Very interesting set up. The food was okay... I wish they had more of a selection. The bartenders were super swamped and it took about 30 minutes to get a beer. They were friendly but very short and not super helpful. Definitely whisk they had more seating especially since they run such big events. Parking was a nightmare. I'm gonna have to give it another shot... Maybe on a night when there isn't an event. read more

I went there totally in a whim with a group of friends. We got there around 10 and the next karaoke room was not going to be open until 11:30. We decided to hang around and get drinks and wait. There were really not that many people there which felt odd to me since it was a Friday night. It was strangely bright and open (since nobody was there) so we sat in a booth drinking $9 cocktails and watching three couples awkwardly dance. It was really nice inside but it didn't seem like the place I wanted to wait around in for an hour and a half until our room opened. Then something awesome happened. At 10:30 the lights dimmed and the DJ announced that it was 90s Night! Everyone freaked out (excitedly) and got up to start dancing to the backstreet boys. Above the stage, music videos were projected on a huge screen. It was so nostalgic and amazing that we decided to cancel our private room and jam out with our fellow 90s music fans. The place quickly got crowded and everyone was having a great time dancing! Bonus- glow sticks were given out. Seemed like a perfect place for a ladies night, but my guy friends agreed that the night was epic. read more

My group and I recently visited Austin for a bachelorette party. We booked a private karaoke room (room 1) for two hours. There were 13 of us and we had a blast! Every song we wanted to sing was on there. We had a server to bring drinks and he was very prompt. For a group, I recommend their bottle service which was affordable and easy. It was by far and away our most fun night of the bachelorette and we made memories that'll last a while. Additionally, when we left the room at 11, there was a nineties cover band playing. They were awesome and we spent the rest of the night watching their show. Thanks for a wonderful and fun filled evening! read more

Yay for cool factor, boo for sound and drink quality. Such a bummer...I can't hear myself (or anyone) singing, cause the private rooms have no sound padding and when we asked if the vocals could be turned up and the sound track down, 3 employees with remote controls couldn't figure it out. They said they would call the audio engineer, but 2 hours later, nothing. *sigh* We got "Bottle Service". It was laughably un-alcoholic fizzy water, but that would have been a small price to pay for rooms with a single piece of sound-padding and a volume nob. Sure looked good though? read more

Do not come here and place an order. Ask for JD and let him discover what you want. Seriously. The guy is a true mixologist. read more

The Highball - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

Overall a decent place, similar to 200 Rabbits (sister Alamo bar to Highball in SW Austin) but a far cry from what used to be one of my favorite bars in Austin. Note, I'm not the sanctimonious type that always yearns for the old days, but the old Highball was a classic. They for sure tried to maintain the Big Lebowski, mid century modern decor of the old Highball, only on a much smaller scale, and without a bowling alley which gave the bar its namesake. Surrounded by ritzy new condos and a large modern parking garage is the entrance to Highball. Maybe it was the brass band further amplified by loudspeaker, or just that it is a smaller place (now), but it was too loud to talk--almost too loud to even yell a conversation--and seating was very limited. Though it wasn't crowded, after ordering drinks it literally took nearly 20 minutes to get them from the waiter. The drink was good, as they always were at Highball, but then again, most mixology drinks around Austin are pretty good. We sat at a table, but our first choice was to stand at the bar... as in the old days. Unlike the old Highball, the actual bar area is much smaller, maybe accommodating 12-15 people, leaving a small space for the waiters to fetch their drinks. There also didn't seem to be as much of a lounge vibe, maybe due to the tighter digs. To make up for the absence of the bowling alley, the dance floor was designed with the look of a bowling alley wood floor. Clever, but not the same. We only went for happy hour on a Friday around 7pm, and while it wasn't very crowded (maybe 15 people at the bar, and a dozen or so full tables), perhaps once the dance floor fills up it will seem more like it's old self. I will likely try the place again before watching a movie, after all, I can adapt, plus its still a decent place. But if you haven't been yet, divorce yourself from the expectations that the new Highball will be the same as the old Highball, RIP. read more

(This review is for the karaoke part of The Highball) My friends and I got together and had our joint 30th Birthday party here on Saturday night, and we had a blast!! If you're not familiar with how it works, you book your karaoke room online, and once you arrive, the host/hostess (can't remember who helped us but she was super friendly) takes you to your room (after she cards you), then your server/room host (we had Kyle- yay Kyle!! You rocked!) shows you how to use the computer to add songs (yay for not having to flip through a huge 3-ring binder!!), and there is a switch in the room you can turn on to flag your server if you need food, drinks, help with anything in the room, etc. Our room (The Inferno) had two microphones, maybe it's the same in the other rooms? They can do split checks, so that's another plus, especially if you are splitting the room charge with friends! The kicker- on the website, the room we selected said it could hold 22 people max, but we had only 11 and I can't imagine fitting more than 15 or 16 comfortably. But then again, if you've got a lot of people standing and singing, then it just may work! We all had a blast and I'm sure you will, too! read more

The Highball is re-opened and is better than ever. I am an event host with meetups. I have brought our groups here and we have had a ball dancing on the big wooden dance floor. It is the best to dance on. I recomend the Highball for everyone. The staff is very nice and I will continue to make this place my number one spot for entertainment. read more

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Over priced food & drinks and There's a great need for ceiling fans in the ballroom area.

Asked for a chocolate martini with only one other person at the bar and got laughed at. Is this really how you treat your customers? Bummer. Sorry. Never going back. -b read more

I love the environment and ambiance here. Nice decor, nice lights. The drinks were great, bartender friendly. They hold many weekly events here, so that is nice. A good excuse for a return. We went here for The Austin Seance, which was in one of their private karaoke rooms upstairs. Great fun. Need to return for karaoke. read more

Geeks who Drink...nuff said! Came here for a birthday celebration and I just loved how it was interactive. It's a great ice breaker for friends who may not know other friends to join in and talk. The Highball has a very modern, but retro feel. You feel like your in one of those 1950's roller derby places, but not really. The food was great: Small Plates - Must try the Ribs (Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce) - Frito Pie - Poutine - Red Neck Toffee Bars Good selection of Beers! read more

Karaoke Room Review Worst karaoke room rental experience ever! Our room waiter was beyond rude! Myself and a friend went downstairs to use the restroom and before heading up to the room we stopped at the bar for a drink. Upon going into the room the karaoke room waiter saw we had a drink and told us "if we get another drink downstairs he would kick us out of the room, we HAD to order from him". Who does that?! The room had a funky smell to it also, weird since the building is new. Rooms are also hot! We left shortly after since the waiter, who was apparently a manager also, was the worst ever! Downstairs was a way better experience. We were there on a Friday night, they played all the best 90s hits! I would probably go back just for music. I HIGHLY recommend you to rent a karaoke room anywhere else but here! read more

We've gone in a hand-full of times now, and every single time has been a disappointment. The booked music is great and the venue is generally okay...but the bartenders have been such a disappointment EVERY time. From delayed acknowledgement, to slow service, to slow closing of tabs...and the worst of all tonight - a snooty bartender unhappy with life. I could understand a busy night. I could understand being tired, hungover, over the music, over the clientele, over the job, etc. etc. etc. I was a bartender for many years. I understand the struggle. But seriously, if your bar has less than 3 people ordering drinks, a great bartender is going to still be great - whether they're taking orders in the weeds or taking orders at the end of a busy night. Not only did the bartender take forever to acknowledge newcomers to the bar, she proceeded to smirk at my order. It doesn't matter whether you agree with my order or not, a sideways smirk and shake of your head is pretty lame. If you don't agree with my order, say something to me. Tell me you don't know how to make it. Tell me you think it's a stupid order. Tell me anything aside from a passive aggressive gesture. You do not make me want to return to your bar. I will say though, that the bartender in the front at Alamo - the girl who has dark hair and has a mean Boston accent (even though it's fake) - definitely makes me want to return. Her wit, persistence, and positive attitude made me laugh, appreciate her effort, and I will seek her out to ensure she gets my hard-earned money...and not the chick with blonde hair and the Octopus necklace at Highball. Never again. read more

What an awesome place! It's tucked away in the Alamo Drafthouse so just park in the parking lot for Alamo Drafthouse and then go to the front entrance and it will be to the right. It has a full bar as well as tables to eat and drink with groups. I went with my work friends and it's a Tuesday night. Wasn't too fun. They have Tittie Bingo on Tuesdays at 10pm and its exactly what you're thinking... The karaoke is AWESOME! You get your own private room. We had 8 in our room and I think we couldn't have fit many more. The songs are so up to date but they have so many classics. The karaoke system is so awesome and easy to navigate. Our waiter was super attentive and helpful. You can order snacks and drinks from him and he will deliver. We got garlic fries which were amazing. The cheese platter wasn't as good..I got the Grapefruit Sky drink and it was pretty good! It wasn't an artificial taste at all. It tasted like freshly squeezed grapefruit juice! I would definitely definitely come back to this place again. read more

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More than half the time spent in the karaoke rooms was spent trying to fix the karaoke machines (both rooms, not just one), so we really only got a good hour of songs, and most of it was sitting around waiting for staff to fix the machines. We kept thinking to ourselves, "Didn't this place just get built?" It was disappointing. Oh, and there's no more bowling, which was why I liked Highball to begin with. The beer selection is good. I probably won't attend private karaoke here ever again unless I hear they've updated their technology. read more

Honestly this place was a great time until they started showing pictures of teenage porn stars and making a game out of guessing their age during BS Bingo- those girls are kids, yall have no business showing nudes of children on screen to your audience. read more

Tittie bingo was interesting. Visited from Minnesota and had a pretty good time! The decor was amazing, very cool and would love to have a similar place in the cities. Our server was boring and dull, she seemed to hate her job and was not helpful at all. Asked for a beverage they didn't offer and instead of mentioning other options she just walked away. Oooookay. read more

The Highball is the bar that belongs to the original Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar. The remodel encompassed as much of the Highball's original elements as possible. The revamped bar has the same feel as the old bar sans bowling. The lack of bowling allows for the focus to shift towards karaoke. The karaoke hall up stairs is lined with the highballs original wall paper. This is still the perfect spot to start host a bachelorette party at. There is a big stage where a lot of nightly events happen. The drink prices are reasonable. I'm excited for Texas Thursdays starring DALE WATSON * FREE 8 - 11pm. Go check out the new spot for yourself. read more

Here's the saga: After a lot of back and forth about what to do with my birthday, I tried to book a karaoke room at the Highball a few days prior. Everything was booked up so I figured we do something else, but when that fell through on the day of, I decided to double-check that the Highball still had nothing available. When I went online to make the reservation they oddly had a 9:30 slot. Perfect! I figured there must have been a cancelation, and I just got lucky. I book it. Weird thing #1: We show up that night and they inform me that there was a computer glitch where the computer allowed me to double-book a room. That meant that they didn't have any rooms available for me. I was cool about it because I figured, Hey, I reserved at the last minute and didn't really have my hopes up, so whatever. They gave me a voucher for 2 free drinks per person and $10 off the room per hour for the next time we come back. Nice. Very cool of them. We decide to stick around anyway for drinks and they quickly inform me that there's another 9:30 reservation that hasn't arrived. It's for a bigger, more expensive room, but if they don't show up in 10 minutes, we can have it. The party doesn't show and they offer us the room. Weird thing #2: They offer us the room, but at the room's actual, more expensive rate. As my friend pointed out, it would have been good practice on their part to have just given it to us at the rate we agreed for the room their computer system erroneously allowed me to book, but, whatever, I had the voucher they had given me so I figured, it's discounted anyway, I don't feel like making a big deal. This is where our experience diverged from a few unremarkable screw-ups to something I felt like writing a yelp review about. Our server in the karaoke room was a rude, horrible, biatch. She was just super-duper rude. Like flat-out, to your face, rude. This is the part where I tell you that I've been a server before, and I know what it's like to have a rough night or to be in the weeds or to have an absurd section that has you running all over. I don't know what this chick's deal was that night, but I do know that I have NEVER shown my frustration to a party like she did. My party was not at all demanding and did not do anything that should have caused the reaction we received. Our great error? Not letting her know about the voucher until after she had brought the checks. Whoops, sorry. I realize that's an inconvenience, but A) I was told to give the voucher when the check came, not at the beginning, B) your manager should have informed you that we would be using a voucher, considering she had just given us a voucher for the reservation mix-up, so it's not us you should be pissed at, it's your manager, and C) it is your JOB to roll with the punches and give your guests a pleasant experience (or at a minimum not act like a snot-nosed b-word). Weird thing #3: Finally, in a mix-up that I don't fully understand because I was not handling the check, the manager took over dividing up the checks, got confused, and tried to charge that last person something like $140 (more than the entire original bill). Generally, I would say it was a fun karaoke experience, but I would hope the management would take care of these issues. You can have the coolest venue with the best sound system and the biggest song catalogue (and, let's not get ahead of ourselves, The Highball is not there yet), but if your guests are leaving embarrassed that they subjected their friends to a frenetic, hostile experience, you're gonna crash and burn hard. read more

Our family went here after UT Graduation and had a great time. We played ping pong, bowled, ate and had a few drinks, and enjoyed it all. There is truly something for everyone to do. The only thing I would change is the way they price bowling, which I think should be priced per hour plus a small charge for the shoes. The way they price it per person, if you have a large group, you pay a lot more than a group of two, but you still only have the lane for the hour. All in all it was fun and a great way to spend some time. read more

The Highball is a clique chic dance party after 10:30. Birthdays, bachelorette parties, insular groups of international students, jock jammers, and fruit flies (they're all abuzz for about 3 hours) all call the polished floor their home. If you come alone, you'd better be ready to make some new friends or you're going to have a lonely time. It is very much a group atmosphere. You won't normally find a loner at the bar, and maybe one or two random old men will make it onto the dance floor, but definitely no random young women or fun dudes, unless they're lost or arrive at an Alamo movie late and weren't allowed into the theater. Show up on a weeknight to Geeks Who Drink or one of the free swing dance lessons. Stay for a local motown or swing band. Those are always a blast. Bring your dancing shoes, and don't be afraid to use the stage. Also, watch out for an awesome guy who randomly shows up in a dress. read more

Awesome atmosphere - Great band on Motown Monday. Drinks are reasonably priced and great! read more

The Highball - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

I recently hosted a karaoke birthday party at the highball. I booked the reservation 3 weeks prior to the date that my 22 guests and I had selected to. Because the high ball only allows you to book 2 hours at a time, they recommend you email to reserve additional time. So the same night that I booked our reservation online (for which they happily collected 200$ to hold our spot) I also emailed to request the additional rental time in our karaoke room. When no one followed up, I emailed again every week. When no one got back to me I called every day in the last week leading up to our reservation. No one ever called or emailed me back. On the night of our party, the two hostesses made it clear that we had only requested 2 hours. (Not true) When I referenced my phone calls, the nicer of the two hostesses told me their phone was broken. When I asked if their email was broken, they told me their manager was essentially a flake. They told me we could not have the room for the additional time. Fine. But then they proceeded to treat every guest very rudely, demanding that we not crowd the entrance and go to the bar until our reservation time. No more than three minutes later she berates us for not having wristbands on. Then she proceeds to check every single gift bag that was brought in...for a birthday party...they opened all the presents and made one guest bring her present back to the car because it had a chocolate bar in it! (The birthday cake we brought in was allowed, fyi.) Ruder hostess then demands we follow her to the room where she gives us a brief explanation of how the system works. Then berates us again (adults in our 30s and 40s) about the cost of the microphones and sound equipment and that we need to be careful. (We already signed a liability waiver before entering) Once she left we were met by our server who again schooled us on how expensive everything is. He returned only 3 times in two hours to serve 22 guests. Needless to say we left hungry and thirsty. Also, the room is tiny and doesn't fit 22 people comfortably. People were sitting on each other's laps. Server man was a bit obnoxious and yelled over those singing to announce his presence and ask for drink orders, and then ignored half the room. Save your money people and skip this venue. Luckily our guests had a good time being together, but we were all dumbfounded by the lack of professionalism both leading up to the reservation and the night of. read more

We stopped in here randomly one night after trying to watch a movie at the Alamo and ending up unable to due to a crowded theater. The drinks were great, service was attentive and the live band The Nines were great! I will definitely be renting out one of the private karaoke rooms! read more

I gave this place two stars because it's a beautiful venue. I would have given it one star because the service was terrible. Worse than terrible - like you would have to work really hard to be that rude and cold to your customers. The woman behind the bar was so rude to us that after we ordered my husband looked at me and said, "What did I do?" read more

A great time. Miss the bowling. Also, the song selection has dropped. No easy e? How is that possible? Overall, it is still the best place to do karaoke. read more

Phew, finally getting around to writing reviews. Okay, let's go. I celebrated my birthday here in January and it was a blast. The downstairs area was super packed for the David Bowie tribute which made going to the bathroom impossible - please please please put one upstairs on the karaoke level! The hostess (a younger girl with short brown hair) was a delight. I called to apologize that I was running a few minutes late and she cheerfully said no problem. When I got there she went over the rules and set up with us and told me she'd give us an extra half hour since there wasn't a wait and some of my friends arrived a little later. I didn't even ask for that! She's awesome. We had a nice bartender but he didn't come around very often. And when he did he would forget to bring someone's drink. He might have been over worked that night so I don't want to blame him. One of my friends also told him it was my birthday and he just kind of shrugged it off. I didn't want anything for free or any extra attention, but just an acknowledgment would have been nice. We had so much fun that we booked an extra hour on top of that. Overall I'm glad I spent my birthday here. Thanks, guys! And keep that hostess. She is a gem. read more

I came here a couple of times. Once for drinks, the second time for Kareoke. The music selection was not quite up to date. I couldn't find Sia..., and this was 2016!! The staff was very nice, however. It's a cute place to hang out with friends. The band does tend to take over the entire acoustic experience even all the way in the back behind the wall when you want to catch up with friends through talking. Maybe go else where if you want to talk. read more

Went to hear Calling Jack Burton last night doing flasback to 80's. Music was awesome, great dance floor. Sad thing though, younger crowd spilled their drinks on dance floor a few times, which then made floor sticky and gross. Beer.on tap is good but I ordered Capirinha and it was terrible! Asked bartender to sweeten it up and it was better but still pretty awful! They are definitely proud of their drinks since most are 10-11 dollars each. Definitely will go back for music. read more

I love the atmosphere. Karaoke on a Sunday, (even though Monday was a holiday) maybe not the most exciting. We had a wonderful kj, and plenty of seating. Drinks here are pricey, even for a well, and the crowd just isn't that supportive. I would love to come back on a different event and see if the crowd is more up with my speed. read more

Our drinks are perfectly made, great & relaxing atmosphere. They have shows and a dance floor which is pretty cool! We are waiting for our movie so it's definitely a great place to pass time and relax before your show. All the bartenders are really nice and service is very quick. Drinks are a little pricey but definitely worth it. I will be recommending this to all my friends for sure! Great spot!! read more

The Highball is a fantastic venue to host an event. We worked with Christen who was AMAZING to work with. We had our wedding after party at the Highball and rented half the space (including the patio). We did it on a Sunday and were able to take advantage of Karaoke on the stage. Our guests had a blast! The food and drinks were amazing as always, and working with Christen to figure out the catering menu was a breeze. The venue is an outstanding space with many booths open areas and places for all sorts of guests to enjoy. We highly recommend this venue! read more

Mowtown Monday has been for the last year my favorite part of the week, a huge crowd, a free live band, and tons of people having fun and dancing. Then there was last night. They for some reason started charging a cover and the crowd was less than great. Only a little less than half the crowd showed up or actually went in. Really bad business choice when your drinks are already some of the highest prices on South Lamar. And the more people you bring in the more drinks you sell and the more money your bartenders make. I'm assuming they did not do so well last night. Lots of standing around when usually they are always consistently busy. I hope they realized the mistake they made. That being said the band is awesome! read more

This place was terrible for karaoke. We where in the freak show room. The sound was awful. The microphone echoed so bad you couldn't even understand it. The system kept freezing up and we would have to wait 15 minutes for someone to come fix it. And the website says best song selection. Well you can forget that. Their song selection was terrible! They have a better song selection at any dive bar in the city. And the songs don't sound anything like the real songs. Do yourself a favor and go anywhere else. read more

I recently came here for a trivia challenge with some friends and we had a great time. The layout is nice, good decor, and the bar staff as well as our waitress were very helpful and attentive. The prices aren't too bad either. Especially considering the quality of the drinks. I do miss the old bowling lanes from the previous Highball (which are now part of the dance floor) so that's the only reason I'm giving it a 4 out of 5. All in all, a great experience and I definitely plan on going back soon. read more

we got here at 8pm tonight for a birthday party, then got a karaoke room 9-11pm. after the karaoke room, which we paid for ($80) and bought a number of drinks, they essentially kicked us out of the bar. once we were done with karaoke, they would not would not let us back in to the bar (even though we were there before) bc we went to karaoke (in their venue). read more

I came here to see my friend perform on a Saturday night and it's a super cool bar! They have a ton of drinks to try, they aren't too packed, and while I didn't get to try them, they have some really cool themed karaoke rooms to rent by the hour. The only reason they didn't get 5 stars is the staff, while cordial, weren't overly friendly. Also I ordered an old fashioned and it says on the menu it's made with a cherry-infused whiskey so I'd knew it would be sweet but it was too sweet for an old fashioned so I wasn't a fan. Overall, I like this place and I'll be back, BUT they could be a little better. read more

I found the Highball during a solo trip to Austin while looking through some of TimeOut.com's suggestions. I had no idea I'd end up in the building for 5 hours! I came for the Pub Trivia with an idea to maybe do one song at karaoke afterwards. The staff was super friendly with suggesting local beers (that HAS to be an annoying request and they handled it with class), pouring up some fresh cold brew coffee and then moving on to their list of staff-created cocktails. From pictures, I expected an uptight Whiskey bar with snobby servers and this couldn't have been further from the truth. It was more like a 2XL dive bar that happens to have the backbar of a snobby Whiskey bar. The pub trivia was fast, breezy, interactive, and really fun. My team of solo drinkers came in 4th. Karaoke was also fun with a mix of regulars and servers hopping on the stage to butcher songs. Before I knew it, it was Last Call at Midnight! 5 hours blew by! The prices for my beers, pitchers of beer, and cocktails were already low but the industry discount made it even more affordable. Austin, show Sundays at the Highball more love! read more

The Highball - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Texas

Went for karaoke party for friend. The private rooms are humorous, and everyone had a good time. Pretty good menu of songs. Only con was the staff. The short story: I was a little under the weather and asked for some tea.I was given bad information/advice by both bartenders from Highball and Alamo, which resulted in the manager asking me to take my innocuous tea outside the building to finish drinking while forcing me to leave an alcoholic beverage I'd just paid for unattended at the bar. I voiced my concern about leaving a drink at the bar, and the manager's response was, "our bartenders will take care of it," and to blame the Alamo bartender for the whole thing. No refund, no commiseration, no real concern for the customer, no offer to make a fresh drink. When I came back in after 10 minutes outside, she looked me up and down like a criminal as I passed the sound booth to the stairs. Incredibly unimpressed. There were a lot of opportunities to exceed expectations, or even to be upfront about the inability to just get me tea. Instead, I was run around for 30 minutes, and lost $8 on a drink I never got to enjoy. I would highly suggest pregaming or completely foregoing drinks and saving your money and time. read more