This is a great new neighborhood bar for south Austin. It's nice and clean, and new. The design is fun inside with a Las Vegas type of art-deco theme happening. The drink prices are decent considering the quality of the place. The people that show up there are hipster / rockabilly / punk folks and that's my kind of people that I get along with. The bartenders are nice but for some reason it's mostly men, but it would be nice to see more female bartenders working there late at night. They make a great vodka martini and that's what I like to order there. Sometimes the DJ's or whomever is in charge of the music get over-zealous and play the music way too loud for comfort, but at least the music choices are good. The patio is a great place to hang out but the tables fill up fast so get your a** out there and wait for someone to get up.
to sum it up:
1. nice bartenders
2. good martinis
3. several good beers on tap
4. nice patio for socializing
I mostly just come here for the Jenny L., but aside from that, it's pretty all right. Decent drink prices, tons of space, pool table and darts and stuff, cool-bordering-on-cold temps inside (and dark to cover up your imperfections if you're not like me and have some), generally shady outside on the patio (and I mean shady in both senses), and if you're into west nile virus or vaginal malaria, you have a good chance of getting hooked up here, because the mosquitoes feast at dusk (bring bug spray or go with Jenny and she'll bring bug spray).
Good luck turning in time to park in the back parking lot. Even when you've been here fifteen times, you'll probably miss that turn. Good thing there's plenty of street parking.
Like others have said, it'd be pretty cool if there was a trailer or two, but it's not necessary. I mean, y'all Austinites are so spoiled with trailers that you expect to be able to stuff your face everywhere you go.
First. World. Problems.
Stuff your face with beer here and shut up.
Damned hard to find on the first try. Â Especially if it's your first time south of the river AND your Google map printout sucked.
Inside, a smallish dive-y bar with pseudo 60's decor. Â One pool table, two outdoor smoking areas and a shuffleboard table I was unable to play at.
Great movies on the screen behind the bar.
A proper vinyl DJ setup. Â This was why we were there; to hear Cathrine spin. Â Unfortunately she wasn't the only one, though she was the best. Â Maybe I think so because she and I have similar taste in music, but that's how you judge a DJ.
In the early part of the night it was largely 30+ crowd with A LOT of 50+ y/o cougars eyeballing my man and mad-dogging me. Â ((SNICKER))
The music was mostly 60s surf pop and 80s synth. Â Around 11 the oldsters drifted out and the hipsters filled the place. Â The style of music changed and the volume doubled, tripled, rattled my teeth in my skull and finally drove me out the door.
Guess I'm too fuckin' old, as the saying goes.
Awesome place. Hard to find and easy to zoom on by the entrance. But worth the trouble. Beautiful bar top and general interior. Good jukebox if ever it can stay fed--sometimes it's "automatic mode" can be surreal. Small patio outside for smokers-outdoor seekers. Large drink selection. Some downsides: (as of this writing): no ATM and no food. But a great place to relax with friends over drinks. Pluses: shuffle board, pool tables and lots of seating. It's a "hip" place without that, or at least highly reduced, "hipster" vibe.
Review Source:Bars that are dark inside automatically get 3 stars from me, regardless of most other factors. Yeah, I may have rushed to get here, and may have put my lipstick on at a stoplight, but when it's so dark inside you can't really tell, can you?
I also like bars that have darts, because somehow, I was blessed with that skill. Don't ask me how. I suck at pool, but if I ever wanted to try to play again, they've got pool tables here as well.
Sometimes I want to listen to Frank Sinatra crooning from a well stocked juke box while watching the NBA finals on mute. I can do that here.
I gave up smoking a year ago, but if I ever wanted to pick up that half pack of parliaments I never finished (do cigarettes go bad?), I could do it here, albeit in a tiny area. It's okay though, because even as a non-smoker now, I still identify better with smokers. I've always thought they were more down to earth.
I like liquor, but I've never been a cherry vodka sour girl. I like whiskey, and they pour with a heavy hand, for $3.50. That's not bad at all.
Bender is still my favorite bar in south Austin, but Casino is up there as well.
P.S. If you're like me and enjoy the feeling of a dark bar, you're in for a rude awakening if you go to the bathroom. Like Beth D. said, you'll instantly feel like you're at Chuck E. Cheese.
Their famous burgers aren't at this location, BUT the bartenders are friendly, fast, and know how to pour a stiff drink! When I'm here, it makes Austin seem like a small town. This bar is perfect for locals who wanna escape the downtown bullshit and downtown prices. They have a great selection of beer and liquor, their outdoor patios are inviting, and their jukebox is THE BEST in Austin! I love you, Casino!!
Review Source:THERE ARE NO BURGERS HERE. NO MENU,EVEN. This is not the spot for the Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dive set. Casino Southside Lounge is  bar, and almost a perfect one (yes, I wish there were burgers to be had).
Those of us marooned on the south side of Ben White(Bubbaland) rejoiced at the news of Casino opening up. The lounge is the perfect place to complain about downtown while enjoying well-made cocktails in a genteel environment. The patio out back is lovely, flocked with native plants and decent speakers. Â Simply turn in between Austin Appliances and Two Men & A Truck to find free, ample parking right out back. Plus you could park behind the bar on Fortview, near Roadhouse Rags and Murphos.
There's a golf game, pool table, and darts. Excellent (or campy, or trashy - pick two) movies play on large screens, with the closed captioning turned on. The jukebox selections are as meticulously curated as they are in the 6th St Casino El Camino - but if you come in when it's not so busy, you may get to hear the bartender's iPod  instead. If you don't care for the bartender' taste in music, that is YP - your problem. Just kidding, the jukebox will come on after you've made your selections and put cash in.
I look forward to the day when it becomes common knowledge that you don't come to the southside lounge for a burger. Or if you're a tourist, or anything other than a cocktail fan. I was a bit shocked at my last visit, in that there was a silver Porsche and a massive Silverado (is that the truck endorsed by Krusty?) in the parking lot. Then I heard someone order a cosmo, or as they said, "a martini with cranberry in it," and I knew - Guy Fieri fans were in the house.
As I have seen in previous reviews... Â There are two nice bartenders: Jenna and Damon. Â But every other person that works there is rude, difficult and ready to jump down anyone's throat. Â And serving rancid canned grapefruit juice. Â Don't ask for a new drink, they'll charge you for it and act like a crazy fool. Â Thanks for nothing neighborhood bar.
Review Source:Casino El Camino is an Austin fixture, and about the only bar on the increasingly toxic 6th Street where you can have decent food and drinks without being surrounded by douchebags. Â So the new South Side location has a lot to live up to. Â The good news is that it's friendly, fun, and has drinks that are cheaple for the people. Â The bad news is a bit more tricky: Â for one thing, it's kind of hard to spot -- it's tucked away and the signage is barely there and you can drive right by it a half dozen times without seeing it. Â For another, it needs about 30 years of being visited by lowlifes to acquire the proper sheen of scuzziness to match its downtown partner; right now it's really more casual than divey. Â Most importantly, there is currently no food available, and they need to get some of those hell-good burgers out there to really be a Casino spin-off. Â Once that happens, up to four stars, no problem.
Review Source:Great place, cheap drinks, cool looks and sounds it's got all it takes to make me happy. Looks like they put some money into the joint and I like that. Most places down south just slap up a sign and ice down some PBR and say go! The shots are $3.50 pretty much across the board which can be like living....IN THE DANGER ZONE!
Review Source:It is with some sadness I write this one-star review, but it's more of a public service announcement than anything. I've heard it suggested that when "Yelping in anger," to wait 24 hours after the incident so that you can chill out and think things through, and I have. Hear me out.
For the past few months, I've felt SUPER EXCITED AND GRATEFUL about having this awesome, affordable, well-hidden little bar located a block from my house. The rest of the neighborhood is a barren wasteland along 71, so this place is seriously like magic. The bartenders have always been professional, all shots of any liquor are the same price, and it's a great spot to come to with my friends without having to worry about who's driving home.
I picked my friend up after work and headed straight there. I'd only been out for an hour, and she was stone cold sober--first drink of the night. We were quietly seated at the bar talking about work stuff.
She asked our bartender if he could pre-run her debit card for a pack of Camel Blues because she thought it might be declined. She did this as a courtesy to him. She asked nicely and timidly. He ran it, it got declined, and then he asked for the cigarettes back. Hmm, what? He insisted he'd handed her her card back with a pack (but that doesn't make sense...why would he do that, if her card had just been declined?)...
He IMMEDIATELY launched into frustration and rage. She dumped out her entire bag and patted herself down in front of him, and he wouldn't admit that there was a chance he may have misremembered. He then ran my CC without permission for her cigs and walked away.
Now that he'd unwillingly involved me, I asked him if I could wait around til closing to watch the security tapes. If it was going to "fucking be like that," he didn't "have time for that shit," he grabbed a pack of American Spirit Yellows, and THREW them at us. Not even the right brand. Shows you how much attention he'd been paying.
He was red in the face, bits of spit flying out, and shouting at us, talking trash about us to other regulars at the bar, refusing to calm down. When he started to realize he was in the wrong, he changed tack and started berating her for not having enough money on her card, trying to make her feel embarrassed. Hey man, girl's got two banks. She works hard. Making fun of people for being poor is, like, the trashiest move ever.
To recap:
1. Bartender made a mistake
2. Bartender verbally abused customers
3. Bartender yelled and cursed til he was red in the face
4. Bartender ran a customer's credit card without permission
5. Bartender publicly tried to shame another customer whose card was declined
6. Bartender essentially refused to run security tape footage despite calling us thieves
Does this sound appropriate or professional to you?
At the risk of naming the wrong person, the name on our receipt was Dhamon Q. (he's on yelp!), my check was issued at 1:53 a.m. on 4/28/2013, the batch number was 04272013 and the check number is 234.
The lady bartender apologized on his behalf and offered free drinks next time we came in, but the situation with the dude is unsalvageable. As someone who worked in service for five years (and my friend currently works in fine dining/bar and deals with asswipes with GRACE & PATIENCE 10 hours a day), we UNDERSTAND feeling cranky at drunk people's shenanigans on a busy, exhausting weekend night. I UNDERSTAND wanting to punch your idiot customers in the face.
Should you release the entirety of that frustration on two polite and sober girls? Probably not.
Casino SS reminds me a lot of the original, where I walk in and I'm not sure if it's a place I should be or not because it's dark and seems dangerous in some way but that's exactly what I love about it. Â I feel cool just being there.
I thought the bartenders were awesome and seemed seasoned. Â Good drink selection, great music and plenty of seating. Â It was cold when I went so I actually didn't venture to the outside patio, mostly because I felt perfectly cozy in my big leather booth drinking good tequila. Â It's so great to have another good bar down South!
O good. Cause I wanted to go on a f**king Easter egg hunt to find this place. Signs are overrated, anyway. Also, maybe hide behind that giant fence a little more so that I can't even see the building and just have to assume I'm walking towards a bar because of the staggering drones swarming towards, from what I can tell is a pawn shop in the dark.
Oh, there it is.
Google map it before you go or turn on Tom Tom to avoid violent road rage your first time trying to find it.
Hey look. I like bathrooms that look like I'm at Chucky effing Cheese. With their low yellow lights and bright, flat, purple or whatever walls. Feeling like I'm peeing at a Pediatrician's office always puts me in the mood to grab a beverage and play some pool. So, nice.
"Hey, sorry, yeah - It's okay if I play this game of pool? Awesome, yeah cause I had four quarters down and when the table freed up, I looked around and no one came, so I waited and no one came, so I started racking. Oooh, NOOOOW you call me a bitch. My bad!"
The patrons are really sweet people, no really. But then it was time to retreat to the patio to remove my tall drink o' water from his desire to throat punch a hipster.
Oooh, nice - The patio! Look at all that sweet framing. That's some quality work on this roof frame. The frame of the roof. That's just a frame and no roof. Really well done, guys. Thank god we're under a roof frame in case it rained or something.
But at least there's plenty of seating. If we sit close enough to that blonde she'll give me her out-of-stater rundown of what SXSW is "really" about, cause she knows it all, with her lens-free nerd glasses and her inability to breathe between sentences or speak at a normal human volume to the person she's actually talking to. Maybe we'll move further to the corner. Light cigarette. All is right in the world.
Five stars, this place.
Why?
Because it sucks to be this cool. Everything sucks, and you like it. The location is great (South-wise having a dive option like this is superb) but the location sucks (effing completely hidden between Bannister and Manchaca. Good damn luck getting here and better luck parking) The drink specials are good. There's tons of seating. There's plenty of entertainment - pool, shuffleboard, darts. It's not cramped. There's no excuse for only one pool table, but whatevs. The patio is plenty of seating. It's casual. It's grungy. I'm pretty sure they'll cover the patio. The stupid ugly bathrooms are clean, big plus. It's perfect.
Now where's the food?
From my first impression I would describe this bar as the right mix of trashy and classy...like a more mature dive bar. The dart board, shuffle board, pool table and music I heard all won points with me. I am excited that its so close to my house. I just hope it doesn't get too popular and hope they don't do the live band thing. In conclusion, you probably shouldn't go to this bar.
Review Source:went there weds for the first time. i really liked the inside of the bar, lots of seating, dark lighting, good music..the music wasnt very loud like someone else said so maybe they have been working on that..the bar is nice and clean looking..the bartender was really good when we were there around 6..it wasnt very busy at that time though but then got busier as the night went on..different bartenders came in and they were good too..$10 shiner pitchers isnt too bad of a price..we sat outside and they have a good amount of seating outside..there are also  picnic tables outside in the front..from the pix i thought the 2 picnic tables were all that was going to be outside but that is actually the front of the bar, not the back..
my only concern is the parking..its not a very big lot so i could see this being an issue possibly on the weekends..not sure if we can park at the businesses next to the bar or not..but def enjoyed this bar and will be coming back
Finally a good bar so close to my house I can walk home! Casino South has a laid back atmosphere- its gonna be my refuge from the out-of-towner SxSW crowd for sure. Their jukebox plays straight up rock n roll tunes, the drink selection and prices are more than reasonable, and the bar tenders are sweet. The place attracts a good crowd- no frat bros from dirty 6th here (thank God) or obnoxiously drunk patrons.
The atmosphere is great too, the bar looks like it belongs in a Tarantino movie. The lighting is low. There is a long row of comfy booth seating along one of the walls, darts, pool table, shuffle board, and the double doors at the entrance are red vinyl with silver babes for door handles; Nice touch Casino! Also, the women's bathroom, is nice, clean and bright for all of my primping and hygienic needs.
I hope they start having DJs and dance nights there. I can totally see them hosting the Second Sunday Sock Hops here, or something like them. The place is spacious enough, I hope Casino takes advantage of that sometimes.
My only beef with the place is the music is SO loud, no matter where you sit, that you have to yell sometimes to talk to a friend sitting right next to you. That's a turn off right there. Also, when I was sitting closer to the disco lights in the back, I eventually felt like I was going to have a seizure. Not really, but it was distracting me from my conversation so much that I asked my friends to move with me. These issues can easily be fixed though, and it won't keep me from going here.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Casino South. I'll be stopping by often.
I like this place. Â A lot. Â A lot, lot. Â
I like it because you can tell these bartenders have Seen Life. Â They have tattoos, and beards, and stories being held deep within their chests that they don't even realize need to be told yet. Â I am listening.
The floor is a bronze stained concrete. Â The booths are plush and there are retro-vintage 1940s-1950s Hollywood framed movie posters on the wall advertising damsels in distress and zombies. Â The jukebox is KILLER. Â Love the music selection. Â They have shuffleboard, darts and a pool table. Â And flat screens that aren't showing the latest tennis match but rather movies. Â Like the night our group went--it was Point Break. Â Rest in peace Swayze.
Out back is an open air patio. Â Know what would sure be nice on that patio? Â The wafting smells of food cooking in a food trailer! Â Just sayin', since there is no food anywhere within safe walking distance. Â I won't gripe that you don't serve your famous burgers at this location but I do agree with others that food would be nice. Â I think they are working on this so let's hope it happens.
Another big bonus is the cost of drinks--cheap! Â $2.75 Lone Stars the Saturday night our group was there. Â Well liquor is also on the affordable. Â This makes everything super-duper-dandy-swell. Â I'll be back.
The other Casino has burgers, obviously, but there's no food here except a Whataburger and Long John Silver's down the street. The beer on tap is unimpressive (tell me again why we need a draft of Dos Equis?) and the well liquor is a half step up from rubbing alcohol. The jukebox is 75% incredible, but the other 25% is NOT my scene. With music as loud as they play it in there, it's a risky game to play when someone follows my $2 worth of baby-making classic R&B with $2 worth of Anthrax and Iron Maiden. The entire mood of the place shifts drastically depending on who just put a few bucks in the machine.
I'll give it another shot before writing it off, but I'm not sure I understand the draw. There has to be something that sets the bar apart from other places, and the jukebox isn't special enough to do that yet.
And that disco ball has to go.
So Casino's South Side Lounge is the perfect neighborhood dive bar and lucky for me it is in MY neighborhood.
I can sum this place up perfectly by saying if you like Casino's downtown location (minus the food) then you will like the South location. Â In case you aren't familiar with the downtown location this is what you will get on the edge of the 04.
A dark bar area, a kick ass jukebox, a movie playing on the TV, a small back patio for smoking, and crappy parking. Â Like I said, just like downtown.
The staff are friendly and do a great job slinging drinks and beers quickly. They have a cheap happy hour from 4-7 and $3.50 shots all the time. Â
Would I like those famous Casino's burgers, of course I would but it is what it is. Â Hopefully one day they will solve this dilemma but until then I will enjoy this bar for what it is.
Did you know that there is already a bar on the south side called Casino?
So I'm out Saturday night with two of my peeps, and a mutual friend suggest we go meet her at this cool bar called Casino. None of us had heard of it, so I Â look it up on my map app on my phone. She didn't really mention an address, just said it was on the south side. Long story short, we walk into the wrong bar. So, as a heads up, this is NOT "Club Casino" on S Congress. Just ya know, if you google it... that's what comes up. They are very, very, VERY DIFFERENT bars.
Moving on. After we call our homegirl and get the address to the correct Casino... it's a pretty good bar. The drinks are quite cheap, the bartenders are on point, and it's definitely a good place to party. They have everything you could want from a bar, with games, jukebox, etc etc.
Yeah, they could probably use some food, because with those drink prices you are going to be intoxicated very quickly and there isn't a whole lot around. This place definitely has a bright future ahead of it though in the 78704 'hood.
Dear Mr. El Camino,
When you called me up awhile back to get my advice on where to put your new bar, I was a bit surprised, but more than happy to help you find a location. Â I was just halfway kidding when I screamed "in my backyard, of course!" but I am more than pleased you went with my idea, and opened Casino South Side in 'falling down distance' from my doorstep.
I love the crowd that has showed up at your new establishment, although I feel left out a little, because I don't have a beard. Â Your bartenders are great, and don't wince when I order Lone Star with limes.
I like that the pool table is like in the middle of the bar, and that the girl in the *extremely* short skirt enjoys playing pool. I find that she enjoys the middle-of-the-bar-pool-table, as EVERYONE watches her play pool. (I don't want to tell her that they are not watching the game. She'll figure it out eventually!)
I love the outdoor area, with the picnic tables. And the jukebox, although the volume is waaaaaaay too loud. I swear I'm not "that old," but hearing AC/DC at that level of loudness brings out my murdery-side.
Thank you again, Mr. El Camino, for South Side Lounge. It's like my birthday present came just a couple weeks late.
Love,
Jenny L.
Ain't gonna ding for the lack of burgers/hot wings.
Anthrax and Iron Maiden and the like drag the jukebox down from Lala's-level perfection, but in all it's a solid selection similar to what you'll find at the downtown location (aka the only place on east Sixth that isn't a total skeezefest, aside from  B.D Riley's and Jackalope).
The well liquors are dreck, and at $3.50, nothing to get excited about. And Fireman's #4 is the most interesting thing on tap. But the seats are super-comfy and the big screens are showing closed-captioned movies instead of boring-ass basketball/NFL/baseball/whatever. Gotta love that.
I don't factor location into my rating. But I've lived on the south-central edge of 78704 for 12 of my 13 years in TX, and this is the first time a bar has been within easy walking distance of my home, so I'm pretty thrilled.
I'm guessing that these guys promised everyone they'd have a kitchen... because that seems to be what they're getting dinged for. Me? I had no expectations when I pulled up to this lonely bar between Austin Appliances and Two Men & A Truck.
Little did I know that beyond that sign-less door and brick fence lay a very cool, decently sized place with a long wooden curved bar, strong pours, handsome barkeeps, shuffleboard and $3.50 shots.
I'm heading back in there with a pretty big group soon so we'll see how they handle it but for now, it's one of the best south siiiiiiide alternatives to my other fave Bender Bar.
I live on Lamar, just north of Ben White. Â For many years now, I had been driving five miles north and hassling with downtown parking just to go to Casino El Camino on 6th St., my favorite bar in Austin. Â
So when I heard Casino was opening a South Austin location just down the road from me, I had to check it out.
The interior is dark with a row of tables against the wall and a pool table and a shuffleboard in the back. Â The bar is a wood finish. Â There is a tiny patio out back and a small parking lot.
There's no sign out front, so if you don't know to turn right IMMEDIATELY past Affordable Appliances on the north side of Ben White just west of Banister, you will drive right by it! Â I don't know if they are planning on putting a sign up or not. Â Seems like a good idea. Â Then again, Casino may be going for that whole word-of-mouth thing and have chosen to keep it deliberately low-key. Â Who knows?
Much of the bar staff were people from Casino El Camino. Â I was glad to see Lifto when I went. Â He likes working at the south location much better than working downtown, and I think I'm going to like going here more often.
I'm not saying I'm done with downtown Casino. Â After all, they have the burgers and wings. Â But whenever I feel like getting out of the house for a drink, but I don't feel like going downtown, this will be my new spot.
It's like the 400 Rabbits of Casino El Camino. We walked in to the fresh smell of wood stain. This place is dark and the lighting is soft. Â How can you not love those padded doors? They will make your inebriated stumble out of there much more pleasant! Speaking of...$3.50 any shots all the time? Â And 'boom goes the dynamite', vato. Â They have a patio in the back, but I didn't see it because my ass was too comfy in my red padded chair.
Minus one star b/c they don't have a kitchen, but I heard talk about a food truck in the works.
WTF Moment: No purse hooks. :(
So I had heard  they were opening a day ago, but then I heard they weren't. I'll be honest I expected them to have Hamburgers, not just any burgers but Casino El Camino burgers... namely I wanted the Amarillo burger... I consider it the best of its kind in the whole town and the idea of a Casino down the road that sells those wonderful burgers.. well lets just say I was more than happy at that thought.
I noticed on Facebook some friends where going over there and realized tonight is really the night they are opening .. I became a bit hungry at the thought, but alas I had to work until 11:45pm so I couldn't join my friends. My girlfriend [Amanda] gets off work at the same time as me so I called and asked if she would be interested in going to the opening of the new Casino, she was down! I called the bar to ask what time the kitchen closed only to be informed they had no kitchen.
Now mind you I was shocked... Casino ... no kitchen.. no Amarillo burger... no... foood.. what ... yes I was shocked. I decided to go anyway. I love a good dive bar,I like beer, I like whiskey, how bad can it be. You know what, it wasn't bad at all, I'm a fan of 04 lounge because its dirty. The other South Austin bars are just lame, they are often filled with fools bad beer and have about as much coolness as a potato. This place has all the coolness of 04 but its clean, I hope they continue with this theme of cleanliness.
The drinks were well priced.., the Guinness was properly poured. Its a great bar, I look forward to going back and seeing them get that extra star outa me
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