Elephant Room

This place was highly recommended to us during our weekend in Austin, and we’re so glad we stopped by! Although we weren’t here for too long, it’s a great + chill bar with amazing live music in this underground basement type of place. The drinks took a WHILE to get (it gets pretty packed and the service is quite slow, I don’t know maybe it was a slow night?) but it was alright since the music was so great. It also seems like it could potentially be hard to score a table (my friend and I definitely lucked out since it was just the two of us) so plan accordingly!
Definitely in for a fun night if you add Elephant Room to the list of places you want to hit up for a night out. Especially if you love live music like me!

My absolute favorite place to visit when in Austin. Timeless venue. Great jazz and good service. On a weekend night, get there early to ensure you have a seat. Once the music starts, you wouldn’t want to leave. Enjoy!

Great music, but the waitresses/​bartenders were kind of a**holes. I was cursed at for bumping into one of the waitresses on accident. Some were nice but overall the service was not great. Love the environment and vibe of the place though…

I would come here each time I visit Austin. The music was amazing and I loved the jazz club atmosphere. It’s the perfect divey/​relaxing bar.

# To the Budget Traveler: Go here for the Happy Hour show from 6 – 8 pm. It is a free show and the jazz singer that I saw was just as good as the headliner.
This was the first place where I went to listen to live music in Austin and honestly in was the best. The jazz singer had a smooth and inviting voice that I will never forget.
You don’t have to go to the headliner show at 9:30pm and pay the door charge. Instead go to the Happy Hour show at 6pm and you’ll hear world class jazz anyway. You will not be disappointed.
And all that I can say about the drinks and service is … A+

The music was great, the drinks ok. It was crowded on a Friday night but found a nice couple willing to share their table.

Poor service, diluted (rip-​off)
drinks, no snacks, unattempted décor, average music … nothing to commend about this place. Like, why bother? Do you like to throw away money?

My first night in Austin and I was looking for something kinda divey and relaxed for a drink. My friend suggested we go check out the Elephant Room for some live jazz… perfect. You walk in and head straight down to the basement. It was fairly crowded, but we scored a small table across from the bar and one of the waitresses immediately came and took our drink orders. We ended up moving tables later on to get closer to the action which was no problem at all.
Although it’s right on Congress, the atmosphere feels totally hidden and private. It’s a long hallway style bar and everywhere you look you’ll notice the exposed brick painted dark red. Mostly lit by candlelight, it’s pretty dark until you set eyes on the stage. The night we happened to be there, they had a nine or ten piece jazz band putting out all those cool vibes. Just the place to relax with a drink in hand and some great music.

If you love jazz this a must stop to catch some secret musical gems! Even if you just enjoy jazz and have a slightly dirty heart, stop by here on the way to the Dirty 6!
Jazz and a sccrrrooong bourbon… Ahhhh Baaabyy count me all the way in! I say scrooong b/​c the bartender «Rebecca» is like Popeye the sailor with the bottle! She wasn’t stingy at all with the liquor in which I can appreciate!
I’ve been here a few times in the past and finally getting to the review.
The bands are usually pretty good.
The most recent band from Sunday night that I heard there had a fella on the bass from my hometown-​Memphis, TN so you know it was jamming!
My server was Laura, she was awesome! Friendly, and quick with the drinks! My glass was never empty while enjoying the band!
No one still knows why there are $ 1 bills on the ceiling and the walls of this place but I’ve gotta design a buck just for this place so my $ 1 can stand out!
This place is a must stop if you love jazz.

Great Jazz music good drinks good hang out place for friends and good for date night.

What would an Austin vacation be without a live music experience?! I came here after dinner on a Thursday night and it was the perfect time because the jazz band was just finishing their set up before the show (which started at 9:30). We all ordered some wine ($ 7 a glass! Man New York prices suck if I’m excited about this) and it was the perfect setting for an eventful, but low-​key evening. The band was great and you could tell they were really into it. The crowd was very mixed between young professionals and those a bit older.
My advice is to come around 9/9:15 because once the band comes on, there’s not much seating and the place itself isn’t that big (it’s on the basement level). If you’re into jazz, this is a solid place to get your fix.

Live music– you will love it!
Monday night there is a jam session! But there is live music every night! I love this place!
Great place to relax, listen to jazz and have a glass of beer or wine. Plus: prices are reasonable and they have a variety of beers on tap.

Dark, underground, a little cramped, smoky jazz, Belgian beers — what’s not to like. Wondered here to meet up with travelling work friends who were staying at the Driskill a short walk away. It was a Wed. night so it was not crowded. Perfect little spot to drink too much and soak in some atmosphere.

As someone recently said in the past few months (Kyle G) I wish there was a way to differentiate between the place itself and the entertainment vs the staff. But since there isn’t I give the Elephant Room a 3-​star rating and here’s why:
The place is very dimly lit like a traditional dive bar and the walls and ceiling are covered in dollar bills (?). The band performing was a young four-​member jazz group with a decent vocalist with a good repertoire of music. I tried a house lemonade cocktail which was refreshing but a bit too sweet for me. But what really pissed me off was the lack of attention from the bartender. It was NOT busy and there was a wait staff assisting the tables surrounding the place so there was no conceivable way she was overwhelmed with orders. Either way it was just an ok experience.

Our Airbnb host recommended The Elephant Room to us when we arrived in Austin, and we were so glad she did! It’s such a hidden gem. We came in after dinner in the Second Street District. It’s underground, hidden so well that we almost missed it. On Friday night there was no cover, so we walked right in and took a spot near the front by the band. That night there was a four-​piece jazz band playing: a woman on piano and vocals, another woman on saxophone, a man on bass and another man on drums. They were phenomenal! They played fun, gentle jazz that sometimes made you want to dance, and other times made you want to snuggle up to your date.
There was just one waitress handling every table in the place, so even though it wasn’t too crowded service was a little slow. But we were having so much fun watching the band that we barely noticed. And she was really nice, so that made up for any waiting. I started with the Jazzy Fitzgerald, a featured cocktail of theirs that has lemon juice, gin, simple syrup and bitters. It was served in a martini glass with an orange twist, and it was delicious! My boyfriend tried the Cool In the Basement Lemonade, another featured cocktail, and that one was also excellent. For round two he ordered another one of those, and I tried on of their margaritas with house tequila (also excellent!). We spent a few fun, jazzy hours in The Elephant Room and spent a little under $ 40 after tax and tip, so not too bad at all. In my opinion, it just doesn’t get better for such great late-​night entertainment!

It was a good room but maybe the dishwasher was broken. The bartender was up to his elbows in dirty dishwater between making drinks. The band was good. I got a cold three days later.

There is something comforting about a basement, brick walled dark bar that makes the perfect environment to check out a jazz or blues act. Quiet, private, but exciting. Like you’re walking into a secret place for only the cool kids. Bar selection is average, musical selection is for the most part I have seen, not people I have heard of, but always very pleasing to hear.

Led here by Unilocal reviews before I made my first ever trip to Austin I have to say I enjoyed fantastic evening of great jazz in the Elephant Room. Very conveniently located a couple of blocks from the hotel.
Last night we were treated to the music of the outstanding Adrian Ruiz Quintet. I stayed for two absolutely amazing sets of some Blue Note standards as well as some original compositions from a few of the band members. I wish I could have recorded them. Excellent, excellent, excellent music! The crowd was great for the most part. Some folks felt their conversations were more important than some of the solos but that comes with the jazz territory sometimes. The musicians handled it well and entertainingly (loved the drum smack during the bass solo). Anyway nothing detracted from the sets. Met some cool folks from Wisconsin, Austin (of course) and UT students all enjoying the well done sets.
The bar and wait staff were fantastic as well. Very nice folks and great service. This place is well worth the visit especially if Adrian and his mates are playing. Hope to get there again before I leave. I would have stayed for the third set (was there a fourth?) but it was getting late. Maybe next time.

I wish I could do a review for the atmosphere and the band, then another for the staff. The bar is very cool! Almost speakeasy feeling as you walk down the steps into an all brick basement style bar. They have a decent selection of beers and drinks, which we would have loved to try more of, but the staff was slow, careless and lackluster. I asked the bartender for some history about the bar, which she couldn’t be bothered to share as she said she was very busy. There were 12 people in the bar and she had a cocktail server managing more than half of the guests.
We moved from the bar to a table to listen to the band, who was AWESOME! We hoped the move from the bar would create a more attentive hospitality experience, it did not.
The band played swing and other classics from the 1930s-​1950s and were totally passionate and into the music. They made our experience. My review would be a 1 star had it not been for the Hollywood Review, I may be wrong about the name, but it is something of the sort.

Great place for Jazz! We had a great time listening to music and the bands were excellent.

The Elephant Room is the #1 reason I go downtown at all. The bands here are top notch Jazz. I feel fortunate that the only place I’ve found for great Jazz in Austin is also famous all over the country. It’s cozy, classic, and the industrial basement feel gives it a real soul.
For the love of the music though people, don’t come in here yelling like it’s 6^th street. People are actually stopping everything to listen to the music and you WILL get looks from everyone if you aren’t respectful.

Yes it’s a bit of a dive but so what?
Consistently great musicians (mostly jazz of course) which are very usually of very high quality acts and sometimes internationally known musicians.
Also very good bar and table service, ice cold A/​C during the humid summers, full bar, lots of draft beers, very reasonable cover charges for touring acts and an awesome down to earth vibe.
One of the best jazz clubs in the Western hemisphere as far as I’m concerned!

Completely rude sever… Commented To bartender we are leaving because of bad service… and she was rude! Don’t go. Ruined our night

As a jazz music appreciator, I’ve been wanting to come here for a while. I finally get to spend a night here, and I wasn’t disappointed! Great music, cool people, and crowded on a Tuesday night. Lots of beers on tap with reasonable prices. It is very dark inside, but you can still see the cool décor of this basement bar. I would recommend ordering at the bar even if you are at a table because we waited a while for our beers. Come for the Jazz, stay for the vibes!

Great place and fun staff! My server Sam was awesome and even did the Carlton dance with me!
I went on a night with live music (which, now that I think about it, might be every night). The acoustics were good as I was sitting in the near-​back and could still hear everything. Cool chill place to go after work if you are already downtown, and you don’t have to worry about overcrowding on the weekdays.

An excellent dive, jazz and blues joint. Try to get there when Stanley Smith plays solo work before the main act. He is fantastic! This is a simple place to lay back and listen to wonderful live music. This is one of those places that makes Austin the Live Music Capital of the World. They have schedules online and also very reasonable drinks! Great acoustics!

Truly the local dive bar
Underground. Dark. Walls and roof covered with dollar bills. Locals stepping up to play jazz and blues.
Step out to have a smoke and the locals that you meet will stay with you … Peeps you may never see again… All there because they want a chance to jam.
We were told this was the Monday joint… Indeed.

So wish I could have spent more time here!!! Bartender was awesome (and hot), happy hour was great and music was perfect!!! Came in two nights in a row, and will be back as soon as I’m in Austin again!!!

I stumbled upon the Elephant Room on a mid-​week evening, and it was pretty empty and not much going on. But because I have heard such good things about it for the weekends, I have been waiting for an opportunity to come back. That opportunity came, Friday night and it did not disappoint. The live-​act that evening was «Elias
Haslanger,» Quintet. He stated a few times between sets that they are there every 2ns Fri on the month. He was really good and a talented sax player. The rest of the band were all good as well. It was a good experience and good time. The drinks were on point and decently-​priced. Elephant Room is a must if you are in Downtown Austin and want to experience some good jazz. I will definitely return for some more!

I’ve been here a handful of times and every time I go, I love it even more. This is what a jazz bar should be — old, dark, full of regulars, unfussy. It is true perfection. Tonight I went during the Jazz jam and brought a friend who had never been. She loved it. It was the perfect night cap to a fabulous dinner upstairs at Swift’s Attic. I really need to make it a point to sit back and take in another night of great music.

My father is a jazz savant which is an understatement. Wherever I’ve lived, whenever he comes to visit me, he has always had a knack for finding where the good live jazz is. When I moved here over 3 years ago and he came to visit for the first visit within a couple months of my move, he already knew about Elephant Room and made sure we came here.
It’s a really cool spot and feels like it has some history to it which I love in a city where most everything is new or in its infancy. I also really like it being underground which reminds me of some of my favorite bars in New York, Chicago, and Seattle. Service is solid. Wine, beer and spirit options are good and they have great jazz acts. That’s what you come for.
It’s perfect for multiple occasions (a date, with friends/​family, solo) and you can check out their website for a schedule of who is playing when. This will give you an idea of what type of jazz will be played that night. Otherwise, I say just go and be pleasantly surprised.

I really want to give this venue 4 stars, soley on the fact of the performance of Ephraim Owens and his amazing band. The venue location is perfect and the ambiance is quite nice for a girls R&R night out or for a romantic night out with your partner. However, I must give this place a 3 because of the service. Although our waitress wasn’t mean, she surely seem to have a hard time keeping our order straight (mind you 3 out of the 4 of use order the exact same thing). Not to mention she screwed up the bill. There was only 2 checks to be split and she charged the wrong card. They don’t seem to have enough servers for the number of patrons.
Luckily my friends and I sat close to the front so that we could hear the music quite wll, but the back of the bar was quite noisy. It was so distracting that we couldn’t enjoy ourselves but for anyway who gets there late and wants to enjoy the music, you may be disappointed but all the back of the house chatter.
Overall, I will visit this place again for the band and music but I will gauge my expectations of service and arrive early.

Mike and Diane, you two are way too hip for words. Who in the heck is this couple you might ask. They are the only reason I am able to tell this story, the reason I can call this one of the most unique haunts for jazz & blues probably in the country.
I had only one night in downtown Austin, so I choose it wisely. I went to the place locals call a must for some of the best jazz in the city, if not the country. I was already a little out of my comfort zone traveling to downtown on a Saturday by myself to a destination that seemed out of my league in a city I don’t reside in. Would I be cool enough, hip enough, fit in I thought.
I completely went rogue even using an UBER for the first time. The driver dropped me off directly in front of the Elephant Room. The block appeared to be something out of a movie scene. I saw the sign up on the brick wall. A black gentlemen was just off the curb who I later found out he was the trombone player on break from his set. I approached the door and a short man with jeans, leather jacket and an eye patch stopped me and said there was a $ 5 cover… but no place to sit. I only second guessed myself for a second on whether I should bother and paid to go in.
The fact that I quickly began my descent into a dark basement had me giddy as to what I would soon encounter. I hit the bottom landing of the tile floor and thought if there was such a thing as being transformed into a 1920 Speakeasy. For those unaware with the history of this period of time in American history that is how jazz clubs disguised themselves. It’s the era that gave rise to the genre of jazz. Who knows, it probably was one back in the day, the building easily dates back to early 1900’s. There was no fog of smoke as would have been customary back in this time. However, I can confirm much like it would have been in the 1920’s an incredible amount of customers jammed into a small space. To the point they were almost stacked on top of each other along the wood bar. $ 1 bill littered the ceilings and walls, most with hand written message scribbled on them. Small round tables were scattered around, but most of the seating was in the back by the stage.
I was trying to take it all in, the vibe was overwhelming. The lighting, or lack there of, the crowd which was for the most part a younger hip group, the exposed brick walls, the hustling bar staff serving drinks. Did I need to pinch myself that I had possibly arrived at the coolest place in all of Austin. The band was still on break and I wondered if I would even be able to stay it was so packed in. My hope of finding a seat, let alone remotely viewing the stage seemed unlikely. I moved to the stage area looking for even one empty chair and spotted the only chair available that happen to be directly in front of the stage. I had no idea if occupied, but got lucky and asked to join them. I introduced myself to Mike and Diane possibly the most senior couple in the room.
I am guessing Mike and Diane was in there late 50’s. I found out they frequent the place and live in Houston, but daughter resides in Austin. They confirmed my suspicions and what others have said regarding the Elephant Room. This is the premier venue for jazz & blues that brings in not only local, but national artist. A very friendly female waitress fetched me a beer served in a cool goblet type of glass. I have no idea what it was, something dark, delicious and I had two before I departed. If there was one complaint it was the fact they had only one waitress for that large of a crowd. For the most part it seemed self serve at the bar.
The Ephraim Owens Quintet would go on in 15 minutes after I arrived. The make up of the group is lead Ephraim who plays trumpet and flugel horn, a drummer, Chellist, trombone player and guitarist. From one horn player to the next I was over joyed to hear their jam. The quintet was to play there next to final set. The 30 min set blew me away, had my head swaying as I listened to arguably one of the best jazz ensembles in my life. Throw in the fact it’s in a dark basement of a turn of the century building with an attentive crowd and you have the makings of a pure jazz ecstasy type of atmosphere.
This is 5 full stars and deserving of every bit of my praise. Check their calendar out for who will be performing. But who really gives a darn, the place is booking top jazz & blues acts in the area every month.
Did this joint end up being too cool, or hip for me as a late 40 yr old white dude, HELL NO! Most everyone there were jazz & blues aficionado’s, don’t worry about your looks. Just be ready to chill with a drink in one hand and your other hand swaying back and fourth to some fabulous tunes by some amazing musicians.

Loved this place! So much history and charm! It’s in a dark basement, candlelit, live jazz music, dolla bills all over the wall. Great place to cozy up with your date, it gives off a romantic vibe. 20 craft beers on tap, full bar, great service. Two live shows 365 days a year!

Oh, the Elephant Room. I recommend this place to each and every person who mentions they’re going to Austin.
When I visited, our host/​friend led my boyfriend and I here. Willy and Paul are musician friends so of course we’d be popping into a few different places during our stay. However, Elephant Room was so spectacular we went back every night we were in town (3 nights…). It’s intimate, kinda dive-​y (in a homey way), and the musicians will blow your mind. We got to see an open jazz night and a house band play. The musicians were among the most talented I’ve seen — I still have flashbacks to my awestruck moment listening to that one dreadlocked trumpet player. Truth: I didn’t appreciate jazz until I came here. So, thank you Elephant Room for showing me what’s up. I drank beers all night and was mesmerized. I did feel bad talking, like I was disturbing the vibe. Although, it was nice whispering in a bar versus yelling over loud bumping music.
It’s a long and lean space so the ideal spots are right in front of the stage. The bar would then be behind you along the left side of the room.
This spot is for anyone seeking the authentic jazz club experience. It’s just what you’d expect: underground, dark lit, Hammond organ in the corner, and house musicians luring you in from the street.