Loved this place! Definitely will go back next time I'm in Austin! Good atmosphere and pretty cheap prices!

What happened to this place? Expensive jukebox that requires an app to pick songs, a DJ playing heavy metal on a Wednesday night, and salty bartenders have killed the vibe of a once solid dive bar. read more

So many good things about this place. Where to start? Thing One: Friend Miguel, former Hideout Pub bartender, works here. I knew he works for owner Randall, but I was still surprised to see him. Thing Two: The patio is epic. I have no idea what the patio was like as Poodle Dog Lounge -- as I never went there -- but when you have benches with American car makes on the backs, you're good in my book. And there are filing cabinets out here that they're planning to use as tables. Kitschy! Thing Three: Friend Randall owns this place, and he's, like, the King Midas of bars. Okay, well... tied with Marcos Canchola, owner of Hideout Pub, among six or seven others (one up the street from here currently awaiting remodeling and reopening). Thing Four: They redid the ceiling, added a beautiful drop-down ceiling above the bar, and tore down the wall that separated the pool room from the bar. Original bar still in place. And they've got Jesus candles. Heh... Thing Five: Drinks are fairly reasonably priced. I mean, when you consider there's a fucking condo being built up the street at the Pour House Pub site. Thing Six: Sexy. Seductive. Lighting. Thing Seven: GM Austin has been Randall's right-hand man for a while. I admit I only vaguely remember him from his days at Rio Rita, but he's a super-nice guy and a great bartender. Thing Eight: They're technically still in the soft-opening phase, but they've done everything right so far. Grand opening in the next week or two. Thing Nine: Only one TV in here. Thing Ten: Met Randall's dad. His name is Buzzard. Cool guy. The thing is, this place is just fucking awesome. read more

See all

I essentially never write reviews, but I feel like I need to share my experience at this bar. I had a profoundly bad experience at this bar yesterday. I don't know if she was having a bad day, or what, but the bartender had a horrible attitude. Passive aggressive and snarky, grinning all the while as if she were really enjoying the power she has. It was unpleasant, to put it lightly. Otherwise, this is much like you'd expect a dive bar to be. Dark inside, nice patio. read more

A laid back bar with pool tables and some local beers to choose from. It's easy to find, but not tons of parking. I came on a Sunday afternoon and it wasn't overly packed so there was parking spaces available. The beer I tried was called something like "homesick" and I would have it again. The bartender was friendly and made sure we were okay on drinks. As soon as she saw that we were low she asked if we needed anymore. I would come back here, because of the history and what a laid back place it is to have a drink and just enjoy friends company. read more

terrible service: rude, cocky, and no common sense. I usually love this place but tonight the bar was almost empty and I went in with friends (all over 21 with legal ids). Four of us got served and then our last friend came and he refused him then told us all our ids are fake (after already serving the rest of us). "I have bartended for 22 years" but doesn't know 5 legal texas ids? read more

I just love this place. It's a divey atmosphere and there are pool tables, booths, and ample space by the bar area. The bartenders always make delicious drinks, and I'm very picky and hard to please (like I'd spit in my drink if I were them) but I'm never disappointed. It's dim, the people are generally unobtrusive, and there are two separate areas to hang out in. The area by the bar is open, it's usually pretty easy to get the attention of a bartender. I don't go during peak hours so this may not always be the case, but it's spacious enough where you don't have people all up in your s**t like some bars in Austin. Decent sized private parking lot. I particularly enjoy the area by the pool tables, with several tall booths, two pool tables, and a variety of other games for those that enjoy activities while they are drinking. All in all, 5 stars. Well done Aristocrat. read more

Closed at 3? Booooooi,, I ended up going a few weeks ago. The GM was helpful when choosing a drink but the drink was overly sweet. This place is dark and the patio isn't fit for folks that have problems with mosquitos. It isn't a dive bar even though it looks like one unless you go into the wrong bathroom. read more

I highly recommend the Pineapple Jalapeno Paloma! Its delicious!! There's also so many fun things to do here (1) pool tables (2) skee ball (3) shuffleboard (4) and a couple of arcades :-). Dark, inviting, fun, subtlety upscale and still laid back. Live the jukebox too Dogs welcome on the patio! read more

The Aristocrat Lounge - Pineapple Jalapeno Paloma - Dive Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

The fact that I am even leaving a review speaks to how poor my experience was. One star is simply because it wouldn't allow me to leave less. A bar and lounge is meant for a relaxing spot to grab a drink, enjoy good service and escape any annoyances of the normal day to day. This time I was given rude customer service, uncomfortable atmosphere, and a complete let down.... The crazy part is that it was all due to one worker. I don't know her name and maybe that's a good thing because like this experience it would leave a rotten taste in my mouth. No wonder 2 min down the road is constantly packed while this bar is a wasteland of the occasional 2-3 people. read more

I enjoy The aristocrat, it's a fine bar, in a good location. However, there is one thing keeping me and a large group of my friends ( all locals) from coming back and that's the rude bartender, named Garth. I have frequented theAristocrat on multiple occasions and he has consistently been rude not only to me, but many other patrons as well. I honestly will not come back to this establishment until Garth is replaced or his schedule is posted so me and my entire group of friends, whom also dislike this man's self entitled, snarky, rude attitude, can avoid him completely. For the record, I have spoken to numerous regulars and neighborhood locals who feel the same way. Until Garth gets the boot or changes his snide attitude, we're boycotting and spending our money elsewhere like say LaLa's. read more

The bartender was nasty and condescending. He (for reasons that remain unclear) told my friend he couldn't go to the bathroom. A while later, I tried to order a round of drinks for my group; the bartender then said 'NO, because I think you may give one of these beers to the guy I arbitrarily denied bathroom privileges to a while ago.' read more

The bartender (Garth) is so mean! He was just straight up rude for no reason. We went here after my sister's wedding to continue the celebration and it was just such a bummer and mood kill to be treated that way. There are so many good bars in the area that we just finished our drinks and went somewhere that we would be treated in a kinder way. Garth, buddy, I realize you have a stressful job but maybe you need to follow a different path. Your negative energy is just nasty and it's obvious you hate your profession. read more

Terrible experiences every time walking in here. Never left here missing it, or wanting to return, pool tables are atrocious

Just horrific service. Embarrassing This place has a cool paint job outside and that's it read more

I used to love this little bar right near our house. Now it's awful. We went for a ladies night and the bartender was extremely rude. I asked for a cheap shot/ beer combo (trying to keep the SAHM budget) and he didn't even acknowledge me. I guess he heard me bc he finally handed my drinks to my friend with her order. There was no nice conversation or even eye contact (not asking much here), and when he checked our IDs he was extremely snarky. This place used to be a lovely, relaxing neighborhood bar, but now I don't want to go out just to get horrible service. The venue itself is great and the remodel looks awesome. Until they get friendly staff, we won't be going back. I never leave reviews, but the horrible service and how crappy the bartender made us all feel moved me to do something about it. I hope a GM reads this and they can make some changes for the better. The juke box and shuffle board are so great. We had high hopes for a wonderful ladies night out and it's super disappointing that one bartender can ruin an entire evening. read more

When the Poodle Dog went away (RIP) I think we were all a little nervous. It was a Burnet Road institution. Sure, it smelled terrible and the cleanliness was in question, but it was our dive bar, damnit and it was BYO. The Aristocrat, IMHO, has done a good job of keeping the feel of the original bar while making some much needed improvements. They've opened the space up but kept some of the pool tables. They added cocktails to the menu and craft beer but you don't feel weird ordering a plain old well drink. There are chandeliers... but they're funky and the place still has many dark corners. The jukebox is stacked with classics. They've got a patio area for you outdoorsy types, skeeball for the sports fanatics and it sounds like they might do some special Sunday stuff. If Poodle Dog had to change, then I'm glad it turned into this place. read more

The Aristocrat is the perfect blend of dive bar and swank. They have cooshy U shaped booths lining the walls, a nice bar and a cool casual patio. The dog friendly patio will make the Aristocrat a prime spot in the neighborhood during the spring & fall months. I love a bar with games and the Aristocrat has them. They have billiards, shuffle board, skeeball and my favorite Ms. Pac Man. We sat at the bar and looked over the cocktail, beer and wine menu. Notably they have a nice selection of rotating drafts. They also have an impressive selection of infused liquors used in their cocktails to include: - ginger-beet infused vodka - mission fig infused bourbon - peppercorn infused vodka I went with a La Charmel Rhone blend and Jesse had a local draft. Considering this is under the category of dive bar I was super impressed with the wine I ordered, the creative cocktail menu, good service and clean comfortable atmosphere. read more

I love this place. Not trying to convince you to come here because I'd prefer it if you didn't. It's great the way it is. read more

The Aristocrat Lounge - Dive Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

I'm glad that the former Poodle Dog Lounge is still pretty much in tact, but I honestly wish I could give Aristocrat Lounge a 4 if not 5 star review. There are a couple of problems that always make me hesitate to choose this place. The first issue is the restroom. There is a huge, old urinal. It's actually kind of cool looking, but it smells like it hasn't been bleached since the old Poodle Dog opened back in mid 20th century. It smells like a bad alley in New Orleans. It smells so bad that I gagged. Not cool. I'm okay with a dive, but let's get this human urine situation under control. When I mentioned it at the bar one of the employees just kind of lagged and told me that I had used the wrong bathroom. C'mon, y'all! The worst part about The Aristocrat Lounge is the juke box. It's one of those fake juke boxes where you can play just about anything you want, which seems like cheating. What's worse is there are annoying commercials that come on about every 5th song. The commercials are louder than the music. Can we not spring for a monthly fee to avoid this? It's a lounge. Atmosphere is important. MUSIC IS REALLY IMPORTANT AT A DIVE BAR!!! These things can be easily fixed, and then we could enjoy the great full bar, pool tables, and surprisingly great outdoor area. read more

I want to like this place, I really really do. The atmosphere is good, with good pool tables, a cool patio space, and mostly cool patrons. The problem is the bartenders; they always act like you're a big inconvenience to them, and lately I have been coming here about once a week on average. I always tip well (always over 20% if not more, and am always respectful). It's the weirdest thing because bartenders immediately like me everywhere else I go (I'm cordial, patient, former service industry so I tip big, and never complain about anything). Any other bar would treat me like a regular with the frequency I go there and the amount I tip. Sometimes I get the feeling it's because I don't have a beard, seriously, there's a lot of douchey hipsters in this place and they always seem to be best friends with the bartenders, so they get great service and the bartenders act like you're being an asshole when you ask for a drink after they've been standing around talking to said friends for quite awhile and you've been patiently waiting. This is especially unacceptable given the mild to medium anal raping they provide in their drink prices ($7 for most beers on tap and cocktails hovering around 10 bucks or higher). I've come here so much and really wanted to like it. Hell, I did like it for a long time. But the horrible service makes it impossible for me to come to this place any longer. Go to Lala's if you're in the area. They've re-opened under new management and while I deeply miss the old Lala's the new one is pretty damn good and getting better (friendly staff, reasonable prices, and kept the same vibe and juke box of the old Lala's). A sidenote: not all of the bartenders sucked here. The one female bartender (Isis) I've seen here is really cool and a great bartender, but she only works one night a week I think. When she was working she was attentive, made great drinks and recommendations and was really nice. read more

I dig this place. Great cocktails. Great beer selection. Shuffle board. And that BBQ truck out back is punch your mother in the throat fantastic. read more

Wow! finally the worst business in Austin. i went in Friday after a very long negotiation with a client and asked for a beer. a short dork with a boy beard said "your ok". i asked what he meant. he told me i could barely keep my eyes open. i didn't have a mirror to check so i guess its possible. the rude little man refused to serve me so i just left. i will post this on the three neighborhood list served around the bar since i own homes in all three. Never Spend Money With People Like This read more

Big fan of Poodle so of course I have issues with Aristocrat just in general. But it is what it is so....here goes. The bad - Too dark. Cocktails don't have prices as I recall. That's a big pet peeve. The full beer selection was not represented anywhere...as in a cooler with the options showing or a beer menu. The only thing showing were the taps which were few and hard to read. And again, I want to know the prices of things. One skee ball was not working and the other stopped working after the first game so....yeah. Bathrooms are still terrible. Sorry guys but you do all that work on the place but leave the bathrooms as crappy as they were?? The furniture was not very comfy for $10 cocktails. The Good - Still plenty of space to move around. Retained at least some of the Poodle decorative stuff and signs and even some of the vibe. I guess. Didn't check out the patio but it's nice that they have one now. Parking is available. It didn't turn into a Torchy's/Asian Fusion place. Wish I could give it 2.5 stars. I'll def go back in the spring/summer to see how the vibe feels. But seriously....more info on prices and selection for the drinks would be great. read more

I feel like the Aristocrat is having an identify complex. I wouldn't call this place a "lounge" or a "cocktail bar" by any means. It's still dingy and divey with the addition of some chandeliers and skee ball. If you want to be a cocktail bar, have a better cocktail menu! The cocktails are meh and a bit overpriced IMHO. And add some lounge-type seating, maybe some plush chairs and couches, or comfy seating areas. The cheap, stark tables and chairs reminded me of what you'd find in a Pizza Hut. It was cold and rainy, so I didn't check out the patio area. I had high hopes for this place, since it's close to home. More improvements needed. read more

They get to choose who they serve which is obviously fine but when they make their own decisions, they should probably look at their qualifications. read more

Aristocrat is not bad. Liz B is right; the place has a mild identity crisis. Previously a dive bar, but only gone part of the way towards turning into cocktail bar. I figure this is just all that they felt like doing right now, despite giving their bar the name "Aristocrat" ("Aristocrat is a broad term that usually refers to people that a particular social order considers the highest social class of that society," quoth Wiki). Darn us picky first world problemists. Seeing as how they do in fact serve cocktails now, though, you'd think that would answer the question. Nah. Yes, they have skeeball a la the Other Austin Cocktail Places With SkeeBall. There's some billiards. They have a patio of sorts, but no shade or the Edison-Says-You-Must-Have requisite misters I'd expect at a high-falutin' Austin place these days. It's still pretty dark in spots - you might be eaten by a grue. On the other hand, maybe you want to use the dark spots for making out. But really the only thing I thought needing serious upgrading to edge up to my 4 star was the restroom, which has one stall-less toilet and a trough (classy,eh?) neither of which is guarded by any kind of divider should you fail to lock the door...which many people do. Considering the sheer volume of people in Aristocrat when I was there, this is either a glaring fault or an ironic jab at their own name. Clearly I've got mixed feelings about you, Aristocrat. I'll reevaluate them next time. Maybe? Um. Hm. read more

Cute place with skee ball. Drinks were tasty :) We popped into Aristocrat after visiting a restaurant nearby and it was pretty empty on a Saturday night around 11pm. read more

A dark, divey (yet clean) bar with plentiful indoor and outdoor seating, chill patrons, tasty cocktails (the jalapeno-infused paloma was a refreshing standout), and all sorts of games? Works for me. It may not be the sexiest or coolest place, but it's a solid neighborhood spot for enjoying pool, skeeball and adult beverages with friends. A food truck would be a nice addition when feeling snacky. read more

Until recently, I had somehow never visited Aristocrat (or Poodle) in 6+ years of living in Austin. 4 of us hung out here late on a Saturday night and it was the perfect spot to grab a booth, have a few drinks, and play a game we brought. There was a decent selection of craft cocktails and a smallish tap beer selection. It took quite a while to get to the front of the bar to get drinks; they seemed about one bartender short given the crowd size on a Saturday night. But overall, cool place that met our needs. read more

Stopped by with a group of work friends. Read some of the reviews here, but went in with an open mind. I'm understanding this used to be another bar. I'd never went to the previous haunt, so I had nothing to compare it to. However, this place was pretty cool. A little darker than I prefer, but then again, I sat out on the patio most of the time we were here. Bartender was a super cool kat, made some suggestions, let me sample a drink that was in the freezer. I ultimately chose it. The name escapes me but it was a refreshing frozen concoction with gin, watermelon, cucumber and a buncha other stuff. Stayed a few hours, had some good conversations, and had a great time. Only left because we were hungry, and they don't serve any food. Will definitely stop in again sometime. read more

Cool neighborhood bar but the bearded bar tender is definitely very bad at bartending and kind of an asshat, like many others on here have commented. Not sure why management doesn't take note with so many people echoing this?? The mule he made was honestly just sprite. Def no vodka and def no ginger beer. A real shame. read more

Thumbs up for more lighting, better decor (or is it just that more lighting is highlighting the existing decor better), and the presence of the amazing and yummy 3 little pigs. Cocktails seem to have dropped in price slightly but improved in quality. Also, for allowing dogs on the patio, hooray, and improved patio ambiance and seating in general. Bathrooms are still terrible- not just stinky but only one working with no mirror, and really could use a remodel in general. Maybe make a men's and a women's...my guess is that men wouldn't be bothered quite as much by the state of the bathroom. read more

Bartenders are super friendly. If I'm anywhere near this place I have to stop in and get a frozen hot toddy. So damn good. I liked the Poodle Dog, but this place is the new jam. read more

Serendipity. No, not the really bad John Cusak movie but the real thing. That's what I experienced recently at the Aristocrat Lounge. See, After my wife of 20 years ran off with what's-his-name in the stock room I have been getting things back on track and dating like a mad man. When you meet a nice lady for the first time you want a place to kick back and relax and really get to know the person sitting across from you. Well this place has it all! A gorgeous back patio with oversized Jenga, a food truck with Brussel sprouts, tons of potting soil and propane with rows of picnic tables to stretch your legs and let the conversation flow! Well I had a great time recently at the Aristocrat and plan on being back, probably alone but back no less. What's odd is just up the street they have some real fancy places. The kind where they serve a single bite of fish soaked in a bowl of butter for twenty whole dollars! Oversized ice cubes so you only get 2 sips of bourbon. Real fancy decor and the kind of place where you sit next to a co-worker and they hog all your time with your date so you go zero chance to work your mojo. Save your money suckers and spend 5 nights a the aristocrat. Get to know your girl and dance the night away to the jukebox. Thank you Aristocrat for being exactly what you are! read more

Glad to see others have at least mentioned the rude bartenders. Given that there are only 2-3 maybe they feel overworked and under-appreciated - or maybe they just like being superior-minded faux working class Johnny Paycheck types that think the attitude is part of the uniform, along with the requisite beard. Anyway, it ruined it for us, too. I've been to the Poodle Dog fore beard I do like beer bars - but what was really great about the place was that it was just friendly and fun. All the other comments about the decor are spot on - and I didn't try the drinks - but it seems like it would be better for them to streamline drink/mixology and focus more on the atmosphere and vibe since the place is so big. There's a huge gap in the floor space since they got rid of a bunch of pool tables, so it cries out for a dance floor.However, when I asked one of the crappy bartenders about them booking bands, having DJs, dancing,etc., they were less than encouraging, and didn't seem at all interested in wanting me to come back. I simply can't understand why such a mediocre and ultimately boring cocktail bar thinks they can have service that also is completely disengaged from what its like for the customers to hang out there. Back to Lala's and the dancing elves for me. read more

First off, RIP Poodle Dog. While The Aristocrat has a lot of great things going for it, there's always gonna be a hole in my heart for that old neighborhood dive bar vibe. Okay, caveat complete. So the good things: The atmosphere is cool, retaining some of the old dive bar / pool hall charm, but adding some David Lynchy, old Hollywood elements that lend a bit of dark romance. Intimate rounder booths, some dark corners, and a nice bar. They have Touch Tunes, which is awesome, because the mood of the place can change on a dime depending on who's playing the music. Great draft selection. Prices are decent. They have Fernet. The so-so: The program is interesting, but overreaches a bit. Depending on the bartender, the experience varies widely. Not a great whiskey selection. The patio is not bad, but feels tacked-on. The not-so-great: The bar staff is inconsistent. Austin, the manager, is great. Otherwise, you never know what you're gonna get. In this neighborhood, I expect friendly, courteous pros. I've been bummed out by some amateurism and attitude at times, especially when the bartenders are serving a big group of their friends and not paying attention to the rest of the business. All in all, I think The Aristocrat will hit its stride in time, and I look forward to it getting better and better. read more

This hole in the wall is different is than most hole in the walls. Once you walk in you are greeted by a nice bartender. If you are like me and enjoy speak easies, you will enjoy this place. Drinks are wonderfully priced well. read more

I might have given this place at least two star for the music playing and the dive bar nature, but the service, while friendly, was slow and inconsistent and the roaches that crawled across the bar and along the wall were a little too much to make me want to come back any time soon. I get that roaches can happen, but seeing more than one really large roach scurry around was too much for this lady. No thanks, I guess Aristocrat is more of an ironic name. read more

What the hell? RIP poodle dog. Place seems the same but staff, especially a bearded bartender, is just terrible. Maybe just a one off or a bad night, but spend your skee-ball money somewhere else. read more