The Fox says "Gotta say it wasn't long before you feel like everyone there is an "OldPal"... The Smash Burgers are awesome, beer is cold and the staff attentive." =^.^= ©2023

Great food, loud live music on the weekends, really good bands, local dive bar feel

Love this place. I stop in whenever I can. Best burger & beer joint in Texas!

Approachable, comfortable, cute spot in Lockhart. Unreal chicken sandwich & fries!!!! Obsessed with the quirky glasses & straws that come with the drinks.

Beer can chicken is our favorite. So juicy and delicious, you're gonna keep coming back for more. Jo Jo's traditional or smothered and covered are always a hit.

10/10 would have an ice cold Lone Star bottle served right from an ice chest with ice chips melting down the neck again. Great food too.

My first stop when I’m visiting Lockhart. Old Pal is definitely a dive, but you can expect high-level crafted cocktails and phenomenal homemade food. Don’t leave town without trying their fried chicken and chatting up their friendly staff!

Never a bad time at Old Pal! Loving the recent changes to the menu well (while the old menu was good, the new cocktails and food items are excellent additions to an already stacked list). And, of course… there are those three beautiful words: Yellow. Curry. Ranch. 😮‍💨

Great food, different burgers and taste. Which is a good thing in my book. James Bigley Ranches

Unexpectedly fine Old Fashioned made with care. We'll be back to try more fancy drinks in the near future. 🥃 Good live music, too, with Tiger Alley. First Fridays in Lockhart are a lot of fun!

They serve the best chicken tenders you can find in Texas right here! Moreover, you should try their sweet potato waffle fries! With live music and good vibes, Old Pal is my favourite spot in Lockhart.

Loved Old Pals! The drinks were well made and tasted great. Our food was so good! I made a few special requests and they accommodated to perfection.

Great atmosphere. Great burgers.

+3

What a gem of a joint in the heart of BBQ country. Every sauce is out of this world (burgers, fries, curry ranch salad dressing). Chat with the staff on what to order because they know whats up.

We swing through on our way to Rockport and this place is a gem! The service is great. The food is top notch and the specials are so affordable. We love the jukebox and that this establishment is dog friendly. Cant wait to go it again. Then again it’s only an hour drive from Georgetown. Hmmmmmm

+3

We discover this jewel in the middle of Lockhart, TX. while we were looking some place to have a late lunch on Christmas Eve. We sat on the bar and the bar tender was super friendly. He kindly showed us the seasonal beers. To eat we had the “Beer can roster chicken” it comes with a biscuit and coleslaw salad. Chicken was full of flavor and very juicy. As a side we had the “Sweet potatoes waffle fries” they come with a creamy-curry dressing. Highly recommended to have a quality meal with your favorite canned beer, plus enjoying a “small town” vibe.

Attended a wedding just outside of Lockhart. Old Pal Texas was recommended as a place to grab a drink before the event. I was not disappointed. Eclectic charm with all of the vintage Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, and other Bourbon brand commemorative decanters. Drinks were very good and the bartenders were quite friendly. The chicken tenders were no frills, but delicious. The “Cane’s” sauce and gravy were nice additions while enjoying these (pictured). They hosted their first Friday Fish Fry and live music is hosted often. Will be back to enjoy a few ranch waters and more tenders on my next trip through Lockhart

Nothing fancy to see here, but I had a dang good smash burger! The fries are shareable and steak fry style, and those were great, as well. The iced tea was perfection and "they go the good ice." No table service here, so you order and get refills from the bar. The staff weren't unfriendly, but they weren't as friendly as some other places we visited while in Lockhart. I would definitely go back and try the Chicken Fried Steak with a smash burger on the side. :-)

Had the Deviled Eggs, Sweet Potato waffle fries and Chicken Tender basket and everything was delicious! Didn't even have time to snap a picture of those or the awesome drinks we had. The Fresh squeezed Margarita and Whiskey Sour were amazing 👏 😋

Loved it! Sauces are awesome and homemade, the jojos potato wedges are great and they give you a lot. My boyfriend got sweet potato waffle fries and those are very good as well and I'm not a fan of sweet potatoes. We both got smash burgers and they are AMAZING! Great atmosphere and great food, we will be back!

Excellent in every way! The food is phenomenal - classic menu with creative twists that don't try too hard. The drinks are ice cold, the jukebox is well curated, and the staff is friendly & funny. Great vibe, great food, great people - what else could you possibly ask for?

Very good place to hang out and have a few drinks. We ate some dinner and the Chicken was great. Had it Nashville style and oh my goodness it was delicious. We will go back again for sure.

Wonderful spot on the historic square to catch a cold beer, some fried chicken (or other great food items), and live music! Friendly, clean, and fun. Locals and tourists mingle and enjoy each other's company.

Holy cow...... the smash burger is a 10/10 with their house sauce. Great environment very friendly staff. Here for work. I will definitely be back. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!! Gotta give em 5☆

Came into town for work and had this place recommended to me for lunch. I was not disappointed. We had the wedge cut french fries with whatever house sauce they came with, the smash burger, the chicken tender appetizer, and a chicken tender sandwich. Best bar food I've ever had. No question. Best chicken tenders I've ever had, too. Heck, same with the smash burger. I, personally, I'm not a fan of smash burgers, but this one was fantastic. The house made sauces were all great and worked well with what they were served with. Fantastic dive bar. I am looking for an excuse to come back to Lockhart, Texas (hopefully on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday when they have live music).

Excellent food and drinks but they need to add wait staff. We had to order at the bar.

I love a restaurant with a one-page menu! The burger, chicken sandwich, and fish sandwich were very tasty, but the dipping sauces really stole the show. So tasty!!! Also, having the little High Life pony bottles is a great bit of refreshment and SO CUTE with their little koozie collars turned down cause they're so short! Just wanted a sip of beer and it came with a lot of style.

Great place! The drinks are very good. A little different but excellent. The food is delicious but again, a little different. There is a cold picnic chicken sandwich. Spicy Charro black eyed peas, delicious. My favorite way to have black eyed peas, ever. The sweet potato waffle fries come with curry Ranch dressing. There is a delicious smash burger if you crave the beef. They have sliced apple pie but don't get it. Get instead the pastry apple hand pie. Get two.

First time visiting Lockhart and this is where we chose to eat! There was a long line for the restaurant next door, covering the entrance to this spot! We didn’t want to wait in line for the restaurant next door so gave this place a try and are so glad we did. The food was delicious and there was such a friendly, relaxing, and welcoming atmosphere. Would highly recommend!

Love this local joint, awesome folks, cool vibes, and live music. Also love the huge Texas flag on the wall 🤠

Food was really good and came out surprisingly fast! The only negative was the process of ordering food at the bar was unorganized and were also having to type in credit cards manually.

Great spot. Extremely long food ticket times with zero warning from bartenders (up to 1 hour, plus)

We didn't eat, but service was great and we were able to watch the football game undisturbed

Great experience: good food and nice people. We don't live nearby, but if we ever come back, we'll eat here again!

Loved the Smash Burger! Happened to be there while live music was playing so that was an added bonus.

Went on a Friday at lunchtime, sat at the bar, and had fried chicken and potato wedges, the chili crisp deviled eggs, and a Dr. Pepper Old Fashioned. The food was excellent! I thoroughly enjoyed everything I was served, and their DP Old Fashioned may be my new favorite cocktail. The service was really good and the place had a very laid-back atmosphere. I'll be going back in the near future.

Attended a private event as a first time guest! Loved it! Great food! Great vibe! Great service!

We stopped by on our way from Dallas to Corpus and are so glad we did!!! Jim at the bar was beyond friendly and an awesome bar tender/host, especially for the margaritas and Dr. Pepper Old Fashion! Our family had the chicken tenders basket (with homemade biscuit and slaw), grilled chicken skewers, and patty melt. We would recommend all of them! Everything was obviously made fresh and the dips were also all homemade and fabulous! Super cute downtown area that we'll have to try to plan to explore one day... Wish this place was closer to home!!!

The burger was amazing! Came into town from Austin to explore the city and glad we stopped by. The buffalo bites were yummy as well!

Dark but we sat in the library up front. Good beer, good booze. Visiting for the day-construction on the main square but it will be nice again. The perfect hole in the wall bar!

Okay. This place!! This is everything I want in a texas dive! Their drinks are unique and delicious! The atmosphere is old west diner vibes and is perfect. The bartender is skilled and kind. Their food menu sounded delicious as well. best place for a chill drink in lockheart!

Excellent food! I went with the smash burger (possibly the best in town?) and my wife chose picnic chicken sandwich; both were delicious. Another star was the sweet potato fries with curry ranch, what a combo! We highly recommend Old Pal and will return with friends!

Just got back to Oregon from Texas. Old Pal smash burger is the definition of a great burger. Mine was cheese with bacon, superb! Fried pickles and "mayonnaise eggs" with Korean spice was spot on. When we go back to the Austin area, we will stop by Old Pal Texas Tavern for sure! Oh yeah, did I say the base burger (2 patties) was like $9? Way cheaper than Eugene!

This place is so good, my wife and I frequent it, despite not being drinkers! The smash burgers are bussin', and the elote is my go-to takeaway item. They have live music almost every weekend and are conveniently in the historic downtown square

Excellent smash burger, drinks and stellar service! We normally make the 30 mile trip in for the town’s bbq but decided to try some place new (to us) and so glad we did!

A nice little hole in the wall and some really tasty burgers, I'm not usually fantasy style of burgers but overall fantastic definitely have to come back down here again sooner rather than later.

This is the go to place for great food, drink and music in Lockhart. The margaritas are made with fresh squeezed limes and their good bottles are reasonably priced

Best vibe, coldest drinks and friendly service! Several spots on the square were pretty warm in the middle of the Texans summer and this was cool, crisp heaven! No one can eat all that BBQ without great drinks and ac!

The best Smash Burger on the planet. Get the JoJos (potato wedges) with boom boom sauce. It's literally heaven on earth.

Great place and great food. The deviled eggs and chicken are amazingly good. The place is cozy and unique, which I love. The only downfall was having never been there before, we walked in and sat down, and not one of the employees would even look over at us. It was not very busy, and they just stood behind the bar or walked past . We finally got up and asked the bartender, and she said we had to go over and order drinks and food at the bar. No big deal, but it would be nice if someone had at least made eye contact or asked if we had been there before or needed anything so we could have asked about it.

WOW! That was the best Nashville Hot Fried Chicken sandwich I've ever had. The Dr. pepper Old Fashioned was excellent. The bartenders were friendly and knowledgeable. We had a GREAT time and you will too.

DoorDasher here! Went into this establishment, the other day, to pick up! Wow! Late night diner vibes!!! Love the feel of the atmosphere & friendliness of the staff. The food smelled amazing!!! I'll definitely be back for a full experience!!!

The only thing I’ve ever eaten from here was the fried pickles, and they were good. But the 🌟 would go to the PATTY MELT! Absolutely delicious! I dined there less than 24hrs before writing this review and I was blown away. Burger was hot, bread was toasted to perfection, and the sauce was to die for! I’m sure there are other gems on the menu, I will be back.

We drove an hour and a half just to try this place we'd read about on the Texas Monthly website. We planned to get our food to go because we brought our two dogs, but turns out they're dog friendly! Our dogs are in training so it was a great experience for them. The food was outstanding, service was friendly and personal, and the environment was super laid back and peaceful. Prices were extremely reasonable. We would 100% go again just to try more things from their delicious menu.

It was a fun Texas bar with great food and atmosphere. Homemade lemonade and devil eggs rocked. Over looked the town square with great architecture. Can't wait to visit and go back.

Frederick Bourgeois III

Love this place! Best Smash Burger! The guy behind the bar is my New favorite Pal! See you soon when driving thru again!

Charles Wiltgen

old pal is such a classic, top notch bar/tavern. the esthetic is great with old school charm all over. we came for lunch so didn’t enjoy any live music but i imagine this is a fun place to come enjoy that. we did however absolutely love the beer can chicken with their house made ranch. the staff was friendly as well, felt right at home the whole time. make sure you hit up the photo booth!

Celine Crestin

Great experience at Old Pal. Jim makes a delicious margarita (not photographed, but trust me!). The smash burger and Jo Jos were yummy and the overall chill vibe and good people make this place a win. Be sure to check out the disco 🪩😉

Allysa Dorgan

Owner is on point. Glad we stumbled on this joint. Also VERY dog friendly!

Arcelia M Gonzalez

Missed dinner But it was still a wonderful place to have drinks. Margarita on the rocks was great. The live band was a whole vibe. We will definitely be back

Ranch Boss

Got the smash burger ! It was enjoyable! But it is a bar. You have to keep that in mind.

+3

Josh

A great Texas bar. Great drinks, decor, and juke box. Loved their margarita and Dr pepper old fashioned, all complimented by their spicy mac and cheese. Enjoyed it so much we went back later the same day. Free parking is available around the square and on adjacent streets.

+1

Suzy Albrecht - Flick

Our first stop for a drink and a quick bite on our little mini staycation. Is it a dive bar? Yes! Friendly staff and locals. Does it have high end drink options? Also yes!! Does it have a simple yet elevated menu? ALSO YES! First I was like alright dive bar. Then you realize it is an upscale dive bar in a sort. Drinks come out of a cooler filled with ice OR are perfectly crafted in front of you. We started by sharing the recommendation of the DEVILED EGGS (5 pc) with the Korean Chili Crisp. Was a curious as it seems like a dive bar?You betcha. Was it maybe the best deviled eggs I’ve ever had. Absolutely! Get these for sure! Then we shared the JOJOS “Seasoned Potato Wedges” with Boom Boom Sauce. The crunch and flavor of the potatoes was spot on. The boom boom sauce is house made and has a lovely kick to it. We couldn’t eat them all because our next item came… We both had a SMASH BURGER: Double Double, Beef Patties, American Cheese, Boom Boom Sauce on a Potato Roll. I am going to say when I want a smash burger this is what I am thinking of. This is what I want. The only thing, some days I may want just ketchup and not Boom Boom sauce but that is by day and mood only. Damn they did good! I’ll be back. I will need to eat all of this again!

Frances Pratt

We are new in town, and this is really the first place that has felt like home. This building was some kind of bank or lending office, then it was a brewery, now it is Old Pal. There's great neon work inside and out. There is ample seating (small or big tables, booths, bar, and even larger booths up front that are very nice for street people watching) great bourbon selection. I had the house Margarita and damn was it good. The menu is yummy Texas casual. Looks like they have live music on the weekends. We'll definitely be back!

Amanda Barney

My favorite food and drink joint in Lockhart. If you stop by, make sure to try the potato wedges. They are incredible! I also love the staff. They are always sweet. Update: I LOVED the deviled eggs! Delicious! And the smash burgers are incredible! I love this place.

Tina Brinkman

Don’t be scared to walk up to the bar and ask how it works here. That’s what we did - were told we could order at the bar when ready and it was all good. Food and drinks were excellent, and came out in a timely manner. We went for lunch, had a smash burger, sweet potato fries (yellow curry ranch was amazing), fish sandwich and chicken tender sandwich. Delicious Bloody Mary and cold beer. Everything was top-notch, including the vibe. So glad we stopped! I should have taken more food photos.

+2

Sheila Jan

Great live music The Sliders were playing. Nice people working there. Always a great time! Small place but perfect vibe. This is my hometown and growing up was a dry county nice as an adult not to have to go across county line for a drink.

+5

Phil Larson

So glad we made a stop on our road trip here! Great service and great food n drink. Is definitely worth a stop if you’re traveling through Lockhart. We got the steak frites, fried chicken, deviled eggs and both sweet potato fries and jo-jos. All soooo good. Will be coming back. Oh and all the staff were so friendly and the locals had great vibe too

+1

Lisa Munoz

The food took me to flavor town 👅 We ordered the chicken tenders with the boom boom 💥 Sauce, a chicken sandwich with the honey mustard and the sweet potato waffle fries (super crispy) with the curry sauce. All super yummy and scrumptious. Totally forgot to take pics of the food, but the ambience is super cute! Also bought a tee shirt, Bc the branding is very cool. Will be back 😎

+1

Live music, nice little bar, beer is cold, mixed drinks are strong .. but you can have a bite to eat. Food is fresh and tasty.

Didn't eat, stopped in for a drink during the TM BBQ Fest. Awesome atmosphere, truly Texas.

Finally got to check this place out. At first I didn't know what to do, then the girl gave us menus and said Sit wherever you like and place your order at the bar. I personally liked this style of ordering my other half, not so much. Ehh. Upon seating we notice a band was going to be playing. And we didn't have to pay to get in WHAAAT :) Food was amazing, drinks great, and the people and Band was all Good!

Wow has this place changed went from our old tax office to a place where u can have a drink, meet new people and have good food. There is live music and a good amount of things on the menu to suite everyone's taste.

I went to meet a client there for a beer. It was a little challenging to find parking, but was able to walk right in and sat at a table. I went to the bar to order and then was helped quickly. I would have preferred to have had beer on tap, but settled for a bottled domestic. Decent selection though, but opted not to order food. Fun, laid back environment, occasional live music, but slightly pricey for domestic beer.

Stellar service and fun environment. I had a smash burger but didn't realize there was no side. It was alright, pretty greasy. My hubby had fried chicken, it was good!

Great place! The food was amazing! I got salad, tea, and some fried pickles, and I was really impressed! Good vibe for hanging out. There was no table service, though, so if you want a refill, you gotta go back to the bar. The bathrooms weren't the worst I've seen, but they could use a deep clean. Otherwise, I have no critiques. I would definitely recommend this place!!

The food was excellent. We had the Cobb salad, a smash burger and wedges. The wedges with the house made sauce was delicious. There was live music while we were there. Had our two young kids which was not a problem.

Donut Holer

Just a local bar joint. Nothing special but it was clean and smoke free. Service was quick and polite. If you want Irish whiskey you are stuck with Tulamore Dew... ..they do not have Jameson Irish Whiskey. 10 point deduction.

Leo Mulholland III

Great place to be in Lockhart. We got the small menu for the BBQ weekend. The chicken oil was a little "used" but with that many people over the weekends, it makes sense. We want to go back when it is not the Texas Monthy Top 50 BBQ weekend. We will be back to find out what this place is like. Also the owner owns Nickel City in Austin. We will be back.

Greg Zielinski

Went with the family and the first thing we all got to experience was sticky tables. You order at the bar but they do bring the food to you. However, if you need something like more dressing you have to go back to the bar to order it before the kitchen will bring it to you. Same with more drinks. The small glasses mean you will need to go back to the bar for a second and you can self service. Staff was friendly but if we're going to choose, a full service restaurant or Chick-fil-A service would be preferred. The food was good and the price was good, but when we go out to eat, we prefer more service. Keto eaters, the devil eggs where nice to see on the menu. Steak bites could use more flavor but it's nice to have the choice. Chicken kabobs with cucumber, onion, and tomato also a nice low carb option.

+2

Charles B

Smash burger was excellent. JoJos were interesting. Would definitely return. Atmosphere was real nice until someone brought in screaming little kids. If you can't control your screaming children, do not taken them out in public. And, especially do not take kids to bars.

Shelly Hubbard

Stopped into town to visit the farmers market and have some lunch. We talked to the bartender, and he gave us the suggestion of the fried chicken. They make it fresh, so be prepared to wait 20 minutes before it arrives. The fried chicken was fantastic. It was fried to perfection with a hard crispy outside and soft and juicy inside. We also ordered the German potato salad. It was really good as well, however, we were a little disappointed that it was cold. I have a German aunt and have been to Germany several times. German potato salad should be warm. Other than that, the food was great. We will be back to try something else.

Jeff Ontiveros

Classic Texas dive bar/restaurant. Margarita and Ranchwater are really good. Chicken fingers are crispy and juicy! Coleslaw is a bit bland and biscuits (while good) were a bit tough.

+6

Fun little bar and tavern in Lockhart. We were there in a Sunday afternoon but musical bands/acts on other days/nights is advertised. Food menu is short and a very small cheeseburger was $8 without fries that I had to order separately. Not impressed. Husband had salad and hot fried chicken that was tasty. We had two non-alcoholic drinks, and lunch was just over $50. That's a bit steep for lunch without alcohol but the ambiance is fun, air conditioning was good, variety of patrons, and professional polite bar staff.

+1

For $12 the frito pie could be better portioned. Potato wedges tasted bland. Had to throw some pepper on them.

The problem with having no waiter/servers and ordering at the bar is that no one is making sure you got your food… if you seat at the booths or tables, that is. I’m not sure 100% if my food was DELICIOUS or I was just starving after waiting an hour for my food to come to my table. (I did speak up when I noticed it was taking abnormally long, wanted to cancel some items as it was getting late and everyone at my table had already finished their meals… but was met with snark remarks.) Might give it another try eventually, at hope of better service, but for now I am left with a bitter after taste.

The food tastes good no points for presentation. Staff friendly slightly disorganized. I would go back to try the fried chicken not a big fan of the beer can chicken

Nice atmosphere, but food wasn't great. We came to Lockhart to go to Smitty's but it had just closed, this was one of the few places open. The smash burger was decent, but the chicken sandwich and buffalo wings were so-so. Lots of good food in Lockhart, I wouldn't say this is one of the best.

Dammit!! I’m lifelong food service, so I hate leaving a bad review. First time I was here I thought the mildly rude, dismissive behavior was kinda their shtick, today with my family was next level ridiculous. You have to almost beg staff to engage with you, and even then it feels like a chore on their behalf. We had to order fries 3!! Times before we got them…. 30 minutes after the second time we ordered them, and well after our meal. Not a single staff member gave a shit that their service was sub par. Love the space, love the food ( when you get it) but the customer service is awful.

I came to relax and enjoy the music. Food was good. It was not that busy. Bartenders were inattentive. I was experiencing pain and asked them to turn down the music. They said they could not. Poor service ruined my experience at Old Pal Texas Tavern located in Lockhart, Texas.