Game on

Hip Domain entertainment hub hits play on second Austin location

The downtown Punch Bowl Social will be the second Austin location.

Courtesy photo

One of Austin’s most anticipated new entertainment concepts has finally set an opening date. Punch Bowl Social officially opens on December 14 — and is celebrating the grand opening with a blow-out bash.

Located in the Scarborough Building at 522 Congress Ave., the new Punch Bowl will be the second Austin location of the Denver-based chain. The company debuted it Domain outpost in August 2014.

The release describes Punch Bowl as “an experiential lifestyle brand for the millennial and Gen Z generations,” but is really just a hipper version of Dave & Buster’s. While it still has a variety of diversions like classic arcade games, mini bowling lanes, karaoke rooms, and photo booths, the brand places special emphasis on the food and beverage programs in keeping with contemporary preferences.

Internationally inspired dishes like cocoa-dusted carnitas tacos, crab cheese rangoon dip, a superfood grain bowl, and a shrimp burger with Old Bay mayo are offered as playful snacks while the full bar pours out signature punches, local craft beers, and a large zero-proof cocktail menu.

Punch Bowl’s two-level interior space pays homage to its historical home. The hodgepodge of influences include mountain lodges, menswear, and elements of Victorian, Art Deco, midcentury modern, and industrial design. Judging by the descriptions, however, most of the decor can be neatly filed as "Instagrammable."

The menswear elements include pinstripe and herringbone fabrics and a mannequin arm art installation with assorted cufflinks, a nod to Scarborough’s past as a department store. The company also commissioned art inspired by late photographer Ralph Steiner. The pieces all have a “manufactured weather” theme — an homage to the building’s status as the first retail store west of the Mississippi River to have air conditioning.

In another wink to Austin, Punch Bowl is donating all ticket proceeds from its opening party to local nonprofit Andy Roddick Foundation. From 7-9 pm on December 14, guests can get a first look at the space while enjoying a special craft beverage menu, food, and games — all included in the $20 price. The concept will then open to the public beginning at 9 pm.

nightlife openings downtown

Cat's Out of the Bag

Classic Austin dive bar Mean Eyed Cat opens new Driftwood outpost

Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

There ain't no grave can hold Austinites down when it's time to break in this new dive bar.

An Austin bar with a lot of personality has its eye on a new location. The Mean Eyed Cat is opening in Driftwood on Thursday, November 21.

This Johnny Cash-inspired bar has certainly always had the country aesthetic: the weathered wood, the live oak-shaded picnic tables, the black-and-white photos on the wall, and even the occasional taxidermy specimen. The same rustic vibes continue in Driftwood at 8750 W RR 150, Bldg. 100, according to a short press release.

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood interior This new bar already looks like it's been collecting antiques for decades.Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Good luck getting there on Google Maps. Right now, it drops a pin at the intersection of Ranch to Market Road 150 and Elder Hill Road. However, it appears to be next to Mad Rooster's Liquor Store — we can see the side of the building through the window and the same road signs. We've reached out to a spokesperson to get the proper directions.

The Austin original has been around since 2004, and this offshoot is only its second location. The promises "the same laid-back, offbeat charm that made the original bar an icon."

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood interior What's a dive bar without a pool table?Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Before the Austin location was a bar, it was a chainsaw repair shop that was aptly featured in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Chris Marsh was who converted it to a watering hole and Christened it the Mean Eyed Cat, and he later sold it to current owners Matt Luckie, Max Moreland, and Jed Thompson, placing it in a lineage that also includes Lavaca Street Bar & Grill, Sign Bar, Lala’s Little Nugget, and more locally beloved staples and oddities.

All the proper references are there in Driftwood, including several saw blades on the wall, Johnny Cash memorabilia, and lyrics on every available surface, including a picnic table that ominously says "HURT." First and foremost on the menu are whiskeys and classic cocktails, keeping things as simple as anyone would expect at a dive bar.

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood patio A spacious patio takes advantage of the Hill Country surroundings.Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Despite the relatively remote location, commenters on Instagram have already spotted people inside and started chomping at the bit. It sounds like opening day will be a lively affair.

The Mean Eyed Cat in Driftwood will be open Mondays through Thursdays from 2 pm to 2 am, and Fridays through Sundays from noon to 2 am. Happy hour will be weekdays from 4-7 pm.

dive bars whiskey cocktails openings driftwood