THE FAR OUT LOUNGE AND STAGE

The Far Out Lounge and Stage occupies a property at 8504 South Congress that has been something since 1908. The southern part of the building is the original structure, and the history reads like an Austin tall tale. In the 1920s, the Newton Boys, a gang of train robbers, reportedly used the spot as a hangout. Janis Joplin played here when she was still a UT student. Willie Nelson shot movies and music videos on the grounds. In the 1980s, it was Beverly's, a beloved biker bar. It sat vacant for a couple of years before Pedro Carvalho and Bay Anthon opened The Far Out in the summer of 2019. The venue won Best New Venue at the Austin Music Awards in 2020 and a Best of Austin nod from the Chronicle that same year. The indoor space is intimate, furnished with mid-century modern pieces and a ceiling slowly filling up with posters from past shows. But the real draw is the massive outdoor area, roughly three acres of shaded live oaks with a proper stage, picnic tables, and a rotating cast of food trucks. The bar runs thirty-six taps and makes solid cocktails. The Far Out books music most nights, everything from local bands to touring acts, and hosts community events, fundraisers, and family-friendly afternoons. It is all ages and pet friendly. The South Congress corridor this far south does not look like the boutique strip closer to downtown, and that is exactly the point. The Far Out feels like it belongs to the old Austin that everyone is always mourning, except it is still very much here.