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    Workhorse Bar

    4.3 (352 reviews)
    InexpensiveDive Bars, American
    Open 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 1 month ago

    Workhorse Bar Photos

    Business Info

    WORKHORSE BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Juke Box
    Divey
    Casual
    Loud

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    Recommended Reviews - Workhorse Bar

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    Horseman burger with blue cheese Monterrey cheese and red onions  with a side of parm fries
    mel g.

    This is an all star dive bar ! A true portal to old Austin . This place has great music very low key place . The drinks are amazing great bartenders . Also this place has an outdoor patio great for your furry friends

    Glorious Burger and Parmesan Fries
    Mary L.

    Dark, woodsy, semi-dive bar ambiance, with fun and caring people who serve up some of the best burgers and bar food around. Big, clunky furniture and crowded barstools, with movies playing on wall-mounted TVs in case you need a conversation-starter. Then food and drinks come--a conversation-ender. It's that good. They're not afraid of fans of medium rare burgers and they cook 'em just right. The Parmesan fries are 2die4. And all the other diners will be at least as cool as you. Many will be cooler, but that's okay. Just strike up a conversation once you can drag your attention off the burger and you'll hear something interesting.

    Loaded cheese fries & white wings
    Misty D.

    The service and price are good. The vibes are *just* ok. The fries and wings are *just* ok. We probably won't be back.

    Karla D.

    I really dig this neighborhood bar in Austin's North Loop. They've got a really decent tap selection and offer N/A pours as well. Their burgers are incredible! Friendly staff. Awesome patrons. Welcoming vibe. Love the back patio.

    Buffalo Bastrop Burger
    Pax S.

    It's been 8 years since I've lived in North Loop but I used to live at Workhorse. The charm is still there: the sticky tables, the lack of cups for water, the regulars at the bar before noon, the friendliness of the bar staff, the cigarette ash trays, the 50 taps...incredible how well this place has kept things consistent. I stumbled in kind of by accident on a Tuesday and walked up to the bar and ordered a buffalo Bastrop burger with garlic Parmesan fries (my old usual). The cooking staff was new and I will say my burger was not evenly cooked but it was cooked enough to not make me sick. I left super satisfied and was hit with a huge wave of nostalgia both entering and leaving. I love you, Workhorse.

    drink menu
    Eric B.

    Great neighborhood bar. Packed at 2pm on Sat. afternoon with locals. Food looked great. Bartender was fast, attentive, and friendly. Loved the atmosphere, ambiance, and vibe here--kind of like a dive bar but just a little too nice to fit that category. I came in to take a break from packing my house for a move and so a drink here really fit the bill. I love this neighborhood. Parking sux, bit hey, welcome to Austin--it's only a block to easy street parking. Thank you Workhorse for making my day!

    View from my table.
    Steffie S.

    This is truly a dive bar,but you know what they say, "the best places are hole in the wall places". I loved it here. The vibe is a neighborhood bar where people come together after work, have a beer, maybe a burger, and hang with friends. I was on a first date here. We had burgers and fries, and I had a beer. The music was a little bit loud for conversation, but not too bad. The burger and fries were fabulous. The service was not exactly friendly, but timely. The prices were reasonable, and the atmosphere was on par for this type of venue. I would definitely go back. I highly recommend you try it out. Let me know what you think. Cheers!

    Fried jalapenos, White wings, and mac and cheese (so cheesy!).
    Jennifer L.

    I kinda don't want to write a review about this place because I want it to stay as divey as possible. A friend recommended this place to me. It is located on a strip and there is some limited parking in front of the establishment. There is some outdoor seating in the front and a lot more space on the back patio. As soon as you walk in, it screams quintessential dive bar. Compared to other places in Austin, the drinks are so cheap. They have really good beer specials. The margaritas stay so cold and are made with fresh lime. So delicious! We ordered the White Wings, Fried jalapenos, and the Bastrop Burger. The White Wings were good, but not my favorite thing of the night. The fried jalapenos were so good! The proportions were on point and the jalapenos still had a little crunch to them. We added bacon and cheese to the Bastrop Burger. The burger was cooked to perfection and was a nice size especially for the price. For sides, we ordered the parmesan fries and mac and cheese. They gave us a HUGE portion of fries. They were thin and a little crispy with just a hint of parmesan. Soooo good! And the mac and cheese was exactly what I wanted; super cheesy w/thick sauce. The mac still held its form (no one likes overcooked mac) which is a huge plus. The food, price, and atmosphere has made this our go-to place!

    Candice N.

    I keep forgetting to finish this review; Workhorse deserves a shout out. I looooved this place! Every once in a while, me and my guy will go on a random dive bar tour and on this day, Workhorse ended up on the itinerary. The bartender, Ian, was the best! We ordered an app, that I probably wouldn't order again just because it felt overdone, but that didn't take away at all from the friendly vibes we were getting from Ian. He was just one of those people that has a good aura, someone that can be (and probably is) friends with just about everyone. We'll definitely be back here!

    Henry Y.

    Came here with the coworkers on a Friday right after work. This is a great spot with an outdoor seating area in BOTH the front and the back (which I didn't know at first). Their drinks are pre-California exodus cheap, so grab a beer or two or three. They also have grub. There's plenty of burgers to choose from, a coworker said their portobello burger is bomb. I got the burger special, which was arugula and blue cheese. My burger was slightly overcooked and a coworker's was well-done, so you'll have to be mindful of that; if you like yours med-rare or medium, I would call it out. I thought they were pretty generous with the blue cheese, but the burger itself could have been slightly larger; they're thick but relatively tiny. Buns are toasted. I think next time I'd go with one of the classic burgers since I felt the burger special was really heavy, the arugula doesn't bring enough balance for the funkiness of the blue cheese. The parmesian fries were alright, a tad too salty for me. The guys behind the bar were nice, a bee got stuck in my bottle and they kindly replaced it. PARKING: there's a few spots out front, but there's plenty of parking around the corner in the residential area. Come for the drinks, stay for vibes.

    Burger with jalepeno jack and bacon, well done with Parmesan fries.
    H P.

    I'm overdue on this review...because frankly, I've been selfish. Workhorse is one of my go-to neighborhood dive bar spots in Austin and I didn't want to share. BUT...sharing is caring, right? And given the burger and fries that was just laid before me, I HAVE to (finally) officially sing their praises. Workhorse could put "home of the bestest freshest no frills margarita" on their website and I would literally fight anyone who says otherwise. Seriously. I could end this review there. But--try the white wings--bacon-wrapped, buffalo-sauced morsels of boneless chicken goodness. Or have the burger with the parm fries. But mainly just come in for Austin realness and get it. I think that's becoming more and more rare these days. The bartenders won't coddle you but they will take excellent care of you. Be patient with the jukebox. Sometimes it cooperates and sometimes not, but just use the QR code to choose some songs if the machine is feeling grumpy. See you there.

    Bastrop Burger

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    26 days ago

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    Brent B.

    Aw, thanks. You are too kind.

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    9 months ago

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    Brent B.

    Thank you so much for taking the time to write us such a great review.

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    7 months ago

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    Photo of Phillip G.
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    2 months ago

    Badass bartender and food. A true gem. One of my absolute favorites. .

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    Brent B.

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    1 year ago

    Great drink prices, food is fresh and amazing. Love the back patio area for a smoke or two.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    Brent B.

    Thank you so much for taking a time to write such an excellent review.

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    2 years ago

    The burgers are really good. Great service from the bartenders. The drinks are strong. The only negative is trying to find parking.

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    Page 1 of 9

    Ask the Community - Workhorse Bar

    Do they allow dogs on the patio?

    Yes, super dog friendly - you'll have to walk them through the bar though.

    I've grown tired of the Taverns attempts at serving white wings. Is this place good for white wings? I have a friend coming to town and he will want WW but I don't want to go to the Tavern.…

    Knowing that we put White Wings on the menu because of some good memories at the Tavern, I don’t find comfort in ranking ourselves against them, but if I were to make an attempt based on what I hear customers saying, I think you will be very pleased.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    I went to listen to a friend (Jane Rundquist) and her band Too Blue here last weekend. I've been to…read morethis very cool Austin original dive bar a few times over the years and always enjoy the unique decor. It is definitely a classic Austin location that I hope will be around forever! I don't drink beer but they had some great drink specials for those who do. One of my friends was able to get a non-alcoholic beer, the other had a beer, and I had a couple of topo chicos. I think you can also order food there, but we didn't order anything. They also have decent parking options if not in their lot, on the street so we didn't have to walk too far. And I appreciated that Jane was playing at an earlier time. Her band's songs were oldies but goodies and they got several people out on the dance floor! I hope to find myself at Carousel Lounge again soon!

    Throw back to the 70s! Awesome Austin dive bar and music venue! We went to see a friend's band…read moreplay. While I've been to many local dive bars, somehow I've missed this one! Shouldn't be overlooked! Not sure anything has changed in 50 years! One man was bartender, cook, bubbles blower, popcorn maker, and friendly welcomer to all who entered or wanted to chat. Very spacious inside. Drink prices are of a bygone era- they only sell beer and wine for alcohol options. Sound equipment was good I'm told. A classic spot.

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    Gonna get busted at Busty's…read more This is my favorite dive bar in Austin. This place has personality and charm oozing out the wazoo. You can already tell this place has got character and kitsch to spare. The interior design has an old 70s biker bar with pool tables galore. When you go outside, there are so many artifacts of old on display making the ambience much more immersive. As for the food, I got the chicago dog and onion petals and my friends got various other dishes that we all shard. Perfect bar food. It's bar food so you just gotta expect bar food. But it was all still really good. The fries and petals were seasoned really well and I also got an espresso martini which was heavenly. I wish it had the bean though. The hot dog really got me correct.

    My boyfriend and I have been regulars here for the past year, coming in every 1-2 weeks, spending…read more$50-$100 per visit, and always tipping 20%. Last week, I tried the Mezquito. The drink was good, but the tab felt high. I had watched two bartenders pour a strict 1 oz of Mezcal Union, so I asked the bartender today how much the drink cost. She told me $13. When I noted that felt a bit steep for a 1 oz pour, she shut down and said she didn't set the prices. Later, I was chatting with my boyfriend about how neither Busty's nor Frazier's list drink prices on their menus. The customer sitting next to me jumped into my conversation and said she was just saying the same. I mentioned the Mezquito was $13 for a 1 oz pour. The bartender overheard, looked annoyed, and snapped, "It's actually 1.5 oz." I am unsure why she did not say this earlier when I had first asked. I later tried to smooth things over, suggesting that maybe a newer bartender had just under-poured last week by mistake, adding that 1.5 oz was completely reasonable for the price. Instead of de-escalating, she told me I was cut off because she "didn't appreciate" me talking about the prices to other guests. I am writing this review right after leaving and I think it's clear that I'm not drunk. I have never seen a guest treated so poorly--let alone a regular--simply for discussing menu prices. It's an incredibly poor way to handle a situation. Regulars are the lifeblood of neighborhood bars, but the brunette bartender with the wavy hair just ensured Busty's lost two of theirs.

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