2 days ago
East End Ballroom Brings Cocktails, Music, and Late-Night Fun to East Austin
Some places are built for a night out. East End Ballroom was built for an adventure.
Tucked between Justine's and Central Machine Works in the former Koko's Bavarian space (Brewer's Table before that), the East Austin newcomer, which quietly opened earlier this summer, blends dinner, drinks, and a rotating cast of DJs and bands in a setting that feels part retro lounge, part courtyard party. One table might be splitting a bottle of wine over steak frites while the next is sipping cocktails in front of a live band.
The project comes from hospitality veteran Brice Jones, who spent years building bars and restaurants in New York and Miami before partnering with Jacob Sciba of Arlyn Studios and chef Colter Peck, formerly of Elementary. The team originally imagined an all-day concept with weekday coffee, but pivoted to focus on afternoons through late night during the week, with a strong brunch and music bookings on weekends.
'There aren't many places where you can get a great meal, see a live show, and not feel like you need a ticket or a reservation,' Jones says. 'We wanted something flexible and casual that still felt dialed in.'
Tables at East End Ballroom. Emma Hussey
Jones likens East End Ballroom's decor to 'a hotel lobby with a rock 'n' roll edge,' and this fits the bill. The space has soft lighting and vintage-inspired touches throughout. The interior is anchored by a long, dramatic stone bar with plush stools and framed by pinkish-taupe velvet curtains that can be pulled back to show hidden TVs for game day watch parties. Oversized leather booths line the perimeter, offering plenty of room for groups, while smaller wooden tables and a custom pool table break up the open floor plan. High ceilings with skylights keep things feeling airy despite the moody palette.
Outside, the courtyard handles most of the action. The stage is covered, with a future LED wall addition planned, and the layout encourages lingering. Music programming offers a little something for everyone. Thursdays feature East End FM, a live dinner-hour series curated by Grammy-award winning producer, Jacob Sciba. Friday nights begin with live bands and shift into DJ sets that stretch until last call. Saturdays keep the music going with rotating DJs, while Sundays belong to Nether Hour, a local rock band that holds a weekly residency.
Sciba's decades of experience includes work at Arlyn Studios, where he has worked with artists like Gary Clark Jr. His background in audio, not promotion, gives East End's music calendar a different kind of energy. 'I told Jacob, 'It has to sound good when you walk in,'' Jones says.
Steak frites. Emma Hussey
Cocktails including Espresso Martini, Puerto Punch, Fitz Spritz, and East End Cooler. Emma Hussey
The kitchen, led by Peck, supports the atmosphere with a menu that balances approachable comfort food and polished bistro fare. Guests can expect beet hummus with feta and naan, vodka rigatoni, blackened maitake mushrooms, and a Nori Caesar with optional chicken or steak. The double smashburger is a staple, but the $29 steak frites — a prime Akaushi cut from Artesian Ranch served with McDonalds-esque fries (complimentary) and sauce Diane — is the standout. It's rare to find a venue that takes its food as serious as its music.
The weekend brunch menu keeps things light and playful. Brioche French toast comes with brown butter caramel and pistachio mascarpone. The Benedict can be topped with prosciutto or maitake mushroom, a grain bowl adds balance for those leaning healthier, and Swedish Hill pastries round out the spread.
The bar menu covers natural wines, local beers, and a handful of cocktails that match the casual but intentional vibe. The East End Cooler uses clarified apricot and watermelon. The Puerto Punch leans on mezcal, blackberry, and ginger. There's a large-format Pimm's Cup for groups, but the highlight is the weekday petite martini happy hour. Each evening from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., a lineup of three-ounce cocktails is served for $5. Options include a Ketel One dirty, a Still Austin Manhattan, and a classic Cosmo, all poured into vintage glassware.
French toast covered in pistachio mascarpone. Emma Hussey
The lineup for East End Ballroom's petite martini happy hour. Emma Hussey
Beyond the weekly rotation, East End Ballroom is rolling out monthly supper clubs, watch parties for sports, and one-off music events. A recent dinner paired a four-course menu by Peck with a DJ set from Cold War Kids bassist Matt Maust. On August 23, the courtyard will host a vinyl cumbia night led by Truncha Soul's Omar Lozano, with custom-built speaker towers and a guest DJ appearance by Adrian Quesada of the Black Pumas.
While East End is many things, it doesn't feel like it's trying to be everything all at once. As Jones puts it, 'We want people excited to come back to experience the space in a different way. The goal is for people to come and enjoy East End on their own terms.'
East End Ballroom is open Wednesday and Thursday from 4 p.m. to midnight. On Friday through Sunday, doors open at 10 a.m. and close at 2 a.m. Expanded weekday hours are expected later this fall. Walk-ins are encouraged. Reservations for brunch or dinner are available for groups of four or more via Resy.
East End Ballroom
Location 4715 East 5th Street, Austin, Texas 78702, United States External Link
Phone (512) 276-2537
Link
Less of a ballroom and more of a converted corrugated metal storage building that's now a restaurant, this spot has all kinds of goodness hiding inside. It's a coffee shop (beans by Figure 8) with light snacks and brunch dishes by day and a cocktail bar by night. Find substantial breakfast classics such as eggs Benedict, brioche French toast, a bacon-and-egg breakfast sandwich, and two eggs with a Texas-sourced Akaushi New York strip steak. (Less-into-breakfast folks can go for things like the double smash burger.) There are also matchas, teas, pastries, and breakfast tacos. At night, try fun cocktails like the Tiki Too Much (rum, pineapple, passion fruit, crème de banane, coconut, and pomegranate) or Puerto Punch (mezcal, ginger, cassis, and blackberry).
