For the tl;dr crowd: Great space to lounge. Ample parking on street and adjacent neighborhood. Drinks hasn't had its official grand opening yet, but they just had their soft opening under a week ago. I've wanted to drop by and check it out, as I've followed the progress the owners made on the building with great interest. So last night, I finally stepped inside, and I was mightily impressed. Cheerfully greeted by the bartender/owner, I was very pleased to see Karbach being offered on tap, as well as a couple local beers. They also had Lone Star in cans if that's your thing. They had a variety of liquor on display, so they're capable of being a full-on cocktail bar if that's your thing -- I'll definitely come back just for cocktails some time. The space itself is the gem -- big nice wrap-around bar offers you a view of everyone sitting at the bar, so it will be great for large groups or the regulars who will hopefully make this place a weekly stop. There is a little side area with 2 pool tables, and ample seating in the form of multiple high-backed booths (the most comfortable I've ever sat in -- I spent time checking each one to find my favorite. If you need to know, it's the Freddy Mercury booth). There is an area in the middle with little tables and chairs for smaller groups. It's all very inviting, and welcoming, and rather than some bars that feel like they want you to hurry up and leave, this really embodies the concept of "lounge". I can definitely see myself parked at a booth with a book, or sitting with friends, for hours. For the smokers amongst us -- or those people who like the sun -- there are picnic tables right out front. Parking is ample and can be found on side streets. I spoke with the bartender/owner and she said the city said people can parallel park out front along Cesar Chavez, so that's good to know for future visits. I feel quite positive about Drinks, and I will add it to my regular rotation. * I changed this from 4 to 5 starts because of the recent addition of power strips at the bar to recharge your electronic devices while you drink, and to reflect the fact the guys restroom has a separate room for the toilet -- 5 star review for a 5 star joint! read more

Drinks Lounge & Records - Bar! - Lounges Near Me - Austin, Texas

We strolled in here last weekend as our first stop on our cc tour. It was still during HH times although I don't think they offered any specials - I could be mistaken but I didn't see a separate menu. 1) cucumber jalapeno something or another 2 ) manhattan both were lovely and refreshing. price ranged somewhere around $8 they have water available in the huge self pour station (big gatorade tank) which I appreciate. cute, eclectic and I'll be back for sure FOOD: a few folks were dining and the burger/fries looked good - ddnt order anything b/c I was not hungry but maybe next time :) read more

This place was nice! Great customer service!! Fold and drinks were delicious Tuesday is free pool night and $2 tacos and Sol beer! read more

Drinks Lounge & Records - Yummm!!! - Lounges Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Obsessed with this bar and how awesome the food and drinks are! As a queer man I felt so welcomed and loved the food! Specially the hot wings and tacos I loved it definitely will be back! read more

Good music, great service, GOOD atmosphere AWESOME for groups . ,very loud. Tables arw spaced well. Good takes a few, but worth tbe wait read more

Drinks Lounge & Records - GREAT pool tables - Lounges Near Me - Austin, Texas

This is one of the worst establishments I've visited. The security guy accused me and my boyfriend of being drunk and we are not. He said he saw me from down the block hanging on top of my boyfriend and that was COMPLETELY made up, we walked like 15 feet apart from each other. I thought it was odd for a place that had barely any business to act like that towards patrons. It sucks cause I was excited to come here but honestly f*** this place, who do you think you are? *** Update *** Really, that's all you could come up with to a potential customer? Thank God I didn't end up wasting my money at your establishment. And no, we were not drunk at all. We got into every other bar no problem. Might want to change your social media approach! read more

I automatically knock a star off of any place that has a credit card minimum. I can understand $5, but I can't understand $10 and I'll never understand why they only enforce it for some people. My friend and I came in to grab some dranks at drinks on a slow Tuesday evening around 6PM. We did the usual, I'll buy a round, you buy a round dance. She bought first and closed out. Her total was $8 and they did not charge her the extra dollar even though she didn't reach $10. Then I repeated the purchase and my total was $8 and an extra $1 to close out my credit card since I didn't end up reaching $10. I get that every transaction costs the business money, which is why I understand a $5 minimum, but I hardly spend $10 each time I wanna grab a quick drink with a buddy. If you've made it this far in this mini-rant, know that I probably wouldn't have said anything if they charged both of us. It's probably because my friend is smokin' hot and I'm more of a slow burn. (note: that statement is purely for entertainment value, uggos, feel free to order at this bar) Ok, jokes and rants aside, Drinks is an interesting place. It's incredibly dark and mildly unwelcoming. The vagueness of the theme matches the name, I mean just try googling Drinks Austin. The patio is next to busy Cesar Chavez which is great if you want to look cool drinking at a unique bar on a Tuesday, but I prefer a backyard patio. What is great is the space - this place is huge and there is always a place to sit. They have some good food happening here too. Definitely better than your average bar food fare. read more

This place never disappoints. The bartenders are amazing and know to make a solid drink. With this being said, I still revert back to the Ruby Rita. Austin has lots of frozen drinks around but this one is strong and tasty. Did I mention strong? The hot buffalo wings taste homemade. The originals are fairly mild but then we asked for the spicy, my mouth was in pain. Like a happy tears, flavorful pain. Had to order two rounds of tator tots and queso to get through it. WORTH IT. This place is a bit divey and so don't come here looking for a romantic cocktail by candlelight. Last tip, they do allow doggos inside the bar as well as the front patio. Super convenient for when it's a gorgeous day and there is no room outside. read more

This place sucks! Music was super old. Was not clean, the table I sat at was dirty. There is no parking...SO BEWARE.

After paying $5 for a overpriced beer, I was charged an additional dollar bc of their credit card minimum ($10), which makes a cheap beer $6. I wouldn't mind the fee if they had reasonable prices, but it's a very typical east side bar. Charging a above average price for below average beers, then passing your fee along to me is bullshit. I was fined for having one beer! Staff wasn't bad at all, but obviously the owner or manager is. I understand one dollar isn't a lot of money, but they always place you in a situation that you won't make an issue with so they can get another buck or drink out of you. All the other places in the area have better prices and won't make you pay their fee for adhering to society's standards of using normal payment methods. I had a beer across the street and did not pay a fee. Get a better deal at all of the other places! The east side is getting full of itself....I plan on calling out all of its bullshit when I encounter it. read more

Drinks Lounge has friendly and fast bartenders, strong pours (just not the frozen ruby red. WEAK!), and is very open with a large outside patio area that's great for people watching. I really enjoyed my libations. I also like that the music wasn't blaring too loud. I could still enjoy conversations without just nodding and saying "Yeah" as if I heard anything that was said. Good job Drinks Lounge! read more

Drinks Lounge is the best bar in Texas. The best people, totchos, pool-playin', and tunes in town. Love them.

Rad bar, rad staff, rad food. Always hosting something fun too like the Witches market or something random like a social dj. Probably in my top 5 spots for the east side as it's chill for days. The food is top notch, everything from the tacos to the burgers, especially those tots. read more

I went for the first time last week and I was very impressed with how they're functioning during COVID. There was great emphasis on safety and I appreciated how the explained everything before going in. Food, service, and drinks were great! I'll definitely be returning and spreading the word. read more

Place is alright music is horrid the DJ seems to be oblivious to what good music selection is or would be drinks are basic bar tenders are nice and quick over all the vibe is a downer read more

We've been in this neighborhood 18 years and Drinks is our go-to neighborhood bar. It's cheap, friendly, no-bullshit, and the food is great. Anyone who's claiming that they miss Club Calentano is full of shit. Anyone crying 'gentrification' at Drinks is barking up the wrong tree. We appreciate having a bar around the corner that's safe, stands up to aggressive patrons, and cuts people off when they should. If you want to get plastered and do flaming Dr. Pepper shots and puke everywhere, dirty sixth is a $4 uber ride away. read more

Um, I like Drinks. I has a laid back feel and some fun images on the wall. the Bartender was really nice. Yet, while sitting at the bar at about four in the afternoon a rat slowly walked by along the window sill above the entry. It then crawled around the wall or something and disappeared. Well I guess any open air place is going to have rats. Every place including your house will eventually get rats unless you do something to keep them out. We got a drink that was frozen and made in a machine like a margarita or something. It was kind of watery. The women's room is very small and crumbly. So, the place is a dive. That is okay. It is not expensive and you can have a conversation and hear each other. Don't bring your frail great Aunt here. read more

Okay, I like playing "What-was-this-place-before-it-became-the-latest-cool-&-trendster-East-Side-bar" game: Was it a taquería? A taxidermist? Or just another old house that's been gentrified & hipnofied for skinny jeans & tiny black dresses. I'm kidding, it's all good. But this Drinks Lounge seemed unusually good. It may be completely different in daylight, but it sure looked cool late night: Dance floor, DJ's, pool table, a large bar that comped my club soda - that's the stuff that makes me tip more. Plus it was easy to park up or down the streets around here. This place soars way above dive, but without Louboutin pretensions. Now that's a refreshing East Side double-take. I'd bring us to Drinks Lounge anytime. read more

Drinks lounge! Hard to find on the internet (just try googling drinks bar austin) but easy to find off the road. This East Cesar Chavez gem was first revealed to me on my way to Sawyer and Co. They just have a giant neon sign that says "drinks." It immediately caught my attention -- so, they offer drinks? They're called drinks? What is the damn deal here? Turns out, that's probably their intention. They've got a short (but stout) cocktail menu. They offer a full bar, craft beer on tap and tons of seating. That's really what makes it so comfy -- you can actually find a place to sit inside or on the cool little front patio. The pour was strong, the bartenders appropriately friendly and their prices are reasonable. Always happy to see places that aren't fussy or hyper-trendy open east side. It's got a neighborhood-y, casual vibe and I'll be back for that michelada. read more

What do YOU do after a grueling workout (read: a 3 mile leisurely walk along the boardwalk on a gorgeous day)? Well, BFF and I give ourselves a little pat on the back (read: dinner and drinks...lots of it). We passed this spot on our way to Mongers and determined to check it out after dinner. On walking in, I immediately loved the interior with its sexy black booths and vintage photos. Very Rat Pack. But they stole my heart with happy hour from 4-8 (!). That means all their fancy cocktails are just $5. ALL. Keepin it simple. No extra maths needed. He started with an Old Fashioned (appropriately served over one large rock) and I had the Pink Drink, a new twist on my old fave of Ruby Red and soda as they add St Germaine. Both drinks were great. Then, working down the menu :), he had the Bee's Knees and I had the Orange Fancy. Well HELLLOOOO NURSE! Imma call that my new favorite medicine. Dripping Springs orange vodka (who knew??),Pom, and bubbles. While enjoying our drinks, we also had fun petting our barmate's corgi puppy. Yup, puppies and drinks. Win. Win. There were plenty of other cuties (read: dogs) on the patio as well as a bunch of pizza (read: Local Slice) someone had brought over for a party. Drinks doesn't have food but will let you bring anything in for your shindig. One more thing....the women's bathroom really reminds me of Donn's Depot (read: you have to climb up steps to the "water closet"). I think this bathroom came with the original building but it's fun in a trippy way. I look forward to going back to Drinks for a few (read: 5 or 6) more sweet HH drinks! read more

Sometimes I walk into a bar and immediately know it's going to be a good one. Upon entering Drinks, I knew I had found a new bar to add to the rotation. There are picnic tables out front, and the inside is large. An entire area of the bar is devoted to playing pool. An added plus are the cozy and swanky black booths to take over, along with plenty of other seating. I read on their Facebook page they have a DJ every now and then with some dancing involved! I was especially smitten with the specialty cocktails menu. I tried the Orange Fancy (served in a fancy glass!) first, with Dripping Springs vodka, pom (?) and champagne. It was good, but I was eager to try something else. My second choice was the Pink Drink: this is about when I officially fell in love: Deep Eddy ruby red, St. Germain and lemon. I think this drink was made for me. The Tx Mule was perfect if you love ginger beer, and the Whiskey Drink was a keeper, made with Maker's Mark, cointreau and lemon to give it that extra something. So we probably drank close to half the menu, and it didn't break the bank. All these drinks were no more than $7 each, not served in super tiny glasses, and not weak either. I really like it when a bar offers up a good selection of craft beer and doesn't take themselves too seriously to overcharge for some well-made cocktails. I'm happy to have a new place east of downtown, with easy parking (in the neighborhood), a good casual vibe and a diverse crowd. read more

I had a problem with this bar almost a year ago, I was buying drinks for 3 friends and 3 sets of girls with 2-3 girls in each group so i racked up a $200 tab in almost an hour. When i went to the bar i asked for another round, the bartender said in a mean, unappreciative disrespectful voice "you're done, you're done"! I defended myself by stating i was not drunk and that i owned a bar and this is not how i would have approached this situation. I did not write a review then, almost a year later i woke up with a task, to hire bartenders for my new restaurant in NW Austin, i am considering what avenues i will use to recruit, i go to indeed, poached, intheweeds and then the oldy but maybe Craigslist, as i am on Craigslist the first add i see is Drinks hiring bartenders. It brings back memories, i decide to reply with an email because the way i was treated that day is still to this very day bothersome, here is part of his response below. I think he was trying to insult me. "Glad to see you're up early looking for a bartender job on Craigslist to help supplement your Uber driver income. You made sure to repeatedly tell everyone that you own a bar. We hope business picks up and wish you the best of luck." It is true, i drove Uber this past year as i sold my bar in CC as i looked for a new spot to open up where the economy is much better, my home town, Austin TX, my hard work has paid off as i will be opening a new unique venue November 15th. He is still trying to get under my skin and come at me with evil. A simple apology is all i have ever wanted. Do not go here, from what the neighborhood says, they are racist, unless you are a female or covered with tattoos or a transplant they do not want you their. I am Austin TX born and raised, i guess he just wants my kind gentrified. In response to the owner Tim below, I was never too forward with anyone, if that was the case why have you not mentioned that in any previous text or email, we have sent a few, how about the fact that the aforementioned emails that clearly state what i wrote above verbatim, did i make that up too, no because i can prove it? Bro, admit when you are wrong and apologize, did you not read that an apology is all want? I did not even think about you all year til i read your advert and then when i emailed you, you acted just like the person i know you are, in other words, you are just who i thought you are. By the way, every bad review you have ever received your responses are kind of mean, I think it is you who do not own up to your mistakes, you must be perfect in your own mind. read more

This place was great to relax and people watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon. They had the best drink called rockaway peach that was both sweet and spicy. This place has a great setup with plenty of sitting either outside or inside with different seating options (chairs, booths, etc). Will definitely be back! Also loved that they serve brunch until 5! read more

Drinks Lounge & Records - Brunch menu - Lounges Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

As a born-and-raised Texas native, I know the neighborhood this bar is in. This is 100% a gentrifier bar. Its whole aesthetic targets the upper-middle class customer, which may be good for this majority Latin@ working-class neighborhood's safety, but it's very hard on the residents who will see themselves priced out of the area once more gentrifiers move in. The night I was there, we truly tried to have a great time, but your bartenders, customers, and DJ were incredibly rude to my group. I will say that you have the nicest bathroom I've ever been in, period. (Odd for an edgy dive bar? but okay.) When we went across the street to Buckets, the entire customer base reflected the neighborhood. I highly doubt there's as much cross-over between your customers as you say because you price them out--your drinks START at $7 and at Buckets I got a Shiner for $2.50. Also, I used the term "power punk" because that's what *your* DJ dismissively told my friend. Whether you like it or not, every photo on Yelp confirms my observations for lack of diversity, which is a problem when you're located in a working-class Latin@ neighborhood. Thanks for responding to my original review. I'm sorry if it came off harsh. P.S. I looked up the Bees Knees cocktail, and it's gin, lemon, honey, and simple syrup. Two parts sugar. :) read more

Hopped over to this spot on Tuesday afternoon and it has become a favorite spot for me to grab a couple of cheap, but tasty drinks. The cocktail menu is small, but the cocktails are great and it also has a full bar with lots of beer on tap. The seating is great, whether you want to sit at the bar, out on the patio, or in very cushy and private booths. My experience with the owner who was actually slinging the drinks was one of my more enjoyable exchanges with a bartender to date! He was incredibly engaging and it is clear that he and his wife (who also own Brixton) are so dedicated to delivering a great experience for their customers. There is an incredible taco truck across the street called The Violet Taco, and the owner actually handed us a menu, and TEXTED an employee who worked their our order and the tacos arrived in less than four minutes! In all of my experiences at a bar, this one was a special one! It was a Tuesday, so the bar offers free pool. We didn't have a chance to play as my friend and I were busy catching up, but I would definitely head back over for some billiards on Tuesday or their trivia nights on Monday. If you are looking for your regular casual dive, this is the spot. read more

The door person was nice and that's about as good as it got for us here. I tried their Old Fashioned and my friend tried their Moscow Mule. Neither of us liked our drink. My friend said the Moscow Mule was boozy, but that the flavors weren't balanced well. My Old Fashioned tasted really flat. There was no oomph to it and I didn't feel the lemon in it worked. I'm tempted to give it the title for the most flavorless Old Fashioned I've had unfortunately. For a Saturday night the place was empty. Aside from me and my friend, there were maybe 2 or 3 other people there not including the staff and it's a big layout with lots of room. Sometimes I really enjoy and even prefer a smaller crowd, but I just wasn't feeling it here. The decor is fine, I liked the booths, but I felt no energy to the bar. Our bartender seemed fairly disinterested in the evening too and I can't blame them. Perhaps it was an off night. I wanted to like Drinks Lounge and I've heard really good things about it (from people whose opinions I trust), but I can't say for sure if I'll back to experience those things for myself. read more

It was a sleepy rainy Sunday when we stopped in. Not super hungry but wanted to check out the burger. We were greeted by the friendly bearded bartender and ordered up our food and brews. I took ONE bite and ordered another because life is too short to skimp on great food. The IPA was just right for a wash down. The music was hard classic rock and the pool table was $1. Great bar in Austin. Portland would be blown away and jealous, and I'm going back to let them know. It's time to build a burger like this! read more

See all

I grew up in this neighborhood. I thought I would stop by Sunday night and try it out with family. We ordered the Deep Eddy Ruby Red Margaritas and wow they were delish! Definitely going back just for that. Actually I did go back the next day with a friend. We enjoyed hanging out inside listened to good music and catching up on things. Parking not so great but where in Austin do you find good parking? Very chill place staff was friendly and prices were average for a bar. read more

Great Divey/Hipster bar in East Austin. Has a garage door so it has that open air feel. There is also an outside patio. There are pool tables and often a DJ. The crowd is chill. The bartenders are super cool. Good place for a chill drink. I used to come here a to get a beer and a burger from Arlo's food truck. Unfortunately, Arlo's is no longer at Drinks. Drinks now has a menu but I have not tried it. I just miss having Arlo's there. read more

I rarely give negative reviews. I live 2 blocks from this place and wanted to check it out as a getaway from the girlfriend when she's studying. Went by with a friend in from San Fran who had carried a cup of wine with him. Bartender said u can't bring that in here so he finished it and handed to him. Guy smelled it, said it's got alcohol in it I can't serve you. We said seiously, for real, sorry, etc. Totally rude BS about TABC. We left and came back in to give the guy an out...for rules and what not. Still rude. I asked if we were kicked out for life and he said no, just tonight. It would be one thing if it was a busy night or we were belligerent. It was sunday night and only 5 people there and we just wanted to play pool. Sucks because this is on my street and now I can't really go back there. Grackel on 6th was a short walk, human bartenders, pool tables and darts. Guess I'll go a few extra blocks. read more

You'd hope when you call yourself "Drinks", you'd have some decent ones, but we had a horrible experience here. We got one Gin Henry - extremely watery and flavorless, and one Bees Knees - couldn't taste the honey, or the lemon; it was 100% gin. Not tasty at all. We left without finishing. Super disappointed! If you do come, order something not on the menu. read more

I went there right as it opened on a Friday. We played pool and my husband ordered beer and I ordered the frozen ruby rita. The Ruby Rita is Deep Eddy Grapefruit Vodka but frozen, so it's an adult slushy. They serve it with a Tajín rim. It's soooo refreshing in this Texas heat. My husband ordered the Buffalo Blue Burger and it was AMAZING. I had the Tot-Chos (tots with nacho toppings) and they were also amazing. They are big enough to share with someone else. The bartender is super friendly too. Definitely doing back there to try their Sunday brunch. The only negative is the parking. There is no parking lot or designated parking for the bar. You have to park in residential area so you gotta watch for no parking signs so you don't get towed. Some houses have cones in front of their homes to block you from parking in front for their houses. read more

This place makes me think of a bar where Bukowski might have hung out in Los Angeles back in the day. I'm sure that in actuality it's much nice but they make a mean Manhatten and the staff is as unpretentious as the decor. Me likes. read more

This is a wonderful dive bar! If I lived closer... Id practically live here. The bartenders are awesome! And the drinks speak for themselves. Plus, billiards... Yes, Please! read more

Drinks Lounge & Records - Todays drink options all sound delicious, how can I choose?! - Lounges Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great hangout in the east side. Love the outdoor patio! Always good vibes, will be back as usual!

Great dive on east Cesar Chavez. Sure this place has vinyl booths and dimly lit corners, crafty cocktails as well as lone star, and a picnic-table dotted patio facing right on to Cesar Chavez. But the things that makes Drinks deserve all the stars are their mutha f'in tater tots!! Yes, there, I said it. They were nuggets of perfectly salty and crunchy goodness! What really makes Drinks stand out among the sea of dive bars and the thing that will keep me and my fat arse coming back are the MF TATER TOTS. read more

I'd like to start by saying, I haven't had a drink in 12 years. But most of my friends do. So when I go out with them I hope for good music, food, and great atmosphere. Drinks has all of those and I always have a great time there. The staff is friendly and welcoming. They also have a great patio! read more

Crazy happy hour: Everyday 4:00pm-8:00pm! Wells, tall boys $2 Draft beers $3 Calls $4 Specialty cocktails $5 Wine bottles $18 Not too wild on a Tuesday night, will be back on a weekend to check it out again! read more

Don't let the dark, divey ambience fool you. The drinks r great and the food is better. The bathrooms leave something to b desired which is the reason for four stars. In fact the bathrooms get 2 stars cause...well...girls should hover. But the food and dranks r so awesome, it's worth it. Quesadilla, yes. Legit. Loaded tots. Yep...but the wings, the wings r awesome. 75 cent Thursdays r the jam. Ask for Jamie or Ray they gots u. Then head over to stay gold for some late night live music. Can't miss... read more

*UPDATE* the owner or whoever is replying to comments has YET to answer my questions. My age has nothing to do with anything so that's irrelevant. Again, you took my food order and asked if I don't tip. WHY would you ask that if I hadn't got my food ? Also you have receipts right? With credit card info ? Let's pull up my name and see how many tips I left. Let's not lie because I am seeing this trend where whenever you get 1 star , you reply with a bad attitude and take NO accountability . I know for a fact that these 1 stars left aren't ALL lying like you say they are. Do better. read more