I drove by this place on South Lamar a few weeks ago and immediately wanted to stop by. I was not disappointed when I did.
The bar tenders were prompt, I merely mentioned to my date that I was going to order the prosecco and next thing I knew the prosecco was in front of me. The drink menu is intriguing, the atmosphere is relaxed, and lets not lie Imma sucker for a patio, and it's nice to have one that isn't at ground level for once.
We ended our night here, but I would gladly start my night here, or have happy hour! Gibson easily rivals any of the bars on Rainey Street for atmosphere and menu, without actually being on Rainey Street.
I will definitely be going back, which is saying a lot in a city that has more liquor licenses in sheer number than any other in the country :)
I'm gonna be honest. I really wanted to like this place. It's close to where I live and seemed chill enough for me to be a regular there. I've been with my girlfriend, friends from work, and my lonesome. Every time I went there it was a different experience.
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 I think there are definitely the regulars who seem to rule the roost around this place and  there are the now-and-theners and then the lowest part of the totem pole, the never beens.
  Besides the inconsistency of service there's almost an air of snoodiness in this place. I think the price of their drinks keep out the lower end of the bar spectrum (thats me, so don't get offended) but it also felt like the servers were on a pedestal sometimes and I only got served because they didn't have anything better to do. On my last trip out I kinda felt like this bar and I were going to part ways so I got loud with my answers for the trivia. Apparently, you don't play around with their trivia, it will get you ejected.
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 Like I said, it seems like it would be a really cool place, and I could almost tolerate the pastel polos and Sperrys of the other patrons, but the unwelcome feeling I got from the hipster bartenders has turned me off to this bar for good.
For those who don't want to read the entire review, let me just settle it up front for you... this place is WAY overpriced.
I went there on a date, we wanted dinner and drinks. So we ordered our first drinks on "happy hour" prices, and got 3 appetizers from the food truck out front. I was hesitant to order the food as the apps are all around 10 bucks, but we got them, and they were delicious. Food truck was by far the best part of this place.
After eating our food, we proceeded to order 2 more rounds. Oh, by the way, the drink prices are not listed on the menu, wanted to make that clear before continuing. Also, my "double" well whiskey and diet cokes were the weakest mixed drinks I have been served during my 5 years living in Austin. Time to settle the bill, and low and behold the "doubles" were almost 10 bucks each and the other "on menu" drink was just about as bad.
If you're trying to do the math, let me just sum it up for you. 3 appetizer and 6 mixed drinks ran us about 90 with tip... You can get the same items at almost any restaurant in Austin for that price, what a gyp. The only reason this isn't 1 star is because of the food truck in the front, otherwise the Gibson has nothing to offer.
Cool place. Great food and service. Could be 4-5 stars. However, while we were here for Sunday brunch today they changed their pricing policy - literally as we were in line! They have brunch buffet served from their trailer which is excellent. Mimosas for $1 and $10 for a carafe is hard to beat. BUT, the buffet costs $20. Apparently it used to be (as in 5 minutes ago when a giant group of frat boys walked in) $10 for just 1 plate full and $20 for all you can eat. While the food is good I only want 1 plate and $20 is too much - especially when the frat boys walked out with to-go containers too. Not a way to run a business.
Review Source:Gibson is like Cheers to my friends and I some where, where everybody knows your name. I knock off a star for a particular rude barmaid who gave attitude
when we brought our friend her for her birthday..what the hell.. Because she wanted a miller light get real!
Anyway with that being said I love chilling her out on the patio. Their parties are super fun too!
Maybe you get good service if you're a cute girl, but otherwise the bartenders here leave a lot to be desired! Unless you know exactly what you want, expect to be disappointed- definitely don't ask for suggestions! Forget about getting some advice, just get your sloppily mixed drink and get the hell out of their hair.
It's a neat looking place (if you can get past the frat boys and bankers) but by the time I was done prying some so-so cocktails out of the tragically bored bartender  I didn't even feel like soaking in the atmosphere- I just wanted to leave.
Handsome bearded bartenders, a delicious food truck next store, cozy private booths to sit & relax in.... count. me. in!
I've driven by this place time & time again but why I never popped in, I just don't know! It's my new favorite spot. The bartenders are personable & friendly, I dig the outside patio but I love sitting inside in one of the booths. Â The booths are perfect seats for a date night-take your mate to one in the back & you will never be bothered + you can sneak in a few pecks in with out anyone gawking. Try Luke's food truck next door-so many delicious treats. Their garden sandwich is devine.
I definitely DO NOT recommend this place!!! Bar tender and Manager were extremely rude and caused a huge scene because I have an out of state ID. Â 4 bar tenders passed my ID around, and acted very unprofessional. Â Eventually they had embarrassed me so bad that I just walked out. Â I was using MY valid, out of state ID. Â I understand that I look young, but the way that they went about verifying my ID was inappropriate and unprofessional. Â I will never go back here.
Review Source:I ended up at this place because we were eating at Luke's Inside and Out  (WHICH WAS DELICIOUS CHECK OUT MY REVIEW!).
When we first walked in, no one was at the door. This is very odd, if you are an Austinite you know there is ALWAYS someone at the door for a bar. Well... seemingly so.. we walked right on in to try to look for somewhere to sit after standing for a bit waiting for someone to ID us. After taking a few steps we were hounded by the doorman to look at our ID's..... That was pretty silly but whatever we will look past that.
We were trying to find somewhere to sit but every table was covered in empty bottles and cups (I guess we were trying to find somewhere to eat was our main thing instead of drinking alcohol).
The service was TERRIBLE. Just trying to get a napkin was an adventure in itself. The noise level was SOOOO LOUD I couldn't even gather my thoughts. Which was so weird because it wasn't even packed.
I should take two and a half stars away for the service and dirtiness. But I will give you the half because I enjoyed the patio with the heaters (although one of the heaters was broken :( .... ).
I suppose it's unfair to make comparisons, but after the amazing dinner we had (see my previous review) this place was a huge disappointment. Â Granted we were there from 10-midnight on new years eve, but the place was too packed to be enjoyable. Â There was no parking, no seating, no elbow room, the music was too loud to be able to talk to each other, and the ambiance reminded me of how I decorated my garage for my bat mitzvah party 20 years ago. Â The bar seemed so ordinary, after the last place. Â Â It made me feel old, even though it wasn't a particularly young crowd. Â Also, my friend had a broken leg, and had to sit at the bar because it was the only seat we could find, and everybody, staff and patrons, was treating her like she was in the way.
However, they had free stick on mustaches at the bar, and if you wear one you get a dollar off some select drink options, and so we did that, and that was fun. Â Also, you could buy a whole bottle of champagne with 4 plastic champagne glasses for $18, and that was cool, too.
As an out of towner I really liked this bar. I was drinking solo to get some non family time while in town for Christmas and the patrons and staff could not have been nicer. One of the bartenders even let me try a bite of his pastry chef girlfriend's croissant (not a euphemism). There's definitely a targeted age group though. If you're over 35 you might feel a bit old here. Lot's of 90's/hipster kind of music. Though I did hear quite a bit of Prince (as a Minnesotan I approve) while I was here. I'd come back if I was in town again. I like that they do fun things on weekdays (bingo, cheese plates, trivia etc). Any bar that does stuff like that is my kind of place. Plus they have huge banquettes for large groups, and a nice deck/patio with Tv's for sport watching.
Review Source:Service stinks. We sat ourselves (it was a slow night) and had to go to the bar to place our order even though wait staff was checking on other tables. We wanted to order food and being new to Gibson's, we were clueless on how it all worked but no one was extremely happy to explain. Apparently you pay the two separately and order through both entities. Â That's all fine and dandy if someone would not give you the cold shoulder when you ask. They all were so put off by us. ONLY redeeming quality was LUKE"S food trailer- seriously yum. It is a nice place, very Austin-y feel, but the service completely turned us off from ever wanting to return. Â WE will be back to Luke's though.
Review Source:Terrible service...I waited about 5-10 minutes on the patio before the chic hipster server (Wendy??...heard it from a drunk man who hugged her and said I love you Wendy...yah she didn't seem to hip on that move by the look of her eyes) or any server even stopped to take my order. A guy finally stopped (thought he was a customer) by my table to ask if I wanted to order something. When I mentioned I had yet to be approached by any server on the patio, he said something to the tune of "well servers don't really have any specific area of tables...it's kinda like they go here or there"...wtf??...how can a bar not have assigned areas for servers? Who came up with that business model??? He brought me my Hefewizen beer (but no lemon).
Finally Wendy became attentive, but lose the attitude, it's Austin for christ sakes.
Best thing of the night to make up for the terrible service was the food from the Food Truck. Incredible sirloin burger and fries, plus nice, friendly staff.
I won't recommend this place unless you like snooty staff, way louder than loud inside bar atmosphere, and overall a non Austin positive experience.
Heck the bingo guy didn't even approach out table?!?!
Plus what the hell was that smell on the patio and other parts of the upstairs ramp and downstairs room?? Seemed like someone had sprayed WAAAAY too much Axe body spray. My friend and I finally realized that it may have been the automatic deodorizers placed throughout the place. Terrible smell and not pleasant to the senses when trying to enjoy the beer/food. Get rid of those! It's a bar, not a frat house.
Super chill, cool bar that was very well decorated for Halloween weekend. It's far enough from campus to get a booth for you and five of your closest friends on a Saturday night without problem. Great waitstaff, clean bathrooms, great music. I wish more places like this existed in Houston.
Review Source:Gibson is Solid... I've got a soft spot for this Lamar bar across the street from Highball. I remember back when they had their july 4th pool party with blowup slide and everything, which catapulted the spot right into my heart. Snowcones and Doggy costume contest!! Chill atmosphere, and a food cart right next door with delicious sandwiches - try tthe shrimp, sooooo good!
Review Source:I came here for drinks on a date a while back. It's a really cool bar...a little crowded inside, but the outdoor areas looked like they'd be really nice on a cool night.
I like it that it's not downtown, and you can walk across the street to Highball if you need a scene changer.
The drinks were great....bartenders were nice and attentive. I'll be back for sure.
I loved Gibson Bar! I was meeting a friend for a little get together and got to Gibson early, I took a seat at the bar which was almost full on a Wednesday at 6 PM! The service was great, the bartenders were knowledgeable about the beers, and friendly too!
I asked about the food and they explained it was a separate, but were happy to relay my question and get an answer for me.
I'll be there again. That's for sure!
Terrible. I gave it a chance; I've been three times. Never again. Service is hard to get and surly when you do. I get a strong feeling from everyone working there that the customer doesn't matter one wet sh*t. I suspect it trickles down from ownership.
That is not an Old Fashioned. Worst I've had in my life.
This is probably one of the 3 worst bars in Austin.
Are you a single lady looking to meet dudes? Go sit at the Gibson Bar by yourself for a few minutes...I promise you'll be approached by at least one fellow.
Now, if that doesn't entice you, let's talk about some of the other reasons to frequent Gibson:
1. Luke's Inside Out is right outside. And it's goooood.
2. Delicious mixed drinks.
3. Good location, stop by for drinks before heading to the Alamo Drafthouse on S. Lamar.
4. Bingo night - it's free and you actually have a decent chance of winning.
5. Seasonal decorations- plenty of creepy Halloween decorations if you need a little festive pick-me-up.
Parking can suck, especially late on the weekend nights and it can be hard to find a table.
Get there early though and you should be good!
I showed up here with a group of 40 - 50 people after a lecture series. The staff had reserved us a group of tables and booths in the back. That was cool.
The majority of the staff was friendly with the exception of the tall, sour-faced guy who clearly hated being there.
So as it happens in bars I forgot to close my tab and left. I came back the next afternoon to pick up the card and tip in cash. The bank showed that the card had been run around closing time, well after I left and no tip was included, of course. Sour-face was there again, and he was still hating life. He also couldn't find my card. It wasn't filed alphabetically in the folder where they keep the unclosed tab cards. It wasn't in the office. He looked for it angrily, slamming cabinet doors and scowling at the other employees. He didn't call anybody, and he repeatedly questioned whether or not I had actually left it. I certainly did.
I called back a number of times to see if it had turned up; perhaps someone had taken it home accidentally. No one ever returned my messages and calls.
You gotta care a little bit more about customers if you want to succeed.
Until they get that down, skip this place.
Dark inside, dark outside, candles to light your way.
On my favorite part of S. Lamar and right across from Alamo.
All the things I need in a good bar, conveinience and spacious outdoor area. Drinks could be cheaper, but like a bartender once told me, "if you want cheap drink at home".
Gibson; I will be a regular.
You know that feeling you get after a concert with bad acoustics? Â You know, when you thought it would be cool to sit right in front of the speakers? Â You now have the perfect representation of the audible aura here - and that's without a band actually playing. Â If you can make your way through the standing room only crowds in the totally open space, if you can avoid a migraine through the accompanying noise to the outside, then you will more than likely enjoy yourself here.
My Cosmo was pretty good. Â I am very picky with my pretty little Cosmos, people. Â The food was interesting because you have to order it and pick it up from the trailer next door. Â So you can get your bar on while you get your Austin trailer on, too. Â WOO. Â HOO.
Sitting outside, it was cute and breezy - a tree house kind of feel because you are quite elevated, and well, kind of in the trees. Â The waitresses were super swell and everyone was having a great time all the way around. Â Sharing in conversation with the rock star Kimberly K and friend, I totally forgot about my ringing ears for awhile.
To avoid becoming al dente deaf on my way out, I just casually jumped off of the 9 story balcony/deck (with my cape, of course).
Stepping out of my shell w/ Sonic: Part 1 - Catching Up
Aside from my first two weeks as an Austin, TX resident (and several uncharacteristic bouts of extroversion) I've avoided this city's notorious nightlife like the streets of Pamplona during the Running of the Bulls. I KNOW! What am I, 80? Physically, no. Mentally, maybe. However, that mentality doesn't fly when a charismatic friend flies halfway across the country to see what 6th St is all about.
We (I) decided to ease into Austin's fermented waters by washing down our Odd Duck sliders and Gourdough's donuts with a few drinks at Gibson Bar. I chose this watering hole for one reason, proximity. My friend (who I will now refer to as Sonic) was skeptical of my lack of automobile from the minute he bought his plane tickets, but I assured him it wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately, problems are in the mind of the beholder.
After a few moans and groans about aching feet and sweaty taints, me and Sonic entered Gibson Bar. I was expecting to see guitars all over the wall and some bearded dude crooning on a corner stage. Instead, I saw absolutely NOTHING! Entering Gibson at dusk is like sitting in your living room when the power goes out. I walked around like Stevie Wonder once the door closed behind us. We finally felt our way to a table and waited for our eyes to adjust. When I could finally see the walls, I was disappointed to find that this bar and the famous guitar are about as related to one another as Paris, Texas and France.
Once Sonic resorted to searching the Android Market for a night-vision app, I decided it was time to take this reunion outside. Unlike the surprisingly vacant inside, there was only one two-top available on the patio. Sonic snagged it with hedgehog-like speed before a couple emerging from Luke's Inside Out could do the same. His satisfied smirk was perfectly juxtaposed by the grimacing couple glaring him down as if he'd just stolen their parking space.
Now that we could actually SEE the menu, it was time to get our drink on. I had a hankering for a Left Hand Milk Stout, and Sonic was in search of something a little more Texas (to which I recommended a Shiner Bock). Ten minutes and a timid hand gesture later, a waitress FINALLY took our order. I was annoyed until she informed us that Thursday night (the current night) is BINGO NIGHT!
Side Note: Sonic and I spent countless hours surrounded by cigarettes, senior citizens and BINGO stampers back in South Carolina.
The delayed service and dimly lit interior became a distant memory once that BINGO paper was placed in front of me. However, my visit to cloud nine was cut short by Sonic's lack of nostalgia.
"Let's go after this game." He suggested.
"But...but...but there're still two games left?" I responded.
I could hardly believe what I had just heard. Sonic, the guy who used to join me in fleeing our alma mater's bar scene to scream "BINGO" while surly grandparents coveted our youth and luck (pathetic, I know), had lost his love of the game.
Once the final number of that round was called, we returned to Dracula's den to settle our check.
"I got this." Sonic said, reaching for his wallet.
"You walk out on a BINGO game AND you offer to pick up a check? Who are you?"
"I'm a changed man."
The same wasn't true for me, but it would need to be if I was going to survive the weekend.
(Part 2: Picking Up, can be found at The Ranch)
Not a bad bar in an interesting location.. it kind of reminded me of clive bar. I ordered a michelada here and it was made very well. The bartenders seemed knowledgeable and the music that was playing was very tasteful.
I cant say anything exceptional about them as they were somewhat average. Think Clive bar with a little less coolness.
If your in the area stop in for a drink, you wont regret it.
Well, I really have no reason to ever be in this place - I don't know if they have live music, I've never seen any food (what trailer?), it's a standalone building not connected to any place I would be at, and there are arguably cooler and trendier venues for fun and frolic right across the street. But the fact of the matter is I wind up here a lot, and all things considered, it's my favorite place to take someone for straightforward one-on-one time.
I think Gibson is a small step from Péché, but one giant leap from most Austin bars. It always feels comfortably upscale without being pretentious, and I've never felt the need to wear starched jeans either. The booths inside are just right, the patio deck outside is just right, and the Diet Coke in a glass with ice is exactly just right. Incidentally, if you're not drinking, don't be cute by ordering a "virgin rum-and-coke" - be straight with staff, they get it, and they'll treat you right.
The only reason I don't do five-stars is more my stuff than any issue with Gibson: When I'm in a genuine "bar's bar" without live music or food or some other diversion, I have to either completely focus on the company I'm with, or I'll start wondering if I can out-Jäger anyone in the place. I admit this is an odd thing to have flitting through the back of my mind, but it is something I'm aware of. So far it's never come to pass, I haven't been remotely tempted, and come to think of it, I can't even recall if Gibson's has a television or not, since all I remember are the fun times I have with the people I bring here.
Alright Gibson....it took me a while...but you've won me over.
My big complaint when Gibson first opened was that they didn't seem to know what type of bar they wanted to be. Â Sports? Â Wine? Â Hipster? Â Dive? Â Swanky? Â Who the heck knew!
They seem to have figured it out now, though, with lots of fun events every night of the week. Â At this point, I'd call them upscale without being overpriced, classy without being pretentious, and hip without being hipster.
I'm particularly a fan of mustache mondays where a coat for your upper lip earns you $4 Makers cocktails (don't worry, they have extra mustaches at the bar if you can't grow one) and Wine Wednesdays where buying a very reasonably priced bottle of wine (or champagne, in my case) earns you a free cheese plate.
Basically, Gibson has found it's South Austin identity, gotten rid of that god-awful food trailer they had when the opened, and grown into one of my favorite spots to sip champagne in all of ATX.
I started off my birthday fun times this year with a Friday happy hour at Gibson because of its' close proximity to The Highball. Let me just say that the staff and owner of Gibson were extremely accommodating, sweet, and helpful to each person in our group of ten or so. No one at the table(s) was ever without a drink for more than five minutes, and you gotta love that they have bottles of bubbles available for like $15 if you like the sparkling wine.
As a side note, I loved how well the place was decorated up for Halloween, with grotesque severed heads hanging from strings all over, and zombie babies crawling on the ceiling, a la Trainspotting. Well done!
My experience at Gibson was great. Â The staff was all super friendly and helpful... none of that "we're a little more cool that you are" vibe. Â And they have a little parking lot with ample street parking... beats tryin' to go downtown.
If you're hungry, there's a little food trailer outside... dude beside us was seriously raving about his donut burger. Â Yup... in an obvious tribute to Homer, the bun was replaced with two halves of "mmmm... dough... nuttt"
My only complaint is that it's a little loud inside making conversation a little tough, but manageable  So we opted for one of the two communal outdoor tables. Â
All in all a great alternative to the downtown bars... think Drafthouse musician-y patrons hanging out at Nomad... not douchebags dancing on sharks.
Love this place with its gleaming black leather booths and fresh bar smell. We stopped in, had a blue moon, some brooklyn, some nice conversation with the bar manager. Big future in the works including a patio and food.
When you're on SoLa after your Power Ballad sing along longing for an inexpensive beer at an easy place, hop on over to Gibson Bar. Because its still in its infancy, you'll be in the know -- sure to impress a date even if your singing didnt.
It can be somewhat daunting to sort out the innate juju of a place straight off of its christening (or in this case, the throw the doors open and see what drops by approach), and if that's what Gibson Bar had in mind, they caught me today via some drive-by visual flypaper.
Rumor's been that this place might be opening soon, and it sounds like there are big plans in the offing, from an expended deck to their own burgeoning food trailer (it sounded like it had gourmet promise but as it's not in yet that sounds like a re-review to me), and time will tell. Today, the bones of the place were apparent and the vibe relaxed. My hope here is that perhaps this signals a new stop on South Lamar, which seems on its way to becoming something newer and sexier yet. And for it's part, seems like Gibson Bar may be positioned to be part of that. But time, updates and the setting sun will help tell the tale. And to an extent, isn't there a bit of inherent adventure worth having in seeing what's next?
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