USA Guide
Texas
Nightlife
1 Threadgill's 6416 N Lamar Blvd 
512/451-5440 
www.threadgills.com An Austin institution, north of downtown, established when Kenneth Threadgill was given the first license to sell beer in the city after Prohibition. Bringing together hippies and rednecks in the 1960s, Threadgill's was an incubator for the Austin sound, and still features live bands, as well as basic Southern cuisine.
2 Antone's Blues Club 213 W 5th St 512/320-8424 www.antones.net This old Austin joint in the Warehouse District is the best blues club in the city, a hot and sweaty haunt showcasing national and local acts.
3 
The Broken Spoke 3201 S Lamar Blvd 512/442-6189 www.brokenspokeaustintx.com . Neighbourhood restaurant (good chicken-fried steak) and stomping honky-tonk dance hall in south Austin. The barn-like dance floor attracts great country acts; it's a lot of fun. Two-stepping begins at 9pm.
4 Continental Club 1315 S Congress Ave 512/441-2444 www.continentalclub.com This longstanding classic is the city's premier place to hear hard-edged country or bluesy folk sung the Austin way.
5 Stubb's BBQ 801 Red River St 512/480-8341 www.stubbsaustin.com Indoor and outdoor stages feature eclectic bands of national repute – including a Sun gospel brunch – which you can watch while chewing through great Texas-style brisket, sausage, and ribs.
6 Victory Grill 1104 E 11th St 512/902-505 Ike and Tina Turner played here, and a Brooklyn artists' collective spray-painted a soulful mural on its main outside wall in 2008. The old building, noted for its heavy blues history, hangs on despite nearby condo development.
7 Hole in the Wall 2538 Guadalupe St 512/477-4747. A dive near the UT campus with pool tables and live Americana music.
8 Horseshoe Lounge 2034 S Lamar Blvd 512/442-9111 This beer joint is a survivor from a not-too-distant, rough-and-tumble South Austin past. Look for the red and green neon lights.
9 Long Branch Inn 1133 E 11th St 512/472-5477 This dark, artsy dive with a small stage, a nice old wooden bar, and slowly turning ceiling fans is located smack dab in the middle of a quickly gentrifying neighbourhood.
10 Scoot Inn 1308 E 4th St 512/478-6200. The Scoot Inn attracts a young crowd and has a nice outdoor beer garden.