With East 11th Street recently called out as one of the best streets in the country by a notable tourism publication, it was only a matter of time before trend reports began venturing farther east to "discover" more Austin gems.
And so it is that the Sahara Lounge ended up on USA Today's Best of 2024 list. More specifically, the humble and longstanding little lounge at 1413 Webberville Road in the East MLK neighborhood is on the 27 USA Today Bars of the Year for 2024.
Owned by musicians Eileen Bristol and her son, Topaz McGarrigle, the Sahara Lounge "sits at the eastern edge of Austin and at the heart of a community that still represents Austin at its best: funky, soulful, eclectic and diverse,” according to USA Today.
The live-music club, which definitely still qualifies as a neighborhood bar, has a small inside stage with a requisite pool table and dance floor combo as well as a twinkly, relaxed back patio.It hosts a variety of standing and one-off dance and live-music events including Africa Night, Punk Night, Jazz Improv Night, and Latin Night as well as lineups of local and regional performers.
