Mean Eyed Cat on Merrion Street: free pizza and a dice roll
Mean Eyed Cat is Leeds city centre's Johnny Cash dive bar, with free pizza before 9pm and a dice roll for your round.
By Only Leeds Editorial
If you have typed "Mean Eyes Leeds" into a search bar, the place you want is Mean Eyed Cat Bar, 14 Merrion Street, in the City Centre. It is a dive bar built around Johnny Cash and the Deep South, and its tagline is "Home of unlimited free pizza". Visit Leeds calls it totally unpretentious, which is about right.
What it is
The name comes from a Johnny Cash song. Inside, per the Yorkshire Evening Post's review, it is dimly lit, with wooden walls, a tin ceiling and a row of retro multi-coloured bulbs above the bar. Seating is a mix of sofas and wooden tables and chairs. Discover Leeds describes it as a shrine to Cash and the Deep South, and one Tripadvisor reviewer praised the music for dodging modern chart rubbish.
A bit of history
The site was once The Reform, a Merrion Street bar that the Yorkshire Evening Post reported was closing after 11 years. Owner Phil Harrison said the idea for the conversion came from a family holiday in Austin, Texas. The plan was a three-week refurbishment with a tin roof throughout, and beer imported from a New Orleans brewery. The bar appears to date from around 2015, and it is run by Escapism Bar Group, a Leeds independent. There are now sister Mean-Eyed Cats in Liverpool and Manchester, but this is the original.
What to order
- The pizza: free with every drink before 9pm, daily. They are small handmade personal pizzas, so order a drink and ask.
- The dice game: "Roll the dice" runs from 5pm to 9pm every day, with a chance to win up to 100% off your drinks order. Terms vary between listings, so ask at the bar before you roll.
- The beer: the craft taps pour exclusive Mean-Eyed Cat Brews, including a chilli-infused pale ale called Ring of Fire.
- Cocktails: the menu is extensive, and there is draught beer, spirits and a small selection of soft drinks too.
One Tripadvisor review mentions a pint at £4.90, but it is undated, so treat it as a rough guide. The deals are the point: DesignMyNight says you don't need to spend a lot here.
When to go
Be there before 9pm for the pizza and the dice. Opening hours per Visit Leeds are 5pm to 2am Monday to Thursday and Sunday, and 5pm to 4am on Friday and Saturday. Older listings show Monday as closed, so check before a Monday visit. Sundays are fine, as it opens at 5pm.
For a late one, Friday and Saturday run to 4am. Reviewers describe a party atmosphere at weekends and on Thursdays, though one found a quieter night flat. It is a casual place, and no dress code or entry fee is stated.
Booking and groups
Discover Leeds says reservations are accepted, and walk-ins are usually fine. For a group, contact the bar by phone on 0113 242 3966 or by email at info@meaneyedcatbar.co.uk. For parties, The Saloon is a semi-private area with its own bar for up to 50 standing or 15 seated, and the whole venue holds up to 180 standing. Tagvenue lists The Saloon from £350 or £500 minimum spend depending on the page, and full venue hire from £10 per person.
Next door for after
Verve, 16 Merrion Street, is an independent cocktail bar next door and also part of Escapism. Visit Leeds says it is the only place in Leeds with free live music and comedy five nights a week. Its hours match Mean Eyed Cat, so you can move along without a rush. Its X account has promoted £8 cocktails, though that is undated, so check on the night.
Everything above is worth confirming on the day, as hours and offers do shift. Details from Visit Leeds, Discover Leeds and the Yorkshire Evening Post.
