Donn's Depot
Bar · Old West Austin ·
Piano bar in old rail cars with live music & dance floors
Piano bar in old rail cars with live music & dance floors
"Housed in an old Clarksville train depot—complete with former railcars and all—Donn’s has been the spot for drinks, dancing, and live music since the late ‘70s. In that time It’s become one of the most iconic institutions in Austin, attracting both a younger crowd and people who have been there since the beginning. There are two dance floors, and you can expect to hear live music nearly every night—sometimes a full band, sometimes just tunes on the piano. Depending on when you show up, you may even hear the man himself, Donn Adelman, on the keys." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion
"Donn’s is what happens when a piano bar, an old train depot, and your grandpa’s living room all decide to share a roof. The floors are carpeted in a dark shade of “it was red once,” and at Christmas the whole place gets covered in holiday lights. Come for a drink, stay for a song and a dance. If you want to see what Austin looked like before all the tall buildings, consider Donn’s your history book." - nicolai mccrary
"Housed in an old train station turned bar, this cozy Austin watering hole is recognizable by its signature red glow, Christmas lights and neon Bud Light sign, and even features a defunct train caboose used as the ladies' bathroom. It has a dive-bar vibe but a notable music pedigree: Donn Adelman, the namesake owner, has been a fixture on the Austin scene since 1961, often performing on piano with a bass player and drummer, and permanently established the spot in 1972 after years playing around Austin and in Las Vegas. The place frequently attracts high-profile visitors — videos on social media and Reddit showed Charli XCX partying there while in town for her 2025 tour, and Dua Lipa stopped by after Austin City Limits in October 2024, enjoying drinks and snacks and posing for photos with the owner — underscoring its reputation as a celebrity-friendly local hangout." - Brittany Britto Garley
"A dive bar in an old train station in Clarksville seems just about right. There’s live music and often free two-stepping dance lessons. It’s fantastically fun, and a photo shoot in the bathroom is a must. Even Dua Lipa visited when she was in town for ACL." - Darcie Duttweiler
"Named among favorite affordable bars the respondent wants to remain part of the city's fabric; used to illustrate the desire for more businesses that offer cheap food, cheap drinks, and good music so Austin doesn't lose those entry-level social spaces." - Nadia Chaudhury
