It's August, so it's officially crazy hot in Austin. Unfortunately just as it's really heating up, many people are getting back to their regular work and school schedules and can no longer escape to the cooler climes of basically anywhere else.
The good news: Beloved Austin staple Lala's Little Nugget continues to make things feel cozy and wintry all year long, and a new far-South Austin location at 3008 Davis Ln., Ste. 101, expands its empire.
For the grinches who don't know, Lala's is a fully Christmas-themed bar located off of Justin Lane in the Brentwood Neighborhood, where it has served up drinks, pizza, and Christmas cheer since 1972. As of August 13, there is a new Lala's in town: Lala's South Pole.
Just like its original location, Lala's South Pole will be decked out in Christmas glory all year long. The bar is strewn with colorful Christmas lights and holly; the colors are all greens, reds, and candy cane stripes.
The bar will serve cozy Christmas-themed drinks like the Gin-gle n’ Juice, South Pole Sour, and X-Mas in July; but since it's Austin and it's hot, it'll also have a full bar menu featuring refreshing cocktails, margaritas, beers, and wines. In addition to drinks, Lala's South Pole will offer pizza from Brooklyn Pie Co.
Lala's South Pole feels like a 1970s dive bar, decked out for Christmas year-round. Photo courtesy of Greta Köehn, Giant Noise Public Relations
The woman behind it all is the late and beloved Frances Lala. She ran the original Lala's location from its opening in 1972 to 2015. In all the years she ran the business and worked behind the bar, she was known as a tough woman with a sense of humor who told it like it was.
Lala was also a very private person, and so over the years rumors about Lala's Christmas decor have spread, elevating the bar to near-legendary status. (The bar's current owners love enabling these, according to a lighthearted KUT News probe for the truth.) Some say that Lala's husband left her on Christmas day; another story says that her son left for Vietnam over Christmas, and Lala left the lights up in hopes of his return; others say that Lala simply loved Christmastime.
Whether guests believe in the stories or not, one thing is for sure: This new location feels just as nostalgic and merry as the original.
Lala’s South Pole is located at 3008 Davis Lane, Suite 101, and it opens August 13 at 3 pm. More information about the concept is available at lalasaustintexas.com.
