Sahara Lounge: The East Austin Dive Bar That Feels Like the Old Austin

People who've been in Austin for a while talk about the way the city used to feel — laid back, musical, unpretentious, genuinely eclectic. Sahara Lounge on Webberville Road is one of the places where that Austin still exists.

What Sahara Lounge Is

Sahara Lounge is at 1413 Webberville Rd in East Austin, near E 12th and Springdale — the same corridor as Palomino Coffee, a few minutes from our East Austin property. The building has housed music venues since 1962 — Lincoln Drive Inn, then RC's, then TC's Lounge for 33 years, then Sahara Lounge since 2011. That history is in the walls. You can feel it.

The concept is a Texas juke joint with an African twist — family owned and operated by Eileen Bristol and her son Topaz, both musicians. Live music is the main event: indie, blues, Afrobeat, country, swing, Brazilian, funk, rock. Sometimes the same night. The Austin Chronicle gave it a Best of Nightlife award, which tracks, but Sahara doesn't feel like a place that needed the validation.

The Vibe

It's a dive bar in the best sense. Full bar, drink specials, free parking, 21+. The crowd is eclectic in the way East Austin crowds used to be before the neighborhood got expensive — musicians, regulars, people who heard about it from someone who heard about it from someone. Nobody is performing. Everyone is just there because the music is good and the drinks are cold and the room has the right energy.

If you want to understand East Austin, walk into Sahara Lounge on a night with a good lineup. Check their calendar in advance — the music varies widely and some nights are exceptional.

For guests at our East Austin property, Sahara Lounge is minutes away and is the kind of local spot that becomes a story you tell when you get home.

Sahara Lounge · 1413 Webberville Rd, Austin, TX 78721 · saharalounge.com