Sellers Underground: Sandwiched between the two most popular gay clubs in town, Sellers Underground is the perfect place to start the evening with a snazzy cocktail before heading to Oilcan Harry's or Rain.The Iron Bear: If you're a sucker for divey vibes, skip the flashy clubs and head instead to what the locals call the "bears' lair," where you can play pool, shoot darts, and drink cheap beers with the beefy types.It has more space than any other gay bar in the vicinity and that includes a sprawling dance floor and outdoor patio, too. Highland Lounge: Although it can get quite clubby at night, downtown Austin's Highland Lounge errs more on the side of a cocktail bar.It's a nice place to sip wine or cocktails, nurse a vanilla latte while you type on your laptop, make conversation with erudite locals, or relax at a sidewalk table overlooking the colorful street action. Halcyon: Just across the street from Rain is a gay-popular (and hipster-infested) coffeehouse, bar, and lounge that draws a wide mix of folks from all walks of life (gay and straight, that is).Expect a lengthy beer list, a happy hour crowd, and themed evenings. It's a popular hangout for Austin's north side crowd and is also more frequented by the over-40 set than some of the youthful downtown clubs. It isn't abnormal to find the latest sporting event being broadcasted in this gay club. 'Bout Time II: A bit north of downtown, you'll find an updated version of the original, now-defunct Bout Time.Rain on 4th: Out-of-towners might do better with making friends at Rain on 4th, neighbor to Oilcan Harry's, because while it boasts a similar club vibe, it does so without all the attitude and scene.Oilcan Harry's is right in the heart of the hip downtown Warehouse District. Inside, you'll find a small dance floor, a stage that seems to always be occupied by a drag queen, and a genial patio for summer evenings. Oilcan Harry's: Additionally, no serious clubber should visit Austin without making an appearance at this always-crowded bar.To put it simply: It's the iconic venue you don't want to skip. Its regular drag acts and live music sets provide endless entertainment for revelers of all sexual orientations. If you only go to one gay bar in Austin, make it this one. Cheer Up Charlie's: This bright, jovial (as the name suggests), and inclusive space walks the line between bar and nightclub, but let's call it the latter for the sake of it being the first mentioned.While I might be out of my personal element, on a Monday night, with Dallas playing the Saints, my two visits were very good, and OH, those Popcorn Shrimp. My bartender from my first visit, was not on duty the second day, but passed through the restaurant, and stopped to check on me, and to tell the bartender on-duty, that I was a “troublesome customer.” LOL. My service was very good, and very friendly. Lots of sports memorabilia (all relating to Dallas, if I saw everything), but that is to be expected. I can imagine what it must be like, with some important game on the various TV’s scattered about the entire restaurant. Now, Draft, as per its name (double meaning, as in “draft beer,” but also “sports team draft”), wine is not the strength.īoth of my visits were during lunch, and Draft was relatively quite. The shrimp, however were, and on my second visit, I went with the “Popcorn Shrimp,” which were excellent. They were OK, but the sauce was not to my liking. I was quickly served, and looked over the bar-bites menu, settling on the Shrimp Tacos. I was familiar with most of the offerings, and especially as I had already spent time at another lobby bar, at the opposite end of the property. I found the wine list, and read over that – it did not take long.
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I passed it by, at that moment, but returned a bit later, and then returned the next day.ĭraft is a largish space, with a full bar at one end, with seating, then two not quite separate seating areas, and then another small bar, which I did not see operational. As soon as I walked past Draft Media Sports Lounge (known simply as Draft), in the lobby of the Dallas Sheraton hotel, just as the doors were opened, I knew that it was a “sports bar.” If all of the TV’s had not told the tale, the sports memorabilia adorning almost all the wall space did.