Restaurants, Bars and Taverns
Whether you're looking for a great place to eat or a quiet location to meet a friend, Austin's got just the site for you and yours...
The Bard's Revel
This great pub used to be The Gingerman, one of the few places in town you could go to and get over eighty beers on tap. The Revel's new management took over in January of 1998, and if anything they've continued that fine tradition, offering even more ways to get to the bottom of a pint. The pub offers live music with an Irish flavor, a roaring fire during the winter, decent coffee, friendly staff, and a decent variety of foodstuffs--though most of the pub's regulars don't come for the grilled-cheese sandwiches. The Russian-Irish decorating style is not to be missed.
Location: 4th and Lavaca
Status: Widely known to the Austin Garou population as "The Fianna Pub," The Revel is the city's primary hub for werewolf social interactions. It is largely staffed by Kinfolk. The Revel's supernatural status is not public knowledge outside of Lupine society, although recent events indicate that the servants of "the Wyrm" are aware of the pub's special clientele.
The Nest
Definately the winner of the "Weirdest Theme Club." Walls lined with television sets, floor lined with television sets--and a nice plexiglass panel so you don't step through and ruin a picture tube, there's even TVs set into the ceiling. Great selection of drinks, and the club's movie nights are not to be missed, but this place is not for the easily disoriented or the epileptic population. Check out the Shrine to Dead Celeb's in the corner, it's the epitome of tragicomic chiche.
Location: 6th and Trinity
Status: A relatively new enterprise run by the Glass Walker Cathode Ray. The Nest has been a meeting site and activity hub for the city wolves lately. Kindred are welcome, as long as they stay cool.
Rainy Days
Under new management since March, 1998, Rainy Days is the local Beat coffee shop, with a uniquely antiauthoritarian atmosphere and an open microphone. The espresso's good, but along with the management's "to hell with the system" attitude comes a certain lack of respect for Hours of Operation. With a little luck, you can come here to listen to poetry readings, angry rants, or take the stage yourself.
Location: Austin's infamous Sixth Street, on the corner of Lavaca
Status: Rainy Days' original owner, the Brujah Travis, made no secret about his coffee shop--the only Clans that didn't have an open invitation were the Ventrue, the Tremere, and anybody who sold their soul to the Hierarchy in any of its forms. The Garou Java and the Brujah Helen MacKenzie-Kalesti briefly co-owned the shop, although the Bone Gnawer has lately disappeared. Rainy Days is widely known to the Kindred, and to a much lesser degree to the Garou. The coffee shop is staffed erratically by MacKenzie-Kalesti and her employees.
The Hunger
"Open Sunrise to Sunset, seven days a week," The Hunger is one of the hotter nightclubs in town. Live bands on Friday and Saturday, College Night Sunday, Techno-Punk Monday, Live Rants on Tuesday--so that's where Rainy Days' customers go--Ambient and Flashback Wednesday and Thursday, there's always something new on the dance floor. Hunger's got a great bar--if you've got a sweet tooth, try the "Pooka-Boo Daiquiri." There's a "No Fighting" bar in force, but other than that, it's pretty free-form weirdness.
Location: coming soon...
Status: Owned by Annelise Chevalier, The Hunger is most assuredly
under the control of the Kindred. Garou are not allowed, and Ghouls
are only tolerated if they're very good and say "please." Vampires
who break the Masquerade or break the furniture will be broken. The Hunger
is one of Austin's Elysiums, and the "no fighting" rule applies to Kindred
as well as kine.
Other Businesses
The Boneyard
One of the better scavenging grounds actually inside of Austin,
this junkyard was incorperated into the city limits when Austin
expanded eastward. Great place to pick up spare parts, not too much
past their sell-by date, or drop off some of that old furniture. Their
rates are pretty reasonable both ways, though the new management jacked
the dumping fees up on paint and chemicals.
This one wins News of the Night's "Weirdest
Landfill" award--maybe it's just the name, but the Boneyard has more than a
few urban legends associated with it. People in the trailer homes
nearby say it's haunted, and that at least two motercycle gangs are using it as
their main source for parts.
Location: 200 acres, located east of IH 35, between Manchaca and William Cannon, just southeast of the HEB
Status: The Boneyard is more commonly known as the Bone Gnawer Junkyard, and is the stomping grounds of the Pack of the Glass Ceiling. Currently, the landfill is more sanitary than most, as the new manager, Java, has...issues...reguarding environmentally hazardous chemicals. Creatures of the Wyrm are advised to avoid the cluster of lean-tos near the heart of the dump. The Boneyard is widely known by the Garou of Austin.