This place is pretty awesome and it was merely luck that we ended up here. We tried to go to a speakeasy in the same shopping center but it was closed for repairs. We then went to a bar in the shopping center and decided to look for hookah and boom! "Less than a minute away" was this place! We walked in at 8 on a Saturday and were able to get a table. The parking was moderately hard to find so get there early or park on the street. We saw another couple had the pineapple bowl and it was $45 but the grapefruit bowl struck out fancy so we got that with melon shisha. It was great and would get it again! The service was very attentive and the ambiance was pretty awesome. The music was appropriate and not blaring loud which I appreciated. We will definitely come back and use that pineapple bowl Yelp deal! I wish we had seen it before. The other perk is that they serve hard alcohol so you can smoke while you drink! They also serve food such as appetizers. read more

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Food and service is always a important attribute when it comes to any place I go to. I have been here a few times and it continues to get better. The staff was very attentive and kind as we vibed with the dj. read more

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This place is amazing!! Used to live in Austin, TX and this is our go to place whenever we come back to visit. Such a fantastic bar and cocktail lounge. They have a very well stocked full bar and lots of indoor and outdoor seating. You will not be disappointed! read more

Darband Bar & Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The hookah was decent, but I feel like the pricing is a bit steep. Also this place isn't BYOB but is instead buy your own drinks at the bar which is pretty disappointing to me as well as I much prefer the hookah lounges that are BYOB. The hookah lounge looks alright inside. Service was decent. I don't know I've heard good things about this place from my hookah friends but I can't help but feel it's a tad overrated. Not bad hookah though, I would maybe come back but not spend as much on the hookah there. My hookah was literally 43 dollars lmao that's about 20 dollars more than what I normally spend on a hookah and it just felt average was all :/. Could be the flavor I picked out from the special menu idk. read more

Disappointed with Darband. This use to my favorite spot. To secure a seat on Friday you have to buy a bottle, which is not a problem. But $250 for $9 wine from Walmart is ridiculous! They should get rid of rsvp on Fridays, should be first come first serve. There is already limited seating. There is a guy that reserves multiple sections every Friday, but not everyone shows up for his party. Then you can't be seated anywhere because this guy has reserved all seats. Don't lose your loyal customers trying accommodate one person. read more

Do NOT come here!!! Very over priced drinks and food. Went last night between 11pm-12am, place was super dead. Bought 2 drinks as double shots and that was $48!!! I asked the bartender why she charged one drink as $24 and she advised they charge by the shot. So basically 1 extra shot is $12!!! The bartender failed to inform us upon ordering. This is ridiculous!!!! We also bought a hookah which was $30. So 2 drinks and 1 hookah came out to be $99!!!! Also, on the receipt it stated a 5% gratuity was added to the bill but the bartender gave herself a $20 tip!!! Horrible experience, I will NEVER come here again!! read more

This place is under new management and really exceeded my expectations. Tyler and Amine took great care of us. The selection of flavors is plentiful and there's no extra charge to mix. The gyro was also really good and their food comes out really quick. Good music and good vibes read more

Really enjoy this new hangout by our place. Bartenders makes great drinks and charge you fairly. Hookah here is fun and the atmosphere is great but be careful when ordering here... hookah will get up charged with every little thing.. orange, mango. pineapple. Flavors are pretty weak but you really come for the vibe, themes and tasty drinks. Also they have pretty cool staff and fun dj. WATCH FOR THE UPCHARGES. read more

This place is a joke. The hookah has no flavor and honestly I think it was a leftover. The guy added bunch of stuff without even asking like the icing tube and other stuff he mentioned like the iced water for the hookah and charged me $50 for just a hookah and cup of tea. read more

my friend And I stopped in last night after a work trip. We didn't know what to expect but we heard the music coming from inside the bar. They do a good job at keeping you 6 feet apart and making sure everyone wears their mask. We tried to order fish bowl but it was only two in our party so we had to order individual drinks because you need three or more to get the bowls. The DJ was playing amazing music all night!!! Make sure you get there early because they do run out of space. Also if you're looking for something to eat and get the chicken wings!!!! C H I C K E N W I N G S!!!!! I live in Houston so they're really comparable to like strip club links and they were amazing and the french fries everything. I'll definitely be back here when I'm in Austin again! read more

Employee are very fun and nice hookahs good I just don't like mint it's taste funny decent price drinks big variety As well and live Dj all genres read more

This is my first time hitting the streets in Austin this is a dope spot with a Dope vibe. All the servers are nice and willing assist.

The best places for hookah in Austin actually the only one!!! It's the only one with a Full bar!!! Totally the best time read more

Love this place . Out of town. First time here Service is great , hookah and drinks as well Great music and atmosphere Ask for Kay read more

Darband Bar & Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Austin, Texas

Good booze, good company. I came here with a group of people after happy hour and loved this place. It's open, BYOB friendly, and not crowded at all. The atmosphere is laid back (as most hookah lounges usually are) and they even gave us free reign to use their aux chord and play music the music we wanted. It was a fantastic night of (inexpensive) drinks, talk/ laughs, and (mostly me) breaking it down on their open dance floor. I couldn't ask for a better way to wrap up a Wednesday night. read more

Phil is amazing and his brother Ceno is amazing!! The hookah is good and the wings are fantastic!! But the customer service is even better!!

So I haven't smoked hookah in years and maybe this is why I'm giving it 5 stars (due to my naivete) but I really had a great time here :) My friend comes here often so he was very skilled regarding the best hookah places. The owners seemed really friendly and seemed to know everyone (including my friend). It was so interesting all the different types of people that came - either really chilled out or kind of dressed up...We chose the blueberry flavor for the pipe - I guess you can smoke out of fruit now?? I enjoyed the taste and watching people. The music was very eclectic and lots of different lights, tables and people which made it so fun and interesting. I think they serve food there, too. I'm really not much a smoker but I found myself pleasantly surprised by how much fun I had here :) read more

Fun place, great service, nice variety of flavors, good music they play a lot of top hits, so you're sure to hear a repeat or two. Fun, young hip crowd, very friendly and welcoming. After 10:30 there's bound to be people living it up and dancing. Hope they expand their alcohol selection soon. The gyros are simple, good and tasty after hours niblets! Love this place! Will be back a lot. The outdoor seating is cool, my fave is the pallet benches with Persian rugs, comfy! read more

I took my boyfriend here a few weeks ago for a friends birthday party. (he had never been) He truly enjoyed the atmosphere and seeing the culture that he has rarely witnessed. We were able to tare up the dance floor and enjoy our own beverages thanks to their BYOB policy. Although, you could not bring in your own soda. The family that runs the place was so nice that when my inevitably drunk birthday friend didn't want the party to end they just sat and watch her dance her way through the rest of the night. And for that I thank you for your hospitality. I will return!! read more

Overall, I really enjoyed Darband. A hookah bar? Within minutes of my house? In the middle of Texas? Sign me up. Love me some hookah. Went with a friend on Thursday, and we were probably there on the early side, since the only other human being there at 8pm was the lone employee. The decor is...interesting. The hookah...delicious. We got guava lemon mint and some Persian tea, and it hit the spot. The gentleman in charge provided new coals upon request, and was very friendly. I would've given this place 5 stars, except for the DJ situation. About an hour or so in, the "DJ" showed up. And by "DJ", I am of course referring to the adolescent male who showed up with his girlfriend, and would periodically go into the DJ booth to queue up various dubstep videos on YouTube. It was so poorly coordinated that the ads would actually play between songs, full blast. Seriously? Even firing up a Pandora station would've been an improvement. Figure it out. read more

This is a hidden gem among hookah lounges in the Austin area. It's authentic down to the decor. The hookahs are traditional, and they aren't over priced at all. They use mesquite coals so there's no harsh over tone of a disgusting quick light to ruin your bowl. The low seating and red lighting makes you have a mellow hookah experience, like a lounge should offer. On the weekends, they offer a different atmosphere with tons of traditional belly dancing and Middle Eastern music. They have BYOB and the family that runs it is just the sweetest. If you're looking for a more traditional experience with hookah, DarbanD is the place to get it. read more

Really amazing place, best service, they really care about customer's satisfaction!

This place is the go to spot for local underage high schoolers because they don't ID and have a crap DJ that only plays the billboard top 20 with some of his own I made this up while I was on the toilet beats in the background. Parents if your wondering where your 16 year old is going every Friday night they're probably here at Darband trying to impress their squad with some vape tricks. read more

Amazing hookah and service! This place is SO warm and welcoming. The waitress came by to check on us several times to make sure we were happy and didn't need anything without being overbearing. She recommended the Peach hookah and it was delicious and potent. I highly recommend it. Prices weren't too high which is always a plus as well. There is a DJ that comes in on weekends around 11pm and ladies night as well as a belly dancer night. The setting is relaxed and warm. An overall really comfortable and chill setting. I would definitely recommend trying out this place if you're looking for local hookah. read more

They are the best in town they have best customer service and gratitude!!! The staff is very attentive and friendly. The vibes are great. Try the PS Diva cocktail, it tastes amazing. If you're looking for a hookah lounge with a club vibe, this is the spot. read more

Great time visiting. Fun date night. Affordable Hookah prices. Reasonable drink prices and the customer service was great. Will definitely return visit if I find myself in Austin again! read more

When you're here, you're habibi. Love these guys. They actually take care in making you a great hookah. Real comfortable atmosphere. And a nice change from the dive bars in the neighborhood. Belly dancing on Wednesday nights! And a legit drink menu. read more

Going here since the first day since they opened, a definite place to go. Convenient for the north side folks and includes a wide adieu of flavors. I recommend getting the fruit bowl and some Persian tea. read more

Great place!! Chill vibes and good times. Phil and his staff are attentive and great, they are also social and conversational. They have recently done some remodeling as well and built a brand new full service bar! read more

Cafe Darband is great. I was looking for a great Hookah place to lounge at with friends and decent prices. It's NOT sketchy AT ALL. Very nice, I loved my server. She was a sweetheart. The staff is very attentive. constantly checking your coals. Loved the fire pit outside. One time I went to a hookah lounge and my car got busted into. With this place I was completely at ease. I'll 100% be back and completely recommend this place!!!! read more

This is most definitely a place I would recommend the environment is really calm and the employees are welcoming.

My experiences with Darband are great! Everyone is down to earth! Hookah's are A1! The wings and fries are really good.

Awesome new place!!! Great seating Byob. Great shesha mixes. Definitely give it a shot.

On April 11th I went to this place with my friends. The bartender told me that he needed a card to start the tab so I gave him mine. At the end of the night they charged me the right amount $117 but suddenly someone charged another $10 when I left. I didn't notice that. However, yesterday I was trying to make a purchase and my card declined. Mind you, they had been taking money out of my account for the past week. Yesterday they took $80 in 8 transactions of $10 and last week they did the same. They took a total of $160 and the transaction activity shows that it was made in Saudi Arabia! WHAT A COINCIDENCE! I called my bank yesterday and they claimed that it was a fraud and Are investigating the whole situation. However, the bank gave a temporary credit until the investigation are completed. I am very disappointed with this Hookah Lounge. Whoever took a picture of my card and started stealing from me for a whole week is messing with the club's reputation. I'm not going to this place never again. And please Guys, make sure to use cash... there are straight scammers in this Hookah Lounge read more

I absolutely love this place! My one and only complaint is that on weekends, the DJ is so loud you can hardly hear yourself think. Sounds like a club, not a hookah lounge. The rest of the week they play excellent Persian/Middle Eastern sounding music that is very relaxing. The staff, especially Kathy and Alex, are always excellent and very, very friendly. They remember repeat customers and are genuinely happy to serve you. Plus, the $10 BYOB charge aint bad either. The shisha is always fresh and delicious and they refresh your coals often to give you the best quality hookah experience. They have limited outdoor seating but plenty of room on the inside with comfortable furniture as well. GREAT place to go if you're wanting quality hookah without going all the way downtown. read more

I hate to leave a bad review, but this place was awful... Our hookah lost it's taste within 5 minutes and then tasted horrible. I later bought a $7 burger and it took about 20 minutes until they brought it to me.... And the burger was so bad. So over cooked and dried out that it almost tasted crunchy. After asking if there was anything they could do to make the hookah taste better, he put a tiny bit more of sheesha in it(after insisting that I pay for more when I thought that was bullshit). And then he continued to ask my friend and I if we've been there before. We both said "no" and then he sarcastically goes "YOURE WELCOME." I don't think we're going to be coming back. read more

Very laid back, decor not so fancy the people are nice, didn't try the food, the sweets looked kinda good..flavors are not all that.

This is the closest hookah place to my house so I thought I'd give it a shot. Like most places in the area, there is no parking. I can't really fault the cafe though, because just about every hookah place in Austin has terrible parking. I came with someone for a date, which was a poor choice. There are no private places to sit in the entire place. Normally I don't get upset when there is a cover, because I can simply look up the nights that have a cover and avoid them, but this place doesn't have a website that I can find, so I didn't know until after I got there. This, plus the 13.99 hookah, set us back $25 dollars. I guess they were going to have belly dancing that night and thus, the reason for the cover. The hookah selection wasn't near as good as some in the area. It took a while to get our hookah, and when we did, the hose was wrong and had to be changed. After changing, the staff insisted on 'starting' our hookah for like, five full minutes. So 15 minutes after walking in, we finally got our hookah ready to smoke. The hookah itself was okay, nothing special. I found it a bit drab tasting, like the bowl hadn't been cleaned in a while, but I can't know for sure. It also did not last very long at all. The music was good, though waaaaaaay too loud. We couldn't even talk, it was so loud. The flashing lights bothered my partner, so we had to move once, and they were still bothersome. They charge for water, which is funny because almost every place in the area has free water because the tap is potable in North Austin. We waited for our second set of coals for 20 mins after our first set ran out, but they never came. We were going to ask for them, but between us we decided it wasn't worth waiting, because of the poor atmosphere and because the hookah didn't taste that great. Overall, it wasn't worth the money and it wasn't a hookah lounge atmosphere at all. If you want something with bright, flashing lights and loud club music to go with your hookah, you'd like this place. Personally, I want something a lot more chill, and with better hookah service. read more

Awesome place to just chill and relax. They play a variety of Middle Eastern music along with Hip Hop & Rap (DJ takes requests). They have a BYOB policy. Can't wait to go back! read more

Very good service. Lots of fun. I had a really good time. The hookah was the best in Austin. Very friendly staff and the music was perfect. Lots of dancing. Good atmosphere. Highly recommend. This is a hidden gem for sure. Thank you Darband for making my Friday night a blast. read more