Speakeasy

Speakeasy was such a vibe! Perfect downtown Austin spot with a great atmosphere, hilarious comedy, and incredible drinks. The location makes it easy to explore the city after, too! Huge shout-out to the bartender—she was working solo and absolutely crushed it with her energy and service. Definitely coming back for more laughs and cocktails! 🍸😂✨

No food here, so grab a bite before visiting. The ambience was great and the drinks were decent. The old fashioned was heavy on the syrup, but after adding a double shot it evened out. Espresso martini was just what the doctor ordered. Live music seemed like it would be good, but we had to leave before they started. Would come back, though, to try again! There's was a couple of corporate events happening so we didn't get to check out the 2nd story or rooftop.

Speakeasy Austin, which is located on Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, is a great spot for cocktails + live music in ATX! Per their website, "Speakeasy, located in the historic Kreisle Building, which was built in the 1870’s, has been continuously serving up great live music and great cocktails since 1997. Speakeasy is composed of three levels; the Music Lounge, the Bowling Mezzanine (which overlooks the Music Lounge stage) and the Ballroom, the Kabaret Room and the rooftop lounge, Terrace59." I recently visited for the first time for their New Year's Eve festivities with my boyfriend + a group of our friends, and we had a wonderful experience! The Spazmatics were one of the featured bands on NYE, and Speakeasy's space was perfect for experiencing live music. :-) In terms of their drinks, they make a great margarita, and the bartenders were very efficient & kind during our visit. The space within Speakeasy is huge, so there is so much to explore when you visit! I'm looking forward to returning here in the future - this is a great spot, go check them out!

Not what I thought of when I saw speakeasy. I was expecting a trapdoor or something of the sort but it was just old school decorations. And lots of stairs. There's one side that goes all the way up to the third floor but then you have to go all the way down to switch more stairs to go up to the second floor so lots of stairs. And it's the smaller ones so if you're not paying attention you can slide down them or if you're drunk.

This place was very fun and of course it helped a lot that I was with a fantastic group of people. The food was very good as were the drinks. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the ability to actually talk a lot with my friends. We had a great time

I have hosted 3 events at speakeasy. The first one was amazing, the staff was so helpful and everything went great. Our second event was absolutely horrible. Management was completely unresponsive, we had multiple A/V issues and could not get in contact with anyone. We sent an email detailing our complaints and received no response. After this, we were under the impression that speakeasy was under new management so we decided to book again (only because the rooftop venue is very nice and we alll loved it). Once again we had the worst experience. I’ve been an event planner for 5 years and speakeasy is by far the worst venue i’ve ever worked with. The staff is beyond rude and the management has no respect for customers who have spent multiple thousands of dollars on their event. We are so upset that we decided to take a second chance on them considering they are by far the worst venue in Austin to book with. We also had multiple complaints of the bouncer assaulting attendees when they were entering. He patted me down and said “best day of my life” after feeling my crotch. Would never recommend anyone to book an event at this absolutely awful

Walked in on a Saturday night as a stop and my wife's and my 1st anniversary tour. The lonestars? I think that was the name,were playing. A very talented 3 piece band. We danced to the cranberries song they played and felt very welcomed by the crowd. Only had 1 beer then left but need come back again!

Great place for live music. We had a work function here and it was a blast. We had bowling, pool, shuffleboard and ping pong, along with 2 stages of music. Plenty of bars and servers to handle the crowd. Will definitely be back when in the area again.

Let's continue with this Austin City adventure with some night scenes. This is a two level club, a band was performing on the first level with a dance floor and full bar. The second floor had a DJ with a dance floor and full bar too. The upper level had a view of the City and seemed to be a younger crowd. We already had dinner, so we had a cocktail and enjoyed the music from a local band that performs the 80s here on a regular basis. The service was very good, a nice vibe from customers around us was welcoming. The lighting and sound system was pretty good. No cover charge was required, 21+ years old venue. Sincerely, Rosemary (California)

This was the worst bar experience I have ever had. The staff were extremely rude, dismissive, and disrespectful from the moment we arrived. I have never seen a place so comfortable treating paying customers like an inconvenience. Do not come here unless you want to be treated like shit for a mediocre venue

It's easy to speak easily about Speakeasy. This is a cool old bar along Congress. It's not THAT old, but it has a fun kind of set up that you won't find in most other bars. Entering at the street level, there's a stage, and a bar with a modest choice of beers. The stage set up is good for checking out live music. If you get bored of the action on the bottom floor, find those steps. They go up and up and up, past a ballroom on the second floor, a bowling alley, and up to a rooftop bar. Cool! The rooftop bar has its own little bar (thank gosh!) and nice views that look south down Congress towards the river. The rooftop bar has lots of places to chill, a spot for a live band or a DJ, and friendly bartenders. The rooftop bar seemed to offer a wider array of beers than the street level. The whole place looks ancient. The bricks look like they're barely hanging on, and the stairs seem to have had lots and lots of boots going up and down. Parking is nearly impossible on Congress. Good luck. The restrooms were fairly clean.

Hosted a corporate event at Speakeasy and would again 100%! I had a seamless experience e working with Leslie to get everything booked, arranged and set up. I also met the owner of Speakeasy who was very friendly and welcoming. Food was great - we had pulled chicken tacos that were so yummy. Ambiance was fun and energetic. The band that played before spazmatcis was perfect - not too loud so we could still have conversation. Spazmatcis brought the volume and energy. Would absolutely recommend this gem for hosting a party or just a night out.

Nice love music stage on the first floor,cool games and lounge on the second and relaxing rooftop. Service was nice and quick.

Probably my favorite downtown bar. I'd recommend sticking to the basics (beer or shots) when ordering drinks. Really nice space, with a huge variety of different vibes---lounge, EDM, honkey tonk---all under one roof. The rooftop area is a little lame. Congress Avenue isn't directly visible, and there's an unnecessary rooftop enclosure. The mezzanine and bottom floors are fabulous

If you ever get to Austin this is an awesome chill spot. Rooftop lounge live band ... note there is an elevator which i found after climbing the 59 steps to the top #speakeasyaustin #citylife #texas @ Speakeasy visit 8/10/2019 Late post but this came up in my FB memories and I ironically am back in Austin today.

My husband and I had such a fun time when we visited Speakeasy on Saturday, 08/05/2023 (around 10pm) to listen to some live music that just makes Austin such a special place to live & to have a few drinks that made me feel a little bit prettier;). The Lonestar Souvenirs was the band playing on the night we stopped by & they were really talented & such a fun band to listen to! They played a mix of different song genres & really engaged w/ the audience (see videos included in this review of their awesomeness). Since "sharing is caring" here are a few of my FYIs & Helpful Tips: - This venue has 3 levels - 1st level ---has a bar, w/ high top tables all around the dance floor and stage area (see pics included in this review) 2nd level ----has another bar, and overlooks down to the 1st level, has a couple of ping pong tables, a couple of oversized couches, 2 lanes for bowling, giant connect four game, pool table, and a few other board games for everyone to enjoy (see pics included in this review) 3rd level----after climbing up a flight of stairs that definitely gets your glutes & hamstrings burning, you'll end up on the 3rd level of this venue which opens up to the rooftop that had another bar, a DJ playing techno music (I could be wrong about this since I don't listen to that music genre) and there was seating all around, overlooking downtown Austin. - Atmosphere: I can happily report that on the night we visited, the crowd in attendance was a mix of age ranges (I just can't hang w/ those early 20-somethin' babies ;) and while it was busy, it was overly crowded which added to us being able to fully enjoy our evening out. The vibe was very relaxed, casual, & great ambiance w/ candle votives on the tables! - No cover charge during our visit -Parking: We were staying at a hotel w/in walking distance so no parking needed for us but there is a paid parking lot located right next to Speakeasy on Congress. Not sure about the price. Hope this info helps! Till next time, Rebecca

Nothing out of the ordinary. Parking is limited in this part of town, so probably best to carpool or Uber. Staff is warm and welcoming. They hosted an event entirely for the company I work for. There are at least two floors, but I was unable to go to the second floor as their elevator wasn't working that day. They had stairs, but given that I was in a boot, that wasn't going to happen. A few of us were impaired that day. I had a coworker in a wheelchair and another with back problems, so they took this in stride and set up tables both upstairs and downstairs for us. They had the majority of the food upstairs though, but they were kind enough to bring us some. The ambiance was dark and they had a musician playing at some point that made it impossible to hear your thoughts. I admittedly peaced out as quickly as it was socially acceptable. Not my scene at all.

Decent priced cocktails, quick service and excellent live bands performing daily. Game room on 2nd floor and even a DJ spinning on their rooftop! Good times to enjoy right in the heart of Congress and other speakeasy's!

I truly love this place - one of downtown Austin's not so hidden gems. I've come here a few times randomly and every night I've gone, they've had live cover bands and it's been a blast! I really enjoy the atmosphere downstairs - lots of fun if you want to dance and sing along to the music with friends. The mezzanine level is more casual with games, always a good place to hang out with a date or a group of friends. And the rooftop is always a fun vibe (though it's like a sauna up there during the summertime!). Service is great and the people who come here are always super nice and pleasant! Always a good time!

Solid drinks. Good AC. Comfy bar chairs. Attentive bartender & servers. We will go back soon. Live music on Friday night was fun. Blink cover band & the crowd had fun.

First time visiting the speakeasy, Haley are server was above and beyond fantastic! She took care of us like we were family! And she was crazy busy to boot! De spasmodics or a Uber great/entertaining band and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there would love to see if the spasmodics would come to Atlanta to play

We were looking for live music Fourth of July weekend, and this place was just pouring out a vibe from the streets a lot of other places were charging like the Jazz place around the corner underneath RA or had a long line, but this place was very inviting and had a family of country musicians on stage. They saying all the new country and people can dance/2 step in the center of the stage if you want. Restrooms are clean and staff are friendly. Definitely would check it out if you are a fan of country or you were just rocking a pair of brand new boots. So interesting to see a bachelorette squad there too lol .

Chill speakeasy bar with various events/bands performing most weekends and sometimes during the week. The cocktail menu is decent and drinks are strong. There's some seating at the bar and round tables with chairs from where audience can enjoy the shows. Some street parking is available outside but you may have to park in a downtown garage on a busy Friday or Saturday night.

Literally the atypical bar, table, stage set up. Really nice drinks and good dive bar/honky Toni vibe. Perhaps it was the evening I was there but the staff all seem to wish they were somewhere else. They're certainly pleasant and attentive but devoid of any interactions other than transactional. If the bands good, definitely stop in. If you're looking for a good bar, keep walking.

DO NOT make the same mistake I made. Walking in at 8:55PM, getting charged $10 cover charge. Walked up to the bar, and they called LAST CALL! They were closing at 9PM and still charged and let us in. NOTHING to do with the place, just don't make the same mistake I MADE.

The people working there are top notch and believe in the Keep Austin Weird motto. I have been there twice for the open mic on Monday evenings and was treated with kindness and respect. Great stage, chill atmosphere and musicians of all types are welcome.

After a rather difficult start to a bachelorette party at a different bar, we found the closet one to move to. Enter Speakeasy. I cannot give enough accolades to this establishment! They took our party in and made it a fabulous night we will never forget! Thank you for your kindness and hospitality!

Tbh it's not my style of bar, but I came out on a Thursday at 6 PM and it was an alright place to kill 30 mins before going to a work dinner next door. I got the hill country peach tea cooler since it looked like the sweetest drink on the menu and can confirm it was fun! Tasted kinda like peach sparkling water, but with a kick at the end. The bartender was helpful, I felt like she was having to cover a lot of folks by herself though despite the fact it wasn't full inside the place at all. Overall review is this place is fine, I give 4/5 since it meets all the criteria for a perfectly reasonable and lovely place to hang out in the evening but 3/5 for me personally since it's a very old school, pop rock type vibe with music that teeters on too loud for me. Wouldn't seek out coming here again but it's cool it's in a historical building that's been around for a long time, and would gladly come again with friends later if someone were to invite me!

I love this place! Great time! Don't miss out on a Rhinosaur show! Best 90s rock set list with amazing musicians!

Must check this place out! If nothing else the history and the bull. Got to hear the bully Nelson story. Lol. The drinks were GOOD and the bartender knew his drinks. Good selection of whiskey. Went in middle of day when it was dead but will go back when it's jumping.

Such a great place! So much history in this building. The bartender was so nice and helpful. Drinks were excellent! Next visit we're trying the food!

Great bar! Knowledgable Bartenders. Solid relaxed chill vibe. They usually have a live band in the evening. They also have a rooftop terrace! Lots of space if you're with a large group. 5 stars in my opinion!

The Speakeasy is a rather large venue. In the evening they often run a comedy club or something live on one level. For everyone else there is an outside top deck with some pretty cool city views. There is also a small bar and seating. The drinks were decent but the outside views even better.

What a fun venue! 3 floors - live music on the first, bar games on the second floor, and a rooftop bar dj area up top. A long staircase all the way up so be prepared! I went on a Friday and they had a 90's cover band, it was fun. The bartenders were friendly. This is during ACL so the bar wasn't packed at all. The crowd was pretty casual. They have complimentary popcorn haha.

Haunted old building They were setting up for music It was ok Not bad at all Nor best bar of the night either

Great people, the staff is really cool, great place to hang out on a chill night. Didn't eat here but I would expect it be good food

A nice bar with a good ambiance. We were there as a corporate guest and the bartenders were great.

Michael at the New Years bar was the best!! Had a great time. Gave us the drinks we needed at the right time and was there when we needed him. A+ service

My friend and I came here for a night out and it was so much fun!! There was no cover and we loved how they have 3 different floors with each one having its own experience. The first floor had a bar, live music, and a dance floor; the second floor had fun games including ping pong, bowling, fusball, shuffleboard, jenga, pool, and connect 4; and the top floor was a rooftop with a DJ. We went to the rooftop to get drinks and chat and it was a great place to do so! They have a lot of seating and it's really cozy. We then played fusball, ping pong, and jenga on the second floor for the rest of the night and it was so fun!! So much to do here. There weren't too many people there so it wasn't crowded at all

I want to give a shout out and thanks to Mark at Speakeasy, who helped me wrestle my 70 lb keyboard and case down the elevator avoiding a dangerous trip down 2 flights of steep steps, brought it to my car and refused so much as a tip. This act of kindness was totally above and beyond!!! I've only performed a couple of times there and always found the staff there to be a total class act. I've played music in this town over 3 decades and am pretty damn jaded about venues here, but Mark wins for best act of kindness. I recommend the place for the live music, great drinks, and staff as cool as Mark. Cheers, brother! David Webb/ Keyboardist- The Lost Gonzo Band, and 3 Chord Rodeo Austin TX

Drink selection is pretty minimal, which was very surprising to me since this is a speakeasy. They don't have great selection and feels more like a run down bar rather than a speakeasy like the other speakeasies in Austin. Not bad but nothing special.

From the name I was expecting a "speakeasy" type bar that is all the rage now. This was not that. They did have a decent cocktail menu and the drinks I had were well made

JOSH!!! Hands down best margarita I had in Austin. Thank you man! Definitely coming back.

My husband and I really enjoyed our time here! They had James Parker on the stage, and he is a really talented and interactive performer. He played and sang every song the crowd requested, even if he felt he didn't know it well! TRULY a talented guy. The drinks here are also pretty adequate and fairly priced, and the bartender we had was just an absolute doll. Definitely a place to check out if you're in Austin!

Me and my wife are on our honeymoon We passed by this place when we first got here and said that looks pretty fun. So tonight we decided to stop in for a "drink"( ended up being more then one) The bartender Jessi is amazing like the best bartender we have had since being in Austin. The music for the night we got lucky to see dennis Dietz on his very first night. But for real Jessi Is amazing best bartender we have had since being in Austin texas. It sucks we won't be in Austin for the rest of the rest of the time we are in Austin but while we are happy we stopped in when we did and got to meet her. Highly recommend stopping here if your in Texas. But always stop in Sunday Monday and Tuesday to see Jessi.

Always a good time at this venue. First time I've been upstairs for an event and that was a lot of fun! There was live music and plenty of space for people to enjoy but it was also still early in the night. There are times this place is filled w shoulder to shoulder people and other times it's really slow. One of the things I really like about this venue is that the front windows are usually open to the street, allows the space to breathe and if you're getting too overheated from the dancing and amount of people it's a good way to relax for a second and catch your breath. They have a bar menu now which is cool, not sure how new that is but I recall from past visits they didn't, so that was a cool change up even though I ordered my usual. They host a lot of events so always be sure to check them out on other platforms of social media.

awesome venue, saw Zoodust, a 90's tribute band. Acoustics are great, small venue that's rustic and cozy. but the highlight was our server Taylor, she was busy with many guests but was able to remember our party and was always hustling. from the service, drinks and venue Speakeasy is a great place to catch live music and enjoy some good cocktailsz

Went to a comedy show here tonight on a Saturday night. We all left because it was awful and very uncomfortable. Wasted our money. Only two of the stand up comedians were alright. I'm still in shock of how weird it was. They charged way too much.

Speakeasy provided that old school 1920s vibe. You know the vibe where Ella Fitzgerald or Sammy Davis Jr. are gonna be performing at 6. But since it's not 1920s we were serenaded by the dj playing westcoast NWA! It has two levels and offers bowling, a pool table, two bars and of course live music cause hey it's Austin amd music is the popular attraction of the city! Speakeasy has no cover charge and we simply showed our ID to the bouncer and headed to the rooftop for opening mic night. Speakeasy captures a lot of raw talent in the Austin area during open mic night and we had a ball singing background for one of the local performers lol. Oh and the drinks at the bar are pretty reasonable but there not that strong. Overall pretty good time if your in the area.

Fun place to drink & listen to live music! Drinks were pretty good, really great people watching.

What a cool little bar that I had sadly not checked out until this weekend. The bar has an area to see bands and an open dance floor. The band was playing 90's music when I went which was nostalgic for me. The mixed drinks here were a little bit of a miss. I ordered a Moscow mule and my husband ordered the Alright, Alright, Alright. Both were not that great. I would come back and just order something simple like a cider.

My cousin had a Welcome Reception here before his wedding. The place had a rustic and fun atmosphere. The main bar area had a stage where a 90's band played later that night. I ordered a Margarita, and it was strong! Definitely stronger than mixed drinks I usually get back home. Everyone who had mixed drinks agreed. It was very good. The only problem I had, was the private event room we were in was rather loud and hard to talk amongst each other. If I was there longer, I would have gone back.

Speakeasy, Speakeasy, Speakeasy. Wow... I could go on about this lovely place (my new home) for hours. Upon entering, I asked a man (Jared?) where the men's room was, to which I got a point to my left, so I hooked a Louie and enjoyed a very clean and spacious restroom - how SPECTACULAR! After my amazing trip to the Lou I scurried my way on up to the main floor. I was delighted by all the dainty lights and youngsters crawling around. I make my way to the bar - "One virgin mango daiquiri, madame!" Now, this drink did not have alcohol (when I was sixteen, my brother-in-law offered me a water bottle. It had vodka in it. Oh no. I took 2-6 sips of it before I felt sick to my stomach. I tried to make my way to the bathroom (not the master bathroom) but my father-in-law stepped in my way and asked - "Have you been drinking young man?" "No sir!" "Let me smell your breath." "Why sir?" "Open up young man." Just as I begin to open wide, each drop of vodka came up the shoot like the itsy bitsy spider. Safe to say his shirt needed a trip to the dry cleaners!), but I was feeling quite TWIRLY to say the least. I shuttered, the confused little 16 year old boy inside me nearly had another not so pretty (yucky throwup) experience... sorry Kevin (male bartender)! I enjoyed so many virgin mango daiquiris that I had to be cut off -- good thing I had a Designated Driver! This nifty website named Lift sent a young man (Nelson) to scoop me up. It was getting late! When I walked up my doorstep and into my home at 9:56pm, safe to say I was ready to call it a night. I enjoyed my nightly glass of warm milk and gefilte fish. Comforting. I was so impaired (sugar high), I couldn't speakeasy, but I could do it all over again tomorrow night! Well done, Virgin Mango Daquiri. See you soon, Jared and Kevin. Bravo, Speakeasy. I will be back. -Joseph (Ja)

Visited on Saturday for the first time since before Covid and were served quickly, although it wasn't that busy yet. Looked at the bill and found they charged more for my beer than the regular price on the menu, plus the menu said that there was a daily happy hour discount. Went back up to find out what was up and was told that daily is only weekdays. I think that's called "weekdays." Apparently the menus are now wrong about their regular prices too. Left and went to Shiner Saloon next door and was treated much better.

Shout out to Roman and Brad for making our visit one to remember. Great drinks and better service!

What a cool place to hang out. Came here late night on a Sunday with the fellas - only the rooftop area was open at the time. The rest of the place looks super cool - bowling, shuffleboard - I would definitely come back to check it out. It wasn't all that busy when we were there but the music was definitely pumping. It's one hell of a stair climb to the top but there's some beautiful city views once you get up there. The restrooms are about 3/4 way up the stairs. It was nice a clean with some comfy chairs - I wasn't a huge fan of the music they were playing that night and it was a bit on the louder side but still a good time nonetheless. The bar serves complimentary sodas which is awesome! Be sure to leave them a tip. I wish more places would do that. Bring some friends or come make some friends, this place is super chill will killer views.

This was our first Speakeasy visit in the daylight. We have been to Speakeasy a few times at night to see bands. While downtown at the Dia De Los Muertos parade we needed a joint to quench our thirst. Even though she was slammed by the parade crowd the single bartender was able to easily serve up cold beverages to all. As an added bonus we were able to sit by the window and see the rest of the parade while enjoying our cocktails. Good times....