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    Firehouse Lounge

    4.2 (540 reviews)
    Open 12:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 2 months ago

    Firehouse Lounge Photos

    Business Info

    FIREHOUSE LOUNGE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Intimate
    Live music
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Firehouse Lounge

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    Dennis G.

    We stumbled across this place and it was a great find. Bartenders were super friendly and gave us recommendations for other places in the neighborhood. Drinks were really really good! The firehouse was built in 1885 and is now a hostel and speakeasy.

    inside
    Amber L.

    Expecting a firehouse but somehow ended up at a cute speakeasy where you enter through a bookcase in the wall? Just another regular Friday night in Austin. In all seriousness though, Firehouse is a decent speakeasy where half the fun is in taking photos at the sliding bookcase and the other half is after you wait about 20 minutes for your drinks. We ordered the passion fruit daiquiri and old fashioned (they couldn't make a strawberry daiquiri variation, not sure if they couldn't or wouldn't). The drinks are good and strong but in a dimly lit speakeasy with a strange floor plan it never really felt worth the wait. There is sometimes live music which we unfortunately didn't catch so there's likely nights where the energy is much higher and you wouldn't even notice. The speakeasy is on the far more accessible side (definitely not for parking, but it's 6th so you should Uber anyways) which is good for those who want a casual find and might be fine with waiting for their drinks. It comes across as more of a lounge so be aware of that before expecting a lot of it. But in an area littered with other options, Firehouse feels a bit average. We'd recommend it as a warmup bar if you're going out for a night on 6th but wouldn't put it down as the highlight.

    Espresso Martini
    W. Duncan Welder IV W.

    We were heading to a matinée at the State theatre and I realized my wife had never been in the Firehouse. We stopped in early and the space is lovely. Classic speakeasy - dark wood, red wallpaper, GREAT cocktails and a solid beer selection. Plus - they have tacos. Find your way behind the bookcase into the space. Ou bartender, Gabriel, was engaging and friendly. He brought us up to speed on some of the specialty events like Salsa nights. It's definitely worth stopping in if you define yourself downtown.

    Bar
    Michelle V.

    Super fun bar! We were actually walking around looking for Eden but stumbled upon the firehouse lounge and are so glad we did! The bartender working tonight was so nice and helpful - great drinks as well! My fiancée got the old fashioned and I got a Paloma and they used jarritos grapefruit sofa which is my favorite way to make a Paloma so it was delicious. My fiancée also loved the old fashioned - he drank it so quickly lol The bar is behind the bookcase inside the hostel and such a cute way to find a new spot! We loved it and we'll be back!!

    Inside
    Elsa C.

    Go here because Speakeasy's are interesting. Go here because what is better than a hidden bar behind a bookcase. So, the entrance to this place is located behind a bookcase. You walk in let your eyes adjust to the darkness and find a place to sit. Not sure if they have table service as we walked up to the bar got a menu, ordered a drink, paid for the drink, enjoyed the drink then left. Drinks were a bit sweet for me so next time maybe a beer. Go enjoy as it's a cool place to tell friends that you have gone to.

    Bar area
    Keri W.

    Wanted some drinks and this place was recommended so we stopped in. It is a speakeasy and once you go inside it feels a bit clubby. There was a DJ and he was playing some good 80/90 jams. Fun mix. The bartender was fantastic and very friendly and attentive. There were lots of people but we were at the bar so it never felt crowded. The bar stools cracked us up because they were extra tall. We stayed for two drinks and had a good time.

    The Baptist.
    Amy W.

    We love speakeasies and this one didn't disappoint! You enter through a secret passage and feel transported back in time. We really enjoyed the atmosphere. We had great bartenders and they had a great variety of drinks. We were only staying for a short visit but Austin has a ton of speakeasies so make that a priority if you enjoy that! On to the next place!

    Chards Kick & Paloma
    Soseh P.

    Stumble ups on this little gem of a place in downtown. Coolest little speakeasy spot with a sliding door that's full of books. The ambiance is very dimly lit and sensual. The drinks were very great. It has a very cool dive bar feel but not the trashy 6th street feel. Highly recommend stopping by if you are ever near this area.

    Stephanie J.

    Firehouse Lounge is a neat spot, it's the oldest standing Firehouse in downtown Austin that is now a lounge and hostel. You enter the lounge through a sliding bookcase. The craft cocktail list was basic, we both got a gimlet and it was good.

    Gold rush with sparkling water chase.
    Mallory W.

    My experience was exceptionally good! Came in on a Wednesday night & it wasn't too crowded yet wasn't empty. I'm from Cali in town visiting and everyone was so friendly. Music was on point was a mix of new and old school R&B we love that. Bartender Adrian was very attentive and made me his recommendation. I had the gold rush which was bourbon lemon and honey. It was really good. We sat and vibes to good music and cocktails for a while. I plan on going back to this place before I leave to listen to some live music! 5 stars!

    Austin G.

    Firehouse Lounge has an interesting story. Inside an international hostel, both the speakeasy and hostel are built inside the oldest still-standing fire house in Austin, Texas. Built in 1885, it's a historic building. When you walk inside, go through a bookcase to get to the spacious speakeasy with a bar, tables and couches. Due to space on a Saturday evening, we sat at the bar and ordered cocktails and Austin Eastcider. Our drinks were average. They were playing loud music, proving I am solidly in my 30s and wanting a quieter space. The nearby Driskell Bar provided that space.

    Sidecar
    Emily K.

    Unique and fun with a hidden entrance. Slightly off the beaten path with quirky movies playing in the dim light. They've got all the classics on the menu, well made for very decent prices considering their prime downtown location. The sidecar is always well made and strong and the daiquiri is a true daiquiri not some mash of strawberry and syrup.

    The menu board

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    4 years ago

    Nice vibe to the place. It's hard to get drinks though and you end up standing in line for 10 minutes.

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    4 years ago

    Lowkey but fun. Great bartenders and great vibes. I've been during the weekend and weekdays and the vibe is consistent.

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    Page 2 of 14

    Ask the Community - Firehouse Lounge

    Age limit? 21 and up, or 18+?

    Hi Kera. The Firehouse is a cool bar and I am sure your 18 year old would enjoy the vibe. Unfortunately they do post bouncers at night at the door to restrict under 21 year olds. My only advice would be to go early if you don't see a door man. Of… Read more

    Is Firehouse is hosting SXSW events this weekend/Friday, 3/17/17?... wanting to come in with a group of friends for happy hour and I want to know if (A) the specials are still on and (B) there will be seating for us... Thanks!

    Yes

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Powder Room - Craft Cocktail Bar

    Powder Room

    4.0(135 reviews)
    0.3 miWarehouse District, Downtown

    Upon stepping in I felt like I was transported to Miami in the 70s or 80s. Once you enter you turn…read morein your phones making it easy to lose time in connecting with your company. The staff was super nice and attentive our waitress came by multiple times and drinks were good and quick. They have a fun magazine style menu and plenty of options including mocktails. The mocktails were well balanced and not too sweet and my husband enjoyed every drink he tried. We ordered the French fries which were so good the perfect blend of freshness and salt. Would definitely come back for the ambiance and the no phones was a great reminder to connect to who your with and be present.

    The vibes are great, but I'm not sure they are worth the wait. There are two lines: one for…read morewalk-ins and one for those with reservations. We waited maybe 15 minutes at the walk-in line as others progressively started to pile on behind us. Then again, even people in the reservation line were waiting. This is definitely the kind of place that wants you to wait. The kind of place that wants to build a line outdoors to intrigue onlookers. We were treated nicely, but we definitely could have gotten in right away. By the time we walked in, the place was probably at 60% capacity. It was standing room only at the bar, but not overcrowded by any means. There is a dress code, but it's not entirely clear what it is. Some guy dressed to the 9s got turned away for not having sleeves whereas I got in with sneakers and a t-shirt. They ask for your cellphones upon entering and give you a key in exchange, but there doesn't seem to be any security to enforce it if you don't want to give them up. I have no problem with their policy, but I bet a lot of customers do. Interestingly, their little social experiment seemed to have a positive effect, where we ended up talking to strangers and vice versa. The Powder Room may be making America social again.

    Photos
    Powder Room - Spicy margarita

    Spicy margarita

    Powder Room - Leaving Powder Room

    Leaving Powder Room

    Powder Room - Craft Cocktail Lounge

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    Fortune Teller - Bar

    Fortune Teller

    4.9(30 reviews)
    4.8 mi

    Parking? Easy. They have a front lot off Congress and another one off Sandra (just South on…read moreCongress after you pass the bar). The drinks? Oh my gaaahhd. I'm usually not a fan of 'craft cocktails' out bc they're overpriced and not nearly as good as what my partner makes at home, but these were glorious. These drinks had layers of flavor. And fresh ingredients. And they were reasonably priced. Honestly, I don't even remember the last time we had such good drinks out (ok that's a lie but another review and it was at that place where Crowbar used to be - but these win hands down). The bartenders were nice and knowledgeable (Did I mention they make amazing drinks?). The outside has a similar feel to Cosmic but more secluded which is nice. They have plenty of seating, mostly outside, and food from an onsite truck, Sabor Tapatio. Honestly, I feel like this place is a unicorn. 78745 low key vibe but also with some old school Austin feels (I'm talking 2005 mid-Noughties - not 20-teen Rainey Street batch cocktails). They also have coffee in the mornings which we'll be checking out sooner rather than later. 10/10 recommend.

    Met a friend here on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I was happy that it wasn't overcrowded - one of us…read moredid have to utilize the add-on parking in the back. There are plenty of different seating options but very few seats inside. The place is chill, ordering drinks took some time even with no rush. Seems like they have some pre-mixed type of cocktails. Honestly, neither of us liked our drinks much. We actually left it behind. The food truck is nice to have though we didn't get to try. Happy that South Austin is finally seeing some nice spacious outdoor hangout spots.

    Photos
    Fortune Teller - Outside

    Outside

    Fortune Teller - Great patio .

    Great patio .

    Fortune Teller

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    Marlow - Mocktail (Grow a Pear)

    Marlow

    4.8(33 reviews)
    0.3 miDowntown

    I discovered Marlow through a Yelp Elite event and knew I had to come back. We stopped by on a…read moreSaturday night around 9:30/10pm and had a great time! Great house music from the DJ, friendly staff, and an easygoing atmosphere that's perfect for hanging out. I was having a sober night and tried a few drinks from their Dry January Specials menu. Wow, they did not disappoint. The Alrighty Aphrodite was delicious, and the So Fresh, So Clean was exactly that, super refreshing with a great pineapple flavor. My husband had the Dusty Trail (strong and perfect for bourbon lovers) and a Coquito that was creamy and smooth with a hint of cinnamon. Parking is limited, but we found street parking nearby. Overall, great drinks, great music, and a spot I'll definitely keep coming back to.

    Marlow's has a very Austin vibe. I grew up in Austin and just moved back. Austin has changed a lot…read moreso I was happy to visit a place like Marlow that's dedicated to keeping the Austin vibe alive. The owner is also an Austinite! Marlow's has a really in interesting and delicious drink menu. I tried both mocktails (option to add THC) and really enjoyed them both. Most mocktails with NA liquor have honestly tasted a bit weird and a bit off. I usually have one and call it a day. However, I really enjoyed the first one that I tried the second one, which I also liked. The bartenders work amazingly fast and take multiple drink orders at a time and don't miss a beat! There's street parking and during weekdays, it's free to park after a certain hour.

    Photos
    Marlow
    Marlow
    Marlow - Chicken slider

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    Chicken slider

    Whisler's - Left On Read - Delicious! (Tequila, Amaro, Bitters, Strawberry, Citrus, Spice, Egg White )

    Whisler's

    4.3(675 reviews)
    1.2 miEast Austin
    $$

    These are moments I think why do I live in San Antonio ( and often work in Austin ) when I can just…read morelive here and enjoy great restaurants, bars and weird gothic haunts like this with weird dark goth decor, a scent of palo santo , superb music, a great crowd and amazing drinks! College me would have lived here !! Enjoyed a French 75, my husband enjoyed a smoked Old Fashioned and it was a great place to grab a drink prior to seeing Springsteen at the Moody seated amongst candles , a weird alter of sorts while enjoying some Stevie Wonder as is playing now though some weird NIN or Type O might have been more appropriate

    I went to Whisler's and had one of the worst bar experiences I've ever had…read more I had one drink. I was completely sober for all intents and purposes. The bartender claimed I was drunk and cut me off anyway. I was at the bar talking to a girl while waiting to get a drink (the wait was long because the service is very slow, despite the bar not being very busy at all). She was clearly into me, and the bartender kept jumping in trying to talk to her too (instead of doing his job making drinks). He was doing all sorts of things to try and flirt with her and make her laugh: pulling out and showing her buckets of pre mixed cocktails, running and sliding under the bar, etc. She was engaging with both of us , and right in the middle of that, I get cut off out of nowhere. No explanation other than claiming I looked drunk, which I very clearly wasn't. It felt very clear what was going on--he wanted me out of the way. I left and asked the bouncer on my way out if I seemed drunk. This was literally two minutes later. He said no, not at all, and asked me why I would even ask that. I then told him exactly what happened and asked him to let the owner or whoever was in charge know about this extremely unprofessional conduct so they can discipline the bartender. His response was that the bartender has discretion to cut anyone off, and let me know the bartender is supposedly married so he couldn't have been flirting with any of the customers. Well, sounds like his logic is flawed--not only COULD he flirt with his customers, he WAS, and was therefore cheating. I hope his wife finds out. This is perfectly representative of Austin customer service lately and not normal in other places. I was in Tampa for an entire month earlier this year and this would've been unthinkable there. I'm not coming back.

    Photos
    Whisler's - Side bar

    Side bar

    Whisler's - Inside seating

    Inside seating

    Whisler's - Main bar

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    Main bar

    Equipment Room - Mocktail.

    Equipment Room

    4.5(121 reviews)
    1.1 mi78704 (South Austin)

    It's a rainy night in Austin. My girlfriend is in town because my cousin and her fiancé are getting…read moremarried in Austin. It's also the weekend of our one year anniversary. An hour ago it wasn't raining, but now it's pouring. A few months ago, I heard of a newer bar and experience called Equipment Room just right off of South Congress. Music means everything to me. Nothing can express emotions and instill a feeling in 3 minutes like a song can. I live for that. Equipment Room is inherently Japanese in concept. Existing in Japan for over 50 years, listening bars combine high fidelity audio equipment with impressively crafted cocktails and alcohol combining the passion of music in a space to gather with comfortable chairs and a beautiful atmosphere. The concept has expanded westward as all cool things inevitably do, but I would never think a spot would be successful in Austin like it would be in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and so on. As I back my car into a parking spot on South Congress, I grab the umbrella out of my trunk and walk my girlfriend and me to the entrance trying to not get ourselves soaked in the process. This is not the first time we have tried to go to Equipment Room. We tried to get a walk-in table just to see out of morbid curiosity and that was a failure. I booked her and me a table for this night and I was madly looking forward to it. As we got to the small entrance, we were introduced to the hostess who brought us from the stairs into the main underground space and to our seats on the couch in a large wraparound sofa with other parties sitting near us. The music is faint from the entrance, but once you walk through the main walkway, a wave of sound hits your eardrums. You're immediately engrossed into the music like walking into a concert hall or putting a fresh pair of headphones on for the first time. As we sat down, selections from Outkast's Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik were playing through the speakers. Our hostess introduced us to their "User Manual" (their menu) where it contained all the snacks and drinks you could get your grubby hands on. There's more than just drinks and food on the menu. The first page introduces the concept and gives a few house rules. The second page shows all the equipment this so-called room has, from the premium Klipsch speakers, their preamps and amplifiers as well as their turntables and mixers. It's a dream page for music nerds. I want a $15k speaker in my apartment, but those noise complaints would never end. Our waitress came by shortly to give us water and take our order. Their menu is quite expansive, but the main pages we were told to check out were their A-side drinks or the classics and their B-side drinks, which are more experimental. We had to go with experimental for starters because who knows when you'll get to try something similar again. I started with a Goca Dünya while my girlfriend ordered a Deceptacon. The Goca Dünya was a vodka based floral drink with pistachio foam and Amaro Nonino, an Italian herbal liqueur. The Deceptacon was a rum-based cacao drink with a touch of lime and mint. It took a little time for our drinks to come out, clearly, as they are quite intricate. I loved my drink, bluntly. The pistachio foam was a great balance to the herbal flavors at the bottom. My girlfriend and I continued to enjoy each other's company as the music continued. The space we were in was decorated with posters and memorabilia from legendary artists coming through Austin and some general music decor like that purple album from that Prince guy. The DJ-curator that night was on a tear playing incredible soul music holding the bar hostage with a taste of funk. Jimmy Smith came next before transitioning to a few tracks from Bobbie Gentry. The last albums he pulled out were Steely Dan's Aja (a stone cold classic) and Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life (a top 10 album of all time). Not only was he playing classics like Isn't She Lovely, but he threw down some deeper cuts like Black Man and Contusion. Incredible. We both got another drink with my girlfriend getting their A-Side Espresso Martini while I got the Brown Sugar from their B-Sides. It was a seaweed and mushroom infused whiskey with a few more bells and whistles and it was super unique. Quite a bit of their menu is Japanese-inspired in homage to the originators of listening bars. This includes Japanese beer, sake, and Japanese-inspired food and beverages on their menu. Very cool. The worst part of the night came when our hour and 45 minute reservation came to a close. I could've stayed there for another 3 hours and never grown tired, but with how popular this space has become, they gotta kick you out at some point. This is an experience you have to have. It's worth it. I'll be strolling back in soon enough because there is nothing like this in Austin and it's truly a special space. RIYL: Actively listening to music.

    I visited The Equipment Room tonight to celebrate my wife's birthday, and unfortunately our…read moreexperience at the entrance was disappointing. When we walked in, the hostess asked us to return to the first room because she was not at the seating area. She then told us there was no available seating, which was surprising since I had just been inside and saw multiple open seats, including two that had just been vacated. The hostess--her name sounded like Constanza--explained that the room was full because of Memorial Day weekend. When I said we didn't mind waiting since it was only midnight, she then stated they would be closing soon at 1 a.m., even though the posted closing time is 2 a.m. These explanations contradicted each other, and her tone came across as dismissive. She avoided eye contact, offered no real assistance, and ultimately suggested we check for seats ourselves, which felt unwelcoming and unprofessional. For a venue with such a strong reputation, especially on a special occasion, the interaction fell far below expectations. I hope the team can ensure more consistent and courteous service at the host stand moving forward.

    Photos
    Equipment Room - XS made NA -- Lustau Fino Sherry, Giffard NA Pineapple Liqueur, passionfruit, lime, blue spirulina, mirin, dragonfruit syrup, Liquid Rizz

    XS made NA -- Lustau Fino Sherry, Giffard NA Pineapple Liqueur, passionfruit, lime, blue spirulina, mirin, dragonfruit syrup, Liquid Rizz

    Equipment Room - Beautifully simple bar tops

    Beautifully simple bar tops

    Equipment Room - Bar area

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    Bar area

    Firehouse Lounge - lounges - Updated May 2026

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