Rusty’s Austin

This is the BEST place to be on Wednesday nights in Austin. Period. Gay, straight, purple polka dotted they cater to everyone and dont discriminate. Every Wed they feature djs on the inside stage with people teach hula hooping, glow poi and dance moves while on the back patio they have fire dancers, painters, vendors, face painters, djs and more. Im blown away by how much better every Wed gets and wont miss one! I highly suggest checking this place out as the staff are friendly, the owners are super sweet and the place allows 18 and up (at least they do on Wed nights when I have been there). The crowd is a variety of people from all different generations and crowds… You WANT to be here — I do!

I was planning by girlfriend’s bachelorette party and she really, really wanted to see a drag show. I searched and searched but couldn’t find any that fell on a Saturday night. Until I finally found Rusty’s! The Dames of Deception saved my life!
I called ahead to make sure all was well and spoke to the manager. He was extremely pleasant on the phone and very accommodating. He even asked for our bride-to-be’s name to be sure the performers gave her some time in the spotlight and lots of attention.
That being said, the show was PHENOMENAL!!! The queens were so talented and engaging and all the participation with the crowd is too much fun. They really gave our bride-​to-​be the time of her life and I’m sure we’ll be back for sure!
The drinks were stellar and the bartenders, although swamped, were never rude. We had to go around back to the other side of Rusty’s to use the bathroom (because the performers had claimed the ladies room on the stage side: P) but it wasn’t really a huge inconvenience.
So to anyone who hasn’t seen a drag show and isn’t really sure… go to Rusty’s and see the Dames of Deception!!!

Tried to redeem my Unilocal deal. The Justin Long-​look-​alike bartender said there was no Unilocal deal. Got a Fireman’s and XX. Then I showed him the Unilocal deal but he said it was for well or domestic. Boooo. Saved myself that $ 1 by not tipping him. I know. What a bitch.
WTF Moment: That ‘Grrlz Will Be Boiz’ band… Aaarrrgh make it stop!

I’d never been to Rusty’s and don’t make it a point to hit lots of bars downtown but Santa Rampage has us run around lots of unusual spaces. The bar is spacious, the music good and the back area had ample space for 50 or so Santas to dance.
If you’ve never seen around 100 Santa’s dance to gongnam style, I highly recommend it. I didn’t realize at first that Rusty’s was a gay bar but it was Really nice to see gay men kiss and be affectionate with each other. I’m straight but not narrow and it’s wonderful to know that safe space exists in the city.
If I’m ever around I’ll stop in for another beer.

Maybe we hit it on an off night, but it was kinda scary when we were there. Dj on her laptop with 80s hits. Crowd that also looked like gay style from the 70s or 80s. Maybe 10 people dancing.

Rusty’s is a wonderful place! Casual, friendly, welcoming. I come especially for the Dames of Deception and never leave disappointed. Those painted ladies put on one awesome show.

I love Rusty’s. I visit every week for fire spinning performances. They are very accepting of the whole community, and supportive of the art scene. Everyone treats everyone with respect, which is wonderful. I go on other nights sometimes when I have free time. The karaōke is fun as well. The bartenders do such a good job at remembering what drink you had, and they are very friendly. Well done, y’all.

This place it GREAT! They played both fun dance music Beyonce, Madonna, some hip-​hop and then would throw in country too. I loved the music mix! The drinks are made strong and the bartenders are so nice and attentive to everyone. I was in there by myself waiting for a couple friends to show up and the bartenders kept checking on me to make sure I was «good». Everyone in there seemed to be having a great time, dancing, laughing and no drama. More of an older crowd but fun!
Apparently there is only one night a month that men are not allowed and one of the friends meeting up was a man, they wouldn’t let him in. I guess I get it…
Overall Rustys was really a great fun place and will most definitely return on another night when it’s both men and women friendly.

I actually kinda like this place, just wish it actually had a crowd.

My partner and I were in Austin for a night and decided to check out this local bar. We didn’t expect it to be too entertaining, since we were heading there around 8PM. We had a blast with the adorable bartender, David. After a couple of drinks, he asked if we wanted to do a shot. Hmmm… of course. David poured us his own creation called the «Slimey Limey,» a delicious drink crafted to taste like key lime pie. It was really good! I would definitely recommend this place, and ask David for a Slimey Limey.

No longer country :(

I recently went to see a live band at Rusty’s. I had the most wonderful time. The owners were out in the crowd greeting people and checking on patrons. The singer — Susan Arbuckle — was incredible.
After the show a large group of us went over to the dance floor side and danced for hours. Last Saturday was one of the most fun evenings I have had in a while!
I love the diversity at the newly reopened Rusty’s. They are really creating a community bar. There are events for guys, girls and events that bring us all together like excellent live music, poker night, and Sunday BBQ.

I initially walked in to use the restroom before heading out of the 6^th st area. But I ended up having a good talk with the coolest bartender ever. Most definitely ask for Socks, she’s is the greatest! Great sound on the dance floor and there are areas where you can have an actual conversation. Also, for people who just can’t help but be homophobic, this place was so chill and not «in your face» that I didn’t realize that it is considered in any way a gay bar until I happened on this Unilocal page. Heck, it even seems more honorable to me that the place just emphasizes more «just be yourself» attitude than «our gimmick is homosexuality and we hope to capitalize on that» attitude. I’m definitely going back!

They reopened, but it’s still terrible. If you love country music and beer, you might love this place. If you’re like me, you’ll be wishing you were deaf. I went with a friend for her birthday. I know shots are expensive, but $ 16 for three shots? That’s ridiculous. It wasn’t even that good and didn’t buzz us very much. Atmosphere is lame, staff is meh, the night we went Dale Watson was playing so there were tons of straight people. Nothing against straight people, but it’s a gay bar and I go to be around gays.

I’m confused about what the bar is now since it has changed hands. Is it a gay bar? Mixed? Live Music Venue? I see Facebook postings to the gay community and it WAS a gay bar, but all recently published info on the web has deleted the word «gay» from the content — I’m thinking it is moving more toward a Stubbs type of establishment.
It’s a great space and I’ve had some good times there in the past, but lately it’ more «miss» than «hit». If I want to attend a concert I will. If I want to meet a cowboy I’ll need to be able to dance with him on a dance floor. I’ll check in on it again in a few weeks to see if it is m4m or hipster4hipster.

Rusty’s is open. Owned by new people and much better since.

We walked in this place and saw a sign indicating that happy hour goes until 8 pm. It was 7:57 and we asked the bartender if it was still happy hour, and he said no. This despite the fact that American Idol was still on the tv and it clearly wasn’t 8 pm yet.
Later, my friend mentioned that it happened to be his birthday, and the bartender’s response was «Oh.» As if he couldn’t care less. Way to connect with your customers!
I did not go back so I can’t say for sure if the entire place sucks, or just that one bartender.

I visited rusty spurs right around its opening. My roommate and I live about three blocks away, so we decided to try the new gay bar in town. Bad idea!
While I’m sure the beer is dirt cheap, the liquor was over-​priced (especially for as stingy as they were with it).
That being said, the way we were treated was beyond excusable. Despite the fact that we do not fit the image of what I would expect the typical customer of a country-​themed bar, we figured that we would be treated with respect. Not so. The staff was flat out rude to us, which makes no sense to me (seeing as how we were in a gay bar and were completely nice and respectful). Our bar tender even felt the need to make a snide remark to my roommate, after being tipped far too generously.
Following the incidence, we decided to speak to the manager (who claimed he had no idea who owned the place) to let him know that we were not pleased with our experience. We did not have the intention of bitching, but merely letting him know of what was going on since they were brand new. He could care less.
Fortunately for me, there are a slew of bars in that area that are gay friendly.
My advice– Skip Rusty Spurs and go next door to Mug Shots. They have some of the nicest bartenders in town, and make awesome drinks for very reasonable prices.

I stumbled in here on a whim on the way back to my car. «Hey! Is that a new gay bar?!» Why not? The crowd was diverse– young and old, guys and gals. No catty attitudes in here, just two-​steppin’.
No cover on a Friday night (screw you, Rain and Oil Can’s), no minimum credit card tab, and $ 2.50 Lone Star long necks. They have a shared patio out back with Black and Tan (where I could listen to a Top 40 DJ, if I wasn’t feelin’ the country music in Rusty Spurs).
My bartender was sweet and even told me to «be safe out there» as I signed my tab. I’ll be back.

Austin’s newest gay cowboy bar opened in late August 2008, just in time for the 2008 Texas Gay Rodeo, and seems to have gathered some momentum heading into the fall. Rusty Spurs fills a gap in Austin’s gay nightlife scene for the boot-​scooting men of Austin that felt a bit turned off by RCC’s fewer and fewer country dance nights.
The room is well lit, the dance floor was in good shape, the bar is long, and waits for drinks were short even during a crowded Friday night. The spacious patio that it shares with the Black & Tan outdoor bar offered a nice place to retreat, especially when the large garage-​type door was rolled up, making the bar seem that much larger. Of course the neon, wood & mirror décor isn’t anything different from any other country-​type bar, but the novelty of being new on the scene lends a little charm.
There was no cover on the Friday night I went, and bottle domestic were $ 3.25. I didn’t catch the prices on wells/​calls. Music was good to dance to, not too loud for the most part, with a good mix of waltzes, 2-​steps, and just the occasional line-​dance. Hopefully they’ll avoid getting in a formulaic rut with the music. Parking in the area is paid but plentiful.
The venue is well positioned to fill a niche in the community, and I think I’d certainly stop in again on a weekend evening before heading out to late-​night haunts.