Absolutely phenomenal smash burger! Cool vibe as well.

This is the best bar right now , a place to be in Austin. Fancy people, excellent cocktails. Music is always great.

Great bar with great cocktails and a very friendly staff. Love the back and forth between the wine bar Rosie's as well.

The. Smash. Burger.

Staff is nice. Drinks are well made & tasty. Smashburger is A-W-E-S-O-M-E !

30 year olds are now hiding here as the youngins have run us out of east 6th. Great bar, good vibes.

Adam is the best! He made our night!! 10/10 bartender.

This will be on my regular rotation! I dig it. Good music, ambiance and drinks. Probably a good date spot too.

If you respect hot dog culture, this place is for you.

Great food, excellent drinks. The decor and ambience are chill!

Cool spot with super friendly bartenders and amazing food

Great bar staff, atmosphere, live music, etc etc!!!

Fantastic service excellent drinks superb atmosphere

Killer atmosphere & happy hour deals. Don't sleep on the hot dog selections.

Great sound system. Love the vibe. Music and DJ’s are awesome.

Come visit Howard's. Great atmosphere , great people James and Clay are awesome!!

Great little spot!

Good cocktails great vibes

That burger felt delightful in my mouth.

One of best cocktail lounge bars in Austin on the west side of town. Can get crowded but just about the right amount. Fantastic liquor selection. Their food is an awesome surprise, considering the primary bar vibe.

Very recommended nice cosmopolitan bar

+5

Everytime I come here I've been taken care of. The staff are lovely and it is always an enjoyable time. I'm not one to dance, but I mainly just show up to relax and enjoy my drinks. It is a small space, it is loud, but that's part of the charm of it.

Great vibe, the people, the music, the drinks and atmosphere are amazing! James makes incredible cocktails and has great tips on the neighborhood and Austin in general. Follow me at Capriqorn7 for more reviews and live stories traveling.

All around 5 star atmosphere would give it 10 stars no hesitation - one of the finest I’ve been to very glad my friends in Austin showed me this splendid spot - visitor from London

Cocktails were great. Atmosphere and service were even better.

Get Howard’s Smash Burger

BROOKE was a fabulous bartender whose drinks and personality were 10/10. Def coming back!!!

Went on a slow Sunday evening. Adam was a fantastic bartender. Made a few drinks for us off the cuff that were incredible. I really appreciated the hospitality!

Great service from Alex. Made our day!

Came in for the first time for a date. Adam was very kind and welcoming. Definitely coming back for drinks again.

David was an amazing bartender. Excellent drinks and environment. Highly recommend!

Excellent drinks & food! Service & vibes are also phenomenal!

Lovely little cocktail bar in a fun old 'possibly haunted' building. Cocktails are great. They have great low proof and no proof options. The disco ball is so strange but cool.

Amazing bar!!! Alex is one of the nicest and coolest bartenders! We sat on a Sunday and he talked us through drinks and best service I’ve experienced at a bar. Love Howard’s, and come here often. When it was less busy on a Sunday was my favorite day. Alex, you are awesome!

This a great spot to go to for an after dinner cocktail or night cap. The drinks are clearly crafted well. I enjoyed the blackberry air mail and another cocktail that was made by the bartender when I asked for something similar off menu. The ambience is on the darker side with dim lighting which I don’t mind at all personally. The seating was very comfortable and I really enjoyed the design. I did not try any of the food, but I probably wouldn’t come here for dinner; although they have a snack section. Staff was great and friendly

Thais Lawler

Amazing bar!!! Alex is one of the nicest and coolest bartenders! We sat on a Sunday and he talked us through drinks and best service I’ve experienced at a bar. Love Howard’s, and come here often. When it was less busy on a Sunday was my favorite day. Alex, you are awesome!

Magdiel De La Rosa

This a great spot to go to for an after dinner cocktail or night cap. The drinks are clearly crafted well. I enjoyed the blackberry air mail and another cocktail that was made by the bartender when I asked for something similar off menu. The ambience is on the darker side with dim lighting which I don’t mind at all personally. The seating was very comfortable and I really enjoyed the design. I did not try any of the food, but I probably wouldn’t come here for dinner; although they have a snack section. Staff was great and friendly

Stephanie Black

David was an amazing bartender. Excellent drinks and environment. Highly recommend!

Got boood when I walked in at 11:50 for a night cap. Cool bars close early now

Gorgeous and vibey setting with friendly staff. Could not recommend more highly !

Carly and Morgan were great! It was super packed and busy but they had great service and were amazing! Will be coming back <4

Went here for drinks and the bartenders were some of the best I have experienced in Austin. Talked to me the entire time I was waiting for my friend and super friendly. Beer was filled to the brim and refills were ready before I even had to ask. Atmosphere was neat. Felt like a classic cocktail lounge and had a great experience.

My go-to place for espresso martini‘s. Absolutely love the ambience and the people.

Amazingly knowledgeable staff, excellent cocktails, best vibes, super cute. Was here for a private party and would *love* to return if I'm ever in town again. They even gave great advice about where to eat in town!

I normally don’t leave reviews, but I had such a great experience the other night I had to share! The drinks and food were amazing, but the bartender Brooke was even better! She was so welcoming, kind, and thoughtful. Made me this amazing shot I had never heard of and I loved it! Will definitely be back to for more recommendations.

One of the best late night lounges in Austin. Good people, great drinks. Very few places in Austin where you can order an espresso martini 🍸 while listening to a DJ. Week days this is a great spot for a nice cocktail and to lounge on a couch. We add this, Rosie’s and Clark’s or pecan street cafe to our typical girls night out rotation. Enjoy!!

Life changing burger. The pickles were such an awesome treat. I even asked for more to go. The service was amazing. Went during happy hour and got BOGO burgers and half price Paloma’s on tap. Such a great find.

Loving this new spot in Clarksville! Bartenders are really friendly and happy to provide recommendations. Cocktails are great. The atmosphere is a lot more swanky & moody compared to other places in the area, which I love. We sat outside because the weather was nice. A server came out and checked on us frequently which was a nice touch - we definitely felt taken care of. Will be back!

Ani made my friend’s and my experience so wonderful!! She checked on us frequently and took the time to explain all of the non alcoholic options since I’m doing Dry January. So sweet and attentive. She truly made our night. We love Ani!!!!

Came for the Smashburger and stayed for the good vibes Brooke was serving!! I sat at the bar and had heard the smashburger was out of this world so of course I had to try. Brooke was my bartender she was a delight from the moment she introduced herself. I felt very cared for and accommodated. She chatted me up and recommended her favorite mocktail (Mezcal no-groni) since I mentioned I’m sober but like to indulge in the scene still. Let me tell you after watching her put that drink together and many more for others she is a master of her craft! I can tell Brooke finds art in making cocktails by the care she took into the presentation & not to mention the taste! 10/10 recommend Howard’s and be sure to pull up to the Bar and spend some time with Brooke she’s a great conversationalist.

Alex was great! Came here alone during the game to watch football and he sat and explained different shots for me. For someone traveling and visiting bars alone on a weekend, I really liked this place and service was nice.

Rachel Ayala

Carly and Morgan were great! It was super packed and busy but they had great service and were amazing! Will be coming back <4

Alana Appel

Gorgeous and vibey setting with friendly staff. Could not recommend more highly !

Nathalie Iglesias

Ani made my friend’s and my experience so wonderful!! She checked on us frequently and took the time to explain all of the non alcoholic options since I’m doing Dry January. So sweet and attentive. She truly made our night. We love Ani!!!!

Danny Powell

Got boood when I walked in at 11:50 for a night cap. Cool bars close early now

Chaz Balthazor

Alex was great! Came here alone during the game to watch football and he sat and explained different shots for me. For someone traveling and visiting bars alone on a weekend, I really liked this place and service was nice.

Brielle Collings

Came for the Smashburger and stayed for the good vibes Brooke was serving!! I sat at the bar and had heard the smashburger was out of this world so of course I had to try. Brooke was my bartender she was a delight from the moment she introduced herself. I felt very cared for and accommodated. She chatted me up and recommended her favorite mocktail (Mezcal no-groni) since I mentioned I’m sober but like to indulge in the scene still. Let me tell you after watching her put that drink together and many more for others she is a master of her craft! I can tell Brooke finds art in making cocktails by the care she took into the presentation & not to mention the taste! 10/10 recommend Howard’s and be sure to pull up to the Bar and spend some time with Brooke she’s a great conversationalist.

Charles Dodd

Went here for drinks and the bartenders were some of the best I have experienced in Austin. Talked to me the entire time I was waiting for my friend and super friendly. Beer was filled to the brim and refills were ready before I even had to ask. Atmosphere was neat. Felt like a classic cocktail lounge and had a great experience.

Ethan C

Amazingly knowledgeable staff, excellent cocktails, best vibes, super cute. Was here for a private party and would *love* to return if I'm ever in town again. They even gave great advice about where to eat in town!

Diana Campbell

One of the best late night lounges in Austin. Good people, great drinks. Very few places in Austin where you can order an espresso martini 🍸 while listening to a DJ. Week days this is a great spot for a nice cocktail and to lounge on a couch. We add this, Rosie’s and Clark’s or pecan street cafe to our typical girls night out rotation. Enjoy!!

Jennifer Lloyd

Life changing burger. The pickles were such an awesome treat. I even asked for more to go. The service was amazing. Went during happy hour and got BOGO burgers and half price Paloma’s on tap. Such a great find.

Rebecca Costello

I normally don’t leave reviews, but I had such a great experience the other night I had to share! The drinks and food were amazing, but the bartender Brooke was even better! She was so welcoming, kind, and thoughtful. Made me this amazing shot I had never heard of and I loved it! Will definitely be back to for more recommendations.

Sophia Price

Lovely little cocktail bar in a fun old 'possibly haunted' building. Cocktails are great. They have great low proof and no proof options. The disco ball is so strange but cool.

Lee Ann Mcqueen

Loving this new spot in Clarksville! Bartenders are really friendly and happy to provide recommendations. Cocktails are great. The atmosphere is a lot more swanky & moody compared to other places in the area, which I love. We sat outside because the weather was nice. A server came out and checked on us frequently which was a nice touch - we definitely felt taken care of. Will be back!

Cool vibe

Went with a group of 5 people around 6pm. They have several large couches so not much standing room. We had some Cheese curds which were hot and delicious. Espresso martini is on tap and was ok. My bf got the old fashion and he said it was good. Our server was attentive , music was a vinyl playlist. There wasn’t a DJ at that time but the server said they got a new DJ and the music had changed

Nice vibe and the food is wayyyy better than expected. Burger was str8 on point!

Howard’s Bar was a nice place for a quick stop before dinner but it is pricey. We got two cocktails and it was 40 dollars with tip which is seriously California prices at this point. I did a low ABV cocktail spicy manzanilla sipper and my husband got a tequila based drink. They were nice but also not mind blowingly good. The bartender was nice, but the bar patrons were a little bro-ey and fratty to make me feel like this was a place I was welcome. Overall, I would probably come back again if I needed to kill time before a dinner reservation but I’m not necessarily going to seek out this bar as a hangout for me and my friends.

This place is always hopping. Need to come back down more often.

This place was great, super convenient. Parking is an issue but so is everything downtown. Here is a picture of the happy hour menu! Enjoy. Tried eggs, interesting taste, bar nuts were great and the Chicago dog was on point. Little cramped and uppity which is reason for 4 stars vs 5. Hope this helps you happy hour goers!

Subhashree Rengarajan

Howard’s Bar was a nice place for a quick stop before dinner but it is pricey. We got two cocktails and it was 40 dollars with tip which is seriously California prices at this point. I did a low ABV cocktail spicy manzanilla sipper and my husband got a tequila based drink. They were nice but also not mind blowingly good. The bartender was nice, but the bar patrons were a little bro-ey and fratty to make me feel like this was a place I was welcome. Overall, I would probably come back again if I needed to kill time before a dinner reservation but I’m not necessarily going to seek out this bar as a hangout for me and my friends.

Baron Davis

This place was great, super convenient. Parking is an issue but so is everything downtown. Here is a picture of the happy hour menu! Enjoy. Tried eggs, interesting taste, bar nuts were great and the Chicago dog was on point. Little cramped and uppity which is reason for 4 stars vs 5. Hope this helps you happy hour goers!

Great ambiance, great cocktails, food:meh! Rather eat nearby

To start, it’s tough supporting this restaurant group, the price gouging has gotten out of control ($32 for catfish at ski shores is unreal, as an austenite, it’s offensive). In terms of this specific location, it’s an amazing bar concept with above average drinks but Watertrade or even nickel city are better). But let’s not forget, We’re not in NYC and I’m certainly not paying $20 for a martini that I’m going to have to stand to drink while a random employee stares me down making sure I don’t sit in the booth section, booth sections are also very anti austin. We’re in Texas and this vibe doesn’t align, this restaurant group has fully lost touch with reality. Check out this bar but I feel like it’s just at attracting out of towners long term at this point.

Are you allowed to write reviews for places that you didn't order at, but went into? I think yes. My wife and I live down the street. Been watching for months as the renovation has occurred. It was Veterans Day 2022, and we were looking for a place to go celebrate. I made an Airbnb guide for our bedroom of all the restaurant happy hours in 0.5 miles of our place so this was on it - boom Monday through Friday 3-5 pm half off drafts and a discounted hot dog. It was 4:40 pm, left the house in the rain to Howards. Entered the door, it was packed, loud music, and my first thought was "It is way too early on a Friday at 4:50 pm to be in a bar YELLING (the type of yelling normally associated with 10 pm or later over in the Market District, Rainey, or Dirty 6th) at each other for communication." My wife and I know each other - we turned around and left and went to another of the other restaurants. Only other note, the doorman/bouncer in the evenings is off-putting and gives airs of douschebaggery. I've never seen a line, so don't think it serves the practical effect of limiting customers to stay within fire code...I just think it's there to be pretentious. Not much riff raff on West West 6th to keep out. So with that recreational complaint, may try again later and see how it is. :)

This place has so much potential but too much "too cool for you" attitude. Cocktails and food are surprisingly good but not good enough for the price point.

Don’t allow shorts in the summer.

Watch your wallet. They charge almost $40 for a mocktail and a house margarita on the rocks. Good but nothing phenomenal.

Drinks are average and overpriced. Atmosphere is nice. Would not go here.

$15 for a Fords Gin? This Gin w/ Tonic drink anywhere is under $10. This isn't even a concert venue for me to pay that much for a measured shot in my drink?

Trying way too hard. This is not McGuire moorman’s finest

Terrible espresso martinis, which is weird because all the other McGuire moorman restaurants make good espresso martinis. The bar was crowded because half of it is empty booths that have to be reserved for bottle service. Not a chill vibe if that’s what you are looking for

I stopped in solo for a quick drink while waiting to meet friends across the street at Clark’s Oyster Bar. The space immediately caught my attention it looks like a classic Manhattan swanky lounge. Gorgeous wood bar, moody lighting, and a speakeasy vibe that makes you expect a refined cocktail experience. Unfortunately, the service didn’t live up to the setting. Drink menu don’t have anything I was excited about so I asked if they had a lager on draft and was told they had an IPA and something basic like Michelob Ultra or Miller Lite. Not the end of the world, just surprising for a place that looks this upscale. Landed on an Old Fashioned which was ok (not amazing/not the worst). What really stood out was being asked to start a tab and provide payment (less than $15) before the drink was even made. As someone who started their career in hospitality, that always feels demanding and inconsiderate especially when sitting at the bar on a Wednesday. The whole interaction felt much closer to counter-service culture than a sit-down lounge. If the experience is essentially “order, pay, and move on,” it’s not that different from ordering from your phone or a kiosk which feels out of sync with such a beautiful, classic bar setting. The drink was fine, but no one checked back or asked if I wanted another. When closing out, the tablet appeared and the bartender watched while I selected the tip. The real plot twist: when I asked about food, I was told they had hot dogs. A beautiful speakeasy-style bar serving hot dogs was not on my Austin bingo card. Great ambiance if you want to impress someone with atmosphere, but the overall experience felt oddly cold and mismatched. Felt no pull/reason to revisit.

Oof

Cole was super rude and made unnecessary comments when asked super simple questions. Was not a good experience on my birthday.

Amazing Bar Staff. Amazing details.. The Manager is a joke. Maybe someone should teach him how hospitality works in the USA!

Can't speak to the food. Bartender, DJ, and Bouncers were all pretty rude.

GM of the bar, taller skinnier gentleman with a birthmark in his beard racially biased against a group of Latinos I was with to enter the bar while letting white patrons cut ahead.

The drinks were over priced and the the line was long, not worth it at all.

Literally the worst bar experience of my life. Filled with pretentious people who don’t know how to have fun. The doormen with their $60 Amazon suit jackets just let housewives with permanent scowls and over arched eyebrows prance through the door, while letting others just wait for endless minutes. The line is just for looks, there’s plenty of space inside and not worth going into. If you love overpriced cocktails and boring people, this is your vibe. If you wanna actually have fun, take your money and energy elsewhere. Also, did I mention the door men are grown babies? Such a superiority complex when they are opening doors for rich white people and wiping their behinds. Pathetic and disgusting behavior by all the staff. I can’t stress enough, if you have sense of dignity or a pulse, DONT GO HERE.

I really wanted to love this place but Howard’s is an absolute joke. Do not waste your time standing in their “fake line.” The staff (especially the female, tatted up manager) is beyond rude and treats patrons with cold shoulders and disdain. She truly has the customer service skills of a porcupine. If Howard’s keeps treating their customers the way we were treated, this establishment will not be open much longer - I can guarantee that. If I was the owner, I would have an immediate audit of all staff and management. The ambience is quite nice yet Howard’s reeks of a hollow and haughty bar masquerading as a high-end, swanky cocktail lounge. What a huge miss by the owners here. Truly unfortunate.

This is my last time trying to give Howards the benefit of the doubt. The service is the worst Ive ever experienced. The first time i went they had just opened and said, “yeah we’re going for kind of a Cheers vibe” i should have taken a hint from the red velvet rope and bouncer w a list/ bluetooth 🤣 that this was never gonna be my neighborhood bar. Its the most pretentious place you could ever waste your money. Its like an annoying simulation of the experience of an actually cool bar. Ive been there before drinking, walked out for a smoke and saw the bouncer lying to the people still in line that there’s a private party going on inside. I don't write reviews often (except for Rosies next door which is equally bad) but these two places have gone beyond just being unwelcoming to making me feel less comfortable in my own neighborhood. The only fun you’ll have here comes despite their best efforts.

Stopped by after dinner at Clark’s to have a drink and spent $46 for two glasses of house Cabernet. I would estimate they were no more than 4 to 6 oz. Pours. Great atmosphere but ridiculous prices catering to the Austifornians I guess. I’ll pass on this place next time.

If Howards is a "club" then I'm George Washington. Way too loud, way too crowded, way too small; the dance floor is the size of a postage stamp and 30% of the floorplan is the bar. The bouncer had the audacity to offer patrons in line a table for $500, which basically turned out to be a nightstand with 5 bongos around it as chairs. This isn't even discussing the dress code, which was enforced seemingly arbitrarily. Multiple well dressed men in shorts were turned away (on a 90° day), while the bouncer turned a blind eye to women in tattered daisy dukes, or men who wore shorts and flip flops but paid for a table. Don't waste your time or money, this reeks of a poser cash grab.

Clearly a very racist place. Our group of 4 well dressed, but dark skinned, patrons was routinely ignored by multiple wait staff. While “others” were promptly served and received repeated visits by staff. I know that this is Texas, but come on, this is NOT the racist Texas of 1963. Or is it?? We voted with our wallets. Small tip and we will NEVER give this establishment another penny, EVER!!

Second time I step into howards bar with my “fresa” mexican friends and get kicked out for being too roudy or had to many drinks. Looking around none of the white tables we’re bothered at all, only my brown friends were singled out to leave. After being in austin for 12 years this is the most offended ive been, the treatment was straight racist. My only two brown friends have been kicked out not once but twice after having two miller beers! Ridiculous! They can’t even be sly about their prejudice.

AVOID. $50 for 1 hot dog and 1 drink, plus they charged me for a side I didn't order!

Old guy behind the bar is always rude. they also don’t comply with TABC liquor laws given their restaurant status because they rarely are serving food until 12 pm

First and last time. Bartender assumed one of the party members was too drunk (with no metric or else) and kicked us out. Didnt even try to offer water, or opt to not serve anymore. ITS A BAR!

Got turned away by the door guy in a suit for having shorts on at 10 PM. It was 100 degrees out earlier today. Absolutely stupid rule to enforce dress code in Austin on a Texas summer night

I got thrown out because the table my party sat down at only had 3 chairs so me and my buddy pulled up 2. The general manager came up and put his hand on my shoulder and said there is only 3 seats allowed per table. Yall need to leave. I had spent nearly $500 inside at the bar. He ultimately was just hating that me and my buddy were having such a nice time with our amazing dates. Hes lucky I’m easy going, I can’t imagine someone else letting someone tell them “sorry buddy only 3 chairs” while aggressively padding them on the shoulder. I know more than 1 friend of mine who would have broken every bone in his hand. I will never be going back here (it was my 3rd or 4th time) and I will be posting all over my social media against this ridiculous place.

Drinks were overpriced and just average. Our waitress was super nice and helpful, rest of the staff was rude and disrespectful. Really disappointed to have experienced a racial/ethnic bias in the treatment of staff towards Spanish-speaking individuals. It's a small bar with overpriced food and drinks and rude staff. If that's your vibe, you'll have a good time, if not, don't bother, there are plenty of other places to enjoy a night out with friends.

This place is the biggest let down. We live in the neighborhood and were told they were building a “welcoming neighborhood pub” but when they opened had velvet ropes outside with bouncers. They also have nights with no warning where it’s guest list only or try to charge you $1500 for a table inside. It’s such a shame because I would have loved to frequent the spot. The drinks and staff are mediocre. There are plenty of cooler places around in the area, skip this one. You can get a much better drink and service next door at Clark’s.

We were there around 9 pm with a group of about 8 friends and it was so loud that we couldn't hear each other. The manager was extremely rude while the waitress was getting a different table to accommodate our group. We were informed of a minimum charge to which we had already agreed to and the manager kicked us out to Rosie's patio to finish our drinks. Without any indication of where we could finish these drinks their staff very rudely moved us away from any spot we stood in. Didn't see any of that with any of their non-latino customers.

Hated the service. We got two lemon drop shots and as i was paying, my boyfriend told me he will tip in cash. As i pressed no tip, the bartender rudely and sarcastically said "oh thank you so much for that". We still ended up tipping her $7 on a $17 tab. But her attitude sobered us up!! Rudely snatched the paying device. BOOO

Jack Barnes

I got thrown out because the table my party sat down at only had 3 chairs so me and my buddy pulled up 2. The general manager came up and put his hand on my shoulder and said there is only 3 seats allowed per table. Yall need to leave. I had spent nearly $500 inside at the bar. He ultimately was just hating that me and my buddy were having such a nice time with our amazing dates. Hes lucky I’m easy going, I can’t imagine someone else letting someone tell them “sorry buddy only 3 chairs” while aggressively padding them on the shoulder. I know more than 1 friend of mine who would have broken every bone in his hand. I will never be going back here (it was my 3rd or 4th time) and I will be posting all over my social media against this ridiculous place.

Ramon Aragon

Drinks were overpriced and just average. Our waitress was super nice and helpful, rest of the staff was rude and disrespectful. Really disappointed to have experienced a racial/ethnic bias in the treatment of staff towards Spanish-speaking individuals. It's a small bar with overpriced food and drinks and rude staff. If that's your vibe, you'll have a good time, if not, don't bother, there are plenty of other places to enjoy a night out with friends.