Driskill Bar

12/28/2014

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.

1/7/2015

This bar, like the hotel it is in, is a Texas institution.  Everyone ought to go there at least once.  I myself have been there many, many times.

The bartenders are knowledgeable and efficient, and are just the right level of "friendly": they are cordial and can make you feel at home but they don't pester you or talk you to death. The drinks are a little expensive but are usually well-mixed. Unfortunately, they use ice cubes that are too small, so the drinks will water down pretty quickly, but that's more incentive to drink it down.

The décor is quintessential "Texas" and I love it.  

The place can become pretty crowded at times, and the service can lag a bit, but it's usually efficient enough.

They often have live music, and most of the time, it's pretty good.

11/26/2014

Drinks are tasty, albeit a little expensive.

It's an old school Texas atmosphere which is kind of fun and different.

I won't lie, I took a little nap there because I was super tired but the furniture is comfortable and it's dark and cozy inside.

It's a great place for an intimate date.

2/7/2015

Always love this place. Here at least 3 times a month on our date night. Great staff (for the most part) and great deals for happy hour, not to mention delicious food. We definitely recommend this place! Great for couples or meeting up after work for a cocktail.

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  Here is the menu at 5:00pm on a Saturday.

  Here is the menu at 5:00pm on a Saturday.
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  Parmesan chive popcorn. Happy hour $3. Normally $6

  Parmesan chive popcorn. Happy hour $3. Normally $6
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  Grilled chicken Caesar salad. $12

  Grilled chicken Caesar salad. $12
• See all photos from Christa W. for Driskill Bar

11/21/2014

When people are visiting from out of town this is one of the bars I always make sure to make a stop at.

It's quintessential Austin to me, with the cow themed furniture and general old feel of the place. The bar makes you feel fancy, but you don't feel uncomfortable dressing casual. It's also conveniently located right by dirty 6th, where visitors always want to go.

Honestly I've never ate here. So I can't comment on the food. But to me, it's one of the best places to stop in Austin for a nice cocktail and to pretend that you are more swanky than you actually are.

7/1/2014

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).

11/21/2014

Strictly speaking about the bar here. Cocktails were average, a little weak and slightly overpriced. They use ice machine ice and those god awful, bright red maraschino so they aren't really aspiring to the craft of cocktails, but the place is serviceable in a pinch and would be good for a larger group.

8/21/2014

This place is sort of a trip.... in a 'Shining' sort of way.  Every time I go, I'm reminded of The Shining (Jack Nicholson version if I need to be specific), not just because of the old fashioned architecture and ambiance, but also its supposedly haunted.  Although the Driskill has a much more Western design, with cow hides and antlers, big leather couches, etc.  And while its not my favorite place to go, mainly because it still has a hotel lobby type feel (I sorta feel like I am at a work convention), sometimes an odd crowd, and I never quite feel relaxed as I would somewhere like Hotel San Jose or a lounge, it does have a certain cache, unique food options (truffle oil popcorn for one), a cool bar set up, and good drink options.  

It isn't going to be cheap, but it isn't expensive either... its the typical price for the food and drinks that you see at nicer places around town (lets call it $12 a mixed drink or wine, $10 for most apps, and I've never had anything else).  

I've always been to the Driskill in between bars while bar hoping, or at the end of the night, and usually for no more than 2 drinks before leaving... but going does add a certain amount of class to the night, especially if you are trying to wash away the sins of dirty 6th street.  I'd give it 3.5 stars.

1/5/2015

The scene is pretty hip and classy.  My boyfriend and I went for HH during a stay overnight at the Driskill hotel.  However, it was packed (not enough seating) and the waitstaff was terrible.  Our waitress couldn't be bothered serving us or taking our orders, we had to constantly flag down other servers to help us.  One plus was that on Thursdays their Batini's are $7 instead of $11 during HH.  Can't comment on much of the food because we just had some popcorn as we went to the Grill after.  It might have been an off night, I give them that, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go to HH here unless I was already in the area or staying at the hotel.

2/1/2015

The most Texas bar in Austin. Awesome atmosphere and great service. Always feels like home, never fails to impress a newcomer.

12/13/2014

Not only is this place gorgeous, but the service we got at the bar while going in for a drink was beyond expectations.  There was no where for our party to sit, so the general manager gave us our first round of drinks on the house and secured an area for us to sit once people left. Very cool staff and very lovely location.

3/26/2014

We stopped here for a birthday shot and drink. The bartenders were really nice and pretty damn good at their job. Also one of the guys hooked me up with a free Birthday Cake shot since it was my birthday! Idk about the food or waitresses but the interior was totally Texas and classy. The sitting situation kind of sucks because there's really nowhere to sit if the place is packed and you don't plan on ordering food. We would def. go back for drinks and it's totally a place to take out-of-towners to.

8/19/2014

The Driskill was built in the late 1880s by a cattle baron, and the architecture and decor are exactly what you'd expect - lots of wood, leather and hides. I like to come in here at least once every time I'm in Austin and imagine what it would've been like to be a cattle or oil magnate, reviewing my empire while sitting on an old leather Chesterfield and enjoying a dram of scotch. Well worth stopping in if you want a dose of old Texas while in Austin!

9/17/2014

I really like the historic aspect of this establishment. I will say, for such a high end place, I would expect better service, especially from the bartenders...

I like blue-cheese stuffed olives in my martinis, and boy, was that bartender really not pleased with me asking for those olives! I had to offer to stuff the olives myself in order to get them. Once I offered, he had no hesitation with me going right ahead and stuffing them at the bar.

This is the hospitality industry in full force, especially being in the food and beverage outlet of a well known landmark hotel in Austin...the service should be on another level!

While I understand it is a nuisance go out of your way for a customer to stuff an olive; you chose to be in this industry-so get your lazy ass stuffing those damn olives! It's an expensive cocktail at a high end establishment; excellent service is making your customers happy, and doing what's necessary to make their experience a great one...the f&b manager should get to training his/her team! I don't think I'll be back.

5/11/2014

What's not to like?  This is an amazingly beautiful building.  If you're into old architecture, you'll have a hard time not liking it.  I finally came here for the first time in my 8 years and I was sad that it took me that long.  After a nice bachelor dinner we decided to come here for drinks.  Great suggestion friend.  It was hopping with multiple wedding parties and a live band but it cleared out pretty quickly.  We managed to get an area with a coffee table and got comfy.  Our server was fantastic and the Manhattan I had was easily one of the most delicious cocktails I've ever had.  So good that I had three of them.  Can't wait to go back.

6/18/2014

Brought my Canadian cousin here to give her a real taste of what Texans are like. Only problem is, she got hit on by a ice hockey goalie from Michigan. I'm sure the place is full of out-of-towners and new-to-Austin folks all the time and I actually love that because the Driskall bar is just so Texan and it should be a must see on any list of Austin visitors. It was one of the first places I went to when I was contemplating moving back here in 2005. The bartenders are always very friendly and my only complaint would be that they have no ciders. I guess ciders are kind of sissy and aren't very Texan...or maybe the ghosts don't like cider.

12/2/2013

I love this place! Maybe its the history ..maybe its the thought about how LBJ had his first date right next door with Lady Bird. who knows but I love it.

Came here Wednesday night to celebrate my loves birthday, the big 31 and we stopped in here while staying at the Omni (priceline bid) was wishing to get a room here but we weren't so lucky there..
We had a great glass of Riesling, some delicious truffle popcorn and devine sliders. live music just finished when we arrived but we hung out for a bit. The bartenders are chilled out, not pretentious as you might expect in such a classy place.
We had such a great time!

ITs a must while staying or living in Austin.

11/30/2014

I love this place! It's quickly becoming my go-to happy hour for visiting friends and family. I even spent my birthday there this year! I love how it has a very classy feel, but none of the people act snooty or uppity. My waitresses are always such sweethearts. The main reason I come here is for the food. The brussel sprouts, fries, truffle popcorn, bacon wrapped dates, and queso are my favorites! They can also make (mostly) anything vegetarian, which is nice for my mother. I absolutely love their Batini, too! Such a unique drink that I haven't seen before. They normally have some kind of live music, whether it's a piano player or a guitarist. It really adds to the whole ambiance of the place!  To wrap this up, the happy hour is awesome, the service is spectacular, and the food is to die for. Check it out!

8/30/2013

I will never go here again.  
Waitress = total bitch
Atmosphere = nothing special
Drinks = nothing special

Seriously, though - the really crappy waitress with an even worse attitude will keep me from every returning, suggesting or having anything to do with this place.

12/30/2014

Sat at the piano for 20 minutes without service or acknowledgement. Passed over multiple times. Lost the charm.

10/1/2014

Spicy brussell sprouts ...oh man those are good. Drink specials during the week as well as 1/2 off happy hour appetizers....swank on the cheap...very niiiice!

6/3/2013

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.

10/28/2012

I had a life altering experience here a few weeks back. Walker F and I meandered over after watching the Pats at B.D. Rileys. I ordered up a delicious Old Fashioned and a bowl of truffled popcorn. It was phenomenal.

Service is great here and the drink prices are reasonable considering the atmosphere. Fantastic spot to grab a quick drank.

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  Truffled popcorn

  Truffled popcorn

12/6/2013

Anyone else looking for ghosts when they visited the Driskill? Anyone?! Ok, well I have to admit that was the main reason I've been dying to go to the Driskill. Working for the state doesn't allow me to afford overnight accommodations at the hotel but happy hour I can do; if I had gotten service that is.

So I'd love to tell you about the drinks and food but after waiting about 15 minutes at our table, watching many waitresses pass my date and I up, we left. It wasn't like we sneaked in under their radar, we wondered around looking for a table that didn't have a "reserve" sign on it. The place wasn't that busy. It was a waitress who finally told us where we could sit. She saw us after that as well: each time she walked by but never took our drink order or asked if we'd like to order food. I can't stand bad service. So yeah, two stars Driskill Bar.

[Please see 1886 Cafe & Bakery review]

8/14/2013

One of the best bar experiences ever - wonderful old Texas atmosphere, beautiful and aptly descriptive wine list, craft cocktails (don't overlook the "Batini," made with Tito's - woot, woot! - it's the official cocktail of Austin and it's delish!), local beers on tap (Fireman's #4 Blonde Ale is clean and crisp and everything an ale should be!), comfortable seating, fantastic service (Lindsey is outstanding!) awesome artisanal chef's plate, which, in conjunction with the Brussels sprouts we had and other divine looking offerings we couldn't fit in for lack of room totally transcended any bar food I've ever had! Live music was good (it IS Austin, after all!!) and we are so impressed that we've made reservations for the Driskell Grill tomorrow night - stay tuned!!

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  Brussels sprouts

  Brussels sprouts
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  My mission this trip: beeline to Antonelli's to procure more of the best cheese I EVER put in my mouth.

  My mission this trip: beeline to Antonelli's to procure more of the best cheese I EVER put in my mouth.
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• See all photos from Kathy H. for Driskill Bar

7/4/2014

My husband and I went based on the positive Yelp reviews.  We went the evening before the July 4th holiday, and it was hopping with customers.  The reviewers are right, it's a very nice place--a wonderful place to take out of town guests, as it has a great "Texas-like" atmosphere, with cowhide bar stools, a western theme, and dim lighting and music. The happy hour specials on drinks differ by the day, so be sure and check out their website, because there was no "deal of the day" offered on the happy hour menu. Therefore, you'll have to ask which drinks are on special for that day.  The drink specials are usually $5, and we enjoyed the Batinis.  They don't have many choices for food, and even fewer choices that are marked down for happy hour.  We got the beef jerky (on special for $3) as a snack, and each got the barbacoa mini-tacos.  They were good.  Next time, however, I think I'll eat elsewhere, and just come there for their drink specials.

12/20/2012

Been here twice now, and still really enjoy the food here.  It did seem like the Quinoa wasnt quite as good this time as last, a little to "soy"ee...  I assume they soak the mushroom in it.  Otherwise the waiter that we had both times is a really jovial guy and makes the experience fun.  Didn't do a dessert this time, and apparently they don't comp desserts for bdays either... lol... we tried, but thats probably good, because I didn't need anymore sweets and their stuff is really good.

The Clam Chowder was amazing... couldnt get enough of that! Give it a try.

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  Banana pudding

  Banana pudding
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  Quinoa and mushroom... AMAZING!

  Quinoa and mushroom... AMAZING!
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  Mashed Potatoes

  Mashed Potatoes
• See all photos from Tony H. for Driskill Bar

7/2/2013

A must-see for anyone visiting Austin. Been to the Driskill Bar many a time and I absolutely love everything about it. There's live music (duh). The interior is just like that of a classy English pub. Cocktails are top notch.

And the food is great too! Had the Strip Steak because...uhh, this is Texas! Delicious. It was cooked to medium-rare perfection and had an outer pepper-crust that never tasted burnt-- one of my pet peeves with steak. I've also tried the sliders which are sinfully good especially with those caramelized onions on top.

I can't wait to come to the Driskill again. And I can't wait to stay a night in the hotel!

6/29/2013

Pros: Beautiful bar to have a drink with friends, colleagues or a date. Tons of comfortable seating, tasty apps, quick service and great ambiance which was enhanced by the live piano.

Cons: Margaritas were premixed so I'm not sure how good the cocktails actually are here.

4/3/2013

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.

9/18/2012

There's nothing I'm more passionate about than rum. The problem is, quality rum is often very hard to find as most bars only carry the basics.

While on a trip to Austin I decided to go on the prowl for some high end rum. I went form place to place to no avail. Finally I came across the Driskill and stopped at what turned out to be an awesome bar and bar scene.

The bar had an excellent quality rum selection, so i went to town on the good stuff. The waiters were awesome and I was really impressed by their knowledge of everything on the shelf. The bar had a country band playing live music which gave the place a semi lively feel without going overboard. It was just what I was looking for.

This place is great and in my opinion the best bar in the 6th street area. Definitely a must.

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  Quality rum..

  Quality rum..

5/28/2013

What a beautiful and unique place to grab drinks!

My hubby and I were staying in Austin this past weekend, and some friends suggested that we meet at the Driskill Hotel for some pre-din cocktails.  

They have a beautiful bar with plentiful, comfortable seating.  Service was attentive, and their drinks were tasty.

I will definitely want to go here again when we're back in town.

6/22/2014

Took the boyfriend here for a drink on his birthday. Service was great, very prompt. I had the safe advice cocktail which was delicious and strong, he had a margarita which he enjoyed, it had fresh lime juice not sweet and sour mix. The space is really neat, old texas style with big leather couches and cowhide, I look forward to coming back this summer(I say summer because it is perfectly cold in there with the ac cranked up!)

8/5/2013

Bacon wrapped Medjool dates stuffed with Manchego and smoked Chorizo are out of this world! Plus there only 3$ for happy hour.
The entire hotel is amazing and a must see if you are visiting Austin. The hotel has so much history it could have it's own book! This is Austin's top notch 5 star hotel. (bartender Andrew is awesome an really knows his stuff)

5/15/2014

Great bar in a great hotel. Great drinks and service, in a comfortable atmosphere. Can't go wrong!

1/4/2014

I am not a fan of the Driskill bar at all. The service was absolutely horrible and the food was only mediocre at best. You would think that this "luxury" hotel would have better service and a more friendly staff. I actually had to go up to the bar and tell one of the bartenders that our waitress had disappeared and we had not seen her in over 30 minutes. She finally came back acting like nothing was wrong. However, she continued to be the worst waitress I have ever had and ignored us still when our waters and drink glasses were empty. Terrible!! Please hire better waitresses especially if you consider yourself "luxury"

However, I am giving 2 stars because the Driskill restaurant/Grill is fabulous with great service and great food. We ate at the Driskill for New Years Eve 2013. Just skip the Driskill bar!

8/12/2012

When you work for Yelp, everyone and your sister's neighbor's cousin's best friend looks to you for recommendations*. So it was no surprise that a new friend who's a recent transplant to Austin (via Zagreb and London) should ask moi for a suggestion on a happening happy hour spot. I quickly sized him up - whip smart with a conservative lean and probably owns a portfolio of cuff links - and knew I'd have to take him to the bar at the Driskill Hotel.

Did he love it? Well, he did say 'this is THE spot' not once but twice (a small win for my aim-to-please ego) but I didn't know I'd be just as smitten with the digs. The bar and surrounding lounge is outfitted in mahogany woods and buttery leather but its library-esque clime is subdued by a warm blanket of low lighting. It's old-fashioned and opulent, sexy without being smarmy, and just as spot-on for the first drink of the night as it is for a closing nightcap.

Top-shelf scotch lives here. The bartenders are attentive and know how to make anything from the classic to the trendy. And the people-watching may be the most grand amenity of them all.

Even though all this luxe would feel just as rich in Manhattan, Moscow or Zurich, somehow the Driskill formats it to feel decidedly Texas. The finishing local touch? An acoustic country singer and his twangy guitar.

*My ultimate dream date would be one that required no research on my end... much more romantic than flowers, a fancy dinner or La Perla lingerie. I think I may marry the first guy that gets this right!

11/22/2012

These guys are the epitome of a customer service-oriented place, and that alone is the basis for my 5-stars in this case.

Visited with my girlfriend around 10pm: the place was happening and lots of people and energy, but there were still plenty of quiet, intimate spaces available. We took a VERY comfortable couch around the corner from the main action. But I reiterate, even at 10pm on the night before Thanksgiving, you could still find a few spots open. Just the right amount of seating!

Our being out of the way probably made it a bit harder to get noticed by our server. My one comment to them would be to try not to forget the smaller parties sitting off to the side. But I take some responsibility in this case since we deliberately seated ourselves away from the bulk of people and probably disrupted her flow.

When she arrived we ordered a latte and a crème brûlée. They turned out to be out of the latter, of which Bar Manager Richard Darr visited our table to inform us personally. He apologized and save us two Signature "D" Driskill Cupcakes at no charge. I normally do not like cupcakes, but if ever there were a cupcake to eat, it is this one. The whipped cream was amazing: definitely did not taste like that out-of-the-can stuff at all. I could be a fool who doesn't know his creams, but as fare as I'm concerned, that stuff was top notch!

I also overheard something else from Richard while he was at another table that really impressed me. I heard him tell someone "Okay great, I just like to make sure, when something comes back like that, that it's because you were full and not because you were unhappy." So I guess he saw something mostly uneaten get taken out and took the time to go check with the customer and make sure everything was okay.

In a world with so much crappy service out there, it's great to visit a place like the Driskill that really gets it right.

One final note: the pricing is not outrageous. While certainly not cheap, it's right where it needs to be. $8-10 for a specialty cocktail at a nice place is pretty normal, and I'd have no problem paying $6-10 for a dessert in ambiance like this.

Also, many of their snacks and appetizers are half-price during happy hour, taking some down to about $3. Very impressive, and I would love to visit during that time.

For me, parking was not as much of a hassle as it has been for some others. I parked a few blocks away near 5th and Lavaca and you can generally find some meters out of working hours that are available. I'm not saying it's easy or will always happen, but don't assume that just because you're going to the Driskill you HAVE to pay $20-25 for parking. Yes, you can do so there safely and conveniently, but a little walk down 6th never killed anyone.

12/28/2013

Go here for for the ambiance -- NOT the service or the food. The drinks are fine but the service at the bar area is so terrible. This is out second time here with the same result: extremely poor service to the point of frustration. The servers are oblivious and completely unaware of customer needs. The food came out luke warm -- and for the prices you should expect more. One tip is to stick with the small plates and avoid the "signature" dishes ... Terrible. We love the hotel and the ambiance but the overall experience is just terrible!!

12/19/2013

Charming ,relaxing for me I LOVE LOVE  the atmosphere and of course the drinks1