For us oil can Harry's on Saturday night was a blast. We went there as our last stop for my sister's bachelorette party and we were nothing but gobsmacked with the performances we saw by The four amazing drag queens performing that night. The way they were emoting each syllable to the songs and adding their own spice when it was necessary was just a full-on last. Also the fact that they do a lot of crowd interaction dancing around them dancing with them and even taking advantage of the bar itself as props was just super fantastic. The one bit that I really enjoyed was the fact that every queen had their own venmo account. So if you were not able to tip in cash you could tip them for their stupendous performances. And overall the bartending staff was definitely super quick and friendly throughout the night. read more

Oilcan Harry’s - Gay Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

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This legendary gay bar brings all the fun! From drag shows to bar top dancers (see what I did there?) and all things in between. Spacious layout with room to groove even when it's packed. And believe me, it gets crazy busy. Staff is always so accommodating and fun. Lots of fun cocktails and drinks to choose from. read more

Austin is lucky to have Oilcan Harrys. Thanks for continuing to provide a fun and safe space for lots of incredible communities. read more

Oilcan Harry’s - Gay Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Life is better when you're a queen, and Oilcan Harry's proves that. I've been to Oilcan Harry's during one of their many drag performances and my only complaint is the venue is too small, both inside and out. It's not enough space for the queens to do their walks or if they're a newer queen -- their stunts. Drinks are surprisingly costly here. read more

Visited this bar two nights in a row. Had a blast. The drinks were good, the staff was friendly, and the drag show was great!

This bar has always been a welcoming bar with friendly staff and awesome entertainment. My friend and I went to see a drag show Friday night and had such a fun time. They have male gogo dancers in one room and the big bar and stage in another as well as the back bar that is partially outside. Lots of room to dance and mix and mingle. The crowd is a blend of men and women both gay and straight but it's predominantly an overall gay bar. It's one of my favorite bars to go to. read more

Oilcan Harry’s - The amazing hostess Celia and all the people with birthdays that night. - Gay Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

The bar is chill and the staff is friendly. The night I went to had a drag show. The show was very good and the performance were talented and very funny. read more

My husband and I have been out to Oilcan's a couple of times now and intend to continue doing so; we've been pretty happy with the establishment so far, as it provides a venue for special interest groups (SIGs) to get together on particular nights of the week each month so you can do your thing and mix/mingle with others who are doing their thing. ;) (If you know, you know! hehe) Both times we've been (a Friday night and a Saturday) night have been pretty crowded; this place gets hoppin', so expect to have to push your way past folks to get around. At the entrance you should be prepared to allow the staff to bag check any bags you intend to bring in (but they're very courteous about it), be wand'd for any potential weapons, and carded to ensure you're of age. They are efficient and pleasant while doing so, and I appreciate their commitment to safety (after all, there's a lot of hate out there right now against LBGTQ+ folks, especially trans folk). Oilcan's features a lot of drag shows that draw a big crowd. We haven't gone specifically for any of these, but it's still neat to catch a glimpse of the show on our way in and see all the hype. The bathrooms could be better... only two stalls for those of us who aren't "stand to pee-ers" so you might be waiting awhile to go; though I appreciate the shared genderless bathroom set-up (never understood why restrooms were segregated in our society to begin with... everyone urinates-- like, c'mon). Confusingly there are two doors to the same bathroom, so you might get hit by a door of someone entering while just patiently waiting for a stall. We've spent the majority of our time there in the dark bar, which is off to the left once you're halfway in (past the first bar). It's like a little side adjoined area with its own bar and room to dance, plus there are always three go-go dancers doing their thing collecting tips in their skivvies too. Depending on how crowded this section of Oilcan's is, you might have to wait patiently for a bartender to get you a drink, so just be aware. The music in here is definitely LOUD, so depending on your sensibilities, you may desire earplugs. It's difficult to converse with others in this section unless you get real close-- but I love excuses to get real close to my hubbie... ;) So far there's been a fun selection of music with a good beat featured by the DJ. Like I said, it's become a bit of a regular stop for us twice a month. Great ambiance and hella fun! read more

I love this place!!! I'm there every Thursday for a delightful drag show, Riot Fair. The queens are so talented, the bartenders are amazing (shout out to Joey on the back porch) and the security and management really care about their staff and patrons! By far, my favorite bar in Austin! read more

Oilcan Harry’s - Gay Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

My absolute favorite place. Ritzy is a barbie come to life and the dance floor is a dream. Great spot to catch an excellent show.

If you are a out of state customer, expect to get hassled about your ID as they claimed to have "ID training" yet cannot provide accurate scanning & evaluation of an ID. Horrible customer service, manager is completely ignorant to what an OUTOFSTATE ID should look like & even insulted my signature. I asked who trained them and they oh just somebody next door if you are beautiful woman and/or out of state expect to be treated to be treated differently. I would have called the cops to have them verify my ID but I didn't want to be overly petty like the door guy. read more

Whoever the ghostbuster bartender is.... Absolutely incredible! Great drinks, great convo! Can't wait to get served again! I think his name was Wes? read more

My friend and I decided to make a pit stop here before hitting up our final designation of the evening. There was a drag show that was pretty interesting. It was definitely not your typical show, the artists represented all aspects of the community which was awesome to see. The music was great too! Definitely a must if you're visiting or local needing a night out. read more

Amazing hustle on drag. If you're from NYC or LA- calm down, they're doing the best they can.

go support a wonderful establishment with great shows performers can be authentic and give truth love and fun

Fun bar! Joey (outside patio bartender) is one of the best in Austin! Always personable, works quick, and with a smile. read more

Oil cans is always a great time. Very welcoming, great music, better vibes. Drag shows here are so fun!

I don't go out much but this place was amazing! We went on their drag show night and they were stunning. My friends and I went to celebrate my friend's bachelorette party and this is definitely a must when in the area. One of my have bar/club places we visited on rainy st. It was Halloween weekend as well so it was like the cherry on top for us. read more

We had a blast here. Nice people. Bartenders were friendly. Drag queens were hilarious.

This is a very comfortable place for a drink and socializing with friends. The bar is well laid out and the outdoor patio is a nice area for a break from the indoor activities. There's a fairly large dance floor that can host shows as well. Bar staff is friendly and accommodating, and the bar itself is a big supporter of community activities. Recommended. read more

Not liking the new changes to what used to be known as OCH. I'm familiar with the owners and I have seen this place at its' peak. But I'm afraid those days are long gone. The days of frag shows that we're authentic and the crowds were welcoming. I saw that they revamped some things introducing make strip club or cowboy night..I'm afraid that Oilcans should and probably will kick the can here pretty soon. read more

Oilcan Harry’s - Drag Race - Gay Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

Genuinely got accused of doing coke (which I wasn't and the manager agreed) by the bathroom security guard and got kicked out after telling the bathroom security that isn't okay to launch those accusations against people. The employees were giving very homophobic because the security was a girl and called me immediate aggressive (because I was a man and she was a woman) for telling her that's not okay for saying those accusations! I would never come here, I know there's only a few gay bars in the city but this was the most unprofessional and honestly homophobic gay bar I have ever went! Genuinely need new staff! Additionally, before I used the bathroom she let 5 people go in one stall (yall can assume what they were doing in there). I have never met a club where they have security that genuinely are under qualified! Employees should not be allowed to launch those accusations and then kick you out of the club, when you defend yourself! Especially when the manager agreed that the allegations were false and uncalled for! Ending this with " Your being kicked out of the club for the way you talked to my employee." -manager. Oh so not getting kicked out for being drunk, doing drugs, damaging property, or other illegal actions, but for talking to your employee wrong that accused me of doing coke. read more

Bartenders are nice unfortunately the drag queen on the door is insanely rude and act like she doesn't want to be there the drinks are way to expensive even for happy hour. read more

It was sooo much fun for my first time! There was a drag show and it was the best I have ever seen! Definitely recommend! I spent $100 on the Queens that night read more

Oilcan Harry’s - Gay Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

Support your local gay bars and definitely your drag queens who are currently under attack by the vile politicians who are using them as a weapon in their agenda to try and defeat the Democrats in 2024! Ok. Off my soapbox, first time visiting Austin and we stumbled upon this gem on Friday night, and no cover! We enjoyed the drag show, definitely had some amateur drag queens as well as some professional ones, so it was a good mix. They're supposed to be getting a few of the contestants from RuPauls Drag Race in the coming month ahead.. :) The host was extremely fun, and it was just the right size crowd so you didn't have to get shoved around. Drinks were ok, not the normal gay bar pour I'm used to, but TX probably has different rules on pour sizes than my home state of California. Bar seemed to be clean (in the dim lighting), door people were friendly and one of the drag queens greeted us on the way out. Would definitely come back here again to dance or watch another show. read more

Oilcan Harry’s - Gay Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

I've always wanted to come here because I always see it on tour dates for drag queens I follow! The drinks were moderately priced and the drag show was amazing! We forgot who the bearded grandma queen was, but she was amazing! It was pretty packed for a Sunday night and we had a wonderful time. No complaints at all, maybe a larger standing area for people to watch drag shows but I don't think that's fixable haha I'm upset that I missed CLF because I heard this is her domain. Ughhhh. One day! read more

Oilcan Harry’s - Drag queen - Gay Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

Attentive service even at the entrance, where the guys suggested a restaurant to us on our first night in Austin. Certainly it was above and beyond their job description but they even recommended a dish which we later ordered and loved. This is the type of genuine kindness and generosity of spirit that makes me write a review when I rarely do. read more

Oilcan Harry’s - Eye catching sign at entrance - Gay Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I love this bar! I have been a few times now with both my gay and straight friends and each time we always have a great time! This is the place to shake your tail feather and show the Austin Nightlife Scene what you're working with whether it is a weekday or weekend! The house music here is definitely of the thumpa-thumpa variety and you will be sweating in about 5mins flat, along with everyone else! The dancefloor can get crazy crowded, so if you don't like have sweaty gyrating strangers bumping and grinding on you, then go to the back patio (though it can get a little cray sometimes out there as well). There are some great events here! The last one I went to was a wet tighty-whitie contest, which boys and girls I can tell you, you will get your eye-candy's dollars worth! There is sometimes a cover if there is an event going on, but most of the times I have been here, there was not. The other thing I love about this place? I have never had to pay for a drink! Either one of my abfab gayboys in my abfab gaggle treats me or a kind and friendly stranger offers to buy my beverage, which makes for a super fun night out on the cheap for this gal! Thus, I have never interacted directly with any of the bartenders, but a few of my drink-treating friends have told me they are either super nice or super divas...so I guess it is the luck of the draw. I have heard they have a drag queen bingo every now and again here, but I have never been, though would love to see what it's all about. Either way, if you are looking for a fabulous time on 4th, this is the place! read more

I visit Oilcan Harry's often and have seen many drag shows there....but my favorite show, hands down, is riotfair! It is always such a great show and such a welcoming place! It's all topped off with the great service at the outside bar with Joey! He will remember you and remember your favorite drink too!!! read more

I love the events & atmosphere here! I always have a great time when I go there! The staff is very friendly as well!

I was taking a selfie for instagram inside the club and got told I could only take photos outside. Not by the bar tender but the guy picking up the empty glasses. I'm confused, never heard of an establishment to block someone from giving them free promotion inside the club. Im fully aware they don't need the promo but if you didn't want to be in the background of the photo just say that: I'm taking this personal bc It just seemed like BS. read more

Awesome drag shows and a really friendly, inclusive environment. We will definitely be coming back!

Fun place. Hot spot to checkout. Was there for happy hour and then another point in time during my visit went at night. It's a good little gay bar! read more

Didn't realize this was a gay bar until I was randomly asked by this man at the bar if he could "pound my mud whistle to smithereens" lol Other than that, good times and great vibes. read more

Great place to dance! I love how there is room in here to dance. Some gay bars/clubs do not really have the room for people like me to bust a move and considering it was a Friday night when I came here, and I wasn't shoulder to shoulder with people, you got my vote! Another thing I like about this place is that the crowd seems mature. Maybe I'm getting too old, but I definitely like being around people my age range when I go out to dance. So yeah, it doesn't feel like a hot mess of people in here acting cray cray. Weekends are probably the best times to go here because when my husband and I came here during the week, it was dead. Also, I believe there is a minimal fee to get in so you may want to double check that before coming here especially if you're a conservative cheapie like me. read more

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Phenomenal bar, with awesome drag shows, and an awesome staff to match! I've been coming here for years. And the changes that have been made recently are really great! read more

Great music, relatable vibe. Clientele that just wants to have fun! Karaoke on Tuesday's is a gooooood time. Dancing on the weekends is decent. Kind people to meet! Highly recommend! read more

My first gay bar as a regular back in the day. Good service, great bartenders, good music and vibe. You can bring your straight friends; it's Austin. read more

I have been coming to OCH for 8 years now. I can tell you that it's a decent gay bar. I mostly go to this bar on Friday/Saturdays. The drag shows are fun and engaging. Though I recommend showing up early because the place does get extremely packed and there is little to no seating. If you're looking for a gay bar to dance to quintessential "gay" music. This one isn't it. The DJs are pretty awful and play the same crap that you hear from any other dance club on 6th street. It seems like the owners and DJs are out of touch with the music that has driven our community and are content with playing music from genres that are known for being derogatory towards the LGBTQ+ community. read more

(But really, 2.5 stars) Drag Queens, drinks, free downtown parking! What more could the average good-time-seeking 20 something year old (with the odd Monday off) ask for? SOME RESPECT, no but seriously, isn't it crazy how a random encounter can just sour your evening? Well let's pump the breaks and allow me to set the tone. Location is good, tons of foot traffic and a not-so sketchy clientele, the first employees encounter upon entrance for checking coats/bags and paying the super cheap $5 cover were really chill and pretty funny for such a short interaction. Drinks were slung pretty quickly, I didn't hit the bar since my homie and I had just made it over from another bar, but I did notice how fast the folks around me made it to and from the bar area to where the performance was going down. Now here's where the downsides start to ebb it's way in. One side of the stage is HAZARDOUS af. There's only maybe four feet between the barred off stage and a wall lined with bathrooms. On one end is the bar and down past the stage leads to the outdoor patio area, it sounds nice but when you've got people crammed in for standing room performances while people squeeze their way along that back wall things just get messy. Somebody dropped a glass while shimmying past me and it shattered, I wore open toed shoes and semi-panicked trying to put some distance between myself and the glass while worrying about every person stepping over it since there was that constant bar to patio to bar traffic. Now here's my drama alert, Drag shows are my jam and this was far from my first rodeo. I go out to see whichever RuPaul contestants are in town and cheer on our local acts, but I literally felt attacked when the emcee approached me during her own opening number for part two of the show then proceeded to talk trash before introducing the next act. DONUT COME FOR ME (hail Kim Chi) She came out to a song I didn't know, that wasn't very hype, and props for looking glam but sorry not sorry I guess I wasn't grinning from ear to ear? I have resting bitch face, whoops. So she says 'it doesn't cost anything to smile' or something like that and it caught me off guard but I laughed. She then wrapped up her song and went into a tirade about how if you're at the show and you're making a (insert angry emoji) face then you don't need to be there and you should give up your spot so somebody who reaLLY wants to be there can see, which I have a problem with because I made the hour journey to Austin, I paid my cover, and I was sure to time it so that I could get a good spot to watch the show. I actually WAS watching the performance, it's not like I was on my phone checking Facebook or something like that. Dampened my evening after she flicked a glance at me just because it made me hyper aware of my facial expressions the rest of the evening. Every other performer garnered a genuine laugh or smile throughout their performance though, so seems like more of a her problem than a me problem. All in all MOST of the staff was cool, the local talent was aiight but I can only see myself going back depending on traveling RuPaul talent. I'd highly suggest any Austin folks make the trek instead to the Heat in SA. A way better view, a hilarious MC, and our local talent sometimes rivals the guests of honor. read more