You’ve likely heard an Austinite complain about the city changing — we’ve been doing it since 1884.
Still, there are local businesses where the Capital City feels frozen in time, where you can queue a song on a 1950s dive bar’s jukebox, do the two-step in a 1960s dance hall, and eat hamburgers in a 1970s diner.
Today, we’re stepping into the time machine. Let’s dial it back by decade and explore Austin establishments where time stands still.
1930s
1933 | The Tavern, 922 W. 12th St.
The Tavern, aka “Austin’s most famously haunted bar,” started slinging burgers and beer in 1933, but was first established in 1916 as The Enfield Grocery Store. It was one of the first spots to introduce air conditioning in ATX, and its neon sign advertising the amenity still glows today.
At Quality Seafood Market, patrons can get two seafood tacos and a Landshark tallboy for $10 all day on Thursdays. | Photo by JD Hancock via Openverse
1938 | Quality Seafood Market, 5621 Airport Blvd.
Quality Seafood Market began as a humble stall in Starr’s Fruit and Vegetable Market near the Texas Capitol. Over the decades, it evolved from a to-go kitchen into a full-service market and restaurant, serving fresh seafood from Texas and beyond.
1940s
1943 | House Park Bar-B-Q, 900 W. 12th St.
As the saying goes, patrons “need no teef to eat my beef” at the home of Austin’s oldest barbecue pit. After a four-year hiatus due to fire damage, the tried-and-true Clarksville restaurant returned with all of its nostalgic charm in tow.
1945 | Victory East, 1104 E. 11th St.
Johnny Holmes named this restaurant and bar “Victory Grill” upon founding it as a welcoming spot for Black soldiers returning home from World War II. By the 1950s, it was hosting legendary acts like James Brown, Etta James, Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin, and Tina Turner.
1946 | Sandy’s Hamburgers, 603 Barton Springs Rd.
When this family-owned establishment opened nearly 80 years ago, frozen custard, popcorn, and peanuts were on the menu. Today, the retro drive-thru honors its roots while serving diner classics like burgers, BLTs, ice cream sundaes, and sodas with flavor shots.
1948 | Peter Pan Mini Golf, 1207 Barton Springs Rd.
After grabbing a burger at Sandy’s, take a stroll down the street to this 18-hole mini golf course, dotted with whimsical sculptures crafted by its original owner, Glenn Dismukes. Aside from the addition of credit card machines during the pandemic, the course has stayed nearly identical over the years.
1950s
1950 | Cisco’s Restaurant Bakery & Bar, 1511 E. 6th St.
Harry S. Truman was president when Rudy Cisneros opened the doors of this all-day breakfast eatery. Today, it’s a historical landmark and the oldest Tex-Mex restaurant in Austin, featuring $6 cocktails during happy hour + plenty of vintage photographs on the walls.
1951 | Deep Eddy Cabaret, 2315 Lake Austin Blvd.
Originally named Deep Eddy Cafe, this neighborhood bar is a treasure trove of Austin history. Sit in the glow of neon signs under twinkling lights while grooving to live music or tunes from the jukebox — just as locals have for the last 74 years.
1952 | Matt’s El Rancho, 2613 S. Lamar Blvd.
Matt Martinez started his culinary journey at age six in 1923 by selling tamales from a wooden pushcart near the Texas Capitol. Over a century later, his iconic restaurant seats 500 people, slings famous margaritas, and is still operated by his daughters.
Follow the glow of the neon sign to chow down on enchiladas with a famous ranchero sauce.
Photo by @Jim_Nix via OpenVerse
1954 | El Patio, 2938 Guadalupe St.
When Paul and Mary Ann Joseph opened this Tex-Mex restaurant, they served salsa with saltines and carried crying babies around so parents could enjoy their meal. Today, you can expect the same customer service and even pick up its tortilla chips and legendary salsa in H-E-B.
City Editor Morgan discovered Hooks and The Huckleberries and Wonder Women of Country at The Continental Club.
Photo by ATXtoday
1955 | The Continental Club, 1315 S. Congress Ave.
This venue has lived many lives. It launched as a “swanky supper club” in 1955, then became the Capital City’s first burlesque club before transitioning to a “blue-collar bar” that opened at 7 a.m. each morning. Now, locals can wander into the live music hub on any given night and know they’ll hear great musicians.
1960s
Catch a live show — just like these folks in 2009 — at The Carousel Lounge.
Photo by @MarkScottAustinTX via OpenVerse
1963 | Carousel Lounge, 1110 E. 52nd St.
It was illegal to serve liquor by the drink when Cecil and Myrtle Meier fulfilled their dream of opening this circus-themed bar in Austin, and Carousel Lounge honors that by only serving beer and wine today. Now owned by their daughter Nicki Mebane, the mainstay keeps the circus in town all year with a vintage carousel and immersive decor inside.
1964 | The Broken Spoke, 3201 S. Lamar Blvd.
South Lamar Boulevard may look much different than when this honky tonk debuted, but the dance hall’s interior is nearly identical. Its stage has hosted household names like Dolly Parton, George Strait, and Willie Nelson, and a chicken-fried steak dinner + dance lesson pairing is still a rite-of-passage for Austin locals.
1969 | Draught House Pub & Brewery, 4112 Medical Pkwy.
Claiming the title of “Austin’s oldest brewery,” Draught House is the brainchild of Wayne Overton, who spent time farming in Texas before opening this watering hole in the summer of ’69. Overton and his wife, Gay, built the bar, tables, and chairs. The award-winning pub began brewing beer in 1995 after changing ownership.
1970s
1971 | Top Notch Hamburgers, 7525 Burnet Rd.
Known for its distinctly 1970s signage and appearances in films like “Varsity Blues” and “Dazed and Confused,” this curbside + dine-in eatery features the same recipes + service style it started with 54 years ago.
You’ll feel immersed in an era of the past at Dan’s Hamburgers.
Photo by @BackAmp via OpenVerse
1973 | Dan’s Hamburgers, multiple locations
Dan and Frances Junk settled on the name “Dan’s” when a sign with the name “Junk’s” was going to put them out an extra $50 — the same price they paid to acquire a recipe for hand-breaded onion rings later that same year. Its diners boast retro decor, hearty breakfast items, burgers, chicken tenders, malts, and shakes.
Esther’s Follies opened in Austin in 1977 and has been a destination for magic, comedy, and oddities ever since.
Photo by @mrflip via Openverse
1977 | Esther Follie’s, 525 E. 6th St.
The “Texas answer to ‘Saturday Night Live’” was born in the spring of 1977 when Michael Shelton and Shannon Sedwick of Liberty Lunch leased a bar on 6th Street to throw an April Fool’s Day party. The night turned into a free-for-all showcase with musicians, comics, and dancers moseying in off the street to show off their skills, which is more or less what you can expect at a present-day performance.
This is a rare sight — there’s often a line out the door at Donn’s Depot.
Photo by @daveiam via OpenVerse
1978 | Donn’s Depot, 1600 W. 5th St.
The ‘70s are alive and well in this piano bar/honky tonk/dance hall, housed in an old train depot that civil engineer Bob Ogden purchased for $300 on the “outskirts of Austin.” Donn Alderman, the venue’s namesake, still performs regularly.
We’ll add more decades + local businesses over time — let us know which Austin establishment you’d like to see on the list.
