Casual, speakeasy vibe with great bartenders and customers alike. We were never handed a cocktail menu but I don't believe it's that kind of place. We ordered "fancy" cocktails all the same and we were served with a smile while others at the bar drank beer. Two thumbs and a hipster stache curled at the ends! I'd definitely go here again. read more

My go-to bar. At a glance it's not too different from any other hipster cocktail bar I've frequented in any other city - yet the DJ's, decor, fairly-priced selection of nice cigarettes, and vintage retail occasionally featured on the back porch set this one apart. I'm enticed to go out even if none of my friends are free to join. A couple of the bartenders could stand to be a little friendlier, though... I understand the efficiency in the too-cool-for-school hipster vibe when they're swamped with makin' them cocktails, but it's a little off-putting when only a few patrons are in the place. read more

Neither of the female bartenders tonight are friendly. Apparently one of them just thought I was too young (which I normally get so I had my ID in hand). The other bartender just didn't really care to show any courtesy. read more

Unfortunately, Volstead has the same issues as Hotel Vegas in my opinion. Its an OK bar that does everything well enough but it just doesn't have any memorable qualities. We went here for the New Years 2013 show to see my friend's band and that was cool. The sound quality was good and the service at the bar was quick, but I cannot say I would go back here unless it was to see a specific show. read more

Huge back patio! 2 great food trailers. I had the burger from the trailer with the giant pickle and burger painted on the side. From what i remember the burger had a fried egg and bacon on it. I was in love! or intoxicated! One thing I do wanna point out is that when going to the ladies restroom, there is one stall. sooo just listen to the music and dance in line while you wait for the tiniest bathroom. The bartenders were nice and they had great beer options. read more

I had an AMAZING time on a Friday night. I'm not an ATX local but I was digging the setup. It was annoying to have to wait to get inside, but I understand the method to the madness. The backyard was amazing and I always enjoy an area with great lighting. The bathrooms were extremely small but the indoor room made up for everything. The drinks were great and the dj was solid. He had me hyped up the entire time with my friends. I would definitely come back here anytime I visited ATX. read more

Great spot on Friday nights. Draws a good crowd and you can pick your pace of chilling out back or hearing King Louie, Iz Real and Bird killing it inside. A+ spot read more

I checked out this pace for the second time last night. When my friends and I got there, nobody was dancing, but we didn't let that stop us. We got out on the floor and busted a few moves. After a little while a more sizable crowd (of about 14 people) had started dancing and we were all having a good time. One of my friends went up to the DJ to request a song, and the DJ replied with "I don't take f****ng requests." What? Um, a simple "I don't have that song" or "I'll try to get to it" would've sufficed. He wasn't even talented enough to warrant that kind of attitude. We left and went to Malverde, where we found better drinks and better music. read more

I just stopped in for one drink with a friend last weekend. Mostly I think it's a pretty cool place, but the description I read online was a little misleading. It said there was a display of "art and taxidermy". I did'nt see any art per se and only one boar's head. I do give big props for the wallpaper, which was pretty bitchin. The bartenders were good, there was a dj, but think they could've done more with the patio. The 60s/70s cafeteria furniture outside was a nice touch and small outside back bar. Otherwise it was walled in with no real ambience. Sometime this works, I just didn't feel it here. Like I said, will try it again another night. read more

Probably my favorite eastside bar. The Volstead is always reliable for a good time with an eclectic crowd and great music. The bartenders are fantastic and do a better job of quickly and efficiently serving well-made drinks to a super-crowded bar, than most other venues. I definitely recommend. read more

Nice layout, good music, BAD service. We were at the outside back bar and ordered a whiskey water and vodka soda. After we order our drinks, we told him it was my birthday to which he replied with an attitude saying how busy he was and there are people waiting behind us...(there were maybe 3-4 people behind us?). He forgot what we ordered so we had to remind him... then he poured me a shot of whiskey in ice and told me to go make my own drink with the water at the side of the bar. Prob won't be going back. read more

pretty chill lay back go and have fun no need fancy thing.

This place is one of the worst lounges to go to. I give it minus 5 stars. Thanks for removing my post and ruining New Years 2012. First they serve drinks out of plastic glasses which is totally wack!! I felt like i was at a kids birthday party. Some random girl attacked my fiance and the staff was rude after the incident. I will never go back to this place as the owner so she says....was totally rude after her boyfriend started laughing and taking picture of the entire incident. Way to treat your patrons. I wouldn't even poop in the bathroom as a pit stop here. Minus 5 stars. read more

My new favorite Saturday night spot! The resident dj, DJ ORION, hits it every time!! Inside can get a bit tight since it's a little small, but the outside patio is huge if you need to take a breath. read more

Very hard to top this place. The drinks, the music, the outside bar, the huge backyard, and beautiful people make this one of my favorite spots on the East Side of Austin. I have been only on Saturday, so I can only write about the Saturday experience, but the music is absolutely killer. The DJ plays old-school hip hop, Mexican and of course Michael Jackson. If you want to get a craft cock tail I would recommend purchasing inside, if you want just a regular rum and coke, or a beer, order outside. Interior has beautiful wallpaper, seems very Parisian. It can get loud at times and the lines can be long, but it is definitely worth it. read more

Really dig this place. Good tunes every time I walk into this place, and really nice people. The drinks are solid and it has a nice outdoor spot as well. read more

Great concept, not well executed. Limited, awkward seating is the worst part. Creative twist on vintage look with rough decor, speakeasy feel, and creative drinks. However, other than the acoustic set from one of my all-time fave bands being hosted there, I'm not sure why I'd ever go back. Just not that cool. read more

The Volstead has bartenders who know what they're doing and are really good at what they do.

Volstead was a great find and I will go back every time I am in that area of town. The bar itself is dark and antique; a nice change from loud and rowdy. The patio was the nicest I have been in on East 6th as it is lit with many strings of lights and is very, very clean. The bartender was knowledgeable and mixed great cocktails! He was every pleasant. Everything was professional in a great atmosphere! read more

Good bands & dancing - but disappointed by unfriendly staff. I have mixed feelings about this place now. On the one hand, the cover bands for this New Year's Eve party at Hotel Vegas & Volstead were amazing. Especially the Pixies. The atmosphere is fun and varied. The drinks are cheap and decent for what they are. On the other hand, it took forever to get in and we almost missed midnight! They were lacking in organization and foresight. They had hundreds of people to let in on time and I am sure some people didn't make it. Most concerning is a gaggle of cliquey, rude, and dismissive staff. Some staff members seemed like they actually enjoyed being rude, while others were nice and helpful. The manager seemed friendly. But on this crowded fun night, I was given conflicting info by staff when I asked a question, was taunted, and later accused of being a liar. As far as I could tell, the staff took stress out on customers. Even if it's a busy night, that shouldn't happen. I've never experienced that at a bar. Usually bar staff are somewhat helpful and want to keep drinking customers content and chill - especially on a celebratory night. What I saw leaves me with the impression that some of the staff has a culture of expecting or creating drama with customers. That makes me uncomfortable and leaves me with mixed feelings about going back. My friend also had a bad experience with the bar staff and doorman. The doorman blew him off when he needed something, even though the guy wasn't busy. The door guy seemed to get a kick out of being unhelpful - pretending to help at first, then brushing him off, as if it was a game. I saw this same tactic happen with the bar staff. It seems there is allowance here for staff to be deceiving, immature, uppity, or rude. Maybe the manager is too nice to reprimand the staff. Perhaps management is oblivious, in which case I hope this post might help. Yes, New Year's is a big night and there were hundreds of people there. But a crowded venue is no reason to be unfriendly. I hope Volstead and Hotel Vegas take a look at their employee culture so that people like me and my friends can feel welcome and safe at what is otherwise a great place. read more

Great hotel lobby like lay-out. I went on a night when they were playing some great Reaggae I had one of the best times I've in a long time down town. Great drinks at a good price. read more

This place was absolutely slappin' on Friday night. If you are a dancer, nice sized dance area with unreal speakers that are practically shaking the place. If you are a drinker, I think there was like 3 bar areas (indoor and outdoor). If you wanna kick back, there's a dozen or so tables in the back lot, which is well lit and still gets some action from the speakers. I mean this place is the jam. If you are 20 something and want to party, hard to imagine a better spot. read more

Volstead was pretty cool. We went on a Friday night and it was pretty mellow. The place heats up quick though. My 1030 it was packed and the crowd was live. No douchery was observed. Had a couple of well drinks which weren't bad. Overall this place on a Friday night is where you can go to either chill (on the back patio) or show off your best moves. Next time maybe we will checkout the food trucks out back. read more

This is my go-to spot for amazing Old Fashions and eclectic people-watching. I don't really think there's a particular "type" of crowd for this place, I've seen lots of different folks in here: queerbombers, old farts, eastern european clubbers, etc. Seems like there's always a DJ playing (loudly) and it's not unusual to hear some mixture of 80s music and reggaeton. If you like to dance, it's worth dipping your toes in here as you stroll along E 6th...you might not want to leave. And if you like to drink, their bartenders and specialty cocktails are solid. read more

Please please put your bottles in a chest of ice. Lukewarm beer and overpriced food from the backyard trailer offset any of the positive aspects of the place. Nice backyard patio. Good music acts. read more

Good atmosphere. Nice (and nice to look at ;-) ), friendly bar staff. Bartender knows the difference between grapefruit SODA and grapefruit JUICE, so you can have a Paloma here without fear. read more

Hmm... I've enjoyed this place a lot the few times I've been. But I feel like yelpers should know about this. I went there Wed the 29th and opened a tab. My friend and I later decided we were going to leave after 1 drink, however, so I told the bartender not to worry about charging my card- gave him a few bucks cash for my drink. Got my card back and that was it. Well, I was looking at my bank statement tonight and I had a $27 charge from them that was processed by my bank on 3/6 that was put through by volstead on 3/4. I immediately hopped in my car and drove down there...don't know about you, but I don't have that kind of money to be throwing around in my bank accounts! With very few questions asked, the manager gave me my money back in cash. She asked what night I'd been there and was able to look up that I'd only had a $2 beer...(so maybe he'd just forgotten to cancel the tab) but was unable to offer any possible explanation of why I'd been overcharged and her explanation of why the dates were so random was a little vague ('sometimes it takes a little time to process over the weekend' ... but I went on a wednesday and they charged it ...sunday, and then my bank posted it tuesday? I guess it could make sense....maybe). She was really nice but it smelled a little shady to me. Moral of the story...go, have fun, but PAY IN CASH! Keep your cards away from the bar!! read more

Save yourself from predatory price gouging and stay the fuck away from this hole in the wall. One of the bartenders at the inside bar (told us his name was Gabe, doubt it's his real name) is a liar and a cheat. Showed up early, completely sober. Walk into an empty bar, chat up the bartender, ask about the $2 happy hour wells and Trivia night. He says that they have a great well tequila, which it was, so we open a tab. We keep buying the same well tequila from him all night and trivia was okay, nothing to write home about. We go to close out and the final bill for 7 drinks is $60. Simple math y'all! 2 x 7 does not equal $60, so I argue with him. Suddenly he swears that he told us that tequila doesn't count as a well and that we just misheard him. Complete BS. Continue to argue, gets heated, na she tells me that it's my mistake. There is no way in hell we both misheard this asshole in an empty bar with no music. Still haven't heard back from the management. read more

The place advertised themed drinks and clothes vendors but had none of these. Drove from north austin for no reason. Manager not willing to do anything to make up for their screw up. read more

White waldorfs, old soul, and an actual fun dance floor. This bar is finally turning around with a vengeance.

The drinks are good and affordable. Bartenders are friendly. The djs were decent. BUT the door guy was a real tool bag, he was running a very tight and exclusive ship, why? I have no idea. Asking people that are far over 21 for second forms of identification. Also if you step outside the door for a moment to talk to someone that can't get in (because of the tight ship he is running), he demands you go to the back of the line to wait to get back in. Waiting in line would have taken all of 2 minutes since this ultra elite bar he is guarding boasts a line of 7 people. Instead of waiting just walk into Hotel Vegas (with a non tool bag door person) and walk through the shared patio back in to Volstead. His power trip was a buzzkill. read more

A great time for a Saturday night. DJ Orion had a fun and diverse mix, and the crowd was lively. I didn't drink here, though I appreciated the self-serve ice water. read more

the volstead is bringin sexy back. this Ontario door guy/ bartender is so damn nice every time i come in. give him a raise.

Seedy historic hotel vibe, not inviting. Saved only by the terrific cocktails mixed by bar manager and ex-Peche' bartender Justin.