My friend suggested trying Latchkey, so off we went. This place was vibe but with popular music. It had deceptive looking space as well. You walked in turned right and then left while making your way to the back of the bar. Folks were dancing in this open spaced dance hall. A DJ was spinning tunes in lighted enclosure...almost like a home porch. In fact, there several women literally dancing on a table. Interestingly, one may man was dancing by himself with a pole as his dance partner. Perhaps he had too much to drink at this point. We stayed there for a short while and we were off to another one of my friend's favorite places. She ran into a couple of folks she knew while we were at Latchkey. So we chatted for a bit. This place is a whole vibe and then some. read more

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I came into Latchkey early in the evening with a friend and I couldn't figure out why, in just a few hours, there's reportedly a line out the door. It seems like a great bar, but there isn't much going on. I like its signage and logo plus the decor inside is pretty sick, but the place to me really just didn't seem special. I'll have to come here on a busy night and hang to see if I understand the hype. For now, it's just another fun bar on East Sixth. RIYL: good branding read more

Latchkey - Lone Star - Dive Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

Here I go again not reviewing places I have been to many times. Must be the awesome drinks causing me to forget lol. Latchkey is welcoming to folks of all ages. However, on a hot summer night, you will see the line at the door going down the block as it is super popular with younger crowds. That said, it's a rad place to chill and grab a drink and chat with friends. After all, it is a daycare center for adults (iykyk lol). read more

This is a really weird bar. Wait forever to get in. One bathroom inside, and a bunch of disgusting and HOT porta potty's you have to stand in lines for (male & female). Bar tenders will get the job done but don't expect any amazing drinks. Think typical young college crowd. Lots of people standing on picnic bench table tops and a mediocre DJ usually. Fun to go and hang out for a bit but def not the spot to be. read more

Latchkey is a fun time if you're in Austin! We came here after a night of learning how to two step at another local spot and wanted to keep the night going. We ended up here and it kept this group of 30-year olds out for quite some time. We were able to grab a drink pretty easily when we first came in since it was a bit early and the place got packed as the night went on. The DJ that was spinning while we were there knew how to get the crowd going! We were able to request a song and the rest of the songs played were certified bangers. Whether you want to dance the night away, sing your heart out, or grab a drink and chill, Latchkey is a fun time. read more

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Any place that has as a moniker "It's a bar and a day care center for adults" has my complete support! We had a great time barhopping recently and Latchkey was a "must stop" on the tour. A really fun exterior surrenders to a quite intimate interior and then on to the back area. The drinks are affordable, the food truck looked amazing, and we spent time singing along with people doing karaoke. Good times. Will return! read more

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Latchkey will forever go down as one of my favorite bars EVER. My friend and I were visiting Austin for the weekend and latchkey was suggested to us as a bar to check out. Little did we know that we'd end up here every night because we loved it so much. The DJ knows what he's doing. Disco, 90's, early 2000s, remixes, everything. There's three rooms (2 indoors and one massive spot outdoors with picnic tables and a food truck), a photo booth, bathrooms, and the best staff ever. Shout to the bartender Vance -- the nicest man and the best bartender. He made our whole trip. We want to come back to Austin just to see Vance again. To boot, we got nachos from the food truck out back TWICE because they were just that good. Incredible place. read more

Latchkey - Nachos - Dive Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

Our group of 11 pulled up to Latchkey as our first stop of a night out and we were obsessed. Nothing brings people together like 2000s music blasting while scream singing in unison. I'm talking T.I., Natasha Bedingfield, Drake and more. The bar is huge, with indoor and outdoor spaces. It is also encouraged to dance on the patio tables, so I love that for everyone. If you are looking for a chill place to have drinks with friends, this is not it. If you are looking for a packed bar with great music and the ability to dance with strangers, this is definitely it. When we were leaving, they played bad bunny and I was so impressed at the range and genres of music at this bar! The line definitely gets very long so I would try and show up here on the earlier side, especially if you're in a big group. While it gets really crowded, there are multiple bars so it never took too long to get a drink. read more

This place is the vibe. If you're looking for a place where all the people are at, this is your place. On weekends there is a DJ and people dancing on the tables. Lots of fun. It is very busy but still service is pretty quick! Bartenders are nice. read more

Can I just say...I left my phone here (accidentally) on a crazy Saturday night. Not only did they keep it at the bar for me, but they even charged it! Thank you to the wonderful folks who made my day! read more

Bouncer faked a cover fee and took our money, then we found out from the bartender there was never a cover fee. When we tried to say something to the bouncer he literally "buffed up" his shoulders (to a group of women) and kicked me and my friends out. Stay far away from this place, but lucky duck always has very nice staff and bouncers and they made up for the terrible time at Latchkey! read more

Great music, packed crowd, awesome food truck! My friends and I enjoyed this dive bar thoroughly as a good place to end the night! People were all over the tables dancing and just having a good time. Definitely planning on returning! read more

Latchkey - Dive Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Fun club, good music, great bartenders. Waiting 15 minutes for the bathroom? Not ok. Great way to lose your crew and basically end the night because you have to pee. Needs more toilets. read more

Latchkey is a must for a Friday or Saturday nights. Lines can get pretty long, but I don't think I've ever had to wait longer than 5 minutes to get in. The bathroom lines are a different story, so be prepared to wait quite a bit. The bartenders are friendly and quick and I love when they remember my drink and start working on it before I even order, so extra bonus points for that. Bird Peterson is the DJ on Fridays and Saturdays and his lineup is what all my dancing/singing dreams are made of. Prepare to get sweaty even during winter and to leave with dirty AF shoes. It'll be worth it though. I promise. If you get hungry both the loaded nachos and the Mexican hot dogs from the Smokin Rose are pretty legit. read more

Latchkey - a sign on the wall of a restaurant - Dive Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I'm partial to clubs with a beautiful outdoor space for live music, and this one certainly hits that target, though it isn't as large as some of the other nearby club-with-patio venues. I hardly noticed the inside of the place this weekend, as it was SXSW and we were there to see the bands set up on their back patio stage. The bands drew a large crowd but the bartenders and adjoining food truck were able to cheerfully keep up with orders. The staff was pleasant and helpful and the sound and lighting systems were well balanced. Kudos to the sound engineers and stage manager. Half of the outdoor area is covered and the part in front of the covered stage is wonderfully open to the sky. A couple of VIP style port-a-potties were set up near the food truck, and there's a full outdoor bar underneath the covered section, so really there was no need to venture back indoors. Drinks and food are about average for East 6th club pricing. The food truck menu could use a few more vegetarian/vegan options. Parking is always an issue anywhere down in that area, so know that you are on your own in that regard. All in all, a great East 6th Street club for live music, drinks and snacks. read more

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Kind of cool, music was fine. Outside is much better than inside. Drinks are overpriced.

The funny thing is-they have a large outdoor area, but since we found open seats right next to their fan on a hot night, we posted up and still had a great time. I didn't even visit the outdoor area. We ordered two sweet tea vodkas and then a paloma coma, one of their specialty cocktails. It was pretty terrible in my opinion, but it got the job done because I was pretty tipsy by the time it was gone. The DJ was great the Friday night we visited and we had a lot of fun. The bartenders also work fast and have you out of line in no time. read more

This place is all right. One time I went in, and it smelled like terrible, so I was out of there real quick. I went out last night and decided to give it a second chance, I will probably not go a third time. The DJ was all right, I was there on a Friday night, and there was a bunch of people, so I'm pretty sure maybe it's just me that didn't like the music, but the DJ kept playing a lot of throwback/oldies, and I was just not into it after the seventh, eighth song in a row. He played three vengaboys song in a row, like what? Ehhh read more

Latchkey - Dive Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

Obsessed w this place. DJ absolutely kills it, played a ton of Chappell roan which was so fun to sing along to. Watched some football here out back. Very lively place. Line can be long to get in but well worth it read more

I went here with my friends and we had a great time. The DJ played just about everything you could think of and kept us dancing. The crowd was a mix of older and younger people and everyone was really friendly. read more

It was alright. Best part is the singer outside. The food truck was cool. The mule drink was great. The vibe is inside and outside are totally different. The back part is chill and low key. read more

Latchkey - Outside patio - Dive Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

i absolutely love latchkey, it's my go to bar on the east side!! it's got good music, tv's to watch whatever game, and plenty of outdoor seating. the food truck is pretty good. there's a fun vibe inside with the couch and big chairs too. the service is always great here. i'm esp happy to see the bartender leesee? lisi? (the brunette one) is working when we stop in! she has the best energy, love getting to chat with her & she's so quick and on top of everything read more

A staple of the bar scene over on the east 6th side of downtown. It has indoor/outdoor options on seating. Bars located both indoor and outdoor. Outdoor in the back has a food truck called The Smokin Rose Taco Joint, variety of options and very delicious. I've frequented latchkey quite a few times, what I appreciate about it is that the music inside is often different from outside. Outside there is often a DJ or live music and the reason for my most recent visit was for the "New Jack Swing" crew that came through w multiple DJ's and played all my fav old school songs. Overall I haven't had a poor experience at latchkey, it lends itself to be fitting for everyone in some way and I appreciate on those cool summer nights there's an outdoor option with plenty of seating and great music. read more

sweet dive bar in east Austin. patio is a fun place to eat some tacos from the food truck and chug beers. Outside looks small and dinky, but once you walk in, it opens up to a nice indoor area and a large outdoor patio. read more

The main thing I have to complain about this place is the DJ. I appreciate the effort, but the transitions to the songs were the absolute WORST. He didn't even allow the song to hit the chorus! I wish I was joking when I say that we heard him go from Antihero- Taylor Swift to Gasolina - Daddy Yankee, like be so FOR REAL! And then from that to Dancing Queen... I'm mortified. read more

Drinks: 5/5 Latchkey has some awesome deals, especially their latchkey happy hour with a beer and a shot! Service: 5/5 No frills and quick service. Environment: 5/5 Plenty of seating inside and a large patio. Frequently have DJs playing on the weekends. read more

One of my favorite bars on the East Side in Austin! Awesome staff, great music, indoor and patio area, food truck and lots of music. It's a fun chill spot during the day and gets pretty lively at night. Good people and vibes here! read more

Solid happy hour. Dark and divey inside. Tables and stage and food truck out back. Attentive staff doin their best. It's what you want.

This place exemplifies the quintessential East Austin dive bar but also adds some exceptional service. The staff here is sweet and accommodating. What elevates them above some of their neighbors are their creative cocktail options for non-beer-drinkers. Try the Serrano Sip [mezcal, serrano simple syrup, fresh lime] if you want some simple but layered refreshment for a sunny day in their back garden. It's pretty rare to find a dive bar that offers fresh ginger, fresh watermelon, and an infused simple syrup! And their marketing, branding, and website are brilliant, to boot. (Also in the back garden, you'll find The Smokin' Rose Taco Joint [#44 on my taco list AustinTacoMojo.com].) read more

I just moved to Austin a month ago so everything is new to me. But from the looks of this empty Yelp page, I guess Latchkey is even newer than me? Regardless, I've now been here twice and can give them a proper review. I went on a weekend and didn't love the place. They had a DJ inside and your standard outside Austin patio, but nothing that really differentiated it from all the other bars on East 6th. But I went back last night for their monthly comedy night and was pleased. It's a free event where they have some amateur standups and then an open mike after. Throw in a $2 Lonestar beer special and you have a winner. How can I say no to this event anytime I'm in town for it? Some of the comics were good and some were awful, but it was more entertaining than watching something on Netflix. Latchkey isn't my first choice of bars to go to on an average night, but it's not bad at all. read more

I came here for a friend's 28th birthday. I was hype to be going to east Austin, and my impression from Yelp was that Latchkey was this great hole-in-the-wall kind of place, so I expected it to be chill and quiet. Buuuuut, when I got there, it definitely didn't have hole-in-the wall vibes. I was immediately hit with a wave of loud music when I stepped in. And there were quite a few people there. Their Moscow Mule is guuuud though; I gotta give them that. They also had ping pong and connect four (my bf and I are very competitive over this, so my eyes lit up when I saw connect four lmao) outside. Dance floor was poppin' when I came in, but it also emptied out 20 min later...not sure if it was cuz my friends made up most of the ppl on the dance floor or....? They did play Beyonce's 7/11, so I was pretty happeh about that. OH! But they had this box of candy that was free for anyone to take (my bf asked the bartender to make sure LOL). I ate two bags of skittles, so I was also happeh with that. Overall, I wasn't vibin' enough with the music to want to come back here on my own accord. That said, if a friend suggested it, I'd be okay with coming here for the skittles, moscow mule, and ping pong. read more

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Lopsided table tennis Lopsided ping pong Lopsided connect 4 Lopsided margarita Lopsided me after too many read more

Latchkey - Table - Dive Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

What can I say about Latchkey? Not much. It's only my favorite go-to spot when I'm happy. Or sad. Or bored. Or want to jam to sweet tunes. I would walk barefoot over a mile to sit in the sweet presence of the staff at Latchkey. I came here on a whim once because the door made me laugh. And I've never looked back. You can get a cheap can of beer or a delicious shmancy cocktail. There are hot drink specials in winter and frozen in the other 11 months of the Texas year. No matter what you order the staff will treat you like a regular and you can sit back and relax. There's indoor and patio seating so you can spread out. The food truck on the patio (Smokin' Rose) has tex mex, but also weekly specials like Burger night or Chicken Fried Steak night. Follow Latchkey and Smokin Rose on Instagram to keep up to date with events (live music, themed events, etc) and food specials. Yes, I'm a fan grrl, and dare I say a regular. read more

Latchkey - Back patio and food truck. There's a bar inside and on the patio. - Dive Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The perfect dive. Good vibe, had character, dog friendly, not pretentious, decent drink selection and quick service.

I've been coming here regularly for a year. Vance who mans the bar is one of the best in Austin. Place gets dumb packed on weekends as well, but the music is a good mix. Smoking Rose has great Tex Mex , and Randi who runs the show there somehow keeps everything together amidst the chaos. They do run out of certain items as the night goes on, so order early! read more

A great little bar and patio. From the outside, it looks like a hole in the wall but when you reach the patio out back you're likely to see a fun crowd of all ages, great music/DJ, and even a taco truck. A great place to go with a group of friends or just to grab a couple of drinks. read more

Someone needs to sage this place down, grab some holy water, leave some crystals around, burn some candles, perform a seance...something....because the staff is toxic and rude AF. The male staff members were abusive and aggressive for no reason. The door man greeted me by saying "just get the f*** in, I don't want to talk to yall". I was ready to turn around then, but I had already told a friend I would meet them there. The male bartender was a man-child who kept following me around the bar about a misunderstanding, even after I told him several times I would agree to disagree. He literally poured out my drink twice and refused payment as I looked on, laughing at the fragility of his ego. The female bartender was nice and comped my drink due to to his bad behavior. Cutthroat karaoke was fun but someone needs to get those boys some yoni eggs so they can calm TF down ‍ read more

Friendly staff, reasonable prices, Smokin' Rose Tex-Mex food truck out back (yum), good music, solid vibes. I love coming to this dive bar when I'm on the eastside. read more

this bar has been poppin offffff lately / this atx summer! Line's usually hella long on Friday & Saturday evenings, but that's to be expected. My friends & i love coming here because their DJs are so fire & put on such a high-energy, fun af time. Their bartenders are also super quick & are ninjas at getting drinks & their busy lines down, even during their busiest times at night. Always packed nowadays, but well worth the communal sweat (ehhh...for the most part). It's hella fun both indoors & outdoors here - pretty sure that most of the time, it's the same music blaring & playing in the inside as the outside. My friends & i have a blast dancing & singing on top of the tables outside/outdoor patio in the back! It's been super rowdy this summer; honestly as much in their outdoor space as is their indoors. They have at least 1 food truck, Smokin Rose tacos, in their outdoor back patio as well for late night or drunky munchies. Stoked that Latchkey is having a shiny popular moment - we here for it!! read more

Been trying to see if I left my credit card there. There is no way to contact these people. No phone number, no email. Nothing. I have been in contact with someone on Facebook who works for them, however they are just reading my messages and not replying. It would be great if there was at least a number I could call to figure this out read more