Ghosts aside, the Asian street tacos were altogether spiritual. While I'd never think the Driskill Bar would house something as ethnic and savory as these "finger foods," they were expertly executed and promptly devoured. Don't let the dated (but gorgeous) history fool you, the bar menu is refreshingly varied and anything but stuffy. Even if you're not staying at the hotel, this approachable selection caters to nearly any palate. From empanadas to Bulgogi lettuce wraps, Beignets to chili popcorn, the menu almost seems inspired by random middle-of-the-night cravings. For drinks, you'd likely want to order something classic, but should you steer towards the contemporary, the menu offers a few signature cocktails whether your preference is rum, vodka or something in between. I'll sit at the bar alone, but never in my room. read more

Super classy place, super overpriced menu, super crowded (but this might have been because of SXSW). The live music was lovely and the decor on the inside is great. Will definitely come again if I'm in Austin. Come if you are looking for a more low-key night. read more

Lovely. Absolutely lovely. The bar at the Driskill is stylish without being overly kitchy, jiving with music without being obnoxious. We had such a great time -- five of us -- entertaining guests from San Fransisco (so you know, we have to pull it OUT!), and the Driskill was a great choice. The drinks were innovative and quite the yumfest. Passion fruit vodka and 7 with a lime. Oh, baby! Service was strong and friendly. Not much to ask... and the Driskill delivered. Others had specialty martinis and were duly impressed. read more

I'm sorry that I've lived in Austin for more than 5 years and I've just recently had a drink at the historic Driskill Bar. Being in the Driskill you might think that this place serves drinks that are way more expensive than everywhere else but you would be wrong. The Driskill bar is actually probably pretty benign by most standards save for the history and piano bar atmosphere that will put you back in time some nights. This place is so full of history that some people (um, joke?) that it is haunted. If Owen Wilson's character from the Woody Allen film Midnight In Paris would have come to Austin instead of Paris this bar is where he would have met all the famous cast of famous artists and writers from days gone by. Hands down the bar at the Driskill is the best place to people watch. The night I went there was a large wedding party celebrating. The name 'Driskill' brings people people from all walks of life and reasons. The decor is very Texan with guns and cowboy stuff that comes off classy and tasteful instead of tacky. Their bar also serves "bar food" type fare later than you would think. I feel like the best thing about the Driskill is the variety of reasons you could come here: for a celebration, a date night or just to escape the madness of 6th street. The Driskill really is like stepping back in time and out of time. read more

Yeeeeehaaaaawwww!!!! Saddle up pardners and follow Mr. Smidgens to a good time!! We mosied on in and the Driskill bar was bustling with hotel guests and locals alike. We found a table with a few cowhide seats but we had a large group. Mr. Smidgens sees two lovely ladies with two extra seats and I ask if they don't mind if I take their two extra seats. They replied with a question. "Would you like to be our third?". Wait...what? LOL....Thank you for the offer but I respectfully have to decline. I ask them what they are drinking and they respond in unison...."Whiskey"......Okay, my kind of ladies. Well I get them their whiskey and bid them a pleasant evening. We get all of OUR lovely ladies a comfortable seat and some drinks. On one trip to the bar I am questioned by another lovely lady..."Are you staying in the hotel?" I say no and that I am a local. She responds with"That;s too bad. I am visiting from Baltimore." We both got our drinks and bid each other adieu. If Mr. Smidgens was single and wanted to mingle then this would be the place. Mr. Smidgens must have looked adorable that evening!! I minded my P's and Q's and returned to my group and the stunning Quinn B. We drank our whiskey, martinis, captain n coke, and vodka concoctions, Our wonderful server Lindsey was sooooo attentive. She even brought us some jalapeno stuffed olives with some candied pecans for us to chew on. Yummy!! It was a Saturday night and the place got packed. If you want to hang out with your little doggies and shoot the shit this is a great little bar to set up camp and do just that. We ended the night with shots of whiskey and rode off into the night...... read more

If you think of quaint and quiet when you think of the Driskill Hotel, then you have not been to the Driskill Bar. I was really glad that some dear friends made us go here on a recent outing. This place left this long time Austinite wondering why he has never been here before. The Driskill bar just reeks comfort and ambiance with the traditional Texas art and paintings. Add in wood panelling, low lights, and overstuffed leather couches and chairs all make for some great seating areas for your group to sit, chat, listen to the live music or watch sports on the many flat screens that cover this warm space. They have a nice selection of beers, great craft drinks and martinis as well to add to the sophistication of your experience here. Happy Hour is from 5-7PM and consists of half-off bar appetizers and discounts on some drinks. This place is downright Texas freaking cool and will be a great memory for any out-of-town visitor! read more

There's something about mahogany, big chandeliers and grand archways that get me all tingly inside. The Driskill Hotel and its plush lounge bring out that feeling, and I'm not gonna lie and say I don't love it. Even if you don't stay at the hotel, you owe yourself a drink or two here at the bar. You'll see everyone from old money Texans, to college frat-folk, to conventioneers, to tattooed LA chicas like me. Sit back and sink into one of the leather chairs, take a sip, breathe in some history, and wonder what Austin of old was like. read more

A grown-up, quiet juxtaposition to the youthful exuberance on 6th Street. Marble floors, low leather and cowhide couches amenable to civilized group banter, extensive wine list, and a preponderance of white hairs. You can see why I only lasted one drink, but I highly recommend a visit! read more

This place is amazing but unfortunately , the service is terrible , we just wanted to sit in the lounge area and have a couple of drinks . I had to chase down a server. Once she came , she seemed in a hurry to take our order and the place was not busy. Once she took it drinks , she never came to check on us so I had to go to the bar to order more drinks . It's a shame that this nice and expensive place has such bar service read more

I've made a huge mistake. I just tried Driskill happy hour for the first time in my life and I'm moving from Austin in less than two weeks. A tiny huge mistake! The Driskill has hands down the best food happy hour DT. They have a long list of items on their finger-foods list that are all $5: bacon cheeseburger, angus beef sliders, crab salad sliders, lobster roll, reuben, pork belly flatbread, grilled cheese, shrimp tacos, and I can't even remember what else. Most of the items are served with a massive side of string fries or sweet potato fries. It was a SERIOUS STRUGGLE for me to decide what I wanted to eat. I decided on the angus beef sliders and took a bite of the reuben (mmm). The sliders were so moist with caramelized onions and truffle sauce. AND WHAT WAS THAT KETCHUPY STUFF? It was the best shit in town. I could have drank that out of a glass. And the atmosphere was really cool! It wasn't uptight at all like I thought it would be. It actually got pretty rowdy with a group of pirates partying at the bar and many HH groups getting their drank on. I accept! Also, extra points for amazing service (they even figured out how to split checks for a group of 10+ people without any questions). Another place to add to the list of Austin restaurants I will miss so much :( read more

Yes, I am a fan. When in Texas, you want to experience an authentic Texas experience. The bar at The Driskill delivers. There's the Widow Maker sculpture in the middle of the bar room as you walk in. There is the longhorn steer head on the wall. There are the various pistol and short rifle displays. There are the various paintings of old Austin and the west. And, of course, there are Lone Stars, all over the place. The Driskill is a very old, very well appointed, and very well preserved hotel in downtown Austin. It's bar is a testament to how much Texas loves itself. The couches and chairs are leather, and big. The dark wood tones set a great mood, as does the country western music, playing everything from Marty Robbins to Emmy Lou Harris. We went to The Driskill with our friends who recently relocated to Austin. As we entered, there is was a live blues band jamming. We found a nice area over by the bar with over sized leather chairs and counties and a big table. We ordered our first round and food from the very kind, very knowledgeable, very Texas bar waitress. The food is very good at the bar. We ordered the house made jerky, queso, sliders, and brussels sprouts. The quality spoke of fresh ingredients and well balanced flavors. The drinks are also well done, I ordered a rye Old Fashioned, a rye Manhattan, and the Cattle Baron Cocktail, a bourbon based drink that includes root spiced liqueur, creme Anglaise, and nutmeg. The alchemy of the drink mimics root beer, and is very good. We stayed for a few hours before heading to the very different, but very cool Hotel San Jose (see earlier review) patio bar for nightcap Micheladas. If you find yourself in Austin, make it a point to check out The Driskill's bar, as well as the hotel itself. It should not be missed. read more

I visited this bar a with some friends and let me tell you, it felt like a I was rich pimp. The drinks might be expensive but at least you can say you being there and have some drinks. The drinks seen to be very strong as far as I can tell unless I was already drunk. I really recommended to give a try at least once, I don't think you will be let down. read more

Believe the hype this place was awesome! We chose a couch way at the end of the bar & figured it would take forever to get service, boy were we wrong our waitress showed up immediately luckily I'd seen the drink I wanted already pictured on Yelp-the batini it was ok, I loved my next drink even more a blackberry smash? Some bourbon drink was awesome! We ordered the beef jerky, queso dip, bacon wrapped dates & the truffle popcorn, everything we had was outstanding couldn't have asked for better service or food! Can't wait for our return trip & order the exact same stuff! read more

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This has really got to be my favorite bar in downtown Austin. I love the atmosphere but I'm learning to appreciate the bartenders more. These guys know their cocktails - conventional and new. And they know how to make conversation as a bartender should. The seating is great, there is always a spot. Evening and Weekends (and SXSW) they have intimate little concerts in the bar. This time my friend and I opted to hang out at the bar and the bartender took a custom request - and did a fantastic job. Drink prices are upscale, but reasonable still. Great place to stop if you're wandering about - definitely sets the bar. read more

This is a pretty great hotel bar. Maybe it was the novelty for me, being my first time in the Driskill which is an old school hotel in downtown Austin. But it seemed to be a really popular place and not in the frat boy kind of way like the rest of the drinking establishments down the street. In fact, my boyfriend and I sought out this bar in an attempt to avoid said frat crowd. I loved the decor and the shelves lined with books and the overall atmosphere. There happened to be a post-wedding reception party here when I came so it provided great people watching opportunities. Not to mention, the lobby of the hotel itself is gorgeous and worth a peek even if you're not going to grab a drink at the bar. read more

Wandered over here after dinner... man, 6th street is ridiculous! AMBIANCE: Both the exterior and interior of this historic hotel exuded character & elegance. I really liked the decor of the bar area, what with all the leather, calf hair/skins, pistols, mounted animal heads, etc. Everything added to the overall wild west/cowboy aura of the space. SERVICE: We were ignored for quite a while, and then once our drinks were brought, we were ignored once again. The lack of attention the second time around didn't really bother us, as we were deep in conversation. DRINKS: enjoyable, but not really that special. The fan favorite was the "Brazos Brasiliensis Batini," but beware, this drink was quite sweet and DID NOT taste alcoholic at all. OVERALL: A fun place to visit at least once, just to enjoy the ambiance. read more

This traditional Austin watering hole was recommended to me at our conference hotel and I'm so glad we went. The entrance and hallway was very traditional and the atmosphere was really warm and impressive. I love the Stainglass lighting and we sat at the nice wooden bar and had excellent service. I had venison chili as a small dish but it wasn't small and it was very nicely seasoned. I also got a good local beer. I'll definitely be back the next time I go to a conference in Austin. read more

I've got to say, the entire time I was here I felt like one classy dame (despite being very dressed down). The interior looks as if they copied the hotel from The Shining and put a dead longhorn's head above a fireplace. They have a wide variety of drinks ranging in price. I had a glass of rose wine for the first time while my friends sipped on the beverage of their choice. The ambience is great but I have to wonder if they have any strict guidelines for selecting musicians to play in the bar. The night we went, there was a man singing and playing piano who looked like some dude they just got off the street and asked "Hey, you wanna play at the Driskill tonight?". He was playing a soft piano/vocal version of Men At Work's classic "Land Down Under". I kid you not, it was the most funny and sad thing I have heard in a while. My friend thought it was so awesome that he actually tipped the guy!. His next song was a soft, slow version of "You Are My Sunshine". A large cane would have come in handy at this point. WTF, Driskill? You're one of the classiest bars in town but you couldn't have found a real musician with talent to play? Oh well, I still liked it here. read more

This is an absolute must-do for out-of-towners. Must! I came here three time during my 4-night stay in Austin the first time I visited the city and I had a blast! To start, the ambiance of this place is great. Filled with leather sofas, cozy nooks, spacious bar tables, and plenty of barstools, there is a space for everyone here. This place rivals the big boy hotel lounges in New York. The first night, my parents and I were lucky enough to snag a table in front of the stage where we had front row access to a variety of fun, 40s-style bands and a pianist. The music wasn't too loud, even though we were really close, and the service was prompt enough. The drinks are great. I ordered (several times) the Pepino Picante, which is made with muddled cucumber, cilantro, jalapeño, agave & lime. YUM. It could have been a bit spicier, but it hit the spot. The 'award-winning' Brazos Brasiliensis Batini is good too. The bar staff was very friendly, too. We also really enjoyed the wide variety of small plates; the three of us shared the bacon wrapped dates, the cheese & charcuterie plates and the crab cake sliders. All small but all very delicious. I also came here once on a first date and then again on a double date a few days later. This place really is fantastic for all occasions, in particular, again I think it's great for out-of-towners. You get live music but in an impressive atmosphere that's a nice little break from kooky Austin. No complaints!! read more

This is the bar in the Driskill hotel. It's dark, the walls are covered with old photographs, animal heads, and animal print covered couches. Some cool features - the octagon shaped dark wood bar and the big piano with tall chairs where you can gather around the pianist. It's a chill place where you can actually carry conversations. Not to mention the interesting people watching. The drinks are stiff. The service is good and I was addicted to the nuts bowl: cashews, honey roasted peanuts, almonds... We also ate here and the bar menu was pretty decent. One of my co-workers ordered the fried pickle and everyone really enjoyed them (I don't eat pickles), they said it was very unique and probably a great hangover food. I had the steak sandwich which was filled with flavor and melted in my mouth. The potato wedges were also very tasty. Overall, this was a great place to relax after a long day. I'm glad I got to stay here! read more

Oh, the cool, the dark -- luscious. The stained glass, the illusion of privacy --- decadent. It was a lovely respite on a hot day. I live here, but haven't visited the Driskill for a number of years. I've been told that three-quarters (at least) of the women on match.com post a picture of themselves on the stairs at the Driskill. I don't know about that. But we shared a lovely split of the Faust Cabernet, and ordered the Angus sliders. (I must admit, I don't understand the charm of any sliders, but --- ) and they arrived, and they were tasty (though insecurely toothpicked --- warning!!!) And we cooled down, and we relaxed, and life was good...and it was a Saturday afternoon, with a happy hour menu, which meant half-price snacks.... But NO! The bill arrived, and we were charged full price. And the waitress, coincidentally, didn't circle back around for quite a while. So ... warning... enjoy the cool dark pleasures of the Driskilll... but check your tab. (It's hard to award a star rating... I don't want to say it's A-OK, because of the billing issue. On the other hand, it's better than that, if you don't have the billing issue.) read more

Nice vibe, excellent Happy Hour (and it's every day!), and it's very cool to walk around the haunted hotel.

We love coming to this historic hotel in downtown Austin and enjoying one or more of their craft cocktails at the large bar area. With Western art throughout, you can feel slightly transported in time back to the west. We have tried several of their own cocktails as well as old stand-bys like an old-fashioned. All were quite good. There is a food menu, including items like truffle oil popcorn and other finger food if you desire to have a snack while you enjoy your beverage. We've been several times and plan to go back soon. Take a walk around the lobby of the hotel if you enjoy historic architecture. read more

The Driskill Bar - Introducing Katie to the Historic hotel in Austin - Lounges Near Me - Austin, Texas

We had a drink here last night while we were waiting for a our reservation at the adjoined Driskill Grill. The ambiance of this place is very old school with heavy, dark wood furniture upholstered in cow hide and leather. The lighting is low and the golden ceiling gives the entire place a feel of weighty history looming over you. I imagine at one point this place had been filled with middle-aged men drinking whiskey and smoking cigars while talking about serious business deals. Today, the clientele is a lot more youthful, cosmopolitan, and laid back. In fact, a lot of people were in a lot more casual attire than I would have expected on a Monday night after work. As for the drinks, I was not impressed. I paid $12 for a glass of wine and after one taste I felt like $12 would have been a fair price for the entire bottle. It was not good. The BF ordered an old fashioned and he liked it, but I thought it was a little weak for a whiskey drink, especially for the price we paid for it. Altogether I thought we were paying for the experience of drinking at the Driskill Bar and not for the drinks. read more

I wasn't sure how to review this since I did not eat at the restaurant, but went here for happy hour and enjoyed both drinks and food. The bar is whatevs. It's what I like to refer to an old dude bar. The wood paneling, the music, the patrons...fine if that is what you like and are going for. But, the service was good. The waitress was on top of it and the small plates we tried were amazing! I don't like onions in general, the flavor is good, but I am not a fan of the texture, so go ahead and put them in the dish, but I won't bite into it. Now, that being said, I had a roasted, carmelized onion here on a small beef filet plate and it. was. the. best. onion. ever. Go have a drink and experience this place at least once. Order from the bar menu during happy hour! read more

Driskill Bar is the only kind of "class" that I would attend. The beauty of its history and the comforts of the elegant furnishings embellish the experience. If you get the chance visit the landmark, enjoy it and appreciate it! I've been here twice during Happy Hour times on a Friday night. The first time, I over-ordered with two of my friends and ended up with a $60 (total for all three). THAT'S A DEAL. I ordered the Bacon Wrapped Medjool Dates, Driskill Cheese Fries, Driskill Cheese Burger, Driskill Crab Cake Sliders, Moroccan Lamb Sliders, Brisket Flatbread... Okay basically the entire HH menu. Just get whatever you feel like eating. It's all good. Ask for recommendations on their wines or enjoy their daily specials. The time you spend their chilling with your friends or family or even your date is the best part of the whole experience. The second time I went I had a glass of Cabernet Savignon. I don't know what kind. I'm not good with that. But, it made me love wine while I enjoyed the finger foods. I just remember having a good time, being silly trying to be classy, getting the asian flush after having my glass of wine (which I ended up making him finish in one gulp). Strong stuff. Hahaha It was nice to see people from all backgrounds come to this bar. The live music was rather entertaining while I sat back and relaxed. They do have a mini dance floor and people did dance while the live artists were playing. I really wished I danced. I bet it would have been fun. I'LL BE BACK, great bar! Heh. Here's the BAR MENU AND SPECIALS: http://www.driskillgrill.com/driskill-bar.php read more

This is a classy joint. Visiting Austin for a convention, I wandered in after seeing a mention in the paper that it was the city's best bar in which to drink alone, and after a couple of nights of trying to find someplace tolerable to get dinner and a beer on Sixth Street. I was glad I did. As others have mentioned, it's rather grand, in a refined, old-school sort of way. The band was nice, and not overpoweringly loud. The clientele seemed to be a mix of locals and hotel guests. The bartenders were clearly professionals. And I, coming alone, even found someone to chat with at the bar. So, the Driskill was as advertised. It was a bit pricey, $20 for a huge burger and a well-poured Guiness. But if you figure the environment is worth a couple of bucks, that's not so bad. I'm not sure I could afford to be a regular, but if I'm in Austin again I'll make a point to stop on through. read more

Despite rumors to the contrary and an underground P.R. campaign disputing the facts, here's the place that proves Austin is indeed in Texas. Guns, dead animals, lone stars, a glass-topped piano with the lyrics to "Yellow Rose of Texas" -- I mean where else but Texas would you find the featured art piece to be a man being dragged to his death behind his horse? Good times. If you're over the age of 27, this is the greatest place to end your evening with a piano serenade and a nightcap. Oh, and the food is actually pretty damn good. Try the grilled cheese. Your mom didn't make it like this. For additional humor value, observe all the people who come in for the first time and stop at the aforementioned bronze of death-by-dragging. Once they realize what it is actually portraying, watch the smoke coming off their heads as they try to figure out how to react. read more

My absolute favorite place to end an evening in downtown Austin. Just like the rest of the hotel that houses it, the Driskill Bar has BIG Texas personality. If you spend enough evenings here, you're guaranteed to have a celebrity sighting. On crowded nights it's approximately 30 degrees warmer near the bar and you will sweat profusely. read more

Drinks 1 Food 3.5 Service 2.5 Went to The Driskill Bar for a mid-afternoon snack, and ordered a mediocre and overpriced Bat cocktail, perhaps I'm biased because I could have made it at home. The redeeming factor: Happy Hour! Half off plates! Bacon wrapped dates were very good, extremely rich and generally quite well done. The happy hour chicken spring rolls were decent, but the chicken stuffing was clearly not fresh. Good choice of blue-cheese ranch to cover it up, it was passable. Service was rather slow and it took many frantic hand -waves to flag down the waitress(es). read more

This is where I imagine old Texas society drinking whisky. But really, it's just a hangout for tourists to try the sazerac. What's sazerac you ask? * 1 1/2 ounces Sazerac Rye whiskey * Three dashes Peychaud's Bitters * One sugar cube or simple syrup * 1/4 ounce Absinthe It tastes terrible, and will likely make you sick. But at least you can pretend to be high society for half an hour. read more

Love it! Such class in the middle of dirty 6th. I sit at the bar. The bartenders are personable and knowledgable. The drinks are a bit pricey but come in a large highball and made for the sailor in you. The air conditioner really works. It is cool in here in more ways than one. I never want to leave but after a few Old Fashioneds I need to. Can't wait to return! read more

A few summers ago, I was unemployed and read a great review of a Lyndon Johnson biography by Stephen Caro in the New Yorker. I went to buy it but the chubby little dude with thick glasses behind the counter wouldn't sell it to me unless I read the first book in the trilogy (I was buying the second...still waiting for the third). Rather than look for a job, I read about a thousand pages of LBJ and the Driskill was featured prominently. Austin is the coolest city and I love the 'Berkeley of Texas' feel to it. I love the music so much. Robert Earl Keen, Jerry Jeff and all that. But it's good sometimes to remember that you're in Texas. The Capitol of Texas. It's not the heaviest of statements but just like it's good to save endangered dart snails and filling stations from the '30s, it's good that the bar in the Driskill is just like it is. read more

The scenery & environment of the hotel & restaurant was beautiful!! The food was pretty good. The band was great!! & The entrance stairway gave me Titanic vibes, witch I absolutely loved! But to be completely honest the service was absolutely horrible!!! To make things worse they weren't even very busy at all in the part of the restaurant that my group and I were sitting in! So not exactly sure what was going on there.? Other than Maybey the fact that our waitress's only other table was a table full of business men. So she just kept walking straight past our table every time never to check on us at all. I'm guessing maybe she thought she would get a bigger tip out of them than us.? Not sure but it was very disappointing. For that reason only, I only give 3 stars. read more

The Driskill Bar - Lounges Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Beautiful decor, calm relaxing environment. Such a nice change from the hectic, busy bars elsewhere. Food was amazing, wait staff alert and attentive; we could not have been any happier. We will certainly come back for another visit on our next trip to Austin. read more

Love this place! My first time here was the night I got married. Since we had a shotgun wedding at a judges office- I at least wanted to have dinner some place nice. It was a Tuesday night and the place was busy, but not overwhelming so. It was quiet enough we could have a nice conversation and enjoy dinner. We got the Angus sliders, beef jerky, and pretzels. The beef jerky was awesome, but the other two were just okay. I also have a watermelon drink minus the alcohol. I can't remember what it was called, but it was great- probably would be even better with a little vodka mixed in. And because it was happy hour, everything was half price! Tonight we returned to the Driskill. We walked in and it was slammed packed. We located a waitress and let her know we were trying to make it in to order before happy hour but weren't able to find a seat. She pointed us toward a table that had ask for their check already and we were able to sit down as soon as they left. We made it in just under the happy hour time (6:59) with our order. I got the Driskill Bacon Cheese burger and my husband got the Hangover burger and we both agreed its one of the top burgers we've eaten in Austin and we've both eaten a lot of burgers. The best part is the price- because it was happy hour the burger, which came with fries was only $5! We also both ordered some beef jerky again since its so freaking good. The atmosphere wasn't quite as nice this time since the place was packed but we still enjoyed ourselves. So in Summary- **Go at happy hour! Awesome deals on food** **Get the beef jerky. Its fantastic and packed in a little bag to where you can take it home if you don't want to eat it there** **The Driskill burger is one of the best burgers in Austin** ** Go on a Tuesday for a less crowded, more romantic setting** read more

I visited the Driskill Bar for the first time the day Google told us they were closing the downtown Austin office. We all figured it was the perfect justification for an early happy hour, and that the nearby Driskill would be a good place to treat ourselves right. The decor of ornately carved wood, ranch art, and taxidermy, which would be kitschy anywhere else, fit the location and situation. Surely, this was a place for important people to do serious drinking. Or so I thought... There were 2 or 3 bartenders/cocktail waiters (they seemed to be doing double-duty) and only a few small groups of people, so I still have no idea why the service was so bloody slow. It took forever for the waitress to come around to take orders, and then forever again to come back with drinks. We had a lot to talk about, so this wouldn't have been a huge deal, had the drinks not been disappointing as well. I ordered a $10 Sazerac off their list of a handful of specialty drinks on the first page of the drink menu. Sometimes (incorrectly) called the original cocktail, and made with hearty rye whiskey, it seemed to fit with the historic venue. You'd think that being prominently featured means they know how to make it, right? Well, you'd be wrong, as it was terrible by any standard. A modern Sazerac (since around 1870 anyway) should have just a dash of Herbsainte, but this drink was at least 75%, and bright yellow instead of the usual reddish amber. If there was any rye whiskey in it, I couldn't tell, and there was no evidence of the distinctive red Peychaud's bitters. Forced to abandon cocktails, but not quite feeling cattle baron enough to slurp down Chivas neat, beer was the remaining alternative. There was no printed list or visible tap handles, just a game of "I can't list them all, so name something. No, we don't have that. Or that. Okay, yeah, we have that." The selection turned out to be okay, but overall, I wish we'd gone somewhere else. Fortunately, the situation was easily remedied by crossing the street to Buffalo Billiards. read more

Happy hour is a great deal, but be prepared to drop a hint to the server that even if you're paying half price for a drink, you still want the full alcohol pour. Otherwise the lemon drop and vodka with cranberry drinks were good. They were out of the makings for their famous Batinis-- wth?! (I had their Batini at their New Year's party and it is tasty. Sidenote: The NY party had KIDS running around despite the 'adult only' notation on the advertisements!) The HH food menu looks extensive---IF you really like sliders(three items are merely diff sliders: lamb, beef, crabmeat) with fries. The lamb was good, the others not memorable. Otherwise, there are perhaps 3(?) other dishes (the plates listed on the right side of the menu are NOT HH). By far the best item is the bacon wrappe/stuffed dates. Excellent. Service was sooooo slow that I had to leave behind the dessert I had ordered (the guys got it boxed to go) simply so that I could get to my car before it got towed. I had allowed 25 min for the creme brûlée to be served; apparently it takes 35 min. Ug! Oh, live folk music on stage. Nice. All in all, we will likely try it again bc the ambiance was decidedly Texas with the leather sofas, copper tin coffered ceilings, Tx folk music---a great place to bring out of staters who think we all have a cacti filled front yard and an oil rig the back yard. read more

This place has it going on! My group of 10 showed up around 11:45PM on a Saturday night post wedding and this place was packed! We squeezed through the other 30 somethings and made our way up to the bar where we were quickly greeted with a smile even though this bartender was helping other patrons. None of that snooty bar service here. We ordered an array of drinks: Austin Ciders, Manhattans, N.A's, and o their cocktails. Our drinks came quickly and the price wasn't bad. The band finished up as we were just getting our drinks and so the tables cleared out a bit. We were able to snag a 6 person table and pull up some extra chairs and squeeze in. We flagged down a server and ordered three plates of sliders with queso, fries with chipotle ketchup and truffle aioli, and truffle popcorn. Everything was mouthwatering and chocked full of flavor. Our server also brought us 2 large bottles of water so we could refill our own water glasses. While the crowd was mostly late 20 somethings and 30 somethings we also saw the occasional couples in their 50's. We even had a couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary stop by our table to tell us the secret to long union. There were three different groups coming from wedding celebrations at the Driskell Bar that I could see. Looks like we were at the right place to celebrate. read more

Let me start by saying if you believe the Price Range: $$$ you're an idiot. There's no doubt this place is $$$$. I absolutely loved the classiness and service here. Everything is ridiculously expensive but worth it if you have the money. If you're a broke college kid, then I don't know why you're even still reading this review. If you spend a lot of money here you WILL get free shots. When I first got there I bought a shot of Blue Label and it was $49. Yes, that's right, $49 for 1 drink. However, the bartender then let me sample multiple whiskeys for free, so it was worth it. I will definitely be coming back...when I win the lottery. read more