First time here. Awesome church themed bar. we walked over after having a couple of drinks and snacks at another bar. Got there mid afternoon and it was empty but nice for us since we got to take up the space on the 2nd floor. I ordered the pride cocktail. It was nice and refreshing with the cucumber syrup and not overly sweet. Plus they have crushed ice which I love. Also got the French fries to snack on, super salty. read more

Higher Ground - Pride - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

The Sunday Service was relaxed and fun despite the heat. There were outdoor fans and misters which helped a lot. Overall the vibes were good and we had a great time. Drinks were good and well priced. The tarot reading with Monica was amazing! read more

Higher Ground - Tarot reading - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I like the downstairs as soon as you walk in it's a small, quaint intimate setting with small tables meant for 2 to 3 people and going further and there's a bar with very Cole decorations and the bartenders are super knowledgeable almost any drink you can think of can be made as a cocktail and then upstairs is additional space another bar cool decor great for night time or group settings read more

Higher Ground - My seat - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

Went here last night with two of my girlfriends, because we heard that they have the best happy hour on Wednesdays. On Wednesdays you can get $10 cocktails, five dollar burgers, and five dollar beers from 4 to 7 PM. We got there pretty early and made a reservation just in case at 4:30. The bar fills up pretty quickly so I recommend making a reservation, as long as you know there isn't a private event going on. The whole upstairs was reserved starting at 5:30 for a private event which included the outside patio. We would've loved to sat outside but unfortunately couldn't because of the event. I wouldn't say this is the most smooth experience I had at this place, but the absolute gem of a hostess and service here makes me automatically give it five stars. The kitchen ended up catching on fire while we were here and half of our food was only able to come out, because of that they gave us three free drinks, which was extremely nice. They even offered us a charcuterie board, but we turn down because they already gave us free drinks. The five dollar burger was just all right I think mine got burnt when the kitchen fire started. A lot of people left who were at the restaurant when the situation went down just because of the smoke coming out of the kitchen into the area we were sitting in. The fries were fantastic and the drinks were even better. I would definitely come back to this place because it's in a very cute and intimate setting, next time I would like to sit outside on the patio, but you really can't go wrong with such cheap drinks and food on happy hour. Thank you to the amazing hostess who is only day two on the job! your new employer is very lucky to have you, you are fabulous! Pros: service, drinks, prices Cons: upstairs and patio closed for events read more

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Such a great pop in bar! We were cruising around the city and just needed a drink. Such a great environment and loved the experience.

Ambiance was nice but as someone who didn't know what to expect, walking in ... do not come here if you believe in Jesus or have a relationship with God. They use the Bible and church as a joke and play on then anything. read more

The food and drinks are crafted with so much attention to detail. If you want flavor and a cocktail that makes your heart smile go to higher ground. read more

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Cocktails are too sugary and not masterful creations. Upstairs patio is adorable. But place is overall cramped with okay service.

I hate giving negative reviews. This one just had to happen. First of all (hopefully this changes soon) the restaurant is crazy understaffed. We tried calling and calling (4 times exactly) for a few hours before reservation and no one answered. We where only about 10 minutes late and they essentially said they had to give our seats away (even though we followed all steps for "letting them know we would be late"...regardless once we sat down no true service besides bringing the food... Food - eh. Honestly, a tiny better then expected since it's a bar first. Prices are not horrendous( we got a Cuban bowl) rice is essentially instant pot rice, meat was decent although bland, nothing special with extras just chopped tomatoes and some more than dry tostones. Drinks where savory, still overpriced because of overhypness of the location. Ambiance - low light, common ambiance. Very narrow so you get crowded even with no one there. All the pictures of the decor are cheaper dollar store fake flowers on some rudimentary overhead arches. There is a nice little overflow rooftop patio that has a DJ. Still crowded, so many better options just within a few blocks. End of the day, don't believe the hype.70$ for two small plates and 2 drinks that are 6-8$ everywhere just doesn't make sense. read more

On my first night visiting Austin I went to this bar since it was close to my hotel. Happy hour specials were great & on Thursdays they have a $5 burger which is delish (Fries were also delicious). Staff was super friendly & attentive. It has a modern vibe & the crowd seemed to be upper 20s/ early 30s. Upstairs was closed when I went so idk what that's like but downstairs is nice. Worth a trip! read more

Higher Ground - Downstairs bar - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

I've only been here once for happy hour drinks but had a great experience! Super friendly bartenders, beautiful outdoor space, gorgeous historic building, and a delicious French 75 cocktail. Next time I'm in Austin, I'm coming back! read more

Very very cool place! Bartenders are nice and friendly. Drinks are delicious! Met a girlfriend there after work and before a show and we enjoyed the look and feel of the place. Ambiance was awesome! I'm addition to our tasty drinks, we shared the little burger on their menu and an order of fries (which was huge) and both yummy. It's kind of weird to find the place by using the map, so just know the entrance is south of the jewelry store at the corner of 8th & Congress. Awesome place, go check it out! Make sure you go look at the outdoor patio and upstairs area. Really cool! read more

So, the online photos sold us we thought it was going to be more grand. We were caught off guard by the no host model and order food from your phone but it worked. We had to order our drinks from the bar. We enjoyed the music choices. read more

Higher Ground - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Dropped downtown for Moontower at the Paramount, headed over after the show - 30min ago - my wife wanting to show me a new find! Not too busy, waited a couple minutes for two seats in the middle of the bar. 7-8 minutes passed and nobody greeted us, meanwhile both bartenders working either end of the bar. Two ladies who sat after us (I told them to watch the corner parties about to leave) were served wine and we still hadn't even received a "hi, be right with you..." We live here, not strangers to the scene, my wife is pissed and starts to leave. The bar back (?) offers us menus, I ask if anybody is working our seats? "Sorry, this is my first day..., I don't know... I can help you...?" Too late, my wife's half way out the door. I asked who's working our part of the bar because folks after us are already drinking? Neither bartender, within earshot, glances over. #higherfail read more

The bartender was super helpful. The ambiance was really nice. We had a pretty good charcuterie board there too. I was visiting from out of town and this was my favorite place I visited. I had a French 75 and my friend had a mocktail. We went to maybe 4 other bars that day and she said the mocktail was the drink she had that day. read more

Higher Ground - Charcuterie board, French 75, and custom mocktail. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

Cool new bar in the Congress district downtown Higher ground makes you feel like your going to Sunday service especially if you choose to go here for brunch like I did last weekend. The interior of this place looks like an old church not to mention they have a huge upstairs area which it looks like they use for live music. The food menu here isn't super extensive but everything we had was well executed. I tried the burger and my partner had porchetta hash which were both filling and tasty. If your drinking for brunch I'd go with the sacred mosa for the most bang for your buck. They did however have an substantial cocktail menu which I plan to come back and try out on their secret patio! read more

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Checked this place out on a Wednesday for HH. They happen to do $5 burgers on Wednesday's which was a pleasant surprise. They were busy so I wasn't sure what to expect but our food came out fairly quickly and the burger and fries were AMAZING. The burger was so good and the pimento cheese on it was a great addition. I will definitely be heading back here. The HH prices were great and the drinks tasted good as well. read more

Higher Ground - $5 burgers on Wednesday's - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

Slow, inattentive service. Had a reservation but they didn't do anything to hold a table. read more

Take me to church. We're here for the stained glass windows. Hanging gardens will do it too, albeit fake. I guess you wouldn't want leaves falling in your cocktail. Anyway, it looks better in pics. Random dark crevices and dead spots throughout the two levels are the reality checks behind the curtain. The saving grace was hearing (from those sitting at the bar) that it's where bartenders come to drink. Challenge accepted. Our fancy beverages made by a young dude wearing a beanie with cat ears were actually pretty good, but we did ask for specialized mixes so it could've been that. Regardless, said bartender was an angel accommodating all of our requests, recommending new gins, even telling a heckler to shut up and leave us alone. Excellent. Other than that it was very quiet, nearly dead when we came in late Thursday night. Next time I'd like to come during the day and try their food and see it all in the daylight. read more

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I saw this place on tiktok and have been wanting to visit ever since. logistics: We came on a Wednesday night around 5:30 pm for their Holy Hour (Happy Hour). We did street parking a couple blocks over and didn't have any trouble finding a spot. On Wednesdays, they have $5 burgers and we came specifically for this special. We did walk-in and were able to get seated right away, but the group after us had a 30 min wait. There was a private company party upstairs so we could only sit downstairs. Luckily, some spots opened up at the bar and we were able to relocate there since it's first come, first served. I prefer sitting at the bar because we have to order at the bar anyways for happy hour, even if we're seated at a table. I don't love that; also, there's so many menus! They have a QR code menu which I think is their regular menu, a happy hour menu, a bar menu with their craft cocktails, and a bites menu. The bites menu has their Wednesday Happy Hour $5 burger, not the happy hour menu. It was pretty confusing and I'm glad I asked. drinks/food: Despite the menu craziness, I have no complaints about the food or drinks. The $5 burger was pretty good and big enough for me and my partner to split. Did I mention it was $5?!! The fries were okay. Good, but not amazing. Their happy hour menu has slight variations of classic drinks and I loved my Black Manhattan. We also ordered from their normal bar menu and got the Chai Divine which is like an espresso martini, but for Chai. It was nicely spiced. read more

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Definitely has those nostalgic vibes going on...order a wrath e for your deadly sin if you like piña colada's and getting caught in the rain. read more

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I sat at a table for 29 minutes and no one came up to me or provided a menu. So I left. The pictures look good. Service is rough at best. Probably worst experience read more

This is a nice spot for unique cocktails and a fun atmosphere. The downstairs bar is beautiful, and the two upstairs patios are so cool! Both are outside with fun views of the city. I absolutely loved their Lust cocktail, and my husband enjoyed their Greed cocktail. The bartenders were all very friendly and knowledgeable. We will go here again for sure! read more

Higher Ground - Lust cocktail - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

Had a great time at Higher Ground! It was laid back had great music and the drinks were amazing. I had the old fashioned and the wife had a filthy martini (so dirty). The first floor bartenders are truly magical. read more

Higher Ground - Old fashioned, sorry I couldn't wait lol - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

Worst service in all my life. Was in town for work at UT, travel all the time there for their sports. Walking into this bar at about 10:15. Stood and waited for over 45 minutes just to catch 1 drink. It was crazy busy and I literally was there for a drink after work. Finally the guy behind the bar comes over to tell me he can't serve me a drink as the bar is closed. He then proceeds to serve a couple more shots and beers to a few other people. At the point I asked to speak with the manager. He tells me he's the GM and that he can buy me a drink now that he seeing I'm pissed. I wouldn't be so annoyed if he had within the 45 minutes I was waiting served 4 old fashioned and then tells me he only has beer and shots. I would not recommend this bar for a nice place to have a drink. Maybe if your into the party scene and trying to do all that it might be the perfect place. After this type of service it is not for those looking to sip a drink and just relax. Would not recommend. If it was possible to rate a zero and must not go I would. read more

Came in last night for one of the best Wednesday Happy hours downtown. The ambiance of this place is as if a church met a modern antique shop. I made a reservation online several weeks prior to stopping in to ensure that we had a table set aside for the two of us. It's dimly lit and expertly decorated but beware of the small tables and the even smaller bar area. My friend and I came about 30 minutes after the place opened up so there wasn't a large crowd or long wait to get sat. During happy hour on wednesdays the burger is $5 and a variety of cocktails are all $10. So of course wanting to sample everything my friend and I ordered all of the snacks on the happy hour minus the meatballs and two drinks per person. We had fries, shishitos, and the burger. Everything came out and was cooked to perfection, especially the burger. Our favorite snack of the night was probably the fries, they are just thin enough to obtain that crunch that I like so much in McDonald fries but had a little bit extra toppings added to them as they should. Out of the French 75 and Old fashioned I've never had such a smooth old fashioned and can see someone drinking several before knowing what happened. It was a bit of a colder night so we didn't venture upstairs but maybe next time in the future if they do some type of Christmas Decor would be great! read more

Higher Ground - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Really cool setting with all the goth & church vibes. Drinks are great too and love the seven deadly sin theme on the drink menu. The food/snacks looked good and will have to come back and try in the future! read more

Sorry no pictures here. Originally planned to just grub a drink with friend on Friday after dinner, but ended up getting their crispy porchetta and fries. I am so so glad we did, the crispy porchetta was such a flavor bomb, packed with crispy and juicy pork belly, caramelized shallots, burrata cheese and pesto sauce, everything I loved. And I was even more surprised to found their fries so crunchy. Next tjme I will visit with empty stomach ; ) read more

The aperol spritz was chefs kiss. Food was also sooo good, I got the burger! The restaurant was also decorated really cool!

Beautiful place but garbage customer service. No one said hi or even greeted us as we walked in. Had to get all the way to the back in order to even talk to someone. read more

I am visiting from out of town, and have heard amazing things about this bar! So of course this was my first stop... We were greeted by Ian who gave us a great experience! We went to many other bars tonight, and none of them compared to Higher Grounds! Thank you Ian again. We can't wait to come back! Also, their food is AMAZING!!!! read more

Cute bar across the street from the paramount theatre. It's a bit hidden with a security guard outside, so you have to know where you're going. It's got a cathedral vibe going on, and the cocktails are named after the seven deadly sins. It's split level in a super narrow old building, with a bit of seating downstairs and a second bar upstairs with a dance floor and rooftop patio situation. The DJ booth was set up behind an old church organ, which was really cool, but he was playing some strange music and it was LOUD inside and out. Whenwherewhat austin does a really cool collab with higher ground on Fridays where they play 4 records straight through and then basically raffle them off. Worth checking out!!! read more

Bar area was great and me and my wife loved the drinks. Amazing service and a great vibe. read more

Higher Ground - Food was amazing - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Higher Ground is a church-themed cocktail lounge on Congress Avenue. They have cocktails named after the 7 deadly sins, beer, wine, small plates, and more. The bar looks like a church with architectural arches, stained glass windows, and chandeliers. It's a super cool and unique vibe! The drinks were really good ! I got a French 75 and loved it. My friends got the $3 oysters as well and loved them. The bartenders were super friendly as well. They told us the story of Higher Ground and recommended other places for us to visit while in Austin. I highly recommend checking it out! read more

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Super cute little bar with a great atmosphere! The staff is very friendly and accommodating. Paul was so great and always checking in on us k make sure we were being taken care of! Definitely recommend to stop by if you're in Austin! read more

Higher Ground - Pomegranate Ricky - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

Such a great ambiance in this place with multiple levels/spaces depending on what you want. Downstairs has a long cocktail bar with nice wooden tables/chairs that feel like a mix of English pub and old church pews. Great for conversation or relaxing. Upstairs has a more open space for dancing or music/DJs plus they have an additional outdoor private area as well. Outdoors has amazing arches and an intimate back alley location so great if the weather permits. Drinks were well done and service was amazing so highly recommend! read more

This place is awesome. The drinks were amazing and the interior decor is pretty cool my husband and I sat at the bar and the bartender was super nice & made some amazing drinks for us that night. read more

They had a special on burgers where the burger was $5. Holy cow! We all got the burger and a beer. Not sure if this was a 4/20 special or if they do this every Wednesday. The burger was so good too. Two pattys, pimento cheese, fresh veggies and garlic aioli. Sat at the bar. There is a patio. Service was great. Very cool spot on Congress. Definitely worth checking out read more

Higher Ground - Burgers bar beers - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Very accommodating staff, great tasting food and drinks, club-like option in second floor with a dj (pretty loud, even downstairs). The place is small and narrow on the bottom floor. Great for a couple's date night out! read more

Came here for a quick bite on a busy conference week. The interior of this place is second to none and I think their HH prices are fair for the area. Their Happy Hour burger was good but not great, the sauce was dripping everywhere and would have benefitted from starch or floor for better viscosity. The flavor was good and the patty was crazy tender but I also really craved to have something crunchy in it to balance the taste especially since the top was slightly burnt . The gin cocktail was great but wasn't properly shaken (it came out very lightly chilled and had more alcohol on the bottom). That being said, I'd still wish to come back since the venue is so pretty! read more

Higher Ground - Happy Hour Food - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Austin, Texas

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