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Categories: Dive Bars, Music Venues [Edit]
Neighborhood: Allandale
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Wow, what a super fun crowd, awesome music, great prices and chicken shit bingo. This place is an original for sure!
Clean freaks need not enter :)
Chicken Shit Bingo is where it's at. People from all walks of like partying inside and outside, staring at a chicken and screaming for it to poop on their number. Totally bizarre but the chance to win up to $200!!
Plus you can bring your own alcohol and buy set-ups there as well as lawn chairs and pretty much whatever you want.
The down side is that it does get really crowded inside and the line for the bathroom can be SUPER long.
Ginny's is a total hole. That said, it's a hole worth visiting.
You never know who you'll meet, the crowd is so varied (old folks, motorcycle riding tatted folks, hipsters, gawkers, dancers), the beers are cold and it's BYO. Free chili dogs, chickens pooing, dale watson, sitting outside on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, the possibility of winning $200. That's the good. The bad... there are fuzzies hanging from the ceiling that have been there since 1984, only one bathroom and it is hot as hell inside especially when you're waiting for 15 minutes in line to buy your golden ticket.
What to pack: Chair, cards, fritos (for frito pie if you're not in to lukewarm dogs), your real dog, your kid, a card table, some cash and a handle of whatever drink you love.
Taste that? That's what freedom tastes like. Slacker Sunday at it's finest.
I love places with all kinds of different sensations at once. Booze, crazy people, chilidogs, music, friends and chickenshit bingo? Sign me the hell up. Oh, and bingo is only on Sunday.
The inside is way too small and the lines for the bathrooms are ludicrous. Bring some camp chairs and your own booze and mixers, then head inside and they'll hook you up with ice for free. Get enough friends and just make a nice little circle outside.
The bingo is nuts, I've never seen that many people screaming about defecation. But one of the guys in our group, literally his first ever attempt, won. Turned two bucks into 142. Hard to top that.
My five star rating is based on an average of six stars (or more!) if you like traditional country music, and four if you don't. As a big fan of that genre, Ginny's is my favorite bar in the world. Sure, it's small and it's dirty, but:
+ They bring in a slate of live music that matches anybody, anywhere, playing strictly for tips. On top of that, bands always seem to really enjoy playing there.
+ Ginny, Sharon, or whoever else is working behind the bar make you feel at home
+ The crowd, which is a mixture of all types, is friendly. After dozens of visits, I've never seen anyone given a hard time. Maybe everyone heeds the sign behind the bar: "No cussin. No fussin. No hasslin. No wrasslin."
The bingo is fun enough, but it draws such huge crowds that you're best off to bring a lawn chair and enjoy the music from the parking lot.
Do you like hot, tiny bars with $2 Lonestars and free hot dogs? Do you like chicken shit bingo, tiny dance floors and an array of patrons? Then this is probably your dream come true.
We had never heard of CSB, so we decided to see what it was all about. We never got around to playing because the line got long, FAST, but now that we know, we might go back. We got the last table in the place, right next to the band area, so we had a front row view for music and dancing.
I love dirty, grungy bars and this place has character. Ginny herself is quite a character, too. I'll probably go back for a real game soon.
unique Austin place. Chicken shit bingo. Go for that alone. Just go and have a drink there already.
Throw on your boots and grab a few friends and a cab...if you're looking to complete the perfect "Sunday Fun Day" this is where you need to end up. One thing I love about Austin is how you can stumble in to places like this and find yourself standing 2 feet enjoying a Lone Star next to Austin legend Redd Volkaert while he's jamming out.
One of the most hilarious events I have ever been to is Ginny's "chicken shit bingo", and if you haven't caught this one yet get your butt up there. Don't forget to take cash, there's lots of regulars that work hard to win the pot at this thing. Don't worry about eating first, they have free hot dogs to curb your hunger pangs in between a few cold ones.
It's a dive. It's open at 9AM on most days to get your drink on. It's got beer. It's got set ups if you bring your favorite distilled beverage. It's got Chicken Shit Bingo and Dale Watson. It's got bathrooms. It's got bathrooms I have not dared to enter. It's small. It's got some characters that like to hang out there. It's got a pool table. It's got window air conditioners that might be older than you.
It's got Ginny.
I went to Ginny's for the second time today. The first time I won chicken shit bingo...I was hoping my luck would return. Maybe I was being too greedy! :)
The family run bar has so much character from the free chili dogs, patrons or the pooping chicken Dixie.
Be warned if you have agoraphobia...do not go! This place is small and it gets very packed, plus there are people running around with messy chili dogs. If you don't get stepped on with a cowboy boot or a little chili sauce on your jeans...I would have to say mission accomplished!
Chicken shit bingo
Pickled eggs look old as dirt
One more Lone Star please
Ginny's is a landmark, pure and simple.
It's a tiny little place with a postage stamp sized dance floor and one pool table that makes you make friends with those standing around if you try to play.
The best thing is that pool table becomes a part of the best Sunday you've ever had. Every Sunday they put a numbered board down, a little box of chicken wire, and give the masses Chicken Shit Bingo! Free hot dogs aren't the main draw...it's the spirit of competition in hoping the chicken will shit on your number and there by making you a winner!
There is always great live music. Texas swing by and large, will set the tone for your night. Expect to be elbow to elbow unless you venture out to the parking lot where good times are always had.
Ride your bike or drive your rat-rod, you'll be welcome at Ginny's!
Not too much to add.
The crowd on Sundays is probably more eclectic than you would guess. You owe it to your out of friends to take them here one afternoon. Get there real early if you want a spot inside though (the only bummer), but with the ridiculous cheap beer and free chili dogs its hard to get too upset.
What do you call a bar that closes on a Saturday afternoon so they can prep for a baby shower...you read that right...but when a group of 25 drunken bus-riding people show up at the front door they open up and serve everyone Schlitz? Which guarantees the group will openly laugh when the guests arrive?
You call it Ginny's Little Longhorn.
I wish I could give you 0 stars... Three friends and I walk in for the first time, wearing polo shirts and jeans. Somehow, that makes us stick out... We walk up and ask for four jager bombs, not realizing its a beer only kind of place... The bartender looks at us and tells us they've already had last call, despite it not being past 1am at this point... and then promptly serves the guy next to us. After trying to inquire further, she tells us we are too drunk to be served, even though we definitely weren't, as our breathalyzer reiterated to us. Clearly, our kind isn't welcome there.
What happened to your 14 ball? Good luck playing pool now... Sorry we don't fit in...
When the six of us arrived, we wondered about the size of the place. Tiny. But when we entered, the place became larger than life. Old wood floors. Rickety chairs. A hodge podge of tables. A game of dominoes. Signs and photos depicting ads, famous singers and Dale Watson, who plays here regularly.
The band tuning up on this particular night was Jim Stringer and the A.M. Band. Damn they were good. The piano player was outstanding! We listened to lots of country music and some of us danced although there is barely room for two couples.
Ginny (she's the gray haired gal wearing the burnt orange Longhorn t-shirt) has not dusted her light fixtures for 40 years and you might have to remind her to replace the toilet paper in the women's restroom. But the bartenders are attentive and friendly and the beer is cheap and cold. No hard liquor is served but our Jim Beam drinking friend brought his own and Ginny provided the setups.
Don't miss this fun little honky tonk. And be sure to say hello to Ginny when you go. I'm not sure if we will make it for "Chicken Shit Sunday". That's when you bet on where the caged rooster will poop. Sound fun?
Chicken shit bingo, y'all!
*Spit*
Yelp probably doesn't need another Ginny's review but I have to complete my tour of set-up bars.
First of all, Ginny's is soooo much more than Chicken Shit Bingo. As a matter of fact, on any given day it is very likely the center of the Honky Tonk Country Music (HTCM from here on) Universe. A little melodramatic you say? I have a thought experiment that I'd like you to do with me.
This past Sunday had Gary Claxton backed up by Lisa Pankratz, Kevin Smith, and Erik Hokannen. All of whom are world class at their respective instrument. I guarantee it was the best HTCM going on at the time in the state. Everyone in Dallas was watching the Cowboys lose to St. Louis and Houston was stuck in traffic. Forget San Antonio, maybe just maybe there's was something going on at the stockyards in Ft. Worth but I doubt it was that good.
If it's true that it was the best HTCM in Texas then it's not a big leap to say it was the best in the USA. Cocky? Maybe, but I doubt Miami or Seattle or anywhere else except possibly Nashville had something as good as that going on and everybody knows the great players in Nashville don't gig in bars, they're too busy playing sessions and helping to turn out the big steaming bag of dog shit that is Modern Country (BSBODS from here on).
So, if the music is the best in Texas, the best in the USA, then it pretty much has to be the best in the world because you can pretty much cross off every continent except maybe Europe and even that's a stretch. Besides, when it's 6:00 here it's the middle of the night over there and everyone's asleep anyway.
So if we agree that the HTCM being played on any given Sunday (or Tuesday for Jim Stringer and Wednesday for Roger Wallace as well) at Ginny's is the best on the planet then until aliens land one day sportin' some mean chops on steel and twin fiddles playing "What A Way To Live" correctly then I'm pretty sure it's the best in the Universe.
Prove me wrong.
And you can bring your own bottle.
Those of you that have never waited with bated breath for a farm animal to take a dump on a pool table have clearly never been to Ginny's Little Longhorn on Chicken Shit Sunday. For the uninitiated, this where a large bingo card is placed on a pool table along with a chicken and for a mere two dollars a bet, you can hope against hope that said chicken will shit on your number, winning you the pot. Oh, and there are free chili dogs.
I'd been to this weekly event a couple of times before, but my friend hadn't, so we sacrificed a lazy day on the couch for the quintessential Texan experience. We drew numbers for the contest. my friend got 20, while mine had a beautiful single stroke across the ticket. This was "The Line." You want "The Line." Basically, the bingo board is a big grid with numbers and if the chicken shits on one of the grid lines, "The Line" takes the pot. Ironically, I had just been complaining earlier how I had lost out to "The Line" once before when the chicken crapped all over my number, but a little was on the line and therefore "The Line" won. I was pretty sure your odds were about 9 out of 10 of winning with "The Line." I was stoked.
We loaded up on Lone Star (well, Bud Light for those of us with taste buds) and set out to watch a chicken shit. The room was tense with excitement as "Red" the chicken started pecking about, seemingly oblivious to the twenty or thirty people surrounding the cage. Everyone would tense up as Red non-chalantly ambled over their number and then would let out a sigh as he pecked onward. For me, however, every moment was tense as I tried calculate the trajectory of the anticipated chicken shit, hoping it would find its way to one of lines below.
After about thirty minutes of this, Red had yet to do his business. We tried to steady our resolve. We had another beer.
After forty minutes of this, I started suggesting that Red should be fed some Mexican food, maybe smoke a cigarette.
After fifty minutes of this, I started to doubt that Red even had an asshole.
After an hour, we gave up watching the damned chicken and went to drinking beer. Sometime later, he finally squeezed one out, but alas, it wasn't on 20 or even "The Line."
We left slightly disappointed, but all in all, it was a success. It was a beautiful December day in Austin. There was drinking, there was smoking, there was gambling, there were barnyard animals. Oh, and free chili dogs.
Big Brother and I went here for Chicken Shit Bingo and to watch Dale Watson - I can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
The place is T-I-N-Y, but, oddly, just the right size. As Brother and I downed some beers, the place got more and more packed! Soon, we headed outside. I honestly think the best seats in the house are outside. We sat in some old chairs and shot the breeze with a gentleman who was telling us about his girlfriend's pants splitting at work (You'd be surprised how engrossing and funny a story like this is after 4 beers in the sun....).
Tons of good people watching as well. Unfortunately, we didn't actually get to see the Bingo, as it was so crowded, but at least now I have something to look forward to the next time I go back.
Total hole-in-the-wall (which is very positive, coming from me). I absolutely recommend a trip here!
I went on a Tuesday night for my first ever visit to this often reviewed bar. I was not disappointed. When I walked in (845) there was only one other patron in the bar. I grabbed a bar seat, ordered a lone star, and proceeded to watch Deadliest Catch with the bartender. The bartender was a woman in her 40's, and we discussed the relative merits of working on one of these boats for a few months and taking vacation for the rest of the year. She was very pleasant and engaging and made it easy to forget the crossword I had brought in to pass the time. Around 9 the band starting setting up (Jim Stringer and the AM Band) on the smallest stage I have ever seen. The keyboard player had to set up parallel to the bar so people could still get to the restrooms and back "patio" (chairs set up in the parking lot).
Around 930 the place started to fill up (mostly older patrons) to see the band. I thoroughly enjoyed the country (old, not the new popular "I will never cheat on my woman" bullshit), and several dancers made their way to the floor for some dancing. In between songs Jim amused us with a diatribe on what the shapes of the missing tiles in the floor looked like (Dale Watson falling from 3 stories was one).
The place is tiny, the people friendly, the music (on this night) exceptional. I will definitely be back. I also don't understand the complaints about the restrooms. Yes, the men's doesn't have a door knob, but that is no different than most dive bars in this and any state. Overall, I loved this place because of the near emptiness you are likely to find earlier in the evening.
$2 Lonestars, free chilidogs on Sundays, and the kinds of bands that just make you want to dance! The chicken shit thing is a trip. I love the outdoor area with dirty and broken old lawnchairs. I'm definitely going back...every Sunday.
After finding out that the Broken Spoke closed at 10pm, we headed over to Ginny's. On a Tuesday night it was a spot filled with locals grabbing a beer with friends while listening to country music. Everyone was super friendly to us and made us feel at home. We closed down the bar at 2 am with Ginnie's daughter.
tip: They don't serve food so don't come there hungry unless you want to be stuck eating from the wandering tamale vendor.
Best little dive bar in Texas! Ginny's is great any night of the week. You're guaranteed a good crowd, good music, and cold beer.
The first time I went my coworkers and I were the first ones there. We sat at the bar and talked to the bartender, Sherry, for a while (she is super nice).
After a while, a band started setting up. They were great! Played old country songs by request, plus some of their own music (which wasn't too shabby). Couples were doing the two-step, and before I knew it an after work happy hour had turned into a full night out.
Do not go to Ginny's if you can't handle the "dive" part of a dive bar. Also, no liquor served here, folks.
I think its been mentioned, but it bears repeating that Ginnys is about the size, and shape, of a parked commuter plane. It also bears repeating that this is a unique crowd, and on any given night you will see hipsters, gay cowboys, bikers (that building out back is an after hours biker bar), rednecks, johnny-cash wanna-bes, and middle-aged folks who can two step up a storm, or any combination of the above. Yet like a little coca cola dream, everyone lives in peace and harmony and everyone is really, really damn nice.
Its small enough that yes, when the door opens and the band isn't playing, everyone looks. But folks, its not a big place and there isn't a ton going on. You're the entertainment. They're the entertainment. Loosen up, grab a beer (or byo thing that is not beer), listen to some generally good music, and be part of the entertainment.
p.s: Its also probably the only place in town where you can see music for free AND byob...in a cooler cup, sippy cup...you see it all.
It's a dump. That's what I love about it.
I had spent the earlier part of my evening at the Flying Saucer drinking beers I'd never had before brewed in countries I had no idea even existed until my buddy and I decided we wanted a Lonestar. Ginny's was the destination.
There was a young guy dancing with all the women and a really good cover band playing a great selection of Merle Haggard songs. The Lonestars were cold, cheap, and exactly what I wanted.
I love dive bars and this is one of the better ones in town. Ginny is still there tending the bar and from what I hear Dale Watson makes several stops there throughout the month to play. For these reasons, as well as the fact that its 2 blocks from my house, Ginny's is now on the top of my drinkin hole list.
I have the sense of humor of a nine year old boy, so of course chicken poop bingo amused me to no end, being crammed into a teeny little railroad shack of a bar, trying not to spill my Shiner on anyone, and watching a chicken potter around in a coop, eating feed without a care in the world while all these suckers are cheering it on, and then she tenses and drops a gray curly deuce. Pooping is what this animal does all day long, and yet THESE poops are special. One of my friends just had a baby and in this, the first week of the child's life, I cannot tell you how much I have heard about poops, and let me tell you, those poops are special, too, but the chicken is more special because when she poops, someone wins a hundred bucks and the band will play in homage.
I honestly cracked up ten million times writing this review. I'm completely hopeless; nobody is ever going to want to marry me; save yourselves!!
Ginny's is an amazing and unique experience in Austin. It is a small (very,very small) place that gets packed every Sunday. It has the feel of a small town Texas bar. It is hard to believe it is in the middle of Austin.
I took my father here this Sunday afternoon. We were able to see a great Dale Watson show for free! According to the website, shows are always free. What a treat to see locally famous bands for free in a dive bar.
People of all ages and styles were there. Everyone was in great spirits and there was a communal feel about it. The bar is strictly beer, although I hear that you can bring liquor in and they will set you up with anything you need.
Of course, aside from the show, there were free hot dogs and there was Chicken S--t bingo. Ginny's is a good time all around.
Went there last night, great time as always. The band was good & played all the oldies but goodies
Alright, I've only been here twice but, both times were great! The first time i came i saw Dale Watson, Real country! The second time, i won chicken shit bingo! $115 on a $3 dollar bet! Chili dogs for EVERYONE!
Another of the best bars in Austin.
Chickenshit Bingo is the main reason why 'tourists' stop here, and yes, its packed as tight as a sardine can on Sundays when Dale Watson is hosting (as he usually does,) but its not Sundays that bring me to Ginnys.
Tuesday nights (currently) are hosted by the Horton Brothers with various guest musicians for a rockabilly "Roots Tuesday" which is almost never packed, and features some amazing talent.
****Edit 7/23/08 - Tuesday nights are now hosted by the great Jim Stringer, and his phenomenally talented band, with a spread of music knowledge that spans 50 years in Jim alone. Everything from the Coasters to Johnny Rivers to Jim Stringer to Porter Wagoner, and Wednesdays are the immensely underrated Roger Wallace.****
The other nights bring in other old school country and rockabilly, something severely under-represented in a Texas town. . . some of us who like country dont care to hear Toby Keith or some other crap-ass wannabe.
I can understand being stared at when you walk in, especially on a busy night, the tourists are rude, and the regulars will of course be wary from years of UT students making asses of themselves, but again, like I mentioned in a previous review, if you're that self conscious when you enter a bar, you should probably stay home.
Another bar that doesn't serve hard liquor and doesnt have beer on tap, but you should be going to the little longhorn with your own bottle of booze ($1 setups!) or expecting a Lone Star... again, this is a place that you really need to leave your attitude outside, and realize this is Ginny's place, not yours, you're just having a good time. And if you can let go of your hangups, you WILL have fun. The people are friendly, and its not nearly as hipster as the Horseshoe Lounge...
I danced the two-step here with Bob Wills daughter once, for realz. This makes me a Texan even though I was borned in Nebraska.
This is a cool little neighborhood bar. Like the Longbranch, I think it's overrated. I would call this a glorified Horseshoe Lounge, although I'm partial to the regulars at the Horseshoe.
The one thing this place has is Chicken Sh*t Bingo. You bet on a number, and a chicken runs around a board with number squares. Wherever the chicken decides to go is the winning square! This is one thing that the idea is funnier than the whole scenario. Could you imagine going to something like that every week? I guess if you've got nothing better to do, but man, I wouldn't think it would be hard to find something better to do than that.....
All right, I'm gonna put my biases aside - I'm just not into the honky-tonk rockabilly scene. But back in my old days as a swing dancer, I probably would have enjoyed a good western swing band here. It's quite crowded with regulars, and if you're a beer snob and can't deal with a Shiner or a Budweiser, then you better go elsewhere.
Some of the regular bands here are Justin Trevino, Jim Stringer, Heybale, and Billy Dee. Every Sunday is Chicken Shit Sunday! Again, I'm just not into bingo involving farm animal poop, but if you want that honky-tonk feeling, check out Ginny's.
And don't be misled by the Longhorn in the name - you'll hardly see football players here, but you will see quite a few pompadours, tattoos, red lipstick and black hair, and cat-eye glasses.
If you have friends from out of state this is where you bring them. Give them the stereotypical Texas experience! Sunday's are Chicken Shit Bingo with Dale Watson. (I would explain more, but, seeing is much better!)
If you never have been you are missing out! Also, it is beer and wine, so set-ups are sold if you want to bring the hard stuff.
Ginny's is another one of the North Burnett DIVE bars. The average patron actually seems sophisticated compared to the customers up the street at the Poodle Dog Lounge.
I guess it is another one of those places everyone should visit just once in their lives. Usually Dale Watson plays there on Sunday.
Another cultural experience is the Chicken Shit bingo that goes on Sunday evening. People buy squares on a piece of plywood and there is a chicken that runs around on it and ... You probably can guess where this is going.
Ginny's is probably one of the smallest bars I've ever had the privilege of entering. Whew. One long, narrow room. (Unless, of course, there's another room that no one told me about, which is entirely possible.)
Went to Ginny's with a couple who wanted to buy me a drink for helping them move. Fine by me. The guy, who I didn't know well, said Ginny's was one of his favorite places. Fine by me. We walked in the door and all 12 people in the joint turned to stare at us. I mean literally. It was probably one of the top 25 most uncomfortable experiences of my life.
I'm sure the staring and the near-empty bar had something to do with it being a weekday night, but it still left an impression on me. Ginny's is a true dive bar with what appeared to be a small, but loyal crowd of regulars. The beer is offered at a fine price, but you won't find an amazing selection. They do have regular (and frequent) live music performances, but the place is so small, I can't imagine how loud it must be. (Not to mention how cramped it must be for the musicians!)
I like dive bars (check out Poodledog Lounge on Burnet Rd.). I like live music. I like Austin bars with a history. Ginny's is all of these, but it just didn't turn me on. Maybe it was the staring. Maybe the staring will turn you on?
Ginny's is maybe worth a visit.
Where else can you back your truck up to the front door, pull down the tailgate, take a seat, order some beers, listen to some Texas country music, and make silly cell phone videos of a swampachaun? Nowhere else but Ginny's! Well least not in city limits. .
Walking into this place almost made me have a panic attack - lots of people in a very small space. But, like Moses, I was able to part the crowd and snag a few seats at the bar. Both the free chili dogs and the chicken bingo coop are both right by the door, which caused some traffic...and the bathroom is all the way at the other end.
It was a pretty interesting mix of people, both old school regulars and Austin's hipper crowds were elbow to elbow while enjoying cheap beers. I enjoyed the live band that was also wedged inside...unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a bingo ticket as they ran out before I made it to the front of the line.
But, there's always a next time...and I think it's worth going back again.
This is honky tonk at it's best! It's "neighborhood" and fun and cheap-- I would recommend anyone come here to partake in chicken shit bingo and mingle with the locals. You can actually set up your own chair in the parking lot and bring a beer out to enjoy the weather. Ginny's was the highlight of my trip to Austin. We saw Dale Watson perform and that was a heck of a treat for a first-timer!!!
Go on Sunday from 4-8 and bring some lawn chairs so you can set up camp in the parking lot. Also, feel free to bring a handle of whiskey, etc. (they don't sell it but are happy to let you BYOB.)
Austin, TX
Category: Dive Bars
Neighborhood: 78704 (South Austin)
Category: Music Venues
Neighborhood: Allandale
Category: Dive Bars
Austin, TX
Category: Dive Bars
Austin, TX
Category: Dive Bars
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