Bar: Little Longhorn Saloon
Address: 5434 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX 78756
Score: 8.9/10
Austin man, what an odd city. Everytime I go, the city grows so much from the last time, but bars like the Little Longhorn Saloon maintain the true character of Austin. This bar has been open since 1963 and it feels that old in the best way possible.
First off, I need to give a shoutout to Burnet road, my god there are some killer bars on this road. From Little Longhorn Saloon, Buddy’s Place, Billy’s, etc, this road has some gems.
When you pull up to Little Longhorn Saloon, the most striking thing is that the bar almost looks like a church, it has a steeple on top and the burnt orange and white colors that the city embodies for the University of Texas. Right away from the outside, you know this is going to be a religious experience (pun intended). Going into the bar you first see a massive stage which has live music 6 days a week. Patrons flood into the bar for honky tonk music and dancing, making it a very versatile bar.
For the decor, this is one of those bars where you can order a cold pint, and just get lost staring at the walls. Every inch of the walls are covered with your traditional bar signage. My personal favorites were some of the older Lonestar signs which are a true representation of Texas as a whole. Gosh, even the ceilings had decor on them, they truly tried to utilize every square inch.
While I went during the day on a Thursday, the place was still pretty packed, the bartender was nice enough to walk me through what quite possibly be the greatest bar game of all time, that’s right, Chicken Shit bingo. On Sundays, a tradition at the Little Longhorn Saloon is playing this game outback behind the bar. When you make your way out the back door, typically tents are set up for patrons to enjoy the festivities, rarely do you ever see the backdoor of a bar unless they have a patio, but I particularly enjoyed the license plates above the door, a great touch. Alright, back to chicken shit bingo. As the name suggests, this is a simple game. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out how it works, but essentially you wager $2 or $5 and a chicken gets placed on board with numbers and whichever number it shits on wins a $114 or $285 payout. Quite the game if you ask me. A very low stakes, low IQ game to be enjoyed while drinking beers, one where you don’t have to pay attention.
I was truly bummed I had to leave before experiencing this game or live music at the bar. I will be back though and this will be one of my first stops. Until then, fare the well.
Decor: Great decor, all over the walls, what I like to see.
Price: Fair prices, paid $5 for a draft. Good selection of beer as well.
Service: A+ Service, got a tour of the whole place
Atmosphere: I went during no music or during chicken shit bingo and the place was still packed.
High Life Bottle?: I did not see one, someone correct me if they have it.
Bonus Points: None.