Not feeling this place. I was excited by their online menu but apparently they were changing menus so they only had 5 or 6 cocktails. They also were out of some things and only had two menus (for the whole place), one of which was torn. No table service which is fine but a little confusing since they didn't make it super clear. They supposedly have live music but didn't have any when we were there. We got one drink and went elsewhere; the drinks were alright but nothing impressive. Considering the many other awesome bars and places I went to in Austin, this place is not one I would suggest going to. It is cool to enter from behind the bookcase I guess but overall nothing special. read more

What a unique, vampy, and clever place smack dab in the heart of Austin. This is truly a hidden treasure amidst some of the "riff raff" on Sixth Street. Our company had a happy hour here to celebrate a project finale last minute, and we were met with open arms and honest service. Their happy hour and drink menu was unconventionally global - with classic librations from London to Brazil. I thought the Cheese Board and Pimm's Cup (pimms #1, ginger ale, cucumber, mint served in the most adorable copper cup!) were enough to charm my heart, but the secret sliding doorway just stole the show (uploaded a photo for a peek!). I hope this stays an Austin gem, but get in while you still can! read more

Firehouse Lounge - Teaser of the hidden sliding door. What's on the other side? Go and find out! - Lounges Near Me - Austin, Texas

Yes yes yes!!!! Drinks are amazing and fairly priced. Hidden away in the warehouse district is this gem. Awesome secret entrance to the bar. Intimate place to see a live show. Great atmosphere and great people. read more

Firehouse Lounge - Beautiful bar - Lounges Near Me - Austin, Texas

I wish I could have experienced what everyone else had here. I think they have a great drink menu! Lots of variety and I appreciate the "handcrafted" speciality. I like that the place is small and intimate. But my satisfaction stops there. Service here was quite rude. If you want any kind of service whether to get a menu or a drink you have to go straight to the bar. That's fine. I go up to the bar to the nearest bartender patiently waiting as he finishes up his conversation with another customer. They were talking about Yelp too! As soon as she leaves, he just blankly stares at me... his face expressing "what do you want?". I felt awkward but tried to break the ice with a friendly hello and then giving him my order. With just repeating my order, he starts making it. For 2 drinks... it probably took more than 5 minutes but no more than 10. I was stuck waiting at the bar.... still feeling awkward. The BF comes from our table and complains why it is taking so long for our drinks. (Never experienced handcrafted cocktails before). I rolled my eyes and explained the situation. I will admit that this particular bartender became a little more pleasant after we received our drinks. Still... I wasn't very happy to be there. We walked all the way from Colarado St. just to check it out... and got soaking wet coming back to the car. The service was a buzz kill. read more

October 2013 EDIT: I don't think their website says anything about it, but Happy Hour is pretty sweet and it's Mondays through Saturdays 5-8 p.m. Sunday all day long. Here's the deal-i-o: http://www.firehousehostel.com/Happy%20Hour.pdf (PDF warning) I'm told there's also a good open mike Wednesdays at 8 p.m. They guys who run it show up at 7:30, if you want to come sign up and play a few tunes. Shoot me a message if you do, and I'll join you. Now back to the original review ... Great staff, cool atmosphere, and expertly-made drinks. Little touches like big, hand-cut cubes of ice (they don't melt as quickly as machine ice, so your drink doesn't get watery) and handmade bitters. And I love love love being in a real bar, where ordering a "martini" gets you a martini (i.e., a drink made with gin). I'm sure they'll make you a vodka martini (shudder), but you'll have to tell them that's what you want. Just like Sullivan's will probably bring you a bottle of ketchup with your ribeye if you ask for it, but rest assured they won't respect you. read more

Wonderful little hidden gem - literally - in the midst of 6th street madness! Speakeasy feel, dark lighting and an overall "cool" vibe. Great ambiance, not too crowded and wonderful cocktails, according to friends. We didn't eat there but I definitely want to go back to try a few of the menu items! Can't wait to go back. read more

A lot of people say the Firehouse is good for a date, and I agree, but I go there with my friends too! Bomb handcrafted cocktails made by ladies and gents that know their stuff. If you're looking for $1 jello shots, you're in the wrong place. Ask for a Cucumber Southside or a Dark and Stormy. Scrumptious! read more

Cons: food menu is minimal, overpriced and not tasty. No table service, all orders are taken at the bar. They'll bring your food to your table but that's all. Pros: Old, speak easy feel and very chill. It's a lounge at the hostel. Slide open the bookcase to enter. Drinks were good. Seating good for meeting with friends. Location central downtown across from the historic Driscoll Hotel. read more

So great for out of towners! A hostel hidden bar here. No cover on a Saturday night and great cocktails! Wait to look at the bar menu before you order from the on top of the bar menu in chalk. It's hidden so IT'S FRICKING COOL!! Cocktails are so tasty and the bartenders and very friendly! read more

This is a fun hidden hangout for locals and out-of-towners alike. Came here a few times and they have good music and drinks. DJs are great. My only issue is of late was a bartender serving drinks one of the nights. I was ordering drinks for friends visiting Austin and told them about this fun bar with good vibes. Went there and as he finished several cocktail drinks for us, I asked for one more beer as another friend had asked. He then got upset with me, loud and condescending, because we had ordered another one. Told him I just wanted to get one more beer and that I'll take care of it and tip him more for his effort. He then aggressively stated "take care of me how, huh?!". And I pointed at my wallet to suggest a tip. My friends and I aren't confrontational so we keep things subtle regardless of the situation. I wonder if he took it another way?So my friend asked what's going on so I leaned over to tell him the situation and to not worry, just a misunderstanding cause I'm not one to start an issue. But as I was telling my friend, he then yelled back at me "I hear you you know!" to which I replied, "ok so then you know I'm just telling him the situation. We are just trying to have a good time". He begrudgingly served the beer snickering with his co-bartenders about it all. I stilled tipped him nicely despite all this as I usually do anyone who serves me and my friends, not to encourage the behavior towards me which was unnecessary but because I am a man of my word as said above. The situation embarrassed the lounge and scene as a whole. I'm still rating a 3 Star (though that night warrants 1-2 star rating) because majority of the times it's a fun scene, he still made good drinks, and with the assumption management uses this as a "heads up guys, what can we do better in this situation" chat. Maybe the guy had a bad day? Maybe he specifically dislikes me? Maybe I look easy to bully? Who knows? I'm not trying to point him out hence the lack of descriptions above. Apart from that, 5 Stars could have been more befitting. read more

Get your drink on in here. Savvy selection, dim lighting and an agreeable crowd to knock back a few. The service was pretty attentive considering how busy it was. Consider this a secret bat cave to get sauced in.. read more

Stood in a line for 10 minutes in a bar that wasn't that busy and was completely ignored. Worst service I've experienced at a bar. Location was cute but not worth it at all. read more

Excellent. You won't find bartenders here, you'll find mixologists. You won't find drinks here, you'll find cocktails. Sometimes you'll even find great music. And you'll love it all. read more

This place rules! For many reasons. I could go on and on, in a rambling way, but figured it would be better to just go down the line of why this place rules. Here we go: (In no particular order) + The Old fashioned is one of the best I have ever had, easily the best in the city. Not to sweet. Just right. + The ice cubes are huge. Not saying that they have the bigger cube ice tray thing. Like they take a HUGE block, and cut it into cubes. Classy. + The bar height. Taller then normal. It feels great to be up high. + The bartenders. They are great. Brandon, and Robert where there when I went, and I would feel confident in drinking just about anything they made. + The music was perfect. Kinda oldies, jazzy. Perfect compliment to the place. + VIBE. This place has it. Dark, tucked away, just has a great feel. + The glassware. Its classic cocktail. Think Mad Men era. + Handmade. They have some great additions to the cocktails that are all handmade. The olive juice, various bitters, cherries etc. Its a cocktail at its best. Parking is rough, but its in the heart of downtown, so what do you expect. Just plan accordingly. Highly recommended, GO! I'll see ya there. read more

This place is very very cool. I love the soft curtain you walk through to get into the bar and the ambiance of the bar (dark lighting, red walls, fresh fruit...very nice). I like that they have happy hour until 8 pm (excellent!) and the specialty drinks are 6$ (double excellent!). The bartender who was working when I went fit perfectly into the ambiance of the bar, he was friendly and took his time making cocktails. I had the Floridita drink and it was very tasty....small, but potent. The BF had an expertly crafted Manhattan, my friend got another special drink that she enjoyed. I would definitely recommend this bar if you are in the neighborhood, it was the best one we visited while in Texas. read more

Recently a friend suggested we go to Firehouse, and I was totally taken aback. Why, on earth, would I want to go hang out with a bunch of raving 18 year olds listening to terrrrrrrible dubstep? I am so glad she talked me into it. Firehouse is COMPLETELY different.. I mean, completely. It has an old speakeasy type feel, you even enter through a book case in the hostel! The interior is totally different and they have table service which is really nice. They have an assortment of delicious cocktails (their moscow mule is fantastic), beer and wine.. seating is limited but the few times I've been there it wasn't really busy. The only thing is they have very different live music acts, and some can be... interesting. But if that's the only draw back I'm in! Again, this is one of those reviews you almost don't want to write because you prefer to keep it to yourself.. ahh well. It's a great place to take people when you want to show off a little ;) you would have no idea you're right on dirty 6th. read more

Hip and hidden. Firehouse lounge is a hidden bar/lounge inside Firehouse Hostel downtown. Maybe the best part about it is that you kind of feel like Hermoine moving bookshelves that reveal hidden spots as you get inside. Next time I'm bringing my wand ("locomotor" ... or some spell like that) for the full effect. The place is dim and sort of has a 1920's feel. Great cocktails and good HH specials. Went for an open mic and was a very relaxed and fun time. Kind of had the vibe of that neighborhood friendly old rich bachelor inviting some friends over to place some music in his basement. Very fun. Big fan. read more

We had a great time here! Bar tenders were friendly and interactive with all the groups that came through there. Drinks were great too!!! Great ambiance with lots of history as it was a fire station back when. We loved going through a book shelf to enter in the bar. read more

Decent cocktail spot in Austin. I can't be too tough on them because comparing New York to Austin is like apples to bananas. I came here with my parents early in the evening on a Saturday. There were a good amount of patrons; not uncomfortably quiet but not crowded enough that it was balls to the wall. I chose to imbibe in the rye whiskey based drinks- a Sazerac and a Brooklyn #2. I felt that they were both kind of weak, but I figured this could be due to a few factors: 1) It was happy hour, so $5 for craft cocktails. Compared to NYC prices, this is the equivalent of a 70% off retail price sale at a department store. Perhaps it was "watered down" for this purpose. 2) It wasn't one of the recommended cocktails on the menu. 3) I hate to be judgmental, but after interviewing the bartender he told me he's been bar tending for only a month. Perhaps it was experience that got in the way? 4) I'm a fucking alcoholic and I drink too damn much. I can only handle the strong stuff at this point. Also, the cocktail waitress that was servicing the tables needed some work. She introduced herself at the beginning and gave us a food menu, but never came back to see if we wanted to order anything. I simply ordered all of my drinks and an appetizer sampler from the bar. Since this is the live music capital of the world, they did have a simple but nice musical act going on- it was a woman singer and a piano accompaniment. I enjoyed their versions of Britney Spears' "Toxic", Jessie J's "Domino", and Rihanna's "We Found Love". Overall, there is room for improvement, but Firehouse is on the right track. I would love to come back and perhaps try one of their recommended cocktails. read more

What a neat place and something I doubt I would have found without Yelp! The bartenders here are five stars easily. Paul made me various bourbon drinks according to my preferences and I was delighted. Great personality and killer drinks, what's not to love. I'm not sure if I hate or love the bar stools--they're about eight feet high and the bar is quite wide. The girl next to me sat down and kind of nailed it: "I always feel like a chipmunk sitting up here." I'm not even sure what that means but it felt pretty accurate. Just watch your cocktail intake if you want to dismount successfully. The atmosphere here was pretty cool, it's a little laid back, a little hipster. Most places that knock out cocktails of this caliber don't have people at the bar downing PBRs (as was the case when we went), so it's an interesting mix--which is honestly probably true of anywhere in downtown Austin. So the spot's on the low-key side; the cocktails are anything but. read more

Do not walk right past this place it is easy to do. You have to walk into the hostel and walk past the secret bookcase passageway. After that adventure you are ready for a drink and you are quickly rewarded for your trouble. I would highly suggest getting an Old Fashion here and then maybe getting another just for good measure. An Austin staple with great bartenders it really is a recipe for greatness. read more

Nice cool lounge if you're downtown around 6th street. Super convenient if you're staying at the Driskill. I literally walk directly across the street. One of the only place in the area that I found that sold Makers 46. The Bartender, Brandon, remembered my drink after my first visit. (Just look for the handlebar mustache.) Definitely one of my new hangouts in Austin. Oh and if you're lucky you might get the pleasure of hearing Marianna (I hope that's her name) sing. read more

This is becoming my favorite bar in the downtown 6th street area. The bartenders are amazing with out being pretentious. My favorite BT is Bradley. Cool guy, made us very comfortable and at the same time he wasn't afraid to instruct a rude douchy customer next to us how to behave in public. I will be back, over and over read more

Very cool, understated bar. I liked the mystique with the bookcase entry, liked the dim lighting and comfortable, cozy seating. It's wonderful that happy hour is daily, even on Saturday evenings until 8pm! I got the Gold Rush cocktail and enjoyed it very much. The only detraction was the television--it kind of took away from the rest of the atmosphere. Friendly service. I think this would be a great place to take friends from out of town. read more

The drinks were decent, and the place seemed pretty cool, but the sound! We got there on a open mic night, and despite the small space, the amps had been turned up to eleven. My friend and I were practically shouting to hear each other, and we were as far from the speakers as we could get. I don't (yet?) know whether it's always this loud or if live music is a fluke. Live music is great, but we clearly weren't going to be able to talk to a server or bartender, so we bailed out. read more

Imagine walking into the lobby of a hostel? A wall lined with bookshelves is in front of you. Move that wall of books to the right and enter a Uber hip little bar/lounge. Yah-it is the real deal. Not at all tourist-ee but filled with hipsters lounging on leather couches or crowded around the bar. Look for the friendly guy with beautiful dreads behind the bar mixing up classic old-school cocktails like gimlets and sidecars. read more

Drinks are fantastic. They are classic cocktails made perfectly. The bartender created a drink from listening to me that was perfect. Ambience is hole in the wall meets hipster but I'm sure it is packed on weekends. read more

This lounge is cute! It has a sort of speakeasy secret entrance through a bookshelf. It's not very secret of course, but the concept is cute and I've always wanted to enter something through a bookshelf, lol. It's got a cool dark vibe to it and the decor is pretty tight. The bartenders had accents, which I attribute to the bar being attached to a hostel and having a lot of foreigners staying there possibly. Maybe not...but the story I created in my head and her accent def added to the ambience. Haha. Their drink menu had some interesting mixology going on and their spicy margarita was really delicious. At first I wasn't a fun of the chili pepper rim, but then I got rid of the traditional ideology and it really complemented the whole drink! They had a DJ playing who was really good. We all commented at different times about how good the music was. It was a chill vibe, but also a Tuesday night, so no expectations to be had. Even so it was a nice crowd. I'd go back and recommend it! read more

Loved the speakeasy secret door to get in the bar. Great vibes and friendly people!! The jack rose cocktail was absolutely delicious. read more

Firehouse Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Austin, Texas

Perfect vibe for Austin. Novel speakeasy with an Austin twist. Austin is a fun, uncomplicated, relaxed none pretentious city so this place has it spot on. Midnight Cowboy need to take some tips. Really decent, well balanced, good range of cocktails for all. Behind a secret door (a book case) with friendly greet staff. You feel relaxed as soon as you walk in. Medium level Motown music was playing when I was there. Perfect for a Friday night warm up! No pretense, happy friendly bar staff and good crowd. Will deff come here again! read more

Usually solid cocktails in a decent vibe. Tonight 7 people at the bar, I sit at the far end near the stage. 1 bartender, 1 barback not one comes and greets me for 10 minutes. If it was a Saturday and they were normal busy I would understand but they weren't busy, seemed uninterested in addressing me and serving a drink. It's too bad, I work in the industry, overtip as a norm and usually have simple orders. Also normally suggest to my out of towners to visit firehouse, but how could someone reasonably suggest a place the bartenders don't care to even greet you. Used to love, sad to write this. read more

Man, Firehouse is cool. If you ever have out-of-town friends begging you to take them to 6th street, this is definitely the work-around. It's thrown into downtown but, miraculously, nobody has peed on the floor. Plus, as mentioned in several other reviews, you access the room through a sliding bookcase. Honestly, when I saw that in a review, it was all I needed to convince me to check it out. When I did check it out, though, I found really friendly bartenders who remember you on your next visit, a ton of hot foreign guys, and strong, cheap drinks. It was like I crossed through a sliding bookcase into heaven. Definitely worth a visit. But please, pee responsibly. read more

Really interesting space and vibe with great drinks. A must go if you're in downtown Austin looking for a classy but fun bar!

What a freaking find! I owe a debt of gratitude to a friend who scheduled a happy hour here. I'd been to the Firehouse years ago when it was just a plain old bar. Now it's a pseudo-speakeasy, which you enter through a bookcase in a hostel I had no idea existed. Kind of crazy! If you love cocktails, and a relaxed atmosphere, without having to fight a giant crowd of hipsters, you will LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! Their happy hour specials are ridiculous. I think cocktails were $6, and they have a loooong happy hour, I believe from 5-8. There were also food specials, which we did not try, but OMG - the drinks! We tried 4 cocktails from the happy hour menu, but our companion let the bartender just take him on a cocktail journey, and that looked like a lot of fun. The bartenders were creative and helpful without being pretentious or condescending, thank you very much. They made solid drinks which were delicious, approachable, and - dare I say - plenty strong. I plan to make this a go-to staple in my happy hour rotation. I rarely go out to drink, because I can just make drinks at home. But I can't make drinks like this, and you CANNOT beat that price, especially in the heart of downtown (across the street from the Driskill, for crying out loud). And next time, I'll let the bartenders take me on a cocktail journey, because that looked like a lot of fun. Oh, and I'll make sure I don't already have dinner plans so I can try the food too! read more

Like most Austin locals, I avoid sixth street bars like the plague. But when out of town friends visit insistent on dirty 6th, we convince them to do a "walk through" of the street before venturing away from the chaos into our favorite little nook - Firehouse Lounge! Nothing says grungy speakeasy quite like pushing aside a bookcase in the lobby of a hostel. I'm a fan of their extended happy hour until 8pm and their Moscow mules. The place tends to get a little crowded on weekends and the line to get drinks can be time consuming so visit on off hours for the best experience. read more

Shortly after posting my review, Kent, the owner of Firehouse, contacted me to thank me for my positive words. Now THAT is customer service! Kent, you are winning. I'm adding another star to my review. read more

Firehouse Hostel and Lounge is a great spot to get an amazing cocktail like you've never had before. The music is consistently good, the bartenders are magicians, the atmosphere is super hip, but not over the top or pretentious, and you can choose from many drinks that taste amazing without noticing the alcohol or get a prohibition era drink to burn your insides out. 5 stars all the way. We will continue to come back every time we visit family in Austin. read more

Firehouse Lounge - The booze - Lounges Near Me - Austin, Texas

I will be coming back to the Firehouse Lounge. Great happy hour prices for quality and complex mixed drinks. Just watching the bar tenders make these drinks was entertainment in itself. I love the atmosphere, and will be sharing this place with friends. read more

Speakeasy with a bookshelf for a door inside a hostel. Cool vibes and a good spot for a few low-key drinks after dinner.

Waste of time. Cool tunes, horrible service. Eight (8) other patrons and it's taken 27 min for my "almonds" to arrive. Should have stopped at Costco (high five). I won't be back, thanks but no thanks. I even received a coupon, it can be for three free drinks...keep them. read more