Last call

Party's over after iconic Central Austin beer and wine drive-thru closes

Pour one out for Party Barn.

Party Barn, a longtime fixture on Guadalupe Street with legions of Longhorns fans, has closed permanently.

On its website, Party Barn says the drive-thru beer and wine store — “as weird as Austin but as Texan as the damn Alamo,” the business bragged — shut down March 30 after 42 years in business. No reason for the closure was given.

In February, management of Party Barn told CultureMap that the business was negotiating a lease with the owner of the site, at 3300 Guadalupe St., near the University of Texas campus. A representative of Party Barn couldn’t be reached for comment.

A “land use determination” application filed February 24 with the City of Austin lists Austin-based Treble Enterprises Inc. as the owner of the Party Barn property. A representative of the company couldn’t be reached for comment.

Easily recognizable by its red barn-like structure, Party Barn sold beer, wine, champagne, soda, juice, ice, and other items. But its specialty was keg beer. Party Barn boasted the biggest selection of keg beer in Central Texas, with 50 types regularly in stock.

“The Party Barn is damn near a tradition for University of Texas students, native Austinites, and visitors from foreign lands such as Missouri or California,” boasts the website.

“The Barn has been a friendly face in the community for so long that folks commonly stroll or cruise through our driveway, just to be able to tell their friends that they did it. Pedestrians will even halt midstride to snap a photo from the sidewalk. Hell, the neighborhood teenagers love to spray paint their names and idioms on the barn, and this is obviously due to Party Barn’s iconic status.”

Getting Deep

Popular Austin deep massage clinic opening new location near Westlake

Photo courtesy of AUSTINDEEP

AustinDeep is known for an intensive approach that gets results.

A gentle massage can be lovely, but some stressed Austinites need some extra oomph. They can get it at AustinDeep, a local massage clinic that specializes in a propriety technique called the Deep Method. There will soon be a third location in the Barton Creek neighborhood — the farthest outside of Austin and the largest so far.

The new location will be at 2700 Barton Creek Blvd., Ste. 110. It'll span 3,000 square feet at the Barton Creek Village, which is near the Barton Creek Country Club, St. Michael's Catholic Preparatory School, and the Barton Creek Greenbelt. This is a new market for the brand, since the existing two locations are relatively close to each other on Congress Ave and Lake Austin Boulevard.

Jessica Price AusitnDeep Masseuse Jessica Price developed a proprietary technique for AustinDeep.Photo courtesy of AUSTINDEEP

The Deep Method targets the fascia, the connective tissue that holds our muscles and other organs together. Ideally, the fascia should be flexible, but sometimes it gets tight from inactivity, overuse, or other issues, causing pain or soreness. When masseuse Jessica Price opened AustinDeep in 2002, she used her background in myofascial release — a very gentle technique — to create a new process that starts with a warming technique, and then adds in deep tissue and trigger point therapy.

The result is more rigorous and may leave clients sore afterwards. As AustinDeep practitioners explain, breaking up all that fascia is an intense workout, even though the therapist is doing much of the work. Price also learned from physical therapists, so this exacting approach that prioritizes results makes a lot of sense.

That might not sound relaxing (and fans of any intense massage techniques will confirm that they usually aren't), but the aftermath is where things start to open up. This clinic calls it getting "Massage Drunk."

Jessica Price AustinDeep Clients may leave feeling drunk.Photo courtesy of AUSTINDEEP

Despite a tough-love massage approach, the new location sounds cushy: There will be 10 therapy rooms with electric lift tables; a lounge with relaxing music and a bar for tea, wine, or even custom flower arrangements; a veranda to enjoy nootropic drinks (brain supplements) or wine; and a retail selection.

The interior design also reflects the departure from the potentially sterile massage clinic norm with lots of plants and jewel tones.

So far there is no opening date set, but AustinDeep is sharing updates when they're available on Instagram. Services start at $85 for 30 minutes. More information is available at austindeep.com.

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