Black Sheep Lodge has really tasty nibbles. Like, really, really tasty. I dig the green chile queso with its big chunks of green chiles. The deep-fried corndogs are sinfully tasty, like I need to say forty-two Hail Salads in repentence the next day. Oh, and there are cheese curds. Delicately battered, salty, tangy cheese curds. You must have the cheese curds.
The drink specials last all day. $2 for a frozen margarita? All righty then. The beer list is fairly standard--nothing too wild here--but a long list of the usual standards. If it's widely available, they probably have it. Just don't expect any delightful surprises.
The only issue with Black Sheep Lodge is that they make is so difficult to get their delicious treats. Like, from the start. Parking is impossible, with only a tiny lot behind the building, a couple spots in front, and if you're there later, a tiny lot of an auto shop across the street serving the area. The neighborhood nearby prohibits street parking, so you're out of luck if you think you can just walk. There's so much more room inside that is underserved by BSL's microscopic parking lots.
Once you're inside, service can be quite slow--especially if you're in the back room.
You'd move more people in and out of those teeny lots if you came to my table faster. Just sayin'.
This has become my favorite place to just hang out. I absolutely love everyone who works there...I have my favorite waitress, Leah, who always takes extremely good care of my friends and me. I get my hug fix here between Grant and Max...just awesome people employed here. I've never encountered a snobby employee...and rarely have to wait for anything. They're just really on top of their game.
The food is delicious...especially the fried pickles and the hot dogs. They have great sweet potato fries, too!
They have great drink specials every day...we tend to end up there every Wednesday for "white trash Wednesdays" which is $1 Lonestar, PBR, etc. Throw a little lime in those suckers and you're good to go!
An a-ok bar with ample indoor seating and a cool shaded patio, although any patio overlooking South Lamar is lacking a bit, in my opinion.
I enjoyed their cider selection, just wish they had more on draft, but I did get to try Original Sin, which I hadn't yet and it made me a believer. We stopped in for a few drinks before a dinner reservation down the street, and it was a struggle to flag our server down once we were ready to go. No big deal, he just was on the aloof side.
If I was in a beer mood, which for me means cider mood, and in the area, I'd make a stop!
For the first time in a long time, I feel like writing. But not about a bar, a restaurant, or a service. I flipped through the entire backlog of reviews I technically need to write, and Black Sheep Lodge stuck out, because I thought, "This will be easy." It's been a topic of conversation a few times lately, and though I don't quite know how to articulate the reasons behind it, I do know exactly how I feel about this place.
They have awesome specials, really cheap beers, and the only food I've had was the cheese curds (tasty), but all of it looks pretty good for bar food, and nobody I've gone here with who's eaten here has had anything bad to say about it.
The waitresses here have always been nice. Sometimes they are attentive, sometimes not so much, but service has always been decent, and friendly. The crowd here may be the reason I don't like the place, as it's often full of the "bad" kind of "hipster", yet no one has ever given me a hard time, been an asshole to me, and I've always been engaged enough with the table I'm sitting at that I haven't even had to endure listening to unbearable conversations from nearby tables.
It's always busy, yet we've never had a hard time finding a place to sit. It's always fucking hot in Texas, and yet I always find their outdoor patio (with misters and fans) comfortable.
Still, the last time I came here, which was probably my... fifth, sixth, seventh? time hanging out here, as soon as I got out of my car (I got a clutch parking spot right in front of the bar, too, despite the fact that parking around here would be my one tangible complaint), I thought, "Fuck, I really don't want to be here." Maybe that was a premonition of the evening to come, but honestly, every time I've been here, though I haven't had a bad time, I've just wanted to be... elsewhere.
I wish I could put my finger on what it is about this place that makes my skin crawl just a little bit. I want to like it, as I'm in this part of town a lot. But, nope. I just don't. I'm not saying I wouldn't go back here, I'll just always be wishing I were somewhere else when I do.
This is usually where I write some big diatribe about some adventure in my life that leads me to the place I'm reviewing. Yet, this place is so meh, I just can't do it.
I don't even know what to say. I don't want to go here anymore. Plain and simple. It always takes a while for someone to convince me to join them here. Then, when I get here, it just isn't where I want to be. The food is mediocre, the crowd is douche, and it just seems formulaic? Yet, I will say this, the waitstaff is quick. Never friendly, but quick.
I just can't do this anymore. I really can't. Everything is blah. Just blah, at best.
This place is kinda cool. Â The patio out front has misters and a lively crowd. Inside has pool, shuffle board, and tons of TVS. Â Parking is a small nightmare.
They have a very simple menu of apps, salads, sandwiches, burgers/hotdogs. The mini corn dog appetizer was great and all their sides are fried and therefore delicious - I recommend the tots or the sweet potato fries. Â This place is known for their burgers but I wasn't impressed. Â I tried both the normal burger and the veggie burger and they were bit dry and the proportions were all off, it's about balance!
They have a very impressive beer menu and some great daily drink specials, I think $2 margs + Big Buck Hunter is going to be my next Thursday outing.
Three words. White Trash Wednesdays.
The food is kinda shitty. Sorry guys, but it ain't great. I can't speak wonders about the wait staff, but at least they're all cute. Hey Max with the blonde dreads... thanks for the view buddy.
But the porch is cool, the fan misters feel fantastic on a hot day, the dogs are always entertaining and the crowd is generally down to chill and chat and have a good time.
But yes. White Trash Wednesdays. Dollar tall boys before Blues on the Green. Yessir, that's summer right there.
I spent at least half of the NBA finals series here watching the games. It's your typical divey sports bar with super cheap drink specials, at least one night there were $2 frozen margarita's.
The place was packed which meant sharing tables with other fans, which is fun if you're friendly, but not what you want on a date :) The servers were friendly, but incredibly busy... again this was during the NBA finals, so we just planned on ordering extra drinks every time we saw our servers.
Parking can be a pain when they are that busy. The crowd is overall pretty young, but I have ran into a few people in their mid 30's and older. Of all the great bars in Austin, I'm not sure this would've been my pick to watch the games at, but my companion enjoyed it enough that we watched most of the series there.
Nothing wrong with a good dive bar! Just don't expect to be wowed! :)
Oh, Black Sheep. I think it's time we have "the talk."
Hey, now, don't be sad. We had a good thing. I got drunk for the first time within your walls and it was a great occasion. It was after the last class of my undergraduate career, just a few days before I would graduate, and I was so excited, so full of hope. I had so much fun and I told you that you were my favorite bar in all of Austin. You know how first loves go - they start in a blaze of glory, but they fizzle all too soon.
We were swept up in something wonderful - I found myself entering your doors with various friends, so excited to see what else you would offer me. I was enticed by the promise of something fantastic - a love to last the ages. Surely, we would stand the test of time. We were so naive back then.
And then I moved up north and we drifted apart. Stopped talking. You never even called - didn't we have something special? Had I meant nothing to you? I told myself I'd visit you from time to time, but I felt rejected and unloved, young and foolish. You were a pro at this and surely you had some other girl under your spell at this point. After a while, you slipped my mind completely, becoming just a very distant, but fond, memory.
Until we saw each other again recently. You met me when I was a young girl, fresh out of college, and I'm a woman now. I've changed - I've matured. I'm not so easily fooled by the whisperings of sweet nothings and empty promises. As such, my tastes have changed - I prefer the dark and mysterious atmospheres of dives. Is that a shock to you? Surely, you saw it coming. You didn't? Did you think I'd be so innocent forever?
It's not you - it's me. I have needs, needs that I don't think you can fulfill. Wait, are... are you crying? Don't cry - there's nothing to be sad about. We had a great thing for a while there and it ended as quickly as it began. I appreciate what we had because it was a good baseline in order to help me navigate the seedy underworld of bars. From my experience with you, I was able to find what I truly loved and I gained the ability to quickly realize what I don't.
Don't think of me as the one who got away. Can we be friends? I don't know. Maybe. We'll see. As long as you promise not to be jealous of my new love(s). It's been two years, Black Sheep - time to move on, babe.
I came here because i know they're pet friendly so i brought my dog after a walk down S. Lamar.
First, service was great, waitress took care or me and the pooch, bowl of fresh water for her and ice water for me. Patio was basic but did the job. Lots of biker types hanging out but otherwise fairly empty (middle of the day, after 5 the place gets packed).
Food - i'd heard so much about their burgers, ordered one and it was pretty average. Dry patty, too much greens, and a soggy bun. With so many gourmet burger places popping up everywhere and the new quality of burgers diners are becoming accustomed to i expected more from it. The fries were ok but man am i tired of shoestring fries. give me a fry with some substance that i can dunk in some ketchup.
BSL gets the 3rd star because of the service and pet friendliness. Food is lacking, will probably go back to drink but will stop in somewhere else for a better burger.
Didn't go inside so can't speak to that. Also didn't try the appetizers but maybe theres something there. I'll re-update if other parts of the menu deserve a chance.
THEY CHANGED THE HAMBURGERS!  This place used to have the most awesome high-quality hamburgers in all of South Austin  but recently they switched to pre-made factory meat that is just flat-out disgusting.  Also, the wine which used to come in a six-ounce pour has been reduced to three ounces.
The decline in the quality of the food is unfortunate. Â I assume they believe they will make more money. Â But this is always the beginning of the end.
AVOID.
I have come here a couple times in order to watch some soccer matches. Â For having a couple beers and a quick bite to eat, I found this place more than adequate. Â They have a good amount of beers on tap but they do get a tad expensive if you don't go with the specials. Â The server was friendly by changing the channel of the TV, getting our dog some water and getting our order quickly. Â I really do like the outside sitting so I can bring the dog with me. Â I want to give it a 3 and half stars but as that is not possible I will round up to the 4 stars.
Order #1
Chicago Dog w/sweet potato fries - I can't really speak to how stands up to a traditional Chicago dog but it was a good hot dog with a pickle, onions, peppers, relish and tomatoes. Â It had tons of flavors but I'm a bit of a Sriracha junky so I added just a line of it down the dog. Â I thought it was great addition to the dog. I thought the sweet potato fries were some of the best that I have had in a long time.
Order #2
Carnitas Sliders w/onion rings - The carnitas were not bad but nothing great and I probably would not order them again. Â They lacked some flavor and I added a good amount of Sriracha of course. Â The onion rings were ok but I really wished I had had the sweet potato fries again.
You guys, I don't know how I always end up here. I'm not a fan. Sure, their beer is cold. Yes, they have some great specials and a nice outdoor area. Sure, they have a delicious concoction called a Screwmoon (try one). The service has always been slow and sometimes non-existent. The food is okay. I've never been blow away. This is one of those place I'll go to if everyone else is headed there. If it's up to me, I'll probably hit up some place else.
Review Source:Met up with some friends here for some drinks and dinner. Â The venue is rather loud and not great for conversation, but whatever. Â They do have a lot of beer on tap, which is nice. Â As for the food, none of my dining companions liked their meals. Â Around the table people ordered the wings, Black Sheep Burger, Black Bird Chicken Sandwich, and the Philly Cheesesteak. Â Everyone agreed that the food was just meh, commenting that it was bland and lacking flavor. Â In fact, everyone was pretty hungry after the meal, opting to get some more munchies at our next bar stop. Â However, I must say that I REALLY enjoyed my meal. Â I got the Carnitas sandwich and it was delicious. Â It was flavorful and lovely and the tater tots were crispy potato goodness. Â Not sure I'll be back anytime soon, but if I go I'm sticking with the Carnitas sandwich!
Review Source:The only down side is they are always pretty busy and you often have to stand and wait for a table to open up. Â They have a large outside seating area, and a bunch more inside. Â If you're not afraid to cozy up with some strangers you can usually get seating a little quicker.
The weekly beer specials are really good, but liquor is fairly pricey.
The food is good enough for bar food. Â I'm not sure about them having the best burger in South Austin, but it's fine to go with some beers. Â The cheese curds are great, but all of their appetizers are a little on the expensive side. Â Fried pickles for $7? Â I wanted something on the lighter side one night I was here, and was surprised by their veggie burger. Â I'm sure it was just a frozen patty, but they cooked it well and it was quite tasty.
Loud as heck. Oh lets go sit on south lamar on the patio with 4 tvs blairing and loud vehicles, oh and maybe if we want there will be a packed patio and we can pretend we can hear each other or that waitress can hear our orders. No thanks. The stuffed sliders were good but not something i'll be craving or recommending. The sweet potato fries were meh. And the chipotle mayo did well to mask the low standard of flavors, i found myself short of putting it in my drink to help with everything. Thanks for the food. I'll stick to other spots.
Review Source:A small, dark, slightly off the beaten path wonderful place to enjoy a burger and local beer. I ordered the buffalo burger (cooked medium) with fries. The burger was a perfect medium and delicious. Just the right ratio of buffalo sauce (think it was Frank's) and blue cheese crumbles. Fries were also perfect. Crisp and hot, the way nature intended. Throw in the fact that the prices are decent and the staff are friendly...and this may be the perfect burger joint.
Review Source:I was only in Austin for the day, and I met up with a friend here to chill for a bit. Black Sheep was definitely a great spot to hang out for a few hours. The atmosphere was very laid back, the beer selection was solid, the food was tasty, and to top it all off, they even had a dartboard so we could get a few semi-drunken games of cricket in (lost the 1st game but won the 2nd with an epic last turn hitting 15, 18, and double bull!!!).
I had a couple local brews, Live Oak Hefe and 512 Pecan Porter, both of which were tasty, and later progressed to Vodka tonics (I don't think you can really mess those up!). The bartenders were all extremely nice and did not skimp on the conversation. I also grabbed some late lunch while I was there. I had the Black Sheep Burger with sweet potato fries, and it was very good.
If I lived in Austin, this would definitely be a regular spot for me.
Black Sheep Lodge is located at a great location right off of Lamar. Â They have a great covered patio that is only detracted some by the road noise. Â While we were there they had a $2 white trash beers(PBR, Yellow Bellies, High Life) and $2 off pitchers. It was a great happy hour spot and I wish we had tried some of the food as the menu looked very tempting.
Review Source:This review is based on the drinks and the bar experience as I have not tried the food.
I was in town for the weekend to visit a friend and was looking for a bar where KU alumni would watch it at and stumbled upon this place. it must have been an off weekend bcuz i only saw a few ku fans there. Meh, I guess I'm okay with that... if there's another prominent KU bar in Austin, let me know. Aside from the fact that KU lost...it only called for more drinking.
I first ordered a local Austin IPA on tap, not bad. I think it was the 512 IPA.
Also had a bloody mary which was tasty, but word through the grapevine.. their bloody mary's are made best on sundays. not sure why?
Great bar, great crowd. I will be back when I'm in town.
They have buttermilk pie. Â That alone should make it a four star review, but they also have great burgers, cold beers and a full bar. Â My buddy and I arrived late one Saturday night to grab a bite in between sets at the Saxon and One2One and we shared one end of a family style table with a couple of hipsters who showed up on single speed bikes. Â
The food was hot, cheap and tasty. Â They have these sliders called "Lil' Stinkers" which are super heavy on the roasted garlic! Â The carnitas are graced with some kind of chili that makes them more Texmex than bar food, but trust me - t*e*n*d*e*r! Â
It's not exactly a place for groups and parking can be sketchy, but brave the hipsters for one of South Lamar's new and very decent bar/food spot. Â Just be careful where you park your single speed.
I cannot stop thinking about the cheese curds. They were the best I ever had, and I lived in Minnesota for three years and my fiancee is from Wisconsin. Order the cheese curds. I will be going back just for them.
We went during the NFL playoffs so finding a seat was a chore, obviously, and there was that awkward standing around waiting for this table to leave and then rolling eyes when someone else grabbed it before you. Eventually we pulled up chairs to a covered pool table and had to wave down a waitress to get served. She was the only waitress serving the whole room, but she took it like a champ (her name was Leah, she was awesome).
As others have said, parking was also a chore. The neighborhood behind the place is mostly tow-away zone (we found a side street that wasn't), but I hear some people parked at the CVS on the other side of Lamar.
Otherwise the atmosphere was great. A nice mix of fans and it didn't get to hostile or anything. The food was awesome and at a great price.
Highly recommended.
Let me give you the get go to this place: This place is a nightmare to park at/find a table to sit down to.
However, the burger makes up for it!!!
Yes, it is a bar. But oh man, this burger is DELISH. No crummy iceberg lettuce, fresh meat, juicy. My only complaint is that it's not consistent. :(
BUT ATLAST! That has no effect on my coming around to this place and bringing people here! IT'S. JUST. THAT. TASTY!
A definitely must try burger in South Austin!
I can't believe I haven't written a review for the Black Sheep! We first came here on their one year anniversary party which also happened to be my boyfriend's graduation. We talked to Brian and he held a table for us outside. Since then, the little Black Sheep now has a covered patio and a second dining room. Â My favorites are the Lil Stinkers and the sweet potato fries. Â Not a fan of their green chile queso or their chili, but I've liked everything else from the menu. This place ranks high on my Austin Burger Bracket. Â Ladies and gays, three words: Eye Candy Central!
Text blacksheep to 44040 to sign their petition in support of BSL staying open til 2am!
When I first moved here, I basically lived at this bar. My two teams - the A's and the Giants - were in the playoffs and I needed somewhere to watch the games. Minus the fact that everyone hated me in my A's hat since we took out the Rangers, and all the TVs were showing football except for one little TV in the corner playing baseball, this is a great sports bar!
I really love the outside seating with TVs although I don't love inhaling the huge amounts of second-hand smoke. Since the seating is communal, it is super easy to meet people and make some new friends. Inside I enjoy the back room with shuffle board, pool, and a very large TV among the others.
Like most (sports) bars, this is one of those places where I just wish the food was better. The hamburgers are nothing to write home about and the fried pickles are super hit or miss - although when they are on they are on!! Good bloody mary's on Sunday and seemingly always some sort of happy hour going on.
With 331 reviews, I'll keep mine short and sweet:
--YES to the amazing sweet potato fries; in fact the whole menu is way better than typical bar food (try the little stinkers!). Can anyone confirm if the salsa is Whole Foods original salsa made in-store? (Update: made in-house!)
--Great drink specials--$1 tall boys on Wednesdays, and $2 on Friday, and it's tough to find a Friday deal! But regular draft prices are not awesome.
--Parking is tough on BSL's side of the street, get creative/park at CVS.
--Dog friendly patio with wind-blocking plastic walls during the colder seasons.
--Plenty of TVs, plus some games.
--Good variety on tap, especially their rotating seasonals.
Wish it were not on the other side of town from me during rush hour, or I'd find myself here more often.
I love White Trash Wednesdays.. Or should I say LOVED. Until one waitress ruined it for me and my friends. I understand that they live on tips and salary is almost non-existing, but I don't think it is excuse for ordering top shelf shots for herself and others to raise the tab sum. And what is even more awful I saw her doing it with several tables and on different nights?!
Ok. This experience on side, their food is quite "rad" - you should absolutely order Buffalo Burger. I would say it is my top 3 burgers in Austin!
It's interesting that they have great greasy bar food but yet add a fun twist to certain staples. The first meal I had was a chipotle philly cheesteak with avocado dressing and sweet potato fries. YUUUMMMM, still thinking about those spicy slices of meat. Be sure to check out their weekly special, never miss out on fried pickles either. They're perfect. The drinks are delicious, cheap, and with a special everyday I'm more than happy when someone suggests Black Sheep. SCREW MOON: BLUE MOON WITH A SCOOP OF SCREWDRIVER - how can you deny that? Spicy bloody mary, refreshing sangria, $1 trash can beer on Wednesdays are all good reasons to visit this establishment. The waitresses are all friendly and laid-back. Fix the parking lot though, and get that petition figured out so we can linger past midnight.
Oh, and there's a huge screen that takes up an entire wall, as well as darts and skee-ball and the like in the back room.
So in love.
I dig it!
My fran's and I came here to hang out and watch some saturday college football. It's another one of those places that I've seen for years and never been inside of. Happens more than I wish it did.
They had a pretty decent cocktail menu as well as a nice slew of beers to choose from. Each cocktail, even though I felt it to be a little on the pricey side, was up to my standards. Delish! Oh and I can't forget to mention the cheese curds OH MY GAH the cheese curds! If someone left me alone in a room full of those cheese curds bad things would happen.
And they even had shuffleboard for the busy-body people of my party. WIN!
Lastly, I can't forget to give a shoutout to our waitress Kat, who was really friendly, attentive, and didn't hate us for moving tables and messing up the waitress floorplan.
I like the Black Sheep because it's close to my apartment and it's pretty affordable. Things that I don't like: the parking situation, never being about to get a table on the patio and how I always end up eating piles of greasy food (likely because it's most of the menu).
However, its a great place to go if someone (probably not me) wants to watch the game. Or if you just want cheap beer.
I don't suggest ordering wine at this establishment.
Final note: fried cookie dough. Get some.
Cheap food and drinks. Specials all the time on random stuff. It does get crowded here, so make sure you swoop in and steal an open table if you see one.
2 dartboards. 2 shuffle board tables. Pool table. Some other stuff too.
And I got the VIP parking spot in the front, so I was determined not to move my car for as long as possible.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
