Iron Gate Lounge

This place is certainly a no frills establishment. I love that the décor is comprised mainly of dated velvet paintings of Elvis and other 70’s stars. They’ve stepped up their entertainment offerings on the inside to include a pool table and a new flat screen television – perfect for watching the game far, far away from the dreaded frat daddies you’ll find frequenting downtown establishments and local sports bars.
This is my favorite place to settle in and take in a game and the plush, new sofas are extra inviting too for it too (even if the Cowboys are getting their asses kicked, but they weren’t when I watched the game here). This place is never too boisterous or over crowded. If you are looking for a nice, chilled out dive bar Iron Gate has got it you covered.
Their beer selection is great and they’re always served ice cold. Enjoy one on the back patio – it is one of my favorites in town.
If you’re there on a Sunday night look for Chris behind the bar he’s pretty much down to shoot the breeze when things are quiet and the happy hour lasts until 9 PM. That’s what I call a really happy hour!
UPDATE: Too bad this place had to shut down at the start of 2011… RIP Iron Gate Lounge. You will be missed!!!

One of my hangouts now whenever I’m in town. I prefer to go here on quiet nights, such Thursdays or Sundays. It can get a bit too busy on Fri/​Sat/​during special events in town like SXSW, and its whole dive/​locals’ bar feel changes (with Latino music and dancing on the inside/​a DJ playing hip hop outside/​extra bars set up on the lawn). It used to be a Tejano bar, and sometimes Tejano couples will come in, hand in hand, thinking it’s the old place reopened. After all, they kept the same name.
Poker nights on Thursdays, Sundays have free BBQ. It’s a dive where the Phil the bartender takes care of me (although we’ve been friends for several years, and I always patronize his workplaces when I’m in town to say hi — Hoek’s, then Creekside, and now Iron Gate now that those other two places are sadly gone.) There is also a flat screen TV with a random sports event on.
The orange whip drinks are delicious and taste just like orange push-​ups. Nostalgic tasting. And the local Real Ale Octoberfest that Phil had me try had a delicious roasted rice/​toasted sesame like flavor. Almost reminded me of an obscure roasted Japanese beer I’ve had in the past — but much better — and on draft.
After drinking, go across the street to the food truck trailer park. Great BBQ, campfire, hanging out with random people. Open super late.

A cool place, nice and dark on the inside with a decent sized back patio area. I come here on Sundays for free BBQ and Orange Whips. An Orange Whip is this amazing frozen cocktail they make that’s like an Orange Julius with vodka. Amazing. If you’re lucky, you can score a parking space right out front.

I do believe this may be my new hang out. Happy hour until 9 need I say more?

i popped in here on Thursday after the Bill Murray mania that was occuring at another local bar… regardless I loved the vibe here… there were three very different music sounds flowing through the bar that night… the inside DJ was throwing down some mean cumbias and the spinner in the back patio was putting out some mad spins… it was great I couldn’t help but throw my fists in the air. This was a first visit and will be back… only down fall the ladies bathroom was well less than awesome…

Oh iron gate — from tejano bar to certified dive bar, this place has got a great beer selection. Their parking is decent since its east of 35, the drinks are pretty cheap, they’ve got a sweet patio with a bbq pit you can use and their beer is really, really cold.
If you’re east side and just looking to hang out — no muss, no fuss — pull up a barstool at the iron gate. Happy hour lasts until 9 pm and that makes me really happy

start 0
good parking +1
walk in to the looks of judgement… –1
cheap drinks +1
great patio for people watching +1
figuring out most the people who frequent here are actually really cool +1
stumbling upon kevin +1
yup, i’ll go back. :-)

There is just something special about a bar that embraces the idea, «happy hour should be happy most of the day.»
I was so worried when I got there at 7:00 and knew I wanted a whiskey and water and dreaded thinking about the $ 7 it would cost me cause I missed happy hour. They gladly informed me HH until 9PM!!! My drink tasted sweatier and stronger knowing my credit limit could take a few hits of this.
The bar itself is great. Beautiful outdoor seating with the great side yard. I will be back during summer and also see this as a great sleeper pick for a night of SXSW. Staff is also the friendliest I have found for a eastside 6^th street bar. Door guy to bar tenders treated me like a regular and old friend. One suggestion, and I know it is nip picking, I could use a few more TVs. Just because you aren’t a sports bar doesn’t mean having the chance to watch sports on the TV isn’t appreciated.

Spartan, simple, spare thinly-​lit room with a decent soundtrack and spot-​on soundtrack seeks teeming crowd with an east side taste for hanging out.
It’s not going to be for everyone, and seems like the uphill push for these guys is largely predicated on what used to be the local crowd. Ownership has changed, the vibe’s different from what I hear, and they’re remaking themselves. While this no doubt won’t please the crowd who was into the last incarnation, I’m amped that there’s a sweet additional hangout east way that bears a solid assortment of brews and the quirky occasional DJ. Tonight was a quick stop, but based on first impressions, there will definitely be second ones.

Hole in the wall. Simple place w reasonable drink prices. The bartender Jaime was super nice and welcoming
(so many bartenders are too cool) we went for «A» drink and ended up playing pool watching a movie and talking bike talk. good time.
— will be going back.

Judging by the strikingly sparse attention that The Iron Gate has received on Unilocal, I’m going to assume that the major point of consideration has not been asserted well enough by the community, particularly the brash and vile young scene kids who are always in need of a swift kick to the liver.
The Iron Gate is under new guidance folks. This is certainly not your tios chicano agujero de riego. Nope. In fact, I saw nary a Bud Lite. A cultural fact of consternation that keeps away the traditional east-​siders from their once-​glorious iron outpost. Yep, The Robert Rodriguezes are out and Tarrantinos are in.
So, browsing their taps, I nearly soil myself when I notice that they have what can assertively be described at TEXAS’ BEST CURRENT BREW, which I don’t even have to name by name, si?
Well, for those of you out of the loop, that would be Real Ales Coffee Porter. Uh-​huh — right there on the bar with its own spout, which naturally comes from the mined efforts of magical elves on Saturn.
Fuggin hell, its hard to look beyond just that option — but there ARE options. Right now, just two others — Lone Star and uh, erm? I forget. But let me remind you — fucking Coffee Porter on tap.
The bartender was very proud of this fact, so earn yourself a few points by making your fingers into makeshift pistols and snapping one off in the direction of this brew.
The inside space is basically Shangri-​La or Liberty, but the back patio is more like Shoal Creek. Kinda cool. I actually prefer the front patio, which is a nice touch on E. 6^th. Engaging the street life in this part of town is something that is oh-​so necessary and for the meantime, completely unique.
Other than that, I give very high approval to this bar. The whole E. 6^th thing in general is just really cool to witness, really, when considering its organic roots and its nemesis on the west side of 6^th.

This place just came under new ownership by the people who own Creekside and they want to be a new addition to your East Austin bar circuit (Rio Rita, Shangri La, The Good Knight, now East Side Show Room and here). I guess it’s been here for ages but is only now becoming gentrified. It does have an authentic dive bar feel and it’s a great neighborhood spot. Like the bartender explained, they just want to offer a basic bar where you can relax, no gimmicks. Nice prices and excellent digital jukebox.