G & S Lounge — Restaurant in Austin

We were on the hunt for a dive bar and happened upon G&S courtesy of Google. Seeing the outside I was concerned it was not open which seemed weird for 9:30 on a Saturday but the door was open so we went in. First impressions was that it was exactly what we were looking for. But the stars in my eyes were quickly righted. Upon looking around I keep seeing stuff. Just stuff. Like so much stuff it’s a problem. Stacks of unrecognizable boxes on the bar everywhere. Broken touch screen bar game machines lined up in on the bar. A stack of crap in the back of the barroom that needs attention. Ok whatever, I thought. There’s beers and an open pool table to this is what I’m looking for anyways. I order 2 beers and a G&T. $28!? I don’t know the breakdown but $10 for a G&T seems a little steep but $9 for a coors light?! That’s wild. Oh well we’re in it now. Folks I want to warn you. I’ve been all around this country of ours and my wife and I actively seek out dive bars for an evening out in all different cities but this night in this bar I had a first. I went to use the restroom and it was NASTY. I had to breath through my sweatshirt to stop the smell cause I was going to puke. There’s cleaning products in the bathroom that have clearly never been used. I guess what I’m saying is this bar has great bones. Grumpy bartender✔️. Bar games✔️. Good beer selection. Ample space. Nice jukebox. But it seems that the bar is doomed to living out one man’s performance art spectacle. Good luck G&S. I can see the little nugget of greatness hidden deep inside you but I wonder if the powers that be have it in themselves to polish you...

You either love it or hate it. This is a very unassuming bar on S 1st that while does fit the dive bar description it won't be what you expect once you go inside. There are tons of games inside and great selection of beers.

Know what you want. The bartender is not there to hold your hand. For that matter don't piss off the owner/bartender. This place is the Soup Nazi of bars. You go in, order your drink and enjoy it. The owner runs his bar as he sees fit and if you don't like it GTFO. I love this place for that because it does not pander to whatever BS you bring into the bar. Their prices have gone up a lot and that's a shame because they used to be very...

I was really surprised how much I liked this place. From the outside, it looks pretty darn rough. I think that's why the folks inside are so cool - the night I was there for an open mic, it seemed most everyone knew each other. The stage and performance area is kind-of stunning with the amount of sound and light reinforcement gear they've crammed into the room. Basically, its a great place to drink and things sounded pretty good on stage the night I was there, too. This is what a bar really should be, in my mind. Think "classic Texas bar" and this place matches what you're...