Bartender was incredibly rude to us. So we walk down the stairs and go up to the bar to figure out what to drink. Without even saying a word I can tell the bartender has it out for us. We look around to get some kind of indicator as to what they serve...so we could order our drinks. With no visible tabs, fridge, signs, menu, specials, or anything...we're not even 100% certain if they serve beer. All we can see are the dimly lit outlines of what we assume are liquor bottles. So I decide to just ask if there are any drink menus we can look at...I guess that was my first mistake. He looked up from his phone for a second, rolled his eyes, and said no. Okay...I guess this bar is too small/divey/trendy or whatever to indicate in some manner that they serve drinks...that's fine. Not being able to see anything that they serve...one of our friends takes a shot in the dark and asks for an Old Fashioned. That was our second mistake, we were rudely told "we don't make Old Fashions." The bartender was at least off of his phone at this point...but clearly already had it about up to here with our pesky questions...so our friend takes another shot in the dark and asks for a Manhattan. The bartender starts to tell us again that they can't make Manhattans...but something happened mid-sentence that made him change his mind. Not really sure what happened there...but he starts to begrudgingly make a Manhattan. One of our other friends decides (I assume in the interest of keeping things simple) to make it two Manhattans...and again the bartender indicates that he is incredibly annoyed by the request. As he is making the Manhattans I decide to just keep it simple as possible and order one of the dimly lit bottles neat...as I was getting kind of a Soup Nazi vibe from the bartender. My friend makes out that one of the bottles is Bulleit and orders it neat. The bartender asks if he wants the rye or bourbon...and I can hear the eyes rolling in his voice. So to keep things simple I order the same...which again triggers an audible sigh from the bartender. Mind you the bar is almost completely empty...and there's nobody behind us waiting in line. So we finally get our drinks and the bartender goes back to staring at his phone...I figure everything is right with the world again. We sit down and notice that there are in fact drink menus on the tables...that could have saved us a few of the eye rolls but what are you going to do? About 20 minutes later a different person in our group decides to get round two and we all decide at the table to order the same bottles of draft beer...as tending a bar seems to really irritate this bartender. The bartender didn't like his tip from the first round of drinks and says something to the effect of "a slight from one person in the group is a slight from the whole group" and indicates that we all need to finish our drinks immediately and "get the fuck out." He then goes back to his phone and we immediately leave the almost-empty bar. I guess this place caters more to politicians needing a quick escape while in session...and not to a small group of friends looking to grab a quick drink in the back corner of a bar after work. Either way, it was very clear right off the bat that there was nothing we could have said to this bartender that wouldn't have resulted in extreme irritation. I guess being incredibly rude to everyone is part of whatever the trendy/divey/no sign/no website/no drink menu/no cocktails image they are trying to cultivate. It's a curious business strategy. read more

Rumor has it the Texas Chili Parlor right around the corner is considered the republican representative haunt, and The Cloak Room the democratic representative spot. I lean left, and I still prefer the TCP. Here's why: I like the dark, dank feeling of The Cloakroom. No windows = sign me up. HOWEVER, they are yet another ballsy downtown bar that insists upon charging $5 for a well drink. And did I mention said cocktails are poured into Liliputian thimbles they call glasses? Additionally, the old crone who seems to be the permanent fixture behind the bar likes to light up in there with her Misty 100s and play video solitaire. My allergies hate her for doing that in such a confined space. If the night takes me here, I'm happy to entertain the crowd and go along, but I'd never go out of the way to stop in. read more

Ed: "I've been a failure at meme generation." A: "You mean, like, catchphrases?" Ed: "Well, they're not just catchphrases, but those can count. Monichacha and I tried, for example, to change, 'I'm just sayin', to 'These are my observations.' But maybe we just needed to start from scratch." Ryan: "Yeah, that kinda sucked." Lindsey: "You mean like 'Put that in your pipe and smoke it'. My friend often says, 'That's all I got.'" Ed: "Right." Doc X: "I think what you need is a non-sequitur." Ed: "Great. Non-Sequitur Man is my alter ego, anyway." Doc X: "How about, say, 'I just won the World Series. Tartar sauce, son!" Ed: "That could work." Justin: "And to think, this was all because of my birthday." Martha: "This reminds me of that Twilight Zone episode." Emily: "Are you coming to my Spanish class?" Ed: "TARTAR SAUCE, SON!" Quani: "I'm not driveable." read more

I came here after work with some coworkers recently and was really unimpressed. For starters, this bar is so dark that you're hard-pressed to see the other patrons, let alone what kind of alcohol they have. So when I asked the bartender what kinds of gin they had and he simply moved aside so I could "see" the shelf as opposed to just telling me, I was a bit chagrined. I couldn't really see anything, so I just guessed. One of my colleagues ordered an old-fashioned and the bartender said "we don't do old-fashioneds." Alrighty... I honestly have no idea what other reviewers are talking about when they say they had amazing drinks here. Anyplace that can't make something as basic as an old-fashioned isn't exactly on the cutting edge. We sat at a table that seemed to be slightly better lit--meaning we could see one another's general shapes--and I soon noticed some sort of bugs flying around, which turned out to be mosquitoes! I ended up with several bites. Fortunately we left after one drink. Suffice it to say I will not be returning. read more

Here I watched as John McCain secede from the race and Barack Obama accept the presidency in Nov. 2008. Looking back over the past year, I can say this was the most definitive moment of many that night, and I am so grateful we were in this cozy subterranean closet to witness it. Maybe because the entirety of the Democratic National Convention was getting snogged at the Driskill Hotel a few blocks south, but there were only ten other patrons in the bar that night, not including the bartendress, who was the only smoker in a self-advertised non-smoking establishment. Though it was just her taking drags, the room was filled with the aroma of nicotine, which means this entire bar is as large as your living room. Ergo, the Room in the establishment's name. A group of politically polite Yelpers and I had slinked in after watching Virginia and a few other states I can't recall take the democratic majority in electoral votes. It was wild in there! One of us had the idea to head to the Cloak Room, where we bumped into two other Yelp veterans, had a few drinks, and witnessed history. What a night. Truly: thank you Cloak Room, for being obscure to the masses and quiet to our eardrums. You made it a grand one. read more

This place feels like a divey, east coast bar. Love that they put out a lil plate of crackers and cheese for their patrons. What ever happened to such niceties? read more

I ventured out with high hopes of bearing witness to scandalous goings on in this tiny, quiet, well-hidden dingy little watering hole. Friends and I tried to swing by on a couple of occasions prior, and it was closed both times. I'm not sure what the schedule is like, but it's a safe bet to assume the bar is going to be open Saturday nights. And that it was. And at 10pm, save one couple huddling in the corner, my friend and I were the only other people there until well past 11. They stock a fabulous selection of high-end liquors. And why shouldn't they? I assume the clientele who frequent this bar likely have a bit more of a refined palate than, say, your average 6th street partier who's just looking to get drunk and laid, not necessarily in that order. In a word, I would say I'm just intrigued - by the whole aura and the realm of possibilities. I expect to visit again several times over, each time hoping to catch some seedy politician doing some dirty deeds. The bartender tells me that she's worked there off and on for the past 20 years, and that there's definitely a high likelihood of that happening. Scandalous!! read more

The Cloak Room is a bar to be taken on its own terms. It won't compromise for you. It has been around so long that it doesn't need to bend to anyone's will. Go. Sit for a minute. Figure out the rules. Play by them. Enjoy the jukebox. Enjoy the dimly lit ambiance. Enjoy the barmaid's commitment to the Cloak Room. Enjoy the lawsuit-waiting-to-happen concrete steps. You will leave with a new favorite watering hole. read more

Eh. Tough to review this one so low, given it's old - old history. However, when the history of oldness reveals itself to you before and upon entry, I'll respond with Eh. Enter at your own risk. This is not a speakeasy type, nor are drink requests too complicated for this owner/bartender/waitress/manager (all of the above). She was nice, smokes like a chimney (at least outside now, given past reviews) but overall this would not be a classed-up dive bar I'll be swimming back to soon. read more

Oh my, am I glad to have stumbled upon The Cloak Room. This completely unassuming location, across from the Capitol and down some stairs, offers an ideal rendezvous for a quick drink or an evening with friends. After some serious 6th Street duds, I'm elated to find something so close and so perfect. I arrived around 10:30pm on a Friday. Street parking was a cinch and the tiny location was full, but not crowded. My vodka soda was poured proportionally and cost $6. Not cheap, but appropriate. If you want a place where the patrons are not too far right or left, (meaning you can pull off heels or chucks) try The Cloak Room. read more

I cant believe I havent reviewed this place yet... Its really hidden, and when I go there I feel like Im in a secret society. The bartender was nice, but we got a little confused when she told us we could smoke, then about an hour and a half later came over and told us not to, but I trust it was for our own good. The drinks were stiff, and not too expensive. I tend to like those types of places... However, I did not see one single cloak the entire time I was there. read more

Close proximity to Capitol. Fine quiet place for meeting with friends. Excellent refuge on a wintry February visit to the lege.

I'd tell you how great this bar is, but then I'd have to kill you. This is a perfect basement bar. Dark (very dark) and cold and small. Stiff drinks. Stumbling back into the daylight. Great for HH with one to four pals. read more

It seems like we usually tread in here with the idea that we're about to witness something special, and indeed if you ask the bartender about it, she's likely to tell you tales of when it's okay to come in and when you'll be in the way of legislators looking to wet their whistle. Of course that's when we really want to be there: to see the backroom deals, the head-butting scenarios, the informal-though-theoretically-crucial lobbying that goes on in a bar located, appropriately enough, underground and roughly equidistant from the Governor's mansion and the capital building. I've found the service to be fine (if a hair surly, and can you blame her?), and the place boasts a jukebox chock full of standards. Which struck me as a little odd, but who am I to say. I do know this: as someone who's not particularly political, I always expect a little bit of theater out of the Cloak Room, and to date, it hasn't much delivered on that count. We stopped in the night before the general election one year, and you could almost hear the crickets. But the Cloak Room has been around for so long, they have to be doing something right. Either that, or they're making a ton of money for a few months every other year. read more

Home of Lobbyist, Lawyers, Anarchists and Legislators. This is the kind of place that revolutions are launched from. What a diamond in the rough. You could go here for years or just pop by for an afternoon and it's the same. My wife and I had our driver stop by on the day of our wedding. The bartender gave us a champagne toast and we didn't roll out of there, wedding party in tow, for another 2 hours. Fantastic place read more

This bar is an Austin treasure. Come as you are, be polite, match the vibe, respect the rules, keep a low profile and enjoy the underground. read more

I met someone here for a blind date before regular session adjourned for the interim. The atmosphere is quintessential dive bar, with the exception that many come over from the capitol or their lobby offices nearby, so what you end up with is the best dressed dive crowd around. The dark downstairs definitely feels like a relief after long hours at work and the scorching Texas sun. Even if politico's aren't your crowd, you're missing out if you haven't been here at least once! read more

Was told by the 80 year old bartender to cover up my arms or I wouldn't be served. Mind you, I was wearing a tank top showing ZERO cleavage and Capri pants. Asked about the dress code; apparently it doesn't exist. The judgement is rampant. Discrimination is discretionary. Spoiler alert: No tattoos allowed. read more

I found out about this marvelous place due to a friend who is always on the up and up on things! So I had the pleasure of experiencing this seedy little joint with them. I have to say it was awesome! Any place that requires me to go underground I am an automatic fan of. The drinks are super strong and the bartender is surly lol plus there is a kitty in the bar! How could you not love this place?! read more

The Cloak Room - My dirty martini man was it strong!! - Dive Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Love the underground dark feel of this place. Ya, the bartender bitched out my friends but they totally deserved it. I like that she is real, I think its charming. Oh and she makes an amazing Manhattan. read more

Was at the Cloak room today. At first it was cool, until some guy was smoking in the bar. I approached the table and asked them to please take it outside. Austin has a city ordinance law about smoking in bars and restaurants. They looked right in my face and lied, saying no one was smoking. I believed them and went back to my table. Then I saw this dude with a cigarette under the table. I then said, dude, please take it outside. They didn't. .. so me and the people at my table closed out and began to leave. The bitch bar tender said I wasn't welcome back. I called their ass out on bracking austin city law, and they took the stance on the law bracking asshole.... I will never go back to the cloak room. read more

The Cloak Room is an institution, and an establish whose role in my life transcends my ability to give a normal review. I have countless stories about this place. Good, bad, and very ugly. When I was dating a lot, I'd bring each new lady to the Cloak Room. If she didn't like it, I knew things weren't going to turn out well. The Cloak Room is cool like that. Dark, cavelike... either come here to end a day of work or to end a night out. Don't make this a pitstop. It will derail your evening. And, if you intend to return, tip generously. read more

My personal favorite dive bar of Austin. Definitely a hidden gem and if you are into politics, you will be certain to see a State politician in there. No windows, dim light, cave like and an amazing jukebox is all you need. Of course, Bev (the bartender) only asks for your respect as she will do the same. If you're looking something strong, I strongly recommend a personal favorite of a RED ROCKET. Tastes great, but I will tell you now -- 1 is all you need. read more

The Cloak Room is a VERY dimly lit, dive bar. When you turn the corner to look for the entrance, you'll see a simple staircase leading you down, possibly after being greeted by the bar's regular: a cat. You walk in, unsure whether this is the correct place, and the first thing you'll take note of is how dark it is in the bar. After a few minutes, your eyes will adjust and you'll then take note of how the place is tiny but cozy, especially when the capitol isn't in session. The bartender is a personable and lovely lady, albeit a bit quirky. At times, she'll wander off away from the bar but not so long that it aggravates you. She cares for the bar's cat and let's it inside once in a while. I like her and the cat. The alcohol selection was enough for me, but to be honest, it was so dark, I didn't take notice what was or wasn't behind the bar. If you want the typical fancy downtown bar, skip the Cloak Room. If you want a classy, dive bar with character, give this place a visit. I'll definitely come back again. read more

I went there once, when Congress was out of session, with a few drinks already in me, and I remember the strange feeling of being somewhere elitist and sophisticated, yet completely Vegas casino campy at the same time. You'd think, for as tucked away as it is, I wouldn't have run into anybody I knew, but I did. Guess I should have worn my invisibility cloak! If only I could find it again! It's so hard to find in the dark. read more

Let me number the things I like about this place: 1) Music that's not too late 2) Great juke box 3) Bartender really knows her stuff 4) The lighting that's almost cavelike We went in on a Thursday night between the happy hour and the late night crowds and had the run of this place, which sits in the shadow of the Capitol (albeit it in a basement). This place is highballs only, no fruit. The prices are reasonable. The only downside is the TV, but the volume is usually low if not off. read more

If you are lucky enough to find this place be ready for a little slice of heaven. That is if your idea of heaven is a dark lit old speak easy. This place is my favorite hidden gem. Its the kind of place a professional can go and truly unwind. Just be warned, political conversations should be strictly avoided. read more

The bartender was so drunk when my sister and I arrived that she either forgot to make our drinks or didn't bother. She was having a great time talking to the regulars, though. When we left they yelled after us that we must not be from here, which is neither true nor relevant. I stopped in for a drink every once in a while in my twenties and now I don't have the patience for this disaster of a bar anymore. read more

If you're looking for a fun, enjoyable evening with friendly service, DON'T COME HERE. The bartender/owner, Bev, mutters insults and complaints about her patrons and is downright RUDE! Oh, and if you go with your significant other and demonstrate any sort of PDA (i.e. handholding, hugs, quick pecks) you will be kicked out because "No PDA is allowed." This woman is bitter, angry, and full of negative energy. I wouldn't waste a penny at this establishment. read more

Small, dark, intimate and worth a trip. Located in basement of building directly across from the Capitol building. Where all political deals are negotiated over a stiff drink, Scotch preferably. Classic 70's and 80's music reverberates within. read more

I was expecting The Cloak Room to be more "The Cloak & Dagger Room." I was thinking, "Swank, dark, mysterious... I bet there'll be a lot of rich lobbyists chumming it up with greasy-palmed politicos in corner booths!" I probably should've taken that expectation down a notch (or rather, several notches). Have you ever been to LaLa's? The place with older servers who will give you a blank stare if you ask for anything more complicated than a vodka-soda? (Not that you should be asking for anything more complicated, just trying to demonstrate the way this place is.) Yeah. It's that. A little run down, incredibly small, and we were subjected to Dancing with the Stars on a big screen (I'm not necessarily complaining). It wasn't a bad experience, but it wasn't the upscale little hideout I was expecting. Drinks are less than $4, staff is a bit apathetic, but polite. (When asked if they had any specials, we got a flat-lined "Noooope.") I don't dislike it, but it wasn't the amazing gem it had been made out to be. Would I return? Sure! I didn't think it was all that bad, but I don't think it's over-the-top wonderful either. read more

Like a second home to me :) hilarious and unexpected encounters with interesting people. Bev is the best! The Cloak holds a special place in my heart. read more

I'm noticing that the woman behind the bar has been mentioned in a few other reviews. It was not busy when I went to check this place out. I was the only customer trying to get a drink. I asked her what beers they had and her curt reply was 'domestics'. I asked her which ones and she flipped a table tent at me, supposedly with the list of beers, and said 'Do you know how to READ?". What an absolute b*tch. I bought my beer, drank it down, and I'll never go back. I will tell everyone I know every time I think of it and in any way not to ever go here. Next stop, Google reviews. read more

Weird place - dark, dingy, cats (actual animals) walking around. We asked for a unique drink and we were told "you have to tell me what you want". We got bud light bottles and hit the bricks. read more

I was recently here for a happy hour hosted by organization. The historic ambiance was nice and the drinks were good but I probably won't be back. It's SUPER dark anda small space. It was hard to have a conversation with the place being full. Maybe it's better on an off night. read more

How cool is this place - it is the closest thing we've had to a real speakeasy in Austin up until Midnight Cowboy. I would love to have been a fly on the wall here over the years as the nearby power players and politicians made shady deals over a couple stiff cocktails. Not much has changed here over the years, other than the fact that you can't really smoke inside anymore. Still a neat place to stop in for a nightcap. Full bar & bottled beers. Grab a table and enjoy the dark wood paneled main bar. read more

As a lobbyist, I can only imagine what happens here during the session. Saw The Cloak Room on Esquire's Best Bars in America and had to go. My favorite bar in my home town is a basement dive across from our State House so I had to see what this place was like. Perfect. Good juke box, cheap drinks, and great service. The cat was an added bonus. read more

Weird, quirky dive bar. Be prepared to step back into 1980. Not a bad place just very strange.

This bar tries too hard to be the original seedy place that utexas grad alums and congressional state volunteers meet for drinks and do dirty work. A lot to be desired. I'd fire all the entitled bar staff and start from scratch. Plenty of dive bars around the law school when i was there that did a hell of a lot more business and revenue and weren't overly pretentious. I got an offer for Vinson Elkins over beers at Texas Chili Parlor. Next. read more

Go for the cheap, topshelf liquor. Stay for the esoteric ambiance and the delightful craftswoman behind the bar. There is no other bar like it in a city rife with taverns, public houses, lounges, joints, ale houses, and beer halls. On a night with a packed house -- which is difficult to predict at The Cloak Room -- there is subtly charming revelry. read more