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Copa Bar & Grill
Category: Nightlife Dance Clubs Dance Clubs [Edit]
217 Congress AveAustin, TX 78701
Neighborhood: Downtown
(512) 479-5002
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 9 am - 3 pm
Thu 8 pm - 2 am
Fri 8:30 pm - 2 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
46 reviews for Copa Bar & Grill
Review Highlights
"The Copa has to be the best Salsa club in Austin."
(in 32 reviews)
"The staff is very friendly and the place is cute."
(in 3 reviews)
"Dallas, my Latin Lover."
(in 7 reviews)
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46 reviews in English
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Review from Chavah A.
2/7/2012
I REALLY enjoyed this place. We went on a Sturday night around 8:30 for dinner and the place was empty. It was literally only our group (granted- it was a group of 15-20 or so) which pretty much filled the place. The food was pretty good and the drinks were better! They apparently have a "special of the night' that they make in bulk so they come out fast (fast is good when there are 20 people in your party!). At around 10:00 the DJ came on and started the party subtly. It wasnt blaring in your face. I liked how considerate he was of us still eating and talking but once we got up to start the party he definitely cranked the music up. By 11:30 or so the place was full. That night they were playing reggae all night but it was good dancing music. There was a very diverse crowd but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
As soon as I posted pictures on facebook all my friends asked where we were because you could just tell everyone was having such a great time. All my San Antonio friends were sad to know it wasn't a bar in San Antonio. Whoever the owners are - you should really open a bar just like that in Sa-town. You'd make tons of $$$$$.
Great spot! We'll be back. -
Review from Kimo P.
1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Copa is no cabana! We came on the wrooong night! I did use yelp to find a new place to eat or have a drink in Austin and we decided to try this place out...it's not hard to find but once we got inside, it just felt a bit tacky. I love the whole attempt of the ambience of some Spanish plaza although the large ass fountain in the middle with nope, not water, but blue marbles in it just didn't set the mood for me. There is an adjacent dance floor area but unfortunately we didnt hear any music that night...there was some kind of meeting/presentation/book club thing going on so all throughout dinner we just heard the guest speakers talk about their book. Although we had reservations, our waitress acted all surprise that we were there in the first place and said umm just sit anywhere lol....ummm ok.....and while waiting, we didn't even get water or anything...they finally gave us some chips and salsa and it was honestly just chips and salsa nothing quite exciting about them....We decided to give this place a chance and at least order their tapas.. we tried the sampler that had mushroom and poblano quesadillas, beef croquettes, chicken skewers and chile con queso. I was thinking the portions would be huge but damn, they were so teeny weeny and they all tasted ok...I've had better from the HEB frozen food section I could have microwave'd at home. Their drink menu was ok, not too extensive like other restaurants, and they had some fairly good cocktails...it was just so damn expensive. After finishing out tapas and drinking our one drink, we decided to just pay our bill and head to another bar and get food at the food trucks afterwards. Again, I hate knocking them down just cause we did come at the wrong night, but I don't see this bar being any more than some crazy salsa bar on the weekends...I've lived in Miami so yeah been there done that.
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Review from Lisa M.
3/20/2011
Copacetic
***********
Long ago, perhaps even before you were born, Copa was a multi-story, storied dance club known as "Palmeras". People had sweaty fun there. They drank. They... got rowdy.... and may have been asked to leave. But that didn't stop them from going back. After all, it WAS the best place in town for Latin dancing. And at least you knew the bouncers cared.
Flash forward (or backward?)
********************************
Twenty years later, Palmera's is a distant, though fond memory, and Copa is a mere shadow of its former self. The giant has developed osteoporosis in his old age, and shrunk. Everything about Copa is now smaller -- dance floor, crowd, regard for its patrons.
The private party that kept us out on the sidewalk on a cold Friday night some weeks back... waiting for entrée... did not end as promptly as it perhaps should have. The lady who took our cover charge only looked askance at us. And once he finally noticed us, the bartender sauntered over and took our drink order.
The three stars are for the DJ -- Fabian -- who is always great, the dancers who were so diverting to watch, and the space itself, which was inviting.
I just don't know whether I"ll accept Copa's invitation next time. It's just not... copacetic ...anymore.Listed in: Groovelines
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Review from Taylor E.
Austin, TX
7/26/2011
The spicy shrimp dish that I ordered was awesome. It tasted great, and had just the right amount of spice. I tried my wife's mole enchiladas, and they were great too.
We're not into the salsa scene, but there were people dancing and they looked to be having a good time.
My only complaints would be that we stood around up front for several minutes waiting for the hostess to come around, and also the portions were a bit small for the price. I give Copa a solid 4 stars. -
Review from Patricia L.
Austin, TX
7/12/2011
This is a very elegant and sexy dance bar for salsa aficionados. Their bar selection is also quite extensive.
I think they also have salsa classes once a week. -
Review from Deji M.
4/7/2010
Well, well, well. If it isn't my evil nemesis Cover Charge and your hooker companion No Water. We meet again. I thought that was you from a distance, wearing your plastic jellies and cut-off shorts, looking for any way to scrounge a nickle off decent people.
Let me say this in no uncertain terms: if you charge a cover at salsa night, throw in some free water. Increase the cover a dollar if you have to, dang. An experienced dancer is probably soaked wet by the first 5 songs. There's a good chance the last thing you want to drink is alcohol. You just want water. And when all you have is a DJ - no live band - $5 better get me some ice cold water you've poured from the tap into a gallon, or something. $2 for a bottle of water; shame on you. Ruta Maya charges $7 cover, with a live band, and provides free water all night.
As a dancing space, Buzio (the upstairs section of Copa) is decent. The floors were alright, and the setting was cozy. The scattered cement pillars in the middle of the dance space added an extra element of excitement. You might leave with a tasty bruise. There were at least 6 experienced male dance partners on a Friday night, which was a plus. I definitely got my cardio in.
Being that ladies were free until 11, and we made it just under the radar, I can't be too upset about this whole cover nonsense. Except I am. And I will bachata-bop you to death or never return if you don't change the stupid water policy.Listed in: Dance 10, Looks 3
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Review from Olivia P.
Hamden, CT
6/6/2010
This place was such a blast! My friend came to visit from Connecticut and we were looking for a good time (we're both under 21... not a lot of nighttime fun to be had here in Austin!)
We yelped Copa and decided to try it out as the reviews were mixed but mostly positive (as you can see...). Neither one of us knew any salsa, and by the time we got all dolled up and downtown we had missed the salsa classes *sigh*. It was a slow start, we got there fairly early and were nervous we had just wasted $10 ($5 each for cover). Then all of the sudden we looked around and the place was HOPPING. The staff was so friendly and the dancers are of all ages, races and talents. You don't need a partner as you will be approached by guys in a friendly manner, most will teach you as best they can... and laugh with you when you fail miserably (as I did...lol)
The music was awesome. There was no lull where they played slow songs that you couldn't dance to or anything of that nature.. they even threw in some reggaeton =]
As far as the setting of the place... I thought it was cute. The dance floor was fairly large (though it did fill up) and there were convenient tables, but only a few - so I would suggest to get there early if you plan on needing a rest or are wearing high, high heels. There are also nice brick arches that really add to the ambiance. The bar looked nice, though as I stated before, we're under 21 so we didn't really hit that up. There is another room, it looked cute on my way out, but I did not venture in.
All in all it was a perfect way to have fun in Texas with my friend who is out of town. It was good, clean (well, kind've sweaty) fun. Copa left my friend and I saying, "That was probably the best $5 I've ever spent."Listed in: So you wanna be independent,…
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Review from Jill M.
Houston, TX
12/11/2008 ROTD 12/23/2008
Maybe Copa is more of a night spot than a lunch place. I am definitely interested in checking it out some time, even though I am not a good dancer. Don't get me wrong, my food was good, but I think the atmosphere and layout might work better as a club than a sit-down restaurant. The front of the restaurant looked classy, a bit like a lounge, but for some reason, we were seated at a plastic conference table near the exit to the patio. The hard walls and floors throughout the building made the environment a little bit loud, even in a far back corner. The lighting was not bright overall, but one track light shone directly into my face, which was slightly annoying. Had I not been with a group, I might have asked to be moved. An observant server would probably have noticed this problem, but mine did not. He did, however, get everyone's order correct and delivered our meals promptly.
I definitely recommend the Green Chile Pechuga ($8.95) a chicken breast smothered in onions, peppers, spinach, tomato and queso (I left off the mushrooms and gave away the avocado). Aimee C. and I shared this entree and I thought the portion was ample (no split plate charge either). I can't vouch for the charro beans, but the rice was pretty ordinary. Fortunately, I had a little extra queso and onions from my chicken, and those helped improve the rice considerably.
Since Aimee and I split a meal while our friends had their own meals, and some people had soft drinks while others did not, we took the time to write our names and the amount we wanted on our credit cards on the back of our receipt. Well, the waiter disregarded this and split the bill evenly. This inequity was minor, but I did end up paying about $1.25 more than I would have otherwise. But later, I found some money in my car, so I feel like in the grand scheme of things, the universe balanced out that day.Listed in: ROTD
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Review from Kevin N.
3/22/2008
There is, after all, a reason, finally, now I understand. There's a reason that Hollywood continues to crank out the latest Antonio Banderas vehicle where some Latin lothario is forced to prove himself ("how you say...sexy?") by dancing his way to the top. There's a whole saucy dancing subculture, and folks, though I'm clearly not part of it, behold...it's there.
I can't rightly comment on dinner at Copa, and as such I'll save that addendum for another time, but ventured in for my first swipe at salsa lessons, and though much of the time I was the proverbial bump to Copa's log, I did notice this: they're not kidding about the sexy part. This place was packed to the stilettos with girls ready to get their suggestive and sultry dance on, and cool for them. Architecture on the inside is rustic and a little classic. In a word? Fun. And I can't believe the joint wasn't packed with fellas.
Seems like, well, guys, we're always the last to know.Listed in: Austin Downtown, Austin Cigars
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Review from Ryan S.
3/22/2008
Welcome to New York's club district, where entry takes a bevy of women, being the cover of a gossip mag, or a few benjamins to the door guy.
Oh wait. This is Austin. Someone should let the managers of Copa know they're not a high end club in a coastal town.
The cute rope line out front was nice, but pointless.
I'd love to try their salsa lessons, but I won't be going back. (apparently I might be for the yelp open party in Jan. We'll see....) -
Review from Peter D.
Austin, TX
5/20/2008 ROTD 4/10/2009
The lunch is flavorful and an ample portion to get you throught he afternoon. I will recommend the Carne Guisda - it is served in the best sauce I have had in Austin. Even better than Fonda San Miguel's Guisada.
The chairs are comfortable, this is one of the most important features at any restaurant that I frequent. The service is friendly and quick. You can get in and out easily within an hour - if you get there before 12:15.
For years, i had walked on by the Copa, I am so glad that I finally ventured in. I am now a regular lunch customer.
Only 4 stars at this time, until I have a chance to experience the nightlife. -
Review from Jay B S.
Austin, TX
1/7/2008
Girl I was in to - "You should come out salsa dancing"
Me - "Salsa? I can barely stand on my own two feet while standing still."
Girl I was in to - "Have a margarita and then come"
After that conversation I learned a few things:
-Salsa dancing is the key to any girl's heart
-Salsa dancing is a great workout
-You don't have to be good to impress anyone
-Salsa dancing is easy after 1 Margarita, but more than that can make it hard, albeit fun.
A year after that initial conversation, I am now a regular. I ended up falling in love with the music and the dance. From what I hear, they serve food during the day, but I don't bother with it. I go to salsa. With the Brew, the live band that plays on Thursdays, it is hard to pass up.
My favorite days are those that they open up the upstairs area since there is generally more room to spin around and stuff up there, but otherwise Thursday nights are great especially if you're under 21 as it is their only 18+ night.
The people there are incredibly friendly, including with people who have never danced before. Drinks are moderately priced, but most people who go to dance don't have more than a beer or two anyway.
I think on Thursdays at 8 o'clock they also have beginner classes at 8PM so if you're interested in that I'd check it out. -
Review from Monica O.
5/8/2007 1 photo
Not so long ago there were Copa's and Bonggo's to chose from for a night of latin dancing. Since Bonggo's changed management for the umpteenth time, and Copa cut their Latin floor in half, and cut free water, and started gouging as far as reasonable cover charges go... well, Copa has waay tougher competition (e.g. Dallas, my Latin Lover)
Copa hosts salsa troups from Dallas, Ft. Worth, San Antonio & Houston for annual competitions, and boy can they shake it. They also host various UT organization club parties, as well as weekly salsa lessons for those who need to polish up their twinkle toes. To boot: they also offer salsa lessons Thursday Friday and Saturday nights at 9pm this spring + regular cover for $10 total. So far I've been in fellow Yelper Georgette O's salsa class, and I don't think I've met a more clear dance instructor. She and her fiance teach Friday nights - they are very friendly so check them out.
I've honestly never spent a night here that wasn't fun (even on a sucky date) but nights spent here are now far and few between. The dancers who look like pros? Its probably the lead who knows all those moves, because if you see a babe teaching her partner to lead, its an ungraceful, awkward sight. Especially when the first floor is the sole space in the entire club where you may actually partner-dance as of summer 2008. The upper level is now reserved for lounging and bottle service patrons, presumably to keep up to speed with rising property value of the block Copa is nestled in. Sucky, since this means you are now dancing like tuna in a can.
One other huge issue I have with them is their implemented policy of charging for water and a steep cover. Dancers like to dance a lot. Doing so, they tend to work up a sweat and dehydrate. Copa used to offer a paper-cup, self-serve water cooler service until recently, and this did peeve me until I got wise & starting toting a water bottle with my latin shoes.
I used to love coming here to practice (I still kinda do if its not packed), but I won't likely be paying for parking i.e. if you want me to come along, you will be the one driving and/or paying for my parking.
Celebwatch: Edison C. and I swear we saw Rosario Dawson here one night, but she was being shy with her hat on. Ask him if you don't believe me.Listed in: Shuffle Scoot Swing Jive
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Review from Ben G.
Austin, TX
7/17/2010
Cosign w/ Dej M.'s review--almost exactly, in fact. It's not simply a coincidence when two strangers experience the exact same problems at a place, i.e. ridiculous charges for water and cover.
From the website: Salsa lesson at 8:30 ($5). Latin night at 9:30. $5 before 10PM and $10 after. We were informed upon arriving at about 9:00 that we had to pay $10, but that we could join the lesson. Uh....ok. But we already missed half of it. The woman at the door told us "it's $10 all night, not $5." Great! Whatever. At least we got half a lesson.
I was willing to pass that, since the lesson was good, until I needed some water about an hour later. I was told at the bar "we only have bottled water for $2." Um. What? Like every other bar in town, you can easily dispense some tap water into a cup. Where I'm from, not serving free water is illegal. Shame on you for taking every single opportunity to milk your patrons for money.
Third strike: some dude in the bathroom whose job it was to squirt soap into my hands and then offer me a paper towel after I had washed them. We are not in NYC and this is not 1930. Sorry dude, but I'm more than capable of washing my own hands. I imagine in the future there will be a sign on the bathroom mirror requiring people to pay a fee to wash their hands.
Even for Hollywood or NYC this place goes too far, especially with the lack of free water. I will not return because of this alone, but the rest just confirms it for me. It's too bad, because the salsa lesson was good and I had fun in spite of these irritations! It's just not worth it for me. -
Review from Edison c.
Updated - 7/23/2008
Copa is still cool.... however, they have nuked dancing from the upstairs 'Buzios' room, which I always liked better than the downstairs. It appears they want to make Buzios a posher drinking-and-cavorting-only type place (although they were often crammed full of dancers from from 11:30 to close up there, so I was uncertain what the problem was. Dancers don't drink enough?)
So I went and queried one of the barmistresses up there, and was told something similar to the following: that they are doing this to boost the $$$-endowed status of the upstairs clientele, in order that hopefully newer and plentiful upstairs power-patrons will help them fend off developers looking to nuke the building or the tenants like they did with Las Manitas (http://www.texasmonthl...).
It's hard to argue with wanting to do what's necessary to save your business. Still, I am a bit sad, as I felt that Buzios - despite the continued existence of the downstairs dance area - was the last place left in Austin with the cool vibe of the salsero in a space, albeit small, specifically constructed with that purpose in mind.
Don't let that stop you from going to Copa to dance in the downstairs though. It's still plenty good, just not quite the same.Listed in: latin partner dancing (social)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/20/2008
"Monica, I would sooooo cha cha with Rosario Dawson if it wasn't so #!#@*&#& crowded!!"
Just spying… Read more »
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Review from Alexis B.
San Francisco, CA
7/6/2009
This. Space. Rocks.
I can't comment on the food, the bartenders are fine but again, I'm pretty sure I'm not getting the full experience since we basically rented the place out and we aren't heavy drinkers by nature.
But any place that is an integral part to me being in a state of bliss that carried over into the next day and has me crying tears of joy and thankfulness for the richness in my life deserves 5 stars by default. -
Review from Lily E.
Austin, TX
7/8/2008
I have lived in Austin for many years. I got tired of 6th Street quick. 4th Street has become too posh. Copa is a little ways out. It's neither 6th or 4th or 2nd Street. It's still walking distance to those places though, at 3rd and Congress. Love the salsa dancing. Love how there is a little outdoor patio area. I've been to Carribean Night there, and they play some old school movies in the outdoor patio. Sometimes Atash plays there. AND they're the only club in town that has a bellydance show once a month!
One more bonus, the lounge upstairs (Buzio Room) is free to get in! -
Review from Lara F.
Austin, TX
1/14/2008
NOTE: Review is about the dance club, not the food
So, I took my boyfriend here for his birthday, since he loves to salsa. We went on a Friday night and got there at 9pm for salsa lessons (upstairs). The instructors that taught us were really wonderful. You definitely get your money's worth ($5) for an hour of lessons.
By 10pm we headed downstairs to the club. Copa has amazing dancers. I think it's the best place in Austin to learn and dance the night away. Bring your dancing shoes and have fun!
Remember:
$5 cover before 10pm and $8 after -
Review from James A.
Austin, TX
11/20/2007
I sometimes have lunch at Copa and never been disappointed. While it's Tex-Mex, it's good is quality and portions for a very reasonable downtown price - about $6-10 per entree.
The tortilla chips are freshly made and the accompanying salsa is quite spicy!Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from La G.
San Marcos, TX
11/3/2006
Copa hosted a party for the Costa Rican independence day. It was a lot of fun to hear the traditional music and eat the great food. They have these Latino parties a lot, especially around World Cup time.
But, this is a great dance place. I love the atmosphere, too with the patio and plants. You can't find another dance club like this, and most of the time it really makes me wish I would have taken salsa lessons or something because every one who dances looks like a pro. So, if you are self-conscious like me, drink a whole bunch of Pacifico's (very tasty beer). You'll be dancing with the stars. In your head. -
Review from Veronica A.
Laguna Niguel, CA
11/24/2008
Just went here today. Again, my brother and I got hungry while walking around down town and this place was right there. The place was kind of dead, but I guess it is monday. The service was good. Everyone was very friendly and the chips and my drink never ran out, they were always full.
As far as the food went it was okay. It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't anything to write home about. Their fish tacos were lacking this thing called flavor. Maybe you've heard of it? They had no seasoning or marinade or anything. The mole enchiladas were decent enough. Mole is a bit hard to do in restaurants and I've never been anywhere that delivered, this place was no different. My enchiladas in the green sauce were decent enough too.
This place is what I like to call meh. It not bad, but it's also not the best. If your in town and looking for some mexican food this will most likely leave you satisfied. The staff is very friendly and the place is cute. -
Review from georgette o.
Austin, TX
1/11/2008
I'm biased, I admit it... but Copa is a great place to hang out, dance, meet friends and enjoy music. If you don't already know how, you can get a reasonably-priced salsa dance lesson Wed-Sat nights taught by various instructors. (My bias? I'm one of those instructors-- so come out Fridays for the 9pm lesson and you'll have a great time, I promise.) They also have tango lessons, bellydancing, fire dancing, and just about any other kind of dancing at various times.
Copa focuses on world music and they often have live bands featuring the sounds of flamenco, reggae, Latin jazz (sorry, folks, the Brew is not a salsa band..), acoustical guitar, Caribbean, and Middle Eastern/bellydance, to name a few. There are three areas and often three different sounds-- upstairs, downstairs, and the lush back patio.
For you salseros... the floor upstairs and down is very nice, usually on the faster side. Fabian is a fabulous salsa DJ. Generally people are there (esp. on Fridays) to dance and enjoy the music so it's not a meat-market-y kind of place. Twice a year there are salsa events held for an entire weekend (the next one is Apr 25-27, 2008!) with workshops and classes during the day, performances (sorry, not competitions!) and social dancing at night until the wee hours. It's a friendly place and if you come regularly, it will feel like home away from home. At least it does to me! So if you see me out dancing, don't hesitate to come up and say hi. Copa is my favorite salsa place in Austin :-)Listed in: The Places I Go Out
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Review from mark d.
Austin, TX
10/2/2011
Terrible. I won't be using Morgan's coupons anymore after this, and recommend that anyone with one seek a refund. High price entries (15 bucks average) and tasteless. Wouldn't be surprised if they were pre-prepared and microwaved. $56 for two items, salad, and three beers. Criminal.
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Review from Susie G.
11/14/2006
The Brilliance of Copa
1. The Brew, salsa band extraordinaire, plays (almost) every Thursday night.
2. The dancers are pretty much amazing.
3. There are actually more then enough guys to dance with if you're a girl and vice versa
4. They offer a dance lesson at 8 pm- so if you're new to town or to dance, show up early mix and mingle.
5. The intermediate and beginner dancers dancer earlier, by midnight the floor is full of professionals strutting their stuff
6. They have water set up. If you've ever danced at a dance club, this is an added benefit.
7. They have events happening almost every night of the week, not all salsa related.
8. It is possible to go at 9 and never leave the dance floor till midnight. Very possible. I've done it before...
Downside---the cover has a tendency to go up and up. It started free and now is up to 7 dollars some nights. Bring cash, because all the ATM's in the warehouse district have bizarrely high surcharges. Also, every once an awhile you arrive, only to find that the band isn't playing but you still have to pay cover. I always pay and then whine about it later. To be honest, even with the DJ instead of The Brew, I always have a good time. -
Review from Jack L.
Austin, TX
1/17/2009
The Copa has to be the best Salsa club in Austin. Live salsa from The Brew most Thursdays (the night I go) and once a month there's Tango upstairs, too (disco tango, not live) so you have your choice.
Just five bucks to get in. Classes for salsa and tango if you get there early enough. GREAT dancers from 11pm - midnight onwards.
Doesn't get too crowded. Somewhere outside to sit/smoke/drink talk.
Dress code on Fridays and Saturdays and, depending on the mood of the staff, Thursdays too.
A good place to dance salsa and one of the only places to dance tango in town. -
Review from joseluis a.
Miami Beach, FL
3/20/2011
to the bartender:
-do you have any specials tonight?
he says nothing, he fakes a smile and then laughs to my face
youre ugly bro and your bar stinks. -
Review from walker f.
Austin, TX
7/13/2009
So I haven't been to any other salsa bar in town. So in my mind, I am comparing this to other downtown/date type venues.
This place has a pretty sexy vibe inside - lots of brick, red lighting. Patio was cute, and i wish the upstairs was open.
I went for the salsa lesson at 8:30 on Friday and was a little nervous because there were only three of us. However, more folks showed up (both couples and just people flying solo) as we got started until we had maybe 20+ people. all wearing nametags and for the most part, having no clue what we were doing. It was fun! The husband and wife team teaching were great, had personality and made it simple. We learned a couple basic steps then alternated around the room and practiced. I do aerobic salsa at the gym but found this to be challenging cuz it was different. (i.e. Real)
It was neat because most of the people stayed afterwards. So when you looked around the dancefloor there were a bunch of people you "knew." they also were not particularly skilled which made it really comfortable.
There are some pros there for sure - pretty sure The Most Interesting Man in the World was in attendance. I got to dance with him. I was terrible. I laughed the whole time. Whatever.
I have always wanted to try this and so glad I finally went. My date (whom I surprised) might not agree, but I would go again - even make it a regular thing so I could get better!
I may have read it wrong but i was thinking the website indicated that we could pay $5 for a salsa lesson, and that there was no cover until 9 or 10. But we were asked to pay $5 for the lesson AND a $5 cover. That's $5 too much in my opinion for a DJ. If there was a live band I would be more forgiving. Oh well. It was a unique experience and despite my bitching about the bucks, I will likely return. -
Review from Candace S.
Alexandria, VA
Updated - 11/24/2009
A bunch of us came here after a birthday dinner for some salsa lessons. I had totally forgotten that Copa was a dance club as well (I had been here for lunch during the day time and did find it odd there were mirrors all over the place).
Well, since I was husband-less (he's deployed), and we signed up for the dance lessons (usually $5/person, but they were doing 2/$5), I was paired up with the instructor's boyfriend which ended up working well because I needed the 1 on 1 private instruction since I was a complete newb when it came to salsa dancing and whatever latin dancing that required a lot of hip action. So, I learned the basic salsa, how to pivot and twirl.
I did feel bad because I did kick him a few times (sorry!!) and I had this constant need to look at my feet, but I made it through a song or 2.
During college, my husband used to go salsa dancing so this may be a fun place to bring him when I actually have someone to dance with!Listed in: Downtown Eats!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/28/2009
I'd give this place 3 1/2 stars.
I met a friend here for lunch and it's within walking distance of… Read more »
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Review from Anthony I.
Austin, TX
10/24/2006
A pleasant experience in the growing restaurant row along Congress. Take for granted that most of the tex-mex is rather standard. Nonetheless, Copa did a decent job offering good versions of it all. There is an extensive lunch menu, affordable dishes and some pleasant touches. The tortillas are fresher than normal, the chips and salsa nice and the fajitas very tasty. I will recommend it for those in the area. I'm not offering four-stars, because I won't recommend you drive downtown just for this.
I went back again and I like it even better (and I've upgraded to 4 stars). The service is the best I've seen in a long time -- frequent refills of drinks, salsa and chips, even with a hungry and thirsty bunch of thugs at the table. Several items on the lunch menu are $6 or below. There's no reason to eat at any other tex-mex place downtown, as of right now. -
Review from Yer M.
Austin, TX
12/24/2010
Copa is great. I took my bachelorette party here for salsa dancing and I have performed here with Austin Samba School. The bartender Beto is awesome. The owner hosted Austin Samba School rehearsals there for a long time and he hosts Brazilian themed benefits and celebrations like the recent one for Dida women's organization and another to raise money for a musician who is ill. Anyway this is a great place so patronize it!
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Review from Joel S.
Austin, TX
9/1/2009
I work next door to Copa, and the smells from the kitchen always make me salivate.
Yesterday I got their soft tacos--- one with chicken, one with steak. The chicken was marinated breast and it was awesome. The steak was quality, without too much fat and it was quite tender and definitely tasty.
I'm getting hungry now just thinking about it. -
Review from erik w.
7/24/2009
A few weeks ago I was "secretly" taken to this place for Salsa lessons. Meaning, I had no idea where we were going until we got to the place and only then did I find out where I was going. If my date didn't look so stunning, I probably would have bailed.
It kinda bothered me that I had to pay $5 cover at 8pm, but I figured that $10 for dance lesson is probably very inexpensive ($5 cover, $5 for lesson per person).
When we first arrived, we were the only peeps there, so got a little private dance lesson. Our teacher was way cool. She called me out for being an awful dancer within the first 5 minutes hah. I felt a little emasculated, but I guess it's better that I'm a bad dancer then too light on my feet.
Surprisingly, the salsa lessons weren't as awful as I expected it to be. No one else who was taking the class knew how to "salsa", so I didn't look terrible in comparison.
The crowd that arrived after the lesson was ridiculous. Perhaps the weirdest mix of people I have ever seen.
Cool place, but the mirrors on the wall would be a little weird for a happy hour setting. I may go back for more lessons, but only if I get duped into it again haha. -
Review from Sky H.
Austin, TX
10/24/2008
Copa has a great environment and different spaces to explore. I've never once been to Copa and had a bad time. The staff is friendly, the patrons are diverse, open minded, and friendly. Whether you are into romance or intrique or just want to meet new people COPA is a great space for all that and more.
I've wanted to perform at COPA for a couple years now and very excited to announce our first performance on Saturday night November 1st after Halloween 2008. We hope this first performance will not be our last. So keep an eye out for Hipnautica at COPA. -
Review from Christine A.
Austin, TX
11/20/2009
My friends and I happened upon this little gem at about 11:30 on a Wednesday. We were seated outside on their back patio immediately, our waiter was attentive, and the food was delicious and reasonably priced.
By the time we left at 12:30, business had really picked up, so if you go for lunch, go early to avoid the crowd. Also, there wasn't anyone sitting outside, so we had our own private lunch out back. -
Review from carolina a.
Austin, TX
5/30/2010
A couple, friends of mine went there to try to dance some salsa... The place was good, not a fan yet, but i would go there again for the MUZIK!! Its better to take your partner because the instructors don't have much time, to many people. I had fun, nice friendly atmosphere, the drinks were not that good, bartenders need more training. Nice style, brick walls, cute place... they say the food is good, I will have to try it next time. To learn salsa, seems fun and not expensive $5/ person...
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Review from Lissa -.
Los Angeles, CA
3/17/2010
Couldn't get into the packed rooftop / 2nd floor party, so a bunch of us got invited to hang out in the 1st floor salsa room. Eh. Nothing more depressing than watching couples dance salsa when you would rather be somewhere else.
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Review from Marilee M.
Elgin, TX
4/7/2010
It seems since I work across the street that every time someone wants to go to lunch this is where we end up.
A group of eight of us got together to take the new guy to lunch. This included not one, but two of my supervisors. The other seven got there about 5 minutes before I did (hey, someone has to do the work around here) and since I was late, you can bet that the waitress pretty much forgot I was even there.
When I first sat down she took my drink order and I immediatly asked for silverware since I was without. She brings everyone's drinks, takes the food orders and I mention again about the silverware. She comes back and fills everyone's tea glass but mine. I am sitting at the head of the table and she walked right around me on to the next person.
Skip ahead a few minutes and viola, food is served. I assume everyone is enjoying theirs. I would enjoy mine but guess what? No silverware! Awkward! Ok, so here she comes finally with the silverware.
Food was ok. Nothing outstanding but it is reasonably priced and edible. Everyone finishes up and I ask for a to go box. Um, yeah, what was I thinking! She brings the check, comes back for the check, returns with the receipt, still no box. So I get up and walk to the bar. The guy at the bar sees me coming and says "you need a box"? Yep, asked for one a while ago. He asked how everything was and I said food was ok, service was not. He said "sorry".
I'm sure we will continue to go here as long as other people are making the decision about where we are going. It is not a place I would pick. -
Review from Mr. I.
Fort Worth, TX
2/1/2008
I went to Copa on the fact I was being forced by a group of women. But what can I say. Where ever they want to go, I will follow. I had a great time, the cover charge was only 5 dollars and the drinks where affordable. I only spent around 100 dollars for like 10 rounds of Red Bull Vodka for 4 people. I was utterly impressed with the amount of people there to dance and didnt feel like anyone was trying to hook up. It made me want to take dance lessons. I will return and really liked it!
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Review from Tara D.
Buda, TX
2/12/2008
I went to Copa for the first time last Friday night. The music was great, the dance floor was crowded. The drinks were okay, but I wish they had a mojito. Would be better with a bigger dance floor!
Listed in: The Places I Go Out
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Review from Cassie D.
6/13/2009
Had a great lunch here the other day . (can't comment on the salsa/club aspect). Started out with great chips and salsa, made better by the fact that they happily refilled both multiple times. Moved on to a very attentive waitress (who, at the end of the meal, offered to split the bill into separate checks for our party of 5 which was really nice). Lunch menu is good - definitely the right price and still quite a bit of food. I had veggie enchiladas with spinach and verde sauce. A little heavy on the spinach perhaps (though that's not necessarily a bad thing). The beans they came with were very well spiced. Didn't eat much of the rice. Everyone else's food looked delicious too!
Listed in: Austin Trip
