Your typical grunge bar; photo booth is fun and the two guys playing guitar there were very talented. I wore my coat the whole time because the door was open and it was freezing out. Some college chicks were in the corner stacking up their shot glasses and taking pictures and the bartender kept yelling at people "no politics at the bar." read more

Not having attended UT, I haven't reserved the same affection for Hole in the Wall that many graduates have. Now I've been a couple of times and can see why folks love this spot so much. Let me count the ways: A. Big ass burger. I mean, I had to take the top bun off this thing in order to cram it all in. B. Great musicians in a low key setting. Lots of americana (from what I've seen) and I dig that music so it's perfect for m C. Gorgeous or interesting bartenders. The guy with the rolled up sleeves that called me maam? Yes please D. Cheap drinks -- though there are some exceptions E. A seriously inadequate and dirty bathroom that reminds me that Dallas-ites haven't totally taken over. Now now, dont get those La Perla panties in a wad The big outdoor area makes it the perfect spot to grab a drink and a smoke, if that's your thing, with friends. Oh and then make some drunken purchasing decisions next door at Cream Vintage like someone else I know (me). read more

It's exactly what the name suggests but also one of the best examples of what the Austin music scene is, was and hopefully will continue to be. Don't assume the bands playing will be great, but know they'll seem better basking in the vibe here. I've taken in shows (and - full disclosure - performed here) at various times since the late 80's. While countless iconic venues have disappeared this one survives and survives pretty much unchanged. Relevant. Timeless. Magic. This is turning into quite the little love poem so I'm gonna stop here. I think you get the picture. read more

The Hole in the Wall is still one of the best places to see live music in Austin, usually for free or less than $5. As I watched a new band play there last night, I was struck at how many bands I had seen at Hole in the Wall over the years that had "made it" to some degree or another: you just never know when you may be watching the next big thing. Now that they have converted the back room to have an actual stage, seeing bigger shows here on the weekend is pretty fun. And they still have lots of nights where they only use the original front stage. The sound is good, often really loud, but that's because most of the bands here bring it. So bring your earplugs. Drinks are cheap. It is technically a college bar after all. With that in mind, be prepared for barrages of dee-runk people of all ages and affiliations. As the night wore on, most of the patrons around us started to resemble "Busted!" photos and were getting progressively more clumsy, handsy, chatty, arrogant, or some combination of the above. We even saw an almost fight between some kids who were obviously underage and really wasted. If you're too drunk to throw a punch and make contact, you're probably too drunk. And if your getting in fist fights at Hole the the Wall, you're probably too young to be there. I'm not saying I didn't sneak into the Hole when I was a youngin' (I've been coming here for 15 years, and I am not anywhere close to being in my 40s), but I usually tried to stay a little more incognito. Ah youth. So, music, booze, food, drunk people, and fist fights, what more could you want? Oh, a shirtless drummer wearing a huge boar's tusk as a necklace? Yep, saw one of those too. Just a regular Friday at the Hole. read more

Kind of like the McSorley's of Austin, if we're talking about a western outpost and 14 times the space. I make this comparison because 1) Its historic (well, the kind of "historic" that we west of the Mississippi consider historic, which is post-WWII .. and no, HitW is not THAT old, but old enough to be an institution), and 2) the grime is charming. Sure, thats where the comparison's end. Yeah, a huge bit of a stretch, but whatever. I guarantee if you like one, you'll like the other, so suck it. read more

The staff is so horribly rude! Let me go on record by stating that I used to love going to this bar and even recommended it to friends on several occasions, never again. I stopped by last week to pick up a friend and decided to go in for ONE drink before heading to where we were going, big mistake. As soon as I walked in I noticed the door guy and proceeded, as usual, to take my ID out as I look really young and get carded every single place I go. I was about to walk away when he said oh it's a $5 cover tonight. Perplexed, I look around to the quite empty venue and ask if there's a band playing or something and he said there would be but about an hour or so later. I say alright and take my wallet back out only to realize I don't have any cash so I turn over to him and tell him as such and ask if I could just join my friend for a drink before we leave as we would not be staying for the show (not because I'm stingy, because I am not). He was very rude and said no and directed me to the nearest ATM. I say ok and then asked if it was possible to get a drink with my card and get some cash back to pay, he said yea that's cool. I walked over to the bar and talk to the bartender about it and she very rudely tells me I just can't do that so I told her the door guy said it was okay, they discuss it in front of me and tell me to go to the ATM or send me to the 'back bar' I walk out and approach the ATM only to find out it was or of service. I walk back into the bar and tell him and he just kept being so rude about it all and now directs me to the 7/11 down the street. I say fuck it, approach my friend and tell him what's going on, he closed his tab and we took our business elsewhere. The staff in this place clearly doesn't know how to treat customers. Management should be on top of it as I'm sure this will drive other people away as it drove us away. read more

One of the few bars I've ever fallen over in. I frequented the Hole in the Wall prior to the sell-out, so I marked it down a star for changing. Then I upped it a star for still existing. The rest of the stars are for many many pool games, and fabulous live music. Teddy and the Talltops, Erik Hokkanen, Doug Sahm, Evan Johns and the H-Bombs, Roky Erikson, the list goes on and on. I played pool through a lot of the greats, not knowing any better. But I listened a lot, too, and my musical tastes have from then on been shaped by the Hole in the Wall. But not my culinary tastes. read more

Love this legendary bar!! Cam, Austin, Laurel, Kelly and Lyn are the best!! I spend way too much money here, lol!

Is it sad that I tell people I live in Hole in the Wall? Because I do. I love this place. I'm a UT student and I'm not in a sorority and I've never gone to a certain West Campus bar for "Dollar Beer night" because that is just stressful. You won't find that at Hole in the Wall. Beers are cheap ($1.50 high life on Mondays) people are relaxed, and though I've never tried it I've heard the tacos are pretty amazing. Hole in the Wall is one of those institutions. The former editor of Texas Monthly spoke to my class one day and he said the first 2 hours he ever spent in Austin were spent drinking tequila at Hole in the Wall. Now that's an introduction if I ever heard one. and p.s. though the outdoor jukebox doesn't rotate the cds much, it sure has some good tunes to choose from. read more

I dig this place. It's exactly what it's name says that it is...a hole in the wall. It's just a really cool place to go and hang out, play pool, and check out some live music. It's nicely divided so that if you don't want to be blasted out by the band that's on the stage, you don't have to be. I've been here several times and it always seems really crowded, but there's still breathing room...something I have a vast appreciation for. The crowd always seems fun and the bands I've seen play there are really good. One tiny little thing, though. There's two toilets right next to each other in the women's restroom...it's a little awkward if you don't know the person next to you. I had a random girl follow me in once, talking to me the whole time. AWKWARD!!! It's a great place, anyhow! read more

Prior to last night, I had only been to the Hole in the Wall once, and that was probably nearly a decade ago. A friend and I were both relatively new to Austin then, and were exploring the Drag and decided that this bar looked like a down to earth place to get a beer. I don't recall if the large seating area outside existed in any form then (I've been told that it didn't) but I wouldn't know, because in those days a) you could smoke inside and b) I hadn't yet gotten used to the Austin climate, and the idea of sitting outside where there's no AC in the middle of the summer seemed like a nightmare to me. Anyway, last night we went to see a friend's coworkers' bands play (I hope I got the apostrophes right, it was two coworkers and two different bands). The stage area was intimate, and lots of folks came out to see the show, but it still wasn't hard to find seating. The drink specials were decent. The seating area outside was pleasant and breezy and big. Highlight of the evening: My buddy and I had decided it was time to go home. We both needed to pee, and located what she says was the women's restroom, though it was labeled "Country" and the other bathroom was labeled some other genre of music so I'm not sure how she knew. Maybe she saw urinals in the other one. Eithe way, we open up the door. I was expecting that it would either be a private restroom with one toilet, or that it would have stalls. Not so. There were two toilets in there, but no stalls. Just two toilets sitting out in the open. Alright, fine, we're not shy, and we both had to go, so we just went together. At some point, she joked that the toilets were so close together that we could hold hands and it had gotten to that point in the evening where these types of things seem hilarious, so we did. Aside from that, however, they were out of TP and soap. And soap would've been nice, since it's not exactly the cleanest-looking bathroom in the world (not that I expect clean bathrooms at a place called "Hole in the Wall"). Mercifully, they did have paper towels. read more

Hayley in the back bar. Runs in a superior gear. If I owned a bar I'd give annual ownership bonuses to such type of tenders. Rad

Enjoying a smooth Sunday night with my girl waiting to here McHone at Hole in the Wall.... As I try to buy a local brew before the show the Bar Keep tells me my ID is an obvious fake. I am 23 and have been to hole in the wall a half a dozen times. I show him 4 forms of identification including blue cross and AAA...to no avail. Granted I just moved here from Florida and they are not used to the out of staties, but geez I only wanted to see Carson McHone and her immaculate voice. Staff refused to serve me due to the validity of my identification thus forcing my girlfriend and I out before Carson started. Hope it was a good show....smh read more

The Hole in the Wall is always a good time for my co-workers and I, primarily because it's across the street and the beer is cheap. Unfortunately, the last time we were there, they decided to turn-up the jukebox so loud that we had to practically scream at each other, even though we were on the back patio. When we asked the staff to turn it down, they had an attitude, said they would turn it down, and didn't. Everyone I know who goes to the Hole to hang-out on the back patio goes to there to hang-out with their friends and catch-up. Loud music doesn't help. read more

I leave you with the greatest bit of bathroom philosophy I have ever read in a men's room: When the water is clear you see the bottom When the water is dirty you see yourself. read more

The Hole in the Wall is probably my favorite bar near the UT Campus, a status that was solidified once East Side King moved into the kitchen at the rear. That being said, this review is for Hole in the Wall and not East Side King although it's difficult to completely separate the two. HITW has a solid lineup of beers and arguably the best beer-focused happy hour in the immediate campus area. It's a cheap dive-bar and has been since forever. There's tons of space and the bartenders are super chill. They also have (small) musical acts playing all the time, but be careful about running into a cover fee. If you're headed to ESK and there's a cover fee, just go to the back entrance on San Antonio St. to avoid it. My only complaint is that they occasionally turn the music up way too loud such that it becomes impossible to talk to anyone inside. Fortunately they have a large outdoor patio area with picnic tables. read more

The Hole In the Wall is the most appropriate bar name that I've ever heard of. This is a totally laid back, totally no-frills, totally chilled out hole-in-the-wall bar with no drama, no dbags, cheap drinks, and East Side Kings in the very back for your pan-Asian snacking desires. When you walk in, you're in a chill bar with lots of tables and a fully stocked back bar. Walk a little further in and you're in another bar with a dance-floor, sort of. The you go outside and you're in a kind of biergarten/outdoor bar area. Keep walking and...you're in a 4th bar? Walk a little further and you're in a restaurant. I stopped walking and ordered some ramen and a beer and proceeded to relax my troubles away. I'm not sure if there are more bars in this matroshka nesting-doll bar of bars but if there are, they're probably chill and fun to be in. The bartenders are all friendly and even if you're not from round here, everyone is laid back and won't make you feel out of place. read more

Best damn bar in town. Truly the most magical live music experience anywhere ever. The place has more soul and grit than any joint in Austin. See a show on the front stage and be baptized by its infinite radness. If you are a musician and dont hang out there you are fucking up your life. read more

I moved to Austin a little over a month ago and have been told the campus bars are awful so I've been avoiding them. However, I really wanted to see a band that was playing here a couple weekends ago and I went. AND I'm really glad I did! The place has a front bar and room with a little stage and tables. In the back there is a bigger room with a bigger stage and another bar. If you continue down, you will end up in a decent sized patio area where smoking is allowed and you can look at some cool art on the walls. Continue even further and you are back indoors, in a restaurant! There is also a bar in there. It was definitely bigger than I expected from what I saw from the street. The back room is pretty large but it's small enough to make it an intimate show experience, which I love! read more

A "Dive Bar" according to Urban Dictionary is: 1.) A well-worn, unglamorous bar, often serving a cheap, simple selection of drinks to a regular clientele. The term can describe anything from a comfortable-but-basic neighborhood pub to the nastiest swill-slinging hole. You don't need to dress up; we're just going to the dive bar down the street. Examples: "Man, that place is such a dive bar... Don't go in unless you plan to burn your clothes afterwards". 2.) This place is going to be stinky and lame. You don't come here for the drinks, you come here to eliminate sobriety. All of the regulars there have a smoker's voice and a hard look to them. If you try to go there dressed nicely, you will get stared at and singled out. Wear shoes that you wouldn't mind squashing some roaches in. Examples: Dude you smell like PBR, where'd you go last night? I went to that dive bar in our town that your mom usually goes to. ________________________________________________________ Now that we have a clear understanding of what is meant by a dive bar, we can accurately assess Hole in the Wall within said dive bar context. Dark and dank as a hipster's crotch, Hole in the Wall flaunts convention before you even enter the door (see baseball bat door handle). Once inside you'll notice a small stage to your left and a handful of booths and tables straight ahead. Further back in the entry room is a nostalgic cigarette machine that hearkens to a forgotten era where spousal abuse was kept quiet (or else!) and a pack of Reds was only a knob-pull away. A bit further are stairs that lead to a second stage and bar, and to the outside patio. The patio is a great place to warm-up before a long evening. There is plenty of seating both in and out of the shade. As an added convenience a third bar is adjacent to darts, shuffleboard a and pool table in case you want to be drunk and competitive. If that doesn't do it for ya then perhaps something off of the surprisingly delectable menu will remove that stick from your ass. Good beer, good food, good entertainment, why only 3 stars? It's the clientele. Suffice it to say that the only place I've been propositioned to be part of Swinger 'git down' was at Hole in the Wall. I'm sure there are some of you out there that would have given the place 5 stars just for that, but that's not my style. In addition, I have been harassed by some of the regulars...perhaps I was dressed too nice (see definition #2). At times Hole in the Wall has been a great place, and at other times it's been just past awkward and to the right of creepy. read more

Awesome old skool dive bar. Seems like a real nice spot to hang out and have a few drinks. Place is kinda divided up into different sections. Front room with bar., back area to see a band, patio out back, and a 2nd bar area in the back. Will miss the back area bar unless you get up and explore. read more

Advertised for a free night of music and charged us a cover at the door, although 20 minutes later no one else had to pay to get in. I don't care about a cover but advertise fairly and don't make me walk across the street to get cash if that's not what you're promoting. read more

Hole in the Wall - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

The karaoke was the best part about this place. If you don't want to pay the cover charge you should enter from the rear part of the bar. It's a cool hangout spot with friends. read more

-- Manager Fights Me During Live Performance -- Top 10 worst experiences of my life at Hole in the Wall bar... So... I'm a Door Dash driver and on the night of Dec. 12th I was picking up an order from "Zombie Tacos", however, my navigation led me to the parking lot on the backside of what I later discovered was Hole in the Wall bar. I heard music coming from inside and I went through the gate leading into the bar. I asked the bartender (who I later found out was the manager, Josh), if this was Zombie Tacos. He said, "No, it's next door". I thanked him and left. After picking up the order... rather than walking a full city block to the backside of HITW bar's parking lot, I decided it seemed casual enough to just go back the same way I came - though the bar. I go inside and the band is jammin!! Everyone's smiling and having a great time. As I walk to the back of the bar - already past the band and all the patrons - I'm nearing the back exit when I'm surprised to see Josh step out from behind a corner to block me from leaving. He asks me how I got in here the first time and I tell him I just came in through the back gate. He tells me the gate is supposed to be an "exit only" and as tell him it just opened up... he starts demanding I leave the bar through the front and walk all the way around. I try to reason with him and as I try to respectfully question what he's telling me... he quickly becomes frustrated and makes a grab for me. Now - Josh is a "big" dude (a little man complex but a big dude...) - and I'm tall but skinny, and also carrying a big red Door Dash bag with a delicate food order inside. With absolutely no regard for me or the food I'm carrying... he grabs for both of my arms but I deflect, at which point he goes super-saiyan - aka crazy... He bear hugs me and puts me in a headlock with his left arm and is literally trying to choke me out... I've now dropped the food order and am just trying to get him off me. Thankfully I used to wrestle in high school so at least I was able to stand my ground but unfortunately for the patrons and the live band, drinks start flying off of tables that are getting knocked over... people are shrieking and gasping and the band comes to a screeching hault... with the finale being a booth table getting flipped on its side as Josh and I go crashing into it. People are now repeatedly yelling, "JOSH, STOP" and I'm finally able to slip out of the headlock as several people now hold him back from further attacking me. People initially try to hold me back but soon realize that with my hands in the air I'm not the one trying to fight. With multiple people still holding him back, somebody gets the stuff I dropped and brings it to me outside. I apologize to the band about their show getting messed up and explain to the crowd of buzz killed patrons I'm just a delivery driver and was only trying to have a conversation... and that this is what happens when bar managers are f**king drunk. All in all - it seems like it could be a great bar with the right staff... Just a really unfortunate happening. Is it worth going to? probably, but not if lunatics are allowed to continue managing it. read more

I love dive bars so this place gets 5 stars from me because it is about as divey as they come. It reminds me a lot of the old Red 7 before it went through a fancy make-over. The mood is dark, the live music is loud and they have a decent selection of beers to pick from. East Side King now exists in the back so you have pretty good food options. The Hole In the Wall hands down has the worst bathrooms in Austin. Be prepared to catch a disease from their toilet if you don't first break your neck trying to stay upright on it. Best bet on this is to just squat and try not to touch anything. Thank you for being awesome. read more

The original Hole in the Wall on the Drag is one of the coolest places in Austin, serving up hot music and cold beer. The "chain" Hole in the Wall establishments are nowhere near as interesting or fun. Backstory: the original on the Drag that has been there forever fell on hard times. Needing money, some developer types threw money at the problem and have "licensed" the Hole in the Wall brand and built a number of places that serve a menu of fried food and beer while retaining none of the charm of the original Hole in the Wall. Summary: The Hole in the Wall on the Drag is awesome and if you are in the campus area looking for some tunes and cold beer, stoop in. Any other place with "Hole in the Wall" on the sign (there is one on 183, there was one in Round Rock) is likely to disappoint, or at a minimum, not be what you're expecting. read more

HITW: on paper this place should be a five star dive all the way. But upon further inspection, it doesn't live up to the hype. Maybe I need to revisit during school time session, but the graffiti on the wall -- literally -- says this place has been over run by frat style idiocy. The live music has been totally mediocre. The old school drunks that are supposed to add character are just dusty -- and creepy. The comedy night is forced and both times riddled with cheuvenistic asshole host -- even though the females proved the most funnny soundbites -- on and off stage. Half the crowd in the front room is the next band up to play who could give two shits. And if you walk in the front door you get carded while an acoustic set is going on just to get carded at the bar again. I love dive bars. I am learning Austin. I am assuming this place once had local status that proved awesome. But the few times I have gone its all been lost in a sigh of mediocrity. Good for two pints at best. read more

Lots of great music. Has 3 separate bars. 2 in the main building and one out back. Great drink specials, service and decor. Theres a jukebox outside the back bar which has a lot of old texas jukebox standards. Young UT crowd. Loses one star for lack of parking and nasty ass bathrooms read more

For a place that's on a side of town I generally avoid Hole In The Wall isn't too bad. While appearing dirty I get the vibe the place is actually pretty clean. Even the bathroom which looks disgusting at first is actually totally useable. I ate a veggie burger here and it was surprisingly delicious, very messy though. It also came out pretty quickly and that was surprising. Staff was friendly too. All around a pretty okay place. read more

Visited this place of the first time on Saturday night. I've always seen this place but I'd never found a reason to go in before. Well my friend's band was playing so we decided to check it out. Got there pretty early for a Saturday night, $3 cover charge threw me off though since when we got inside it was totally dead. I drank $3 shiner draft, which I thought was pretty decent price. I made the mistake of switching it up and ordered my drink of choice, citron, water with lime and thats when it pushed me a bit more overboard that I was going for. It was a pretty big place, which I would never have known from just looking at the outside driving by. The 2 bands that played were great and plenty of space, even though it finally filled up in there. There are two separate bars with different beers on draft too. I liked that since we didn't care about the opening band we went back to the front bar so my friends and I could still talk and what not yet hear live music in the background as well. I'd have given 4 stars but the end of the night the bartender seemed to either be ignoring me or I was invisble, so it took me 5 minutes to close my tab. Word to the wise, this place is super hipstery, or maybe it was just that night. Not a whole of guys NOT wearing skinny jeans go here it seems. Not my thing. Ha! read more

I wrote a secret on the wall in the girl's bathroom a few years ago. I mostly like to go back just to see it there on the wall amid all the other scrawls. They have two toilets crazyclose together, like where they used to have stalls, but don't anymore. So don't pee next to anyone unless you basically want thigh brushing. I used to live a block from Hole in the Wall, so it was our default for a while. We did cartwheels home. It's an Austin institution. I quit going after a while though because the smoky haze was seriously keeping me up aftewards coughing. If you need to talk and can't handle the live music they frequently have, walk down the street to Showdown Saloon. Now that the smoking ban passed, I've gone back, and Hole in the Wall is back in my good graces! One night, my friend Annie was moving away, and we went here on her last night. Someone had left a bag of donuts on the table. A few beers later, she took a bite our of one of those donuts. That memory cements Hole in the Wall's place in my heart. read more

This is the first bar/club/dive I came to after moving to Austin. Tim O. introduced me to this little dive on the strip. I've only been back once or twice, but not because I didn't like it, mostly because of it's proximity to UT and the horrid parking situation in that area. Great live bands play here. Run down, with charm. Smoking patio out back, if you are into that thing. They apparently make food - never tried it. Really dig the avacado green exterior color - makes it easy to pick out. read more

Carley has extreme sense of urgency when it comes to a full bar! She pours drinks and manages every aspect of customer service flawlessly! Her sense of humor carried us along all night. If you want a good time and great service, Carley is the reason you come to HOLE IN THE WALL! She is able to multitask and keep a calm demeanour in any situation. Thank you will be back! read more

Hole in the Wall - Best bartender ever. - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

The name Hole In The Wall pretty much speaks for itself. But you will for sure find quite the eclectic mix of people patronizing this place due to it's location on the Drag, a.k.a Guadalup from 19th St. through 29th St. There's almost always live music on any given night. And if you want to escape the loud music in the front room then mosey to the second room in the back filled with pool tables or the patio. Ladies, there are two toilets in the bathroom and no stalls. Try figuring that one out. Maybe that's what they did in the 70's when this bar was built. Dennis is the best bartender hands down near the campus area. Fast and super friendly. Tell him to make you a green light shot. Just know that green light does not mean go because the absinthe in it is sure to make you stop pretty damn fast!!! read more

I know this is a place where it's kind of supposed to be a bit dirty, but omg the wobbly tables! It bugs me SO MUCH, as if it isn't already difficult enough to drink without spilling all over yourself on flat ground! Also, parking. I would come here a WHOOOOLE lot more if not for the parking sitch. It's a good place to have after-class drinks or something where you're already in the vicinity, or if you live nearby, but I can't say this is a destination bar but for everyone else, unless UT is not in session. There is a lot behind the buildings next door, but it's only available to bar customers after 9. And sometimes I need to get my drink on randomly in the early afternoon or something. Well, that takes care of my complaints. Actually, I do have another one, but it's minor, and maybe not a complaint for some people: their french fries taste like chicken fingers. no joke. They must bathe in MSG before being sent to the fryer. I don't know if it's a bad or a good thing for fries to taste like chicken. I guess what I'm saying is, maybe you'll want to have a couple rounds of drinks before you order your food, and then you won't worry about figuring this stuff out. The first time I came here I was so surprised by how large it is inside! I mean, a place called Hole in the Wall. These people understand irony or something. The outside patio is actually really amazing for temperate days. And happy hour is awesome (but when is it not??). $2.50 shiner pints! Yummy! The times I've been here while a band was playing, it's been nice, but utterly bizarre music. And you have to walk in right next to the band, and the band members awkwardly stare you down while you order your drink. It's kind of fun(ny) though. I also enjoy how friendly the bartenders are. Sometimes it's annoying to go to other bars, like downtown for example, and be ignored by too-cool bar staff, as if it's not their job to sell you drinks! Honestly. Maybe i'm hatin' with the 3 stars but I know this place makes enough $$ to buy non-wobbly tables, or put some damn sugar packets under there! When this happens I will come back with an extra star in my pocket. read more

The staff here is awesome (OK, I used to date a doorman), the drinks are reasonable (plenty on tap for unpicky me), and the crowd is unassuming. Great deal so close to campus, and not all kids. I always run into someone neat, and my out-of-town friends felt comfortable instantly. Acoustics leave something to be desired, but the new patio does away with that concern if you want to hold a real conversation. I've heard good things about their french fries. Hanging out by the door, you run into more drag-types than I'd prefer, but once inside the creep factor goes down by a lot. edit: if you sit by the front for a good band, their sound can make up for the bad acoustics. oh, and my doorman friend is now a bartender, so the free drinks are awesome. read more

The Hole in the Wall may very well have the most attractive "daily specials" menu ever. Especially that Wednesday, Thursday, Friday powerhouse lineup. Check it: chicken and dumplins, smothered pork chops, and fried chicken w/ mac 'n cheese; respectively. I went in on a crisp fall Wednesday and ordered up 2 "big ass" bowls of the aforementioned starch and poultry for my friend and myself. At $7 a pop, you figure, "wow, cheap Southern comfort." Then, out comes your bowl of 2 matzo ball-size dumplins' and a handful of shredded chicken. You whimper as your stomach whines for more bulk. You proceed to take engulf your meal, and it ends up being pretty mediocre. The chicken tastes like... chicken. The dumplings are pretty dry and mealy. There is not much broth. The Texas toasts contributes nothing, except more starch. In other contexts (Texas BBQ), Texas toast can bring justice... but not with an already-starchy hodgepodge. So, take a raincheck on Hole in the Wall for a day other than Wednesdays. Perhaps I will go back and try some other daily special... but for now, the chicken in dumplins' left a bad taste in my stomach. And by bad taste, I mean mediocre grub in minimal quantities... in my still empty stomach. Go see a show here. I think it is a cool bar. read more

I hate being review # 74, but had to put in a good word for this place. cool dive bar slash live music venue. Took some out of town friends there last night and had a great time. Would highly recommend if you are into dive bars. Lots of Tattooed folks! read more

This place rocks! The atmosphere, the staff, the music, and the art on the walls. The only thing I'm not too crazy about is the food, but that's not why I go there in the first place. Dennis is my favorite bartender, he's f***ing awesome! And his band is pretty damn good too. Basically this is the best place on the drag to drink and enjoy live music, 7 days a week. And it's perfect for having an early drink, exploring the city a bit, and then making your way back to finish out the night with some local drunks. read more

I moved to Austin about 18 months ago to go to grad school at UT. This bar, to date, is the only place in this town that has made me feel welcomed and at home. Dennis is obviously friends with anyone in that bar who isn't a jerk, and his band (the Bread) brings in all the other amazing East Cameron bands who make it seem more like a family than a bunch of music-loving drunks. And I can't leave out Bomb Tacos (or whatever they're calling themselves this week). They make the most amazing and (as far as I can tell) authentic Mexican food I've had in town. Their version of the beloved Reality Sandwich: chili-fried chicken with queso and other deliciousness. I stay away on the weekends. Tuesday night whiskey specials to get you ready for a smash-bang line up every week: either the Bread or Whiskey Business or, if you're lucky, the Full Meal. Come early for happy hour to hear Roger Wallace or, if he hasn't showed up yet, check out the two diverse jukeboxes. Celebrate anything with a shot of Bulleit. Tom Bulleit recently stopped by for a tasting of his whiskey because this bar sold more than anywhere else in the country. (We like our whiskey.) Recap: incredibly friendly, welcoming, delicious, and relatively cheap. Just don't be a jerk or Nathan and Dennis will wail on you then kick you out. read more