Moontower Saloon

I wanted to adore this place. And somewhat, I did. But the one time I went to the bar to get a drink refill I was standing and waiting for several minutes while the bartender chatted with friends. When she realized there was about four of us waiting she rushed over and it was fine but a little absurd. I was excited for the food and was severely let down. The food consisted of two food trucks. (There’s more there but only two were open.) the fifers one, with the nachos, I stood and waited for several minutes and no one came so I went to the Thai food place. It was ok but literally noodles with a sauce and the frozen rotisserie chicken breast strips from Costco. The rice was just Costco premade bacon. And it was like $12 per dish. I could’ve made it at home much cheaper and faster and better. The nacho man came back so we ordered those. They were HEFTY. But again, just premade beef, pork, and chicken from probably Costco thrown on some chips and tops with massive amounts of queso. They were the better of the two options. The play place was so fun. My kids LOVED IT. Would we come back? Probably. But just for drinks and to let the kiddos play. I wouldn’t spent $50 on food that no one really loved.

Fun spot. Lots of room to run around and roam for the kids, relaxing and shaded seating areas. Good food trucks and overall cheap. $20 for parking that is validated (used towards drinks /food). Great climbing net for kids, all of them were having a blast.

We are tourists from Brazil and we went to the moontower saloon to watch the super bowl. Since our arrival at the salon, we liked everything about the place, a very large parking lot, a variety of drinks and a super cozy space. We were well served by some waiters at first, but a waitress with purple hair who arrived later treated us very badly simply because my wife and I pointed to a drink that was ready and said if it would be possible to make one like it for us. At the same time as we ordered the drink, we noticed her discomfort in serving us and a certain prejudice upon realizing that our “English” was a little different from the English of the natives. It's a horrible feeling to be in a place and go through that. My wife and I felt like leaving at the same time, but we decided to stay because we wouldn't let this type of person ruin our moment and our trip. I leave the tip for the restaurant to let some people more patient and respectful when serving the public because regardless of our nationality we should be treated equally because no one is more than anyone else!

December 2023: Menchaca Road has slowly been transforming into a place where popular Austin hangouts have been opening new locations. I live nearby it and was time to see it again where my first place was the Moontower Saloon. I brought my wife during the day for lunch. The place had that Texas country feel with the gravel parking lot, rustic bar, outdoor seating under huge live oak trees, small stage, fire pit, food trucks and to my surprise sand volleyball courts. The place had a wonderful atmosphere. First we ordered food at one of the food trucks called Hot Texas Grills where the other was Fried Heaven but was not opened. While I waited for my Buffalo Chicken Quesadilla, I walked inside the bar to order a local beer. The bartender was nice and admired all the stickers behind her. This place looked like it had been here for decades with its old wood look almost like a dive bar. We sat outside on the deck checking out the place. The volleyball courts was located at the far end and was busy. This place was also dog friendly too. It was a very relaxing atmosphere to enjoy a beer and food at.

This is an amazing space. There’s an interior bar with seating, large outdoor area, and volleyball courts. There’s staff is also very friendly!

My favorite place in Austin! Great vibe winter or summer. Love the staff and they are always so nice and courteous. I always feel comfortable and at home here. Will continue to share and come to this place.

Charging $20 for parking felt too high. Happy to pay a small parking fee, but requiring a $20 drink purchase to validate parking seems off—especially for one person who only wanted one drink.

I was out there a few years ago, went to all five bars along that stretch. This place has just the right stuff..nice! I also know the owner, Larry Bum, from his flagship bar on E. Hopkins. Good job, Larry!

I've been to moontower with friends several times, and even had my high school reunion here. It's got a very lax vibe with lots of outdoor seating, loud music (sometimes live), and they do cute events like trivia night as well. The drinks are reasonably priced, bartenders and fairly quick and helpful, and there's a big parking lot out back - I've never had an issue with parking. It's usually bustling with folks, but you can always find a seat - one of the nice things about south Austin compared to central! I also like the little pool tables and outdoor bar area. Overall it's a homely place - I like coming with friends and would rec a visit with yours!

This place used to be THE spot on Menchaca but I can def see why it's not anymore. Opening game day for UT football and the bartender seemingly hates the patrons for no rhyme or reason making typical orders with zero modifications/requests. Order food at the BBQ food truck and I've never experienced a more soulless ordering experience. You could tell the guy taking orders gave zero shits. No wonder it barely attracts anyone when Armadillo Den next door is packed.

The bar is nice & there's a great stage with good sound! This place is promising, but the food truck outside that sells barbecue & Mexican food is overpriced garbage. Not exaggerating when I say Taco Bell & Del Taco make better food (and at half the price). The folks running Moon Tower should have no problem replacing this trailer with a chef and food options that are actually good. After that, things will only improve for attendance & higher sales.

Menchaca Road has slowly been transforming into a place where popular Austin hangouts have been opening new locations. I live nearby it and was time to see it again where my first place was the Moontower Saloon. I brought my wife during the day for lunch. The place had that Texas country feel with the gravel parking lot, rustic bar, outdoor seating under huge live oak trees, small stage, fire pit, food trucks and to my surprise sand volleyball courts. The place had a wonderful atmosphere. First we ordered food at one of the food trucks called Hot Texas Grills where the other was Fried Heaven but was not opened. While I waited for my Buffalo Chicken Quesadilla, I walked inside the bar to order a local beer. The bartender was nice and admired all the stickers behind her. This place looked like it had been here for decades with its old wood look almost like a dive bar. We sat outside on the deck checking out the place. The volleyball courts was located at the far end and was busy. This place was also dog friendly too. It was a very relaxing atmosphere to enjoy a beer and food at.

Met up with fam bam here on 4/4/24 after my cousin's wedding rehearsal around 4pm. The weather was perfect. Nice hangout spot. This bar had plenty of outdoor seating under a huge oak tree. There's a small stage, 2 food trucks, fire pit and volleyball courts. They even had huge jenga blocks on the table to play, I only played one round with my mom. I'm not much of a drinker but I did enjoy their non alcoholic version of the cucumber watermelon quencher. Overall, we enjoyed the food, drinks and music.

This is now my favorite place to hang out with the kids. The new rope area was really awesome. We had the BBQ food truck- the brisket nachos were amazing. Their draft beer selection was great! Misters outside keep you cool. I can't wait to come back.

Came on a Monday so they were starting some karaoke. They had a ton of picnic tables in the shade but we chose to sit underneath the oak trees. Even tho it was 97 degrees that day, they had fans blowing and shade from the trees kept the area pretty cool with minimal sweating from my group. I started off with a lemon gin drink that was light and refreshing. My 2nd drink was the frozen pina colada. Not huge on those but it heavy on the pineapple which made it delicious. It was perfect to enjoy outside. Someone in my group told me they charge $20 for parking but they give you a $20 drink credit to even it out but we did not encounter that probably bc it was a Monday.

Love it here. Fun lights, dive bar vibes at night, and beautiful exterior with big trees and fire pits. I'd highly recommend for a fun date spot to grab a drink, or enjoy with a group of friends. Great service and reasonably priced drinks !!

We love Moontower! Walking distance to home, what's not the love? People are friendly, drinks are cold, food trucks are delish. We probably need to spend more time here, I'd really like to get involved in the cornhole tournaments they have.

I've been coming to this bar off and on for a long time. Lots of activities to do and enjoy. The bar is inside and can take a bit to order a drink. I've found the wait staff limited. If you're sitting outside and expecting table service, you'll wait for a long time. Mainly picnic tables and Adirondack chairs for seating outside. There's a food truck to get some nibbles as well. Some fans are scattered around but it's still so hot in the Texas heat even after dark. Fire pit is nice in colder weather. There's beach volleyball courts as well. Corn hole is also available to play on the front lawn. On a busy night, you can end up parking in the boonies but there is parking but it's not paved

To family from out of town here and really enjoyed it. We went through the day so we were able to take our teenage kids with us. Drinks were good and quick and reasonably priced compared to other locations around town. Food truck on site was absolutely delicious as well!

I went this afternoon and left my nice glasses on the bar after Arianne served me. After my sandwich, I went up to the bar and the another bartender said she had just seen my glasses at the bar. A moment later - Arianne looked at the other bartender (who had seen them) then looked back at me and snapped "they're not here." Not only was she rude to a local that is paying her but it looks like you should watch out for potential thieves behind the bar. Really upsetting and disappointing. I the owners read this. Best going next door to Armadillo Den or Lil Darlin over this place.

ALOE THERE! Imagine coming to a bar that is not just a bar. From the outside looking in it looks like your typical music venue. But jut wait there is more. Moon tower Saloon has volleyball courts for you to play volleyball on. As well as a couple food trucks to get some delicious food at. My brother told me that the taco truck is amazing. They have some of the best quesso in the city. But unfortunately it was closed. They had a large array of different songs playing and it was strange since the genres they were playing switched up constantly. Christmas decor was scattered around. My favorite was the "guacin around the christmas tree" decoration it was a little inflatable avocado. Super cute and was something that I had not seen before. The menu has all different beers, ciders, malt cocktails, seltzers and even some canned water called liquid death. Usually there is a $15 fee to get into this bar that they allow you to add to your tab. But I guess this does not happen typically on the week days because when we came in we just had to show our IDs and didn't have to pay any door charge. This was definitely a great place to stop into! Either finish your night here like we did or start your night here! When I'm back in town I can see myself having a lot more fun here. There is trivia and other fun games during the week to bring in the young adults.

Last night was my first time at Moontower Saloon and it has got to be one of the coolest concepts I've ever been to! The saloon area has a couple arcade games, and there are plenty of giant outdoor games like Connect 4 in their massive outdoor patio along 2 food trucks: 1 bbq & 1 hotdog. At the bottom, you will fine 3 sand volleyball courts! Tips: they charge a $20 minimum and basically open up a tab upon arrival. If you spend $20+ dollars, they waive the parking charge. Please note, the food trucks are on a different POS System so validate your parking at the bar by showing your receipt.

Came by on a sunny winter Sunday - live music, folks dancing & chilling or playing horseshoes. Parking lot free if u start a tab $15 Bartender recommended a beer, I sat outside at a picnic table & enjoyed the band. Restrooms are in like a trailer like thing but clean. T shirt actually pretty cool too, tho they ran out of M. Food truck avail that looked fabulous but I was too full to try it this time. Definitely will return!

Hostess and servers were rude, food was terrible, drinks were too expensive, atmosphere was terrible don't waste your time

If you are on a solo business or pleasure trip- do not come here during the day or at all if your a person of color to be honest. I walked in, asked the bartender if I just sit down anywhere and was told yes- so I sat at a table and then awkwardly sat there for 10 minutes until I just walked out. Totally bummed, I was looking forward to happy hour and was enjoying the music as well during my awkward time here.

Such a fun, cute outdoor bar. Food trucks outside and the best part, karaoke Thursdays! Loved this place and had so much fun.

We love the energy & vibes at moontower! My fiancé & I played at a sand volleyball league at Moontower on Monday nights and had a blast. We also went to a trivia night they had there on Tuesday which was a lot of fun. They have a good amount of beers on tap, several NA canned beers, and solid mixed drinks too. They also have a food truck on site as well that has pretty good food.

Excellent service and cold beer! Recommend it highly volley ball and other activities and pet friendly

Very cool hang out space with good beer. I wish there were more vegan options from the food trucks besides chips and fries.

Fun evening with my husband's co-workers. All staff were friendly, courteous and prompt with the drinks. Sadly the gas line to our fire pit didn't seem to be working. Otherwise, such a fun place to hang out!

Live music,, fire pits,,2 food trucks!!!!! Come out and have a good time with the moontower

The Moon Tower Saloon is a very cool venue! I love that it has an indoor bar with air-conditioning, an outdoor covered bar, and seating in the shade of oak trees. It also has some cool food trucks, and outdoor games including sand volleyball. I went there to join a Meetup group and listen to a band. The band was terrific, lots of people were dancing, and it just felt like a good time all around. There seem to be ample parking outback, but it might be because I was there very early. All in all, I think it is an excellent venue and you should check it out, especially if you live in the area. Who knows, it may become your regular haunt. Let me know what you think.

Such a fun place to go hang out with friends and also play some sand volleyball! They have a good selection of cocktails and brew. TVs all around so you can watch the games if you're looking for a place to do that. They have plenty of parking spots, unlike the place next door. They often will pre-charge your card $20 just to ensure you're purchasing something from them rather than just parking there and heading to another spot. My first time here was during Halloween weekend and saw some interesting characters - fun vibes all around!

Moontower is the instigator of Manchaca's bar scene. It's cool. It's hip. It's somehow annoying.... Beach Volleyball - skill level inversely proportional to attire. Dog friendly. Kid friendly...sometimes? Not really sure. Lots of outdoor seating. They do have more parking than the newer joints, and are happy to charge you to park and walk. Bartenders move things relatively quickly (sometimes rudely). Beer, wine, cocktails. A couple of average yet overpriced food trucks on site. Live music sometimes. They also seem to have a lot of nebulous, ever-changing, and arbitrarily enforced rules I don't plan on keeping up with or adhering to.

LOVEEE this place so much! Every time we come to Austin it's our go to spot. The food truck has the best brisket grilled cheese, I've never had anything like it. The drinks are good, food is to die for, and it's just an overall fun environment. Can't recommend it enough!

I attended an event for work with a huge crowd in attendance,and never felt crowded. Surrounded with 'beach volleyball sandlots, multiple cozy fire pits with comfy chairs circling round them, picnic tables, covered and uncovered as well as a full bar and live music venue. Their BBQ was enjoyed by all ( who ate meat!). This is a lovely venue for a large group and has ample parking and is pet friendly!

This was one of the best places I visited during my stay in Austin. We went twice, on Saturday it was pretty packed and they had live music, they even have a volleyball field which was a great add on to the wonderful evening we were having, the drinks are super cheap, coming from Florida where they charge you $12-$18 from a single drink, I mean, it was heaven for us haha!.. Super chill, romantic, we came back the following night and it was almost empty but they had the same great service and food. 10/10!

Recently went to Moontower for the first time in many years - I will NOT be returning until they get rid of their stupid TouchTunes jukebox. The music that was being played while we were there was absolutely awful, so we put $10 in their jukebox and chose some favorite songs. We were then puzzled when our songs did not play and when we asked the bartender he rudely told us that other people must have paid more money to skip our songs (yes, this is something people can do when a place uses the TouchTunes jukebox). We waited patiently to see if any of our songs would finally play and when they FINALLY started to play we only got to hear a few songs because by then their live DJ had arrived and started setting up so the jukebox was turned off. What an epic waste of time and money on our part. I feel as though Moontower is missing an opportunity to track down an old school jukebox and carefully curate the music in it. I think you could attract more music lovers to your venue if you put more thought and effort into what is played when you don't have live musical acts playing. You have a gorgeous spot in South Austin -- you should spend some time reading through your critical reviews and making notes on how to improve.

I just had a really disturbing incident with the man who's usually posted at the entrance to the parking lot. They charge to park there, but they usually don't if you're just coming in to get something from one of the food trucks. I've probably come here half a dozen times, explained to this man that I'm just here to get some food to go, and he lets me through (you would think he would even remember me by now). I don't even eat the food there or linger. I just get my food and go. Today the man was not at his post, so I drove on in and parked. It was early in the day, and I thought maybe they didn't charge until the evening or something. Well, as I'm walking to the food truck, this man gets in my face and starts berating me for not paying to park. I explained that I was only here to get some food and leave, and, besides, there was no one there to take parking money. But he wasn't having it. He continued to berate me for I don't know how long, and at one point he implied he was going to get physical with me. It was upsetting, to say the least. Here I am, just trying to do business with some people I've done business with before in the same manner I've done before, and I'm being attacked and treated like a criminal by some douchebag who probably flunked out of the police academy. I realize parking is a premium in Austin, but this place isn't even downtown, and it wasn't especially busy. Don't do business with a place that employs psychopaths.

Very cool spot! They are also very busy so if you're hungry be prepared to wait a bit for a table, but it's very worth it! They do have bar areas, an outside patio inside, and right before you enter where you can hang out which helps make time go by fast. We did wait a bit for our meals to come out but there was quite a few of us so the waiting was expected. They did enter yes with buckets of popcorn as we waited and of course our drinks. My burger was delicious and it's huge, but I managed to eat every bite. I definitely want to return try some of their other entrees and of course their moonshine flight! That was an experience for sure!

Not going to lie, I first came here because there was no parking at Armadillo Den but I am so happy I ended up here. It's a great spot with lots of outdoor area to hang out. We've come here with friends to hang out and enjoy live music, we've brought our dog while we've enjoyed drinks and we've also come to watch our friends play volleyball. There is a food truck on site if you come hungry and overall, the easy parking really adds to this location. Also, if you come on a weekend night, there is technically a fee to park but it can be used towards a drink so that's nice!

Good service - real people.Great drinks. We are here from Houston and live relaxed hideaway locals vibe

This is the quintessential Austin live music venue. Outdoors, lots of benches, fun lighting, and seating under a giant oak tree, great bands playing up against the bar, and there's a pool table, arcade game inside the bar. Big parking lot. Words don't do it justice.

Review Amended. This band Killed their final song. 5 stars earned tonight. 6. .21 to be revisited ****** Ok, I refrain. He Just Played Use Me by Billy Withers - I apologize for all previous words. ******* Come in guys. It's a Saturday night post Covid and you hired a band that sounds like Los Lonely Boys but doesn't play How Far is Heaven? A Saturday night band that doesn't play Any covers....... The V was good though. Hire right or we're goin' dillo. But at least Moon has working bathrooms. ****** I'll revisit momentarily...

I'm updating you on two pieces of news for spring 2021. 1. You can see smiling faces and breathe easy here, if you know what I mean... 2. A new business has moved into their food truck. (It used to be called Triple Wide, and the old sign is still up.) I'm mad at myself for not getting photos of the menu or food, and not even remembering the name of the new business. What I remember is that they have really good melts and grilled cheese sandwiches. I got the grilled cheese, which is one of my favorite foods, but my appetite was off, and I filled up too fast, and couldn't finish the whole thing. The texture of the sourdough bread was just perfect, medium-lightly toasted, and the flavors were as expected. It was $7. I also got a side of potato salad which was of the mustard, pickle, and pimento variety. It looks like a small serving, but I guess it's fair for $1.50. I wouldn't have wanted a bigger serving after all. Their most popular sandwich is a brisket melt, with brisket, cheese, peppers and onions on sourdough for $9 or $10. At least 3 of my friends got it and liked it. Other items I remember seeing on the menu were tacos, wraps, chili dogs, chips, and maybe even nachos? It's interesting to note that their sign mentions that they employ deaf staff, and ask you to point at the menu to order, but the girl who took my order must have been one of their non-deaf staff members, and willingly took my request to customize the cheese to just colby jack instead of the advertised colby jack and American cheese combination. (No fake processed cheese product, please!) Other than that, I give Moontower 4 stars because it's got a commercialized-hipster vibe, and can just get too crowded. There's this bench with car doors stuck on the side that annoyed me more than it should. Do they really think that's clever or something? Do they think it's going to impress us? It's not like they even built the bench around a car seat. They just stuck on old car doors. I went on a Tuesday night, when it wasn't too crowded, but it often gets overwhelming. Our group had to move away from the patio to get away from the loud music, in order to talk. Parking can be a challenge to find. They've got volleyball courts, but I don't know if they sponsor a league, allow leagues to play there in hopes of generating business, or if they ever have the courts open for casual play.

I have a love/hate relationship with moontower so I'll lay out the pros and cons. Pros: great bartending staff who are quick and super friendly, pet friendly, sand volleyball courts which are okay but not well maintained, reasonably priced drinks Cons: bad food options that are very overpriced, expensive parking (went from free, to 10, 15, and now 20 bucks to park). They are trying to prevent people from parking and walking over to the bars next door but in the process are making it harder to drop in and just have a single drink without paying $20 to do so. Overall I think moontower is a cool bar and worth checking out but only go if you plan to drink your parking fee's worth otherwise go elsewhere.

Well-known classic in South Austin. The big backyard and the vendors are definitely a nice little addition. Typically there are bands there Thursday Friday Saturday where all members of the family will enjoy. Contracts are awesome and I love the quesadillas and the Big Texas classic melt. Always a good time with the very relaxed vibe but lately it has gotten a lot more congested and parking is difficult.

Finally made it out to Moontower Saloon all the way down Menchaca (formerly known as Manchaca) nestled between two other outdoor bars in this area now. Was super impressed to see so many people out here during the week as many were playing volleyball, hanging out and watching NBA finals, dancing to the background music, and waiting in line for some food from the food truck on site. Parking is $15 but unsure if this is a normal occurrence or just when it is at it's peak or weekends but be ready to hand your debit/credit card to the parking attendant when you roll up. Parking fee is no big deal as it basically opens up a tab for you to drink/eat with that credit. I believe you can pay cash as an option to park but would highly recommend using a card so you can get that credit at the bar as you know you will, at minimum, spend $15 for drinks or eats. Be ready to trek a little up a hill to get back to your car when you are done! I wasn't ready for it. Also be sure to wear some comfortable shoes even though there is a mulch path from parking lot to front parking lot. Heels will not be your friend here, ladies! Lots of space to spread out here and meet with friends and other friendlies. Many people bring their dogs to hang and watch the folks playing volleyball as well. Coming out of pandemic quarantine I was super surprised to see how many bartenders and staff they have here. All super friendly and drink service was super fast. I appreciate this as when we visited we were up against 4-5 people waiting in line to get a drink. Check the chalkboard behind the inside bar as there are some pretty good shot specials and drinks to have. Excited to come back and venture around again with some drinks in hand and friends in tow!

Crew was my bartender and he was very accommodating to me and made me feel so comfortable. I thank him and I thank this business for making me (a single woman coming to drink alone) and allowing me to feel safe and welcome. 10/10

Great outdoor spot for easy drinking - beer list isn't extensive but they've got at least one of something a person would like. Price for parking is steep but if you spend $15 you get parking validated for free (and that's easy to do with just two drinks purchased). Dog friendly, fire pits and lots of different places to stand or sit. We went on a Sunday afternoon so there were plenty of seats available. Music selection not super great for an easy drinking Sunday but that's to everyone's personal preference (note: music got MUCH better/vibey)

I really like Moontower Saloon. Good drink prices for sure and large selection of beers . Parking is a little tight and bathroom situation is not ideal but I would overall recommend for drinking like you are camping.

One of the few bars on this block that actually has some decent parking. Good cocktail choice and food trucks off and on although you can usually find atleast one open pretty much any time. Larger facility than most other bars on the block which is nice since it tends to get busy often.

Good, laid back bar with the sand volleyball option. Only thing lacking is the food, the food trucks are sub par.

We stopped by the Austin Honky Tonk for a game of Pool, live band, and some cocktails. This is a really large place with different sections. The inside, a cool wooden bar with juke box, pool table and small little tables. You can pass through this long plastic drape and be outside with long tables and the band playing. They have outdoor games all around but back past the band stage. Wasn't overly crowded but still a lot of people. Getting in and out parking was a breeze. A great place to hang out in Austin !

I'd think twice about this place if your aren't 23 years old Cool venue but the staff is lackluster. Bunch of people who think they're above anyone else and think that you're a privileged to be served. If you're with a group I would go because there's a lot of Seats. If you're expecting service I would avoid this place. They can bring mixed drinks but anything else they'll make you grab yourself, I wouldn't count on this spot to give you decent service

I found this place looking for some sand volleyball. The vibe here is super cool and it looks beautiful at night. Will come back for sure.

I'm a frequent flyer here and yet I'm not sure why. We had date night last weekend to go see an amazing band called Brodie Lane and sip a few beers. I keep hoping the bar staff will improve but unfortunately they were the same blah staff as always. No personality, always in a rush with no socializing skills. I may be old skool but I thought that's how you make tips and they all suck! Not to mention, we woke up sick the day after drinking two different brands in draft. Only three beers, which I consume on a regular night out with no problems. So this tells me they aren't cleaning their beer lines and draft tubing. This is gross! Beer was cold but not crisp. Fun atmosphere but when you don't have a fun staff or fresh beer...well it's kind of wasted.