cheap drink promos, this place attracts alot of other types. Basically, people who like cheap booze, ie, everybody.
Been a few times, normally before heading out somewhere around the corner and never had any hassle, just super cheap booze that was a bit hit and miss (I drink vodka lemonade and lime, which can be an inconsistent drink as opposed to bottled beer).
Not the most glamorous place on earth, but you get what you pay for and the raw honesty of the place by not pretending to be upmarket or that carries a degree of charm.

A true student bar with none of the trimmings. A classic.
Every drink is dirt cheap, and so is the décor. But that’s what it’s all about! A good laugh with the right people, but not much more to offer than lots of booze and plenty of room to have a seat while you get pleasantly smashed. I didn’t think it was legal to sell vodka mixers for 89−99p, but there you have it.
At least it’s better than its neighbour, the Classrooms.
It’s not great, but it’s not so bad either.

I wish I had been more sober so that I could take this place in a bit more! But when the drinks are so ridiculously cheap, how can you possibly stay sober for long!
99 pence for a bottle of Fosters was incredible value. 89 pence for a vodka mix was simply beyond belief. I don’t usually even drink vodka, but when its as dirt cheap as that, how can you refuse?
The cheap drinks explain why this place is so popular with students. The studenty atmopshere and the music gives it a lively feel. It may be a bit on the tacky side but this matters little if you are a student, its the cheap drinks you’re after. For the cheap drinks alone, this place definitely deserves a 4 out of 5, because these days you’ll never find anywhere else in town where the prices are as good.

Driftwood is an abomination of a bar, and I question anybody awarding it more than two stars.
Suits on the left, trackies on the right, the fact this place has its own funnel should tell you all you need to know.

Student bar, ahoy!
Drinks promotions starting at 99p for the cheapest shot (tasty?), no drink is over £2.50. An amazing feat… or so some would think… It smells studenty. It’s filled with students. It’s a student bar. It’s quite dark and dingy, but it’s still a great laugh with the right crowd.
I wouldn’t say I go here often, but if I’m low on pennies, and desperate to go out, then this place gets my vote!

«Glasgow’s #1 Fiesta Party Bar!»
I think it might be Glasgow’s only Fiesta Party Bar, but that’s just a foreigners guess. :)
There’s nothing fancy about this bar but the stale smell of «drunk» in the air lets you know that people are regularly having a lot of fun here.
There’s a drink special every day and the bar seemed very popular with the younger college aged crowd.

times must be tough for the driftwood crew — even a 50% off all food deal, doesn’t seem to be enough to save it.
the food in question was such disappointing fare, it should have been 100% off!
when it’s not devoid of people suffering the food, it’s crammed to the rafters with student types (the ones who have no real sense of a good night out, the ones who think cascada is the epitome of good dance music, and think a good saturday night in involves britain’s got talent) shovelling cheap booze into their throats in order to make the prospect of bedding another of their unnatractive ilk slightly more pallatable.
you may have gathered, i don’t really like this place

I loved the meal I had here on a Friday night after work. They had a great deal on 2 for 1 on certain items on the menu up until a set time.
Both my dinner partner and me found our enchiladas and fahitis lovely and really hit the spot.
Drinks very cheap throughout the week and a nice place to start your crawl along Sauchiehall Street!
Have always had a pleasant experience in the bar!