the side bar

Reese was a great bartender highly recommend

marisa robbins

casual bar with a chill atmosphere, made a well balanced margarita

Ethan Oblak

The pool tables have terrain but they're free so it's all good. Fun and friendly crowd. Cheap drinks and it's not just a stop along the way - you can stay here and have a great time.

Angelina

I love the vibes of side bar. The drinks are crazy strong so I usually get something in a can. Great place to meet up for pool on a weeknight or meet friends before dancing.

Alex Mize

Love this place! Great owner, great service. Chill vibe. Always my before or after spot when I’m seeing music in the red river district.

Deaniel Plumley

I love this place. There are great people that work here and the owners really care about their employees and their customers. The free pool is what's drew me here. This is a dive bar with a lot of heart. I have a nice smoking section in the back. The music is great also. So if you're ever in the Red River 7th Street area, come to the sidebar, you won't be disappointed.

Johnny !

Downtown Red River dive bar? Yes please. Punk rock, yes please. This is not a super classy joint so don't go in there expecting that West 6th / Rainey Street Vibe. Go in there expecting Sin city. The rough and tough and the dirty, and you're going to have a good time. It's going to be great. They have a pool table, often occupied; indoors is kind of dark and chill, and then there's a big back patio where there's a lot of picnicky kind of tables. This is probably going to be some of the least expensive beverages you get in the Red River / downtown / Dirty 6th area. You can usually get out with a mixed beverage for somewhere between 6 and 12 bucks. Compared to the much more expensive drinks elsewhere, this is a good deal for Austin/ the area. That said, if you get a beer, they'll be maybe cheaper than elsewhere but not drastically so. I would stick with the mixed drinks, at this venue, even though I normally tend to drink beer. If you get a one-in-one, like a rum and coke, or whiskey and ginger, that's really where the value is. You can get very inexpensive well-mixed drinks by good bartenders here. They do not have food, But there are a lot of food trucks generally in the area. The atmosphere is very much a dive. The men's bathroom doesn't have mirrors, never been in the women's. But somehow I doubt it. 😂 You might even call it kind of dirty, but in a not so bad, and in a punk rock kind of way. You can go into Elysium and actually look over the back patio of side bar. Parking is the same as anywhere downtown, street parking or wherever you can get. No provided parking but par for the location.

Carlos Rios

Tom was a badass bartender! Vibe was super chill. They really know how to pour a drink! Definitely hit this spot again, when in Austin

Devin

Drinks were so good I washed up in the river afterwards. Love Side Bar, always a deathly good time and chill crowd. Great prices too. And always some nice folks in the bathroom. Cheers.

Stephen Light

Best dive bar in downtown. Generous pours at great prices. Good place to meet up before or after a show or just to hang out all night long. Friendly staff. I’ve been coming here since they opened almost 20 years ago & never had any issues. Don’t believe the internet lynch mobs.