Picking a place to have a drink on 6th street is like picking your last meal, hard to do with so many choices! My suggestion, walk up and down the street and let your ears choose for you. Jon G. and I were exploring Sixth Street, trying to decide where to go, when I heard some pretty stellar music floating out of this place. Into Friends bar we ventured. Small dimly lit bar, lots of wood panels and guitars on the wall. Waitress was quick with drinks and the place had a great vibe going. No hooks at the bar for your bag, so you do get stuck with your purse in your lap. Jon got a beer, I got a Salty Dog with Gin. A little bit of a heavy pour, but that never hurt anyone. People filtered in and out pretty steadily, which was nice since dead bars aren't really the most fun places to hang out. Vibe was positive and friendly. Can't speak for the rest of what Friends has to offer. But if you're looking for a cold drink and some good music, you've found the place! read more

Friends Bar - Salty Dog - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

Brilliant bar, I was visiting Austin and the music drew me inside. they had a female jazz vocalist who was absolutely awesome. The atmosphere was friendly and drinks were good read more

Obviously more attention to friends at the bar rather then paying customers. Disappointing experience!

We could hear BLUES music coming out of this bar and we were like moths to the flame. Great little bar with banging bands that are just a cut above the rest. read more

The drinks were good...food....not so much. My tomato bisque came out cold!! Not even luke warm....Not hard to microwave some soup so that it's a decent temperature. read more

Awesome staff, friendly patrons, and amazing cocktails and food. Everyone inside was just a super pleasure to be around and my wife and I stayed longer than we intended to. Live music was pretty darn good, which is why we stepped in to begin with. Do yourself a favour and treat yo self to FRIENDS! read more

Great atmosphere at this bar. Went on a Thursday night so it wasn't very crowded at all. Staff was great and beers were cold. The band on stage was great and played some covers and some of their stuff. My buddy frequents this bar so I'm sure I'll be back when in town. read more

If you're looking for fucking badass and interactive live music, this is your place. The staff is always so friendly, and the music never disappoints! read more

It was recommended that we bypass this area of downtown party but we like to live dangerously. Our 3rd stop (maybe 5th, I don't remember) on a Friday night here on E 6th Street. Heard the music from outside, stepped in, and occupied two stools at the far end of the bar. A band was playing (Sam Pace & The Gilded Grit sampacemusic.com) - kinda soul, rock n' roll, and a little blues-y. We were quickly greeted and drink request fulfilled delivered in real glass vessels (not plastic cups). Drink prices reasonable and service was really friendly. Surprisingly not so busy/crowded considering the band was really pretty good. We had been told that Friends Bar generally had good music. Pluses for not crowded, decent drinks, good music, friendly tender. read more

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Good music, one good bartender - we had 2 good bevs until about 10:00 pm then the drinks were horrible and they didn't care. Mosey on.

I don't know much about Friends Bar.* But what I know is threefold: 1. The blues band was good. Better than we expected. 2. Patron is the only halfway decent tequila they have. 3. There is a fish tank, and damned if those fish weren't digging the blues. _____________ *I suppose I do know bars, but I have no friends :( read more

Love this place. Great service & always a friendly crowd AND GREAT MUSIC .. highly recommend anyone visiting in Austin to stop in and enjoy some food,drinks & live music. Experience Austin ! read more

If you feel like venturing out on "dirty 6th" this is a place you need to stop by. Just before Covid updated and added food . They support up and coming artists in the Austin area . Bands the book never disappoint. Love this spot! read more

Sonny Wolf, you are bad to the bone! Best thing about Texas- ain't the BBQ (excellent), ain't the sights (amazing), ain't the cool locals (hip), its the music scene! Friends Bar is a great space, room enough to dance and twirl, grab a bite to eat and a drink, all the while enjoying the sounds of a live band. Doesn't get better than that. read more

We only went in this place for two reasons: 1) "$2.50 Long Islands! $2.50 Long Islands!" 2) HOT bouncer who looked about our age yelling about $2.50 Long Islands. Bouncer boy gave me a heart-melting, eye-to-eye smile as he checked my ID. Oh my. I have no words. The Long Islands were a little "ginny" (to use a scientific term), but hey, at least you know you're getting your $2.50 worth of drunkenness. Possibly as a result, we ended up dancing on the elevated dance floor with -- I kid you not -- a grand total of TWO other girls. Yeah, man, the crowd was lame. No one was dancing. I guess that's what you get when you're using $2.50 Long Islands to reel in every cheapo who walks by. Oh well. The music was pretty good, so we kept saying "one more song and then we'll leave this dump!" Yeah, we weren't drunk enough to not notice that it was kind of a dump. So, we finally head out, and I'm scanning for the HOT bouncer. Unfortunately, some ugly old guy with a beard has taken his place. I turn to my friends and rather loudly exclaim how sad I am that the HOT bouncer is gone. Then I realize he's right behind me. Crap. So much for playing it cool. He avoided eye contact. We vamoosed. read more

Every time I'm in Austin I always seem to end up here eventually. It's in the middle of the tourist area on 6th. It's dark and divey but showcases great local talent. It's not NYC CBGB's filthy but it's far from chic. I've heard lots of covers but it's a tourist area so that's probably why. Bartenders have always been friendly and attentive. I wouldn't come here for the atmosphere, I come hear to hear the local players and they make it worth the visit. read more

Great spot for fun live music! Bar staff is quick and friendly. Location is excellent. I really liked the location of the band. Front and center. Good layout and super fun atmosphere! read more

Great live music and drinks. Friendly atmosphere and staff, if you're ever in Austin and walking around downtown 6th Street I highly recommend stopping by for a good time. read more

Friends Bar - Great live music! - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

If you like alcohol and live music, this place is for you. If you are a Friends TV show fan and saw this place from the car as you drove to your hotel from the airport thinking it has something to do with the show, you may be disappointed. Once I recovered from that let down, I enjoyed the place for what it was. I got a local Austin beer and enjoyed some tunes. Nice place to stop in as you make your way down 6th street. read more

Great bar. They have a nice line up of live music. The bartender was actually from Brooklyn and he gave us all the tips and pointers we needed to have a great Austin visit. The blues music they play was down home loving style and I could hear it from the street. They also have a random fish tank behind the bar. Cool. read more

Friends Bar - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

Drinks are well priced and the bartenders are amazing. The manager was absolutely lovely. Pros: 1. NO cover charge(most nights) 2. Great music 3. Inexpensive drinks 4. Great customer service 5. Plenty of places to sit 6. Not terribly crowded 7. interesting bathroom art in the stalls. Cons: 1. Parking is a nightmare on weekend nights, but what else is new? overall a great place for free music and cheap drinks and they have comfortable seating. read more

The sounds of a good blues band oozed out onto 6th Street and drew me in like a DeathStar tractor beam. "Brother Magnum and the Razorbumps" were giving their all to entertain the dozen or so un-enthused patrons at this typical dive bar. I decided to grab a pint and enjoy a few songs; wincing at first to the $5 pricetag, then readjusting my expectation based on quality of the music. 7 pieces of this 8-piece band (apparently the trombone was sick) were putting out some excellent Chicago-styled blues. Eventually, more fans with better enthusiasm were also drawn in from the street and my 1 pint had turned into 6. I stayed through the entire set, and will probably come back for more; as long as Friends Bar continues to be "friendly" by booking terrific live music. Rating: 1 star for the very nice bartenders; 1 star for not having a cover charge; and 2 more big stars for the music! read more

Friends Bar - Their awesome fishtank - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Great bar and the live music was the best! The staff is quick and attentive and even remembered our drink order on night #2! Can't wait to visit again when in the area. read more

Music was great!!!! Food (fish and chips) were great!!!! Great flavor --- more then just plain fried fish. Great atmosphere. Slower service (a little busy tho)... but I'd definitely come back! read more

My 2nd bar in Austin. The 1st one was just too awful to mention. It wasn't really the bar's fault for attracting the sleazy college wannabe types (LOL). Regardless. I had my 1st cover band experience at Friends, and it was awesome. The bartender was friendly, and the place was packed for a Monday night. Stayed for the next band, bought a round of drinks to some handsome looking women of Texas to my left, and moved on to the next music venue across the street. U gotta love Austin. read more

Awesome bar in Austin! Really cool vibe with live music and good drinks. Welcoming atmosphere and a fun place to hang downtown.

For the drinks, two stars. For the music, three stars. Drinks - yeah, they're fine. But why so much freakin' ice?! I swear they optimize the ice cube packing techniques for each glass. I got probably about 25% of the glass's volume in liquid if I was lucky. And someone came by and cleared my unfinished drink while I was dancing on the floor. That kind of pissed me off, actually. The music is great though. Erin Jaimes (booking manager and blueswoman extraordinaire) knows what she's doing even if she cranks the main speakers past comfortable hearing levels. I wear earplugs when I go--and I'm so thankful that I do. Gotta love them sweet natural blues...you'll hear a selection of Austin's finest and up-and-coming blues artists. But geez, if you're gonna sell me ice and charge me a premium, don't clear my drink before I'm done. read more

Really enjoyed this place! Live music was fun, and everyone was indeed friendly. Not as crazy as other places on 6th Street, which was just what we were looking for. read more

Wow! I'm so impressed with this place. Not only are they following the guidelines to make you feel safe, they are serving up some amazing food & drinks. To make things even better, you get to listen to some live music. You can tell the staff love their jobs! They are so friendly and quick! I will definitely be a frequent flier. read more

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Excellent food & music! It was our first time in Friends and we were not disappointed. The food was excellent as well as the live music. I highly recommend everyone to come visit and try their grilled cheese & tomato basil soup as well as their chips and queso! 10/10 highly recommended! read more

Happy grand re-opening!!!! Great live blues!!! FOOD!!! Best fish & chips, says the beau! The fried cheese curds are stellar!!!! So psyched to be back here!!!! Just make sure you go in through the left side now! Ha! Cheers!!!! read more

Wandered in . Did not expect to see an awesome band . Could not , would not leave . Stefo on guitar . There is a lot to choose from on 6 th Street . Friends on first impression was great . read more

Olivia, Peach, Teddie and Rachel are all fantastic bartenders. Live music all night, every night from what I've been told. Food was amazing. Wish I could have stayed longer read more

The music is first rate at this bar! But heads up, do not leave your cc at the bar when leaving your tab open. They gave our card back to someone else so we had to scramble to close our card and redo all of the automatic drafts we had linked to the card. Very irresponsible! read more

Gawddammit, I come all the way to Austin and the only place playing live blues on a consistent basis is Friends. Bless them for doing so! Drinks are strong and music is what I wanted. Thanks Friends!!! read more

6th Street in Austin. Lots of music choices and lots of different bars. Large selection too. Of beers are on tap. Many different beers are in cabs also. Of course, tequila is served here. read more

Friends Bar - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

I visited the lovely city of Austin this past weekend and I really enjoyed my stay, despite the sweltering heat. I loved Friends Bar! I just wish they would turn up the AC in that joint. I probably burned off about 500 calories just from walking into the hot room! Burning calories is great and I'd LOVE it if I were in my workout clothes, but, uh...yeah, not feeling it in my 'clubbin' outfit with full makeup. Friends Bar was just down the street from my hotel so I was able to take FULL ADVANTAGE of the inexpensive drinks! The doorman was friendly (and cute) and the bartender was quick and had made strong drinks. I kept it simple, Jack and Coke and shot of Makers...yum! The music on Saturday night was prefect for me and my friends. I'm into all sorts of music and FB was playing a nice mix of 80's, 90's and Top 40 music. There is plenty of space to dance and they have a slightly elevated stage for the guys and gals that want to show off their moves. The live band that had been playing was wrapping up their equipment when we arrived, so check out their site for upcoming shows. I wish there was a better mix of people...or at least MORE people. There wasn't a lot of eye candy but I guess that's how it is in the summer. read more

Meh.....this place feels like a frat party. Oh wait, I really only remember seeing greek letters on everyone's shirts when we were in this bar. I was in a sorority, so don't get me wrong, but once you graduate college, if you do actually grow up a little bit, then you don't really want to go to bars that manage to make 24 and 25 year olds feel old!!! But being here I either felt like an old fart or like i should be babysitting some of the kids here. The drinks are cheap, $2.50 long islands, and they definitely will take you to a long island, any island you can dream of if you have enough of these, and if you are like I am at all, you will need at least one of these to help you loosen up a bit in a crowd that feels as young as this one, and to get over a floor as sticky as this one....like I said it feels like a frat party in more ways than one...... read more

A good place to go on sixth street if you are looking for some rock and roll/blues live music. Eric Tessmer always puts on a good show here. JT Coldfire is really good at playing mostly covers for the tourists. Erin James sounds very similar to LouAnn Barton if you need a LouAnn fix. I've never seen a band there that was not good but sometimes they can lean too heavily on covers. Their business plan definitely includes making tourists a priority. The beer/drinks can be pricey but they don't charge a cover. No food. Overall, Friend's is probably the best place to go on sixth street if you are looking for rock and roll/blues music and you don't know anything about who is playing. They usually have a happy hour show and a later show. They use DJs late at night on the weekends when the kids take over sixth street. PS: Saw the band Swamp Sauce and they were really good. They had most people with a pulse on the dance floor! Sam Pace and the Gilded Grit are very good also. Saw them recently and more than half of the songs were originals. Sam is a mean guitar player and has a good voice. read more

Made the mistake of leaving Gibson to check out dirty 6 last night. - I guess I'll have to learn to ask exactly how much drinks cost on 6th these days because 3 drinks at friends (2 shiners and a titos) ran $15. After paying $20 for a few rounds at Gibson, Friends can suck it and I definitely won't be back, ever. Way overpriced. read more