Howards Bar & Club — Restaurant in Austin

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...

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...

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,...