King Bee
Cocktail bar · Central East Austin ·
Craft cocktails, housemade pizza, vintage details, and frozen drinks
Craft cocktails, housemade pizza, vintage details, and frozen drinks
"The annual tradition returns at King Bee Lounge as the bar transforms into the Black Lagoon through October 31, shrouded in green fog and spiderwebs with a gothic-meets-tropical vibe; the Central East Austin spot’s moody lighting and immersive decor set the stage for standout Halloween cocktails like the Creature’s Curse, an old fashioned twist served in a crystal skull, and the Midnight Forever, a savory vodka sour with black sesame and miso—equal parts haunted grotto and tiki fever dream." - Darcie Duttweiler
"King Bee is where you go when your friends want to go out but nobody can decide on a place. One person only drinks beer, another always orders some fancy cocktail, and you just want somewhere with easy parking and live music. King Bee, located at 12th and Chicon, delivers on all fronts. The drinks are still affordable by Austin standards, and there’s music (usually jazz) two nights a week. The rest of the time, it’s a pretty relaxed neighborhood spot where there's no concern about your Apple Watch warning you about the volume." - nicolai mccrary
"This month, King Bee is the Black Lagoon, a traveling pop-up that decks out bars across the country. (They're also set up at Nickel City's outposts in Houston and Fort Worth.) Dress up as the Gill-man and sit among spiderwebs while eating El Borracho Tacos, the food truck that's on site Wednesdays through Sundays." - nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs
"International Halloween cocktail pop-up Black Lagoon is coming back to Austin again, taking over the Central East Austin bar. This means goth-ish decor, a set cocktail menu with drinks like the Nightmare Fuel (tequila, mango liqueur, matcha, lime, Thai spice bitters, and absinthe) and the Memento Mori (mezcal, boozy cold-brew liqueur, rum, cold brew, banana liqueur, Amontillado, saline, and Chinese five spice bitters), along with shots and non-alcoholic options. It runs from Tuesday, October 8 through Thursday, October 31. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas." - Nadia Chaudhury
"A classic neighborhood bar with knowledgeable bartenders, a cramped indoor vibe favored by service industry regulars, a roomy patio, weekly programming like jazz nights, and crowd-pleasing house drinks such as a frozen Bee’s Knees; Lone Star on tap stands out for its richer profile." - Nadia Chaudhury