Elephant Room
Category: Jazz & Blues [Edit]
Neighborhood: Downtown315 Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78701 (512) 473-2279
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Music: Live
- Best Nights: Wed, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
46 Reviews for Elephant Room
All the positive reviews have already said what was on my mind about this place. Comfy, cozy, and cool. Just the type of place I wish was down here in San Antonio! Some of the best jazz I've heard in a long time. Compact and hidden... I can't help but to feel like I'm part of some private club whenever I come here. And I definitely feel like I'm giving away secrets when I tell people about this awesome place.
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Walking down into the Elephant Room feels like you're making your way into a secret underground hideout. Just one of the things that make this club one of the best places to watch jazz in the country.
Extremely reasonable drink prices, live jazz all the time, friendly staff, and a cool atmosphere. Who could ask for anything more?
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My first time to the Elephant Room and I have been meaning to come here for years. I brought out of town guests to see my long time fave - Beto and the Fairlanes. The evening was great and I loved the place - will definitely go back - but .....the bathrooms are disgusting.
First of all - if you sit at a front table you can see one of the men's urinals as the men exit. I didn't catch any exciting glimpses - I must have spent too much time watching the band - but every time the door opened, I did try to spy a little. The women's was really filthy - the owners must be all men and never go in there. How hard is it to clean up and patch up a little? All in all a good experience but please clean up the place.
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Tops in my book. We are lucky to have the E-Room here in Austin. Great music, vibe and atmosphere..live music every night of the year. Will, the bartender, still knows beer of choice when I walk-in and has it ready by the time I reach the bar...if even my trips there are now 3-4 times a year instead of 3-4 times a week.
My only nit-pick is the lack of national-acts coming through...Randy Brecker, Jason Marsalis, Matt Wilson, Ravi Coltrane have graced the club with their presence... Such gigs are rare and few and far between. But plenty of Austin talent such as Ephraim Owens, Elias Haslanger, Brannen Temple, J.J. Johnson..part-time drummer for John Mayer, Butch Miles (drummer for the Count Basie Orchestra), Tony Campise, Red Young, Dr. Paul White, Pete Rodriguez, Sam Lipman and Chris Maresh- to name just a few - assure that you're in for great music nearly every night....and all are deserving of wider recognition.
Henry Butler sat in one night. And I know I've missed some other special nights.
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Yeah, so I felt cool walking down into a basement to hear some jazz. And I felt a little mysterious even to my friends and husband because we were sitting in a dark lounge. I even felt transported back to New York for a few hours because nothing about this place says "Texas". I don't care if I come off as a wannabe of any type because this is the coolest place I have ever been to in Austin. The coolest place I know of, period.
I can drink Snakebites here and listen to some awesome Jazz for the cheap cheap. A round of 4 beers was $17. The music wasn't so loud that I couldn't carry on a conversation with my friends. The waitress was cool enough to bring us cigarettes and matches when we were out.
I first went here a couple of years ago when my co-worker was the leader of the Austin Jazz Band. Tonight I went because my friend was friend with the piano player and the singer. But I'll continue to go back because the place is just cool.
I haven't been on a first date in 12 years, but I'd have to agree with other reviewers who say it would make a great first date destination say after dinner or a movie. I could definitely see said first date thinking this is a pretentious place to go, if that is the case, don't ever call this person again.
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Truly excellent jazz club. We randomly walked in here on the recommendation of a bouncer at another club because we wanted to hear some music. We honestly had no idea what to expect.
Luck was with us and we managed to get a table right up front by the stage. Drinks were hella cheap, I had forgotten alcohol costs virtually nothing in Texas.
The music was absolutely fantastic. We got to hear Kat Edmonson's group perform. She was amazing and so was her piano player. I thought the other band members were solid and competent, but these two really stood out. They just brought so much to the music.
Really excellent venue.
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After re-fueling at Home Slice, it was time to hit up another hallmark of the Austin music scene. I had hoped to take my brother to see the Jazz Pharaohs, but our schedule didn't allow it, so we caught The Brew instead.
A quick note about The Brew - if you haven't ever seen them live, you're cheating yourself. Despite being of Latin descent I have never been much into Latin music, but these guys are absolute geniuses of their craft. Whether you like their style of music or not, I promise you that if you appreciate music, you WILL enjoy this band.
On to the venue :
First, a $5 cover? Really? To see a very talented band in a fantasic setting? Sure, twist my rubber arm.
We manage to get the last available table, right under the window to the street, and as far from the music as possible. No matter, the acoustics here are very good, and even as far-removed from the band as we possibly could be, the sound is still crystal clear, and we could still fully appreciate the musical wizardry this is The Brew.
Another plus: The Elephant Room has a good selection of beers on tap, and they serve them by the pitcher. A pitcher of Pyramid Hefeweizen for $12? "Yes, have some." (said in my best spaced-out Louis Tully voice).
In short, I don't think you'll find a "cooler" venue in Austin, and you'd be hard-pressed to find one that also pays as close attention to the acoustics - while this place had a great "feel" abou it, they are definitely about the music here (and the beer).
Go. Now.
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If you love Jazz, great drinks and a cool cat crowd, this is defiantly the place to be. Each time I go, I have such a great time. Great service, just overall :"good times" place.
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I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet after all their consistently incredible gigs!
For starters, the $5 cover is unheard of for most music venues. To continue, their bartenders have the magic touch because every drink is gold. Not too diluted, never too strong.
Of course, the music! What really sold me was listening to Kat Edmonson's heart-tugging rendition of The Cardigan's 'Lovefool' and John Lennon's 'Just Like Starting Over Again.' Especially the latter one... couldn't help but tear up a little, geez.
Their cozy floor-plan always encourages sharing tables with other couples when its a packed night - just don't make out when you share one. Thnx.
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The perfect escape. Down those stairs and into JAZZ.
Great spot for a first date or to rekindle an old flame.
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I first heard about this jazz bar when Eastwood and Costner were filming A Perfect World. They put the place on the music scene in Austin and it has never looked back. I know when I send anyone there they are in for an Austin original. The atmosphere is what you would expect from a top of the line Jazz Club. The fact is, it is very difficult to be profitable in the Jazz Club business. The fact they have been open for over 15 years speaks volumes in a musical setting where the volume is usually kept on the low side. I will keep going back, and keep sending anyone who loves good Jazz.
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Much better now that you can't smoke inside. They really need to revamp the restrooms. At least one toilet is always out of service or running on the floor.
The music is pretty good as is the service.
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It's been while since I last hung out at the Elephant Room and now I am kicking myself for not going here more often. Probably one of the coolest bars in Austin. For $5, I got to listen to some of the best jazz in Austin with an amazing vocalist who was clearly having the most fun of anyone in the room. The piano player was mesmerizing and the bartenders friendly, with a heavy pour. My one critique is that they have almost no wine selection. Gasp! I asked for a glass of red wine and he told me all they had was a Cabernet from California. I ended up switching to Maker's and Ginger Ale, and believe me, 1 was plenty!
I highly suggest taking a date here.
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I love this place. It's down stairs, dark and small. The jazz is great. I've never heard a band or singer that I didn't like at the Elephant Room.
Being a Baby Boomer from San Fransisco it's just my kind of place. You get that secluded kind of feeling.
I went Wednesday evening for the the early set, for the first time. They advertised 6, it didn't start until about 6:45. I was late so that was fine by me. Oh, yeah no cover.
Not the greatest place if you're looking for some exotic drinks. I enjoy their Lemon Drop Martini. This is not a fancy, she , she place. It's for true music lovers.
I decided I like the 6:00 set. Because there's not a crowd and it's seemed more relaxed and laid back then the later show.This just might become a regular thing for me. It was nice to get out during the middle of the week, hear some good jazz and still get to bed before 11 (we even went out for dinner).
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In a city dominated by the new, young and ever-changing, the Elephant Room is an isolated, near-mythical pocket of timelessness. Sitting downstairs in the dark, drinking a dirty martini out of a very non-new-millennial glass---that is, the classic four-ounce kind, rather than the modern gallon-sized tub---I felt as if I might look to my right and see my grandfather, maybe even great-grandfather, doing the same thing. The music is enchanting, whether or not you think you like jazz, but it's this sense of impossible, anachronistic intimacy that really makes the Elephant Room spectacular. One wonders how many people, representing how many eras of fashion and history, have sat just like you, sipping a drink just like you, swaying slightly to the music just like you, thinking: yes, this is the life.
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what a gem on congress. I love the exposed brick and lanterns - perfect setting for hanging out with friends, sipping on a cocktail and enjoying some great jazz. we were there for happy hour on friday. great little band, no cover, cheap drinks. The only negative is the ppl smoking. We were only there for about an hour for a drink before dinner but I could see the smoke bothering me had we stayed all night.
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I give this place 5 stars. My hubby took me there on our first date, we just had our 4th wedding anni, and we try to go back each year, to re-create the scene. Each time we go, its fun, music is great, and they make the best cosmo's we've ever had! You should go, you won't forget it!
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The Elephant Room was rated as one of the top ten places for Jazz in the US by USA Today. It is in the basement off of Congress, making it dark and cozy (a perfect place for jazz). The service was good, but the jazz was better.
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I went there with a Mexican friend of mine who has a scar on his face.
The door guy let us in, and then the manager guy rushed over and asked to see our IDs again, and he said they were fake. They were not. He finally let us in. Then the bartender shoved the tip jar in our face when we got beer. We are both tippers - there was no reason to act this way. THEN, the uptight guy and another guy stood very close by while we sat there drinking. We were unable to get a second pitcher of beer. The bartender just ignored us.
I didn't understand what was going on. Tom said he gets that reaction from people because of his appearance. He's dark, male, and has scary dark dangerous eyes, and a NASTY SCAR! From a gangster fight no doubt!
He's an art student who delivers Odwalla juice, for heaven's sake.
That place sucks.
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Elephant Room has been a staple for me since I moved to Austin. In college we would always go there as it represented a great classic dive bar, that you could have a beer and listen to some jazz. On my visit just this past weekend it was still the same place that I remember and love. There are rarely lines, but arrive late for a good show and you may find yourself standing. If you aren't stuck up its easy to make friends at the bar, or sharing a table that's only partially filled with another group. If you are looking for girly drinks keep on walking because this is a real bar, and even though our bartender can make a mean Mexican martini, you'll get it in a pint glass. On the upside (literally) there is also sushi right upstairs at Kyoto.
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Fabulous! Sweet, low-key, divey little jazz bar. No pretension -- just great sounding live music in a cozy setting with friendly service. I love the Elephant Room, and I'm working really hard at not accidentally calling it the Elephant Bar anymore.
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I dig this place. A mellow little dive bar with great jazz artists. It has a great vibe.
Good beer, good crowd, great music, friendly service.
Makes me homesick for New Orleans. Ladies, check out the first bathroom stall for some interesting social commentary.
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We're lucky to have such a cool jazz venue right downtown but I think I'd go more often if they fixed the following:
1. Stinky. Still smells of smoke, over a year (year and a half?) after the smoking ban went into effect
2. Bad wine. Expand the wine list! Really, there is no excuse for this.
Who wants to drink beer & enjoy jazz? I don't do liquor so basically I am screwed.
Here are the reasons to go:
1. Great value. Low cover & great jazz. Maybe you don't drink so you're even luckier.
2. Acoustics. They know what they're doing here. Enjoy!
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The Elephant Room was the perfect place for me to be stood up.
I was new to Austin, and hadn't been to the Elephant before. My date had told me that he loves to come here for drinks after work.
I probably wouldn't have found this place without the help of this guy because I don't really ever go to bars by myself.
We were supposed to meet at 6:30. He had confirmed early on in the day. I rode my bike down there and it was a very pretty perfect Austin breezy summer day.
After being annoyed at ths guy for like 5 minutes, I looked around me and realized that this bar is great. It is dark and cozy in a cave-like way, and the musicians that were playing were incredibly talented.
Everyone was smilng and tapping their feet. I felt right at home and not conspicious in any way, even though I was sitting by myself. I got up a bunch of times and put money in the kitty. Different local artists took turns singing and scatting, and everybody was having a real fine time.
If you love jazz, and a laid-back easy kindof vive, this place will make you very happy indeed.
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this place has excellent live jazz. it also has a good variety of beer. Kwak is soooo good. they have a lighter one called Ace Cider... is that a beer? haha
anyways, good jazz and good atmosphere.
the only bad thing is that the place is elongated with the stage at the end of it, so if you happen to get there a little too late, then you're stuck REALLY far from the band and you can't really hear much or see much.
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Though I was disappointed to find precious few actual elephants in the Elephant Room, this jazz venue, based on entertainment value alone, can be a great scene. If you forgive the dungeon-esque basement facade or the occasionally bizarre smell of the venue (weird, true) and focus instead primarily on the considerable chops of the musicians and the liberal pours, it's a nice change of pace in a city where jazz isn't always top of mind.
Through the years, as enduring as Miles or Coltrane might've imagined it.
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Bars underground are always fun, at least in my opinion and Elephant Room didn't disappoint. This is a great break from the hustle and bustle of the 6th Street Entertainment District or the holier than thou pretentiousness of the Warehouse District.
First off, as I previously mentioned it is underground in a basement which automatically gives it coolness points. The place is like a dark cave with mellow music. It is a great place to sit down, have a drink and actually get a chance to talk to your date or your friends.
Music was great and a welcome break from the usual bar fare. Service kinda sucked, hence the three star ratings. I stood at the bar for a long time just waiting for the bartender who never showed up and finally had to grab a server and ask her to please bring me a drink. She kind of balked at first and then finally agreed when I explained that the bartender was AWOL.
The drinks were served in tiny little glasses and quickly became nick named "kiddie cups" by my friends and I. The liquor selection is one of the worst in town, they have just about nothing for liquor but a ton of draft beers. So if beers are your thing you are in luck.
Even with the poor service, bad selection and cave like feel this place is still a great place to take a date or sit down with friends and actually have a conversation. I really love dive bars and places like this I just wish the bartender had been a little more professional and the selection was on par with the other bars in the area.
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This "hole in the wall", or rather, hole in the floor, is one of the more interesting clubs in Austin. Just make sure you get there early to score a table on the right, as the front is too close, the back too far away, and along the bar is too obstructed...unless you don't need to watch.
I'm not a connoisseur of Jazz, but I used to go to this place back when I tried learning trombone for a couple of years. It's a dark, smart place, and all about the music. I'm not sure if they still have the once-a-month big band nights, but I've never experienced a wall of sound (without damaging my ears) like I did on those nights. The bass trombone matched with the 4 to 6 saxophones in front really rounded out the 15 (18?) piece band and helped fill the long narrow room with classic big band jazz. Smaller ensembles accomplish this adequately as well.
Go early in the week and watch the regulars perform. Cameos are frequent. Don't miss Freddie Mendoza.
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YES!! I went on my 21st birthday, and I must say, it is infinitely better With the smoking ban.
Their appletinis and other girl drinks are to die for. But that's not why you go. You can avoid the pompous 4th street scene and the fratty 6th street scene. Its a good transition from Red River to upscale. The low ceilings and lighting make it a fabulous date spot.
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Without live entertainment the Elephant Room is not too fun. There is typically some jazz talent playing there though so prepare your foot to tap away and your head to sway ever so slightly because the bands that I have seen are definitely worth the $5 cover.
ONE MAJOR NOTE:
If you like your alcohol done right come here, the bartenders must have graduated magna cum laude of their classes because they know how to serve it up. Especially their martinis.
The place fills up fast somenights so get there early.
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I really love the Elephant Room. A laid back, dark jazz bar with great acoustics, great bartenders, good beer selection, strong drinks, and just an all around great place to chill for an evening. Not to mention the place gets even better when Ephraim Owens playing.. The guy is just way too talented to be playing a little jazz bar in Texas. This was one of the first bars I became a regular at when I moved to Austin, and I still look forward to heading down there when I can.
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love, love, LOVE this bar. I rarely go out because I'm impatient, I can't stand overzealous drunks, and I hate hot, smelly crowds. All of these things encapsulate 6th St. in my mind.
The bartenders at Elephant Room are fast, and very friendly. The music and atmosphere is amazing. The venue does tend to get a little crowded at times, but for some reason it's never been a problem for me. Everyone has been polite and easygoing.
The downside to the bar is that there can be a pretty steep cover to get in, but I definitely think it's worth it.
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The Happy Hours are mostly the older styles of jazz.
The nightly shows are mostly the modern styles of jazz.
How can you go wrong?
The Tuesday Happy Hour is Stanley Smith, an Austin treasure.
The Wednesday Happy Hours is The Jazz Pharaohs, a great mix of classic jazz and early swing featuring some of the finest musicians in town.
The wait staff is kind and generous and straightforward. By that I mean, if you are pleasant and fair to them, you get the same in return - if not, they tell you where the door is ... you don't get that enough in Austin!
Parking can be a pain in the butt, thanks to the City's genius ideas of taking out nearly twenty metered parking spots for some unknown reason? Fear not, however ... there's always free parking under City Hall only three blocks away.
The Elephant Room is great!
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This place feels right . You know what I am talking about...it's one of those places where all the elements sort of come together to form a cohesive feeling.
Historic-feeling (and by historic, I mean run down) basement space? CHECK.
Heavy-handed bartenders? CHECK.
Good acoustics? CHECK.
Attentive staff? CHECK.
Great jazz daily and nightly? CHECK.
Going there after work for drinks tonight? CHECK.
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When I first moved to Austin, I was roaming around downtown one night and I stumbled on this little bar. Immediately, my imagination got the best of me and I assumed I had found a hidden gem, squared away for my enjoyment. Obviously the fact that it was right downtown should have told me that maybe, just maybe a few other people knew how great this place was.
Anyways, this is truly what I think of when I think "jazz club." Walk down the stairs and the smokey ambiance and dim lighting set the mood. I've heard some great acts here, and the environment makes it that much better. Such a nice change of pace from the rest of the sixth street bar and club scene. This is a must see.
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I keep crashing my car on memory lane. All it takes is one conversation to dredge up images of my days in Austin (1998 to 2002, UT alumnus).
I live in San Francisco, supposedly the best city on the West Coast for Jazz, and yet all of the jazz clubs here are ritzy, over-priced, and cheesy.
The Elephant room is everything a jazz club should be. This was my go-to place for first dates back when I was 21 and girls were impressed by going to something other than keg parties. Incidentally, girls in SF are impressed by keg parties (I think it has something to do with nostalgia or hipsterness, but I really don't understand women or popular culture).
I want to paint a picture of this place as it exists in my mind: As you walk down the stairs, you can hear the faint sounds of horns, bass, and drums coming from underground on the other side of the door. The door opens and you can see the pillars supporting the building above, exposed. The bar is smoky (used to be back then) and the shelf is full of top quality whiskeys. Ephraim Owens is playing on stage and people are nodding their heads in appreciation. You sit down with your drinks and just lose yourself. Your date is impressed. You're 21 and not worried about getting a job, or having to go to work the next day. The music is so good that you close your eyes for a moment, and when you open them, you're six years older and remembering how much sweeter life used to be when you were 21.
I need to make it back out to Austin...
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Classiness without pretentiousness...this is the best way I can think of to describe the Elephant Room. A real basement dive bar in the middle of downtown without the downtown college kid feel. I thoroughly enjoy this place, it's probably one of the best places in the city to enjoy live jazz music any night of the week.
The acoustics are amazing, the crowd is mellow, the music is great, and the waitstaff is right on top of things. I've never sampled any of their mixed drinks, but they do have quite an impressive selection of beer.
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This musty, old, basement-turned-jazz bar is one of my favorite places to go in Austin. You can find a great band here practically every night of the week. A lot of times the University of Texas students will play here, and they are really good.
I've seen a lot of quartets and quintets here, but I like them all the same. Mondays are open mic nights and it gets incredibly crowded, but some amazing artists come out of the woodworks to play here.
The wait staff is great, but I don't think I have ever seen the owner.
Their happy hours are great, and usually not that crowded, considering it is right downtown and all.
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Love the location. From friends' descriptions, I assumed it'd be a lot more pretentious. It's clearly not. Cool attitude, nice music. I wish I knew more about jazz so I could say something more about the bands that play here, but I went out with a bassist who plays here sometimes, and I assume he's good, but he is a student -- I guess you have to take what you can get when you want to offer jazz every night.
I went in early on a night without cover, which was nice, but I'd pay a cover if I had to.
Good semi-relaxing evening, decent drink prices. I was facing the stage, and the neon light in the shape of a martini-like glass is asymmetrical, which meant I couldn't stop staring at it -- so I'm taking one star for decor.
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I've been told that we have one of the best collection of jazz musicians in the country, by a gaggle of cool cats I met at the Four Seasons one night.
And here is one of the best places to hear them, I was told. Other places, they stressed, testing any level of coolness, I'd have to find out for myself (I did find out St. James Jazz Festival).
Now the word is out since it's been named 10th best and one of the 50 best jazz venues in the country by Wynton Marsalis and Downbeat, respectively.
What's so sublime about the Elephant Room is that its comfortable environs on those nights you want to go out, but don't want the rowdiness that goes along with it.
To sit in the space, and watch the musicians figure out melodies and resolutions in real time, a nice respite from the chaos around Congress and 6th street area.
When Pamela Hart sings, GO.
