New Austin Bar Sign Bar Opens With Old Neon Signs and Drinks in East Austin | Eater Austin
"Located in far east Austin, I visited Sign Bar, which opened June 16 at 9909 FM Road 969, Building 3. The space — a converted, shuttered automobile service station with indoor seating and a large outdoor area — features a full bar, rotating food trucks (currently a taco truck), and a decade-long collection of over 75 retired Austin signs assembled by FBR Management’s Matt Luckie and Max Moreland. The signs, a mix of originals and reproductions by fabricators and artists, include pieces from legacy restaurants like Night Hawk, the Frisco (the last of which closed in 2018), and Cafe Josie (which closed in 2020), as well as from Maria’s Taxo Xpress and Winebelly, still-open classics like the Omelettry and Mrs. Johnson’s Bakery, and other landmarks such as Dallas Nightclub, Dry Creek Cafe, Hut’s Hamburgers, Katz’s Deli, Kenichi, Nau’s Enfield Drug, Red Fez, Shady Grove, and Threadgill’s; the collection also contains signs from FBR venues including Gibson Street Bar, Lavaca Street Bar, Midnight Cowboy (purchased in 2021), and the closed Graceland Grocery and Metcalf BBQ. The official cocktail menu launched June 21 with drinks like blackberry mules, spicy margaritas, and Old Fashioneds, plus weekend brunch cocktails including the bloody mary called This Is a Sign (with tequila or vodka, a Tajin rim, bleu cheese olives, a pickle spear, and pickled okra), a variety of mimosas, and an East Side Bellini. Sign Bar’s hours are Monday–Thursday 4 p.m.–2 a.m., Friday–Sunday 11 a.m.–2 a.m., with brunch Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.–3 p.m." - Erin Russell
