Memories of Our Austin - Bars

Ski Shores... another one bites the dust

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:24:14 -0700

Well, I really received a shock the other day. We had some guests from out of town who had spent enough time in Austin to know the cool spots. It was decided that we would all trek to Ski Shores for an afternoon of burgers, beer, and old-time Austin vibe. I suppose two out of three ain't bad but that vibe is long gone. Ski Shores has turned into little Disneyland with a bar... kids everywhere.

I don't fault the management for making a decision that will probably keep the business afloat and with us for many more years to come. It is just another notch on the list of "long gone" Austin places that personified the culture of our town. What passes for Austin culture these days seems to come out of a mayonnaise jar. Whether it's the artificial Bohemia of South Congress, the hipster popularity contest of East-side cocktail bars, or plastic playscape-themed conversions of previous dives, it all seems a little desperate.

Back in the 80's, Dallas seemed to "wake up" to what was happening in Austin and tried to manufacture hip culture: South Greenville, Deep Ellum, etc., were 100% contrived attempts at cool. I would look upon these with the smug satisfaction that here in Austin, we had the real thing. I look around now and and it seems that the pre-fab forces are gaining on us.

The Treehouse Restaurant

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:31:16 -0700

The Treehouse restaurant was a fairly highbrow eatery, its name came from the fact that the main dining room was built on stilts, in the treetops. You parked below.

You can still see the remains across from the Doughetry Arts Center on Barton Springs near South Lamar. It was open in the 70s, closed, then reopened briefly some years later. Its been shuttered for a very long time now.

Texas Tavern

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:09:49 -0700

Some of my fondest memories of U.T. were spent over a the Texas Tavern in the Student Union Building having a beer while I studied. Or pretended to study. It was huge, expansive with an enormous wooden bar. TV's all around. Always had this weird mix of people actually trying to study and the rest of us having a good time.

Sadly I will also remember it as the place I watched the final flight of the Challenger in 1986. Several hundred of us crowded around the TV sets trying to see what happened.

Remembering Ken Featherston

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:13:39 -0800

Ken Featherston was from my neighborhood near Oso Park in Corpus Christi. I knew his sister from school and the neighborhood, but just saw him around, cause he was older. We were all proud of him though. He was off in Austin working a staff artist (here's a cover he did for the Marshall Tucker band) and as a bouncer for the Armadillo. That lead to his death. In 1975 he was working security for a Pointer Sisters show at the Armadillo. Someone had been escorted out by another fellow, and unfortunately that person thought that they should come back and shoot and kill somebody. So we lost him. I just want him to be remembered. So, here's a link to some of his posters done for the Armadillo and for sale by wolfgangs vault. If you hunt around you can find more of the cover art he did for albums. Who knows how famous he would have gotten if he'd not been killed so young, but he was famous with me.

Oak Hill Bars in the 60's

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:41:19 -0800

I practically grew up in the bars out in Oak Hill. It was very rural then and pretty tough area of town.

Highway Cafe, run by Grouchy was my parents favorite.

The Western Inn, the last incarnation was Serrano's before it was torn down. Spent lots of time there too. Had a track that us kids played on. Dug crawfish out of the banks of the creek behind the place. The owner went to jail for cattle rustling. Steaks were cheap.

The Spot. Very small place close to what is now Oak Hill Liquor. Had a little red dot that spun around outside. My sister's father in law's favorite place.

Sportsman Inn... tough place, lots of gambling went on there. Many pool tables. Coleman's garage is now located on that spot.

Circleville Inn. corner of Circle Drive and Thomas Springs Road. Great story with that place. Shooting took place there and the fight was on again at Brackenridge in the emergency room. It was one of the toughest places around. Lots of cedar choppers went there.

The Little Wheel.. now the location of the 290 Bar and Grill. Good little beer joint with a small dance floor.

Cottonwood Inn.. Across the street from the Circleville Inn. If you felt like getting into a fight go to either place.

Later on...The Silver Dollar. Our 10 year reunion (Crockett High School) in 1980 involved a visit to this dancehall.

Squirrel's Inn

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:38:28 -0800

This little green building on the corner of Barton Springs and Riverside Drive was next to my dad's shop. He went there most every afternoon to knock down a couple. Threadgill's is there now.

I just remember the longnecks and the small glasses that they poured the beer into.

Enchanted Tavern

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:47:45 -0700

On the road to Volente, you can still find the shell of the Enchanted Tavern. Just another cedar chopper bar way back when...

Kings Dew Drop Inn

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:45:09 -0700

There wasnt much to recommend driving to Volente except the drive. At the intersection of Volente Highway and Lime Creek Road (at the stop sign downtown Volente) was the King's Dew Drop Inn. Now a real-estate office...

Sittin' Bull

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:12:24 -0800

I was 18 and new to town.I was a blues fan, but Antones was yet to open.There was not much of a blues scene yet.I heard that the band to see was Storm.I checked the paper and saw they were playing a place called Sittin' Bull.Imagine my surprise as this 18 year old walks into a topless bar for the first time.The guitarist was excellent..some pony-tailed guy named Jimmie Vaughn.Lewis Cowdery played harp and sang.The late,great Freddie Pharoah Walden on drums.Sorry I forget the bassists name,but I believe he later played with Anson Funderburgh for years{so did Freddie].Weeks later,Jimmie Vaughn and Kim Wilson started a new band,and Antones opened.A historic summer for sure.

Ginny's Little Longhorn

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:10:23 -0800

Surely you've been to Ginny's at least once. You remember, it was that time you went to see Dale Watson on a Wednesday night. Maybe it was on one of the chicken shit Sundays. Or perhaps, it was even before that... before it was Ginny's even. That little square building of honky tonk perfection was originally Dick's Little Longhorn. Ginny inherited it through kindness and duty. In any case, it's safe to say "It don't get more Austin than that."

Ginny and Sharon (as far as I know) are still tending bar, the music is still real country music that fosters participation. The type of music that has fused the Austin culture together better than any other force.
Please, for me, go to Ginny's, sit at the bar, order a Lone Star, enjoy the no-cover-required music, and savor the way it used to be. Oh and by the way, the restrooms are the way they used to be also!

Les Amis

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:10:23 -0700

As Joni Mitchell said "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone", and so I feel about Les Amis. I never really hung out there beyond the occasional lunch or afternoon beer. The crowd there was always a little too artsey, too east-coast bohemian, and the menu was expensive! Looking back though, "Les" was a cultural nugget for old Austin and especially for campus culture. It was there during the riots, during the fawning disco days, during the punk scene, and it had a place and purpose in each of those.

The film "Viva Les Amis" should be required viewing for anyone on this site. Good history and snapshots from our time gone by. Here's one for you... look familiar?

The Back Room

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:04:16 -0700

Anyone remember the two guys who ued to do an acoustic set at this place in the mid/late 70's? They were great/funny showman as well as great musicians. They'd pack the joint everytime they played.

Vulcan Gas Company

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:57:14 -0700

The Vulcan Gas Company was a downtown venue where bands performed with psychedelic light shows as a backdrop. It was a place to see and be seen, to listen and enjoy. It may not have been a bar, but I vaguely remember alcohol's being involved somehow.

Pink Lizard

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:00:36 -0700

The Pink Lizard was a real dive located on the drag somewhere between the Orange Bull and 24th Street. It was a one story bar with low ceilings, wet floors, dim lights, and cold beer. The juke box was the best...Magic Carpet Ride, Hey Jude, lots of other great classic rock and roll table-top-dancing tunes. It was there in the late '60's and the 70's.

The Orange Bull

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:44:51 -0700

When I came to UT in '67, it was at the end of the alcohol burning big iron culture, just before the smoke fueled hip scene caught on, and the Drag (and even Speedway just south of the campus) was sprinkled with old dives that sold beer to students. The Orange Bull was one of those, on the Drag about 2600 block, above a dry cleaners.

When I became a Summer Orientation Adviser in '68, the group would meet there every Thursday after the kiddies went back to Dumas or Abilene. The Order of the UT drank too much beer and sang too many Hank Williams songs. Good times and fun people. I'm looking for pictures of the OB, if anybody has any.