Valhalla

Cool laid back bar. Comfy places to sit. Lots of classic rock. Pretty sure I saw a couple having sex in one of the booths but nobody cared. That’s what I call laid back.

Worst bar I’ve ever been. I’ve tried going here 5 times in the last 3.5 years, all met with angst, rudeness, and incomparable shittiness. Tonight my boyfriend and I used the restroom first, then went to the bar. Since it was my turn to get drinks my boyfriend s said he was good. As I raised my hand to get drinks, the bartender stormed off yelling «just here to use the bathrooms?!» The time before this the bar wouldn’t let my friend in because she looked underage, despite her lisence verifying her as 24 years old. The only people I ever see served here are chauvinistic male pigs. I think this is more than enough shots for an overpriced downtown bar — This is by far the worst bar I’ve ever been in all 26 years of life!

Awesome dive bar. Pool tables, shuffleboard, no hipsters, 350 Lone Star and a great jukebox. Bartenders are attentive and it’s easy to get a beer or drink. Good place to escape the idiots while dntwn.

This place is a diamond in the (very) rough. Away from the maddening crowds, it’s dark, filled with adult games (shuffleboard, pool, pinball, air hockey) and has killer drink deals. On the very quiet Tuesday night we visited, the super chill, friendly barkeep kept us entertained, but was never intrusive.
I would come back here, anytime I’m in this town.

Almost every time we go downtown we come have drink here. The atmosphere is super chill and it has its days when they’re busy. For the most part you can get a drink really quickly.
The staff is really attentive and awesome.
I always recommend this bar to friends :)

My friend Amy invited me to a private party here at SXSW 2014 and it was put on by the folks at Glimpse. I came a little early and the place was like a ghost town. Luckily I had the drone with me so I started flying it around the vans booth and got some pictures of them building their ramp.
Around 2:30, Valhalla opened and it was on. As I mentioned, I brought my drone with me and I got some pretty good shots from out in front. After I had a few more Tito’s and Sodas, somebody wanted to see it fly and I fired it up indoors. This thing will definitely get you if you are not careful and I am glad the bouncers kind of looked at it as a toy and they didn’t sweat me about flying it around inside or outside.
The building is kind of a trip and has this round section in the middle. It looks like this used to be two different businesses back in the day and then when they took over and made it one, this wooden wheel thing is how they hooked it together. Very cool!
I had a blast hanging out here and they poured the drinks nice and strong.

Great bartenders! Great drinks. Great prices. Unless you are an amateur, you will have a blast. Pool, fooseball, air hockey, darts, shuffleboard, skeeball, arcade and pinball games. (They have Joust!!!) The walls are covered in vinyl records. Wed nights are vinyl nights. There is never a cover so you can spend that money on drinks. All in all a great lounge.

This is a cool spot to hang out away from the chaos of the Dirty 6^th. It can be downright calm if you come on a weeknight. This is not a fancy place, but they can make decent standard drinks, so no complaints here.

There are two nights out that I have downtown.
One, where I hear about a trendy new club or restaurant or something like that, the gang goes, it’s fun.
Two, where all that goes to shit. We shrug. And head over to Valhalla.
Beer selection is short and sweet. A bit of something for everyone. (Well, everyone who isn’t a snob.) Atmosphere is typical Red River.

They now have Flor De Cana Rum! My Favorite!

My boyfriend and I come here about once a week or so. The guy who works there is very cool, unlike a lot of bars where the staff get it in their mind to be assholes (for some reason). The drinks and good and cheap. I like $ 2 pint night on Thursday. They have a very good selection instead of just PBR, Miller, etc. Would recommend, and have.

This place is OK. I got overcharged for a bottle of Miller Light ($ 4.75 — really?), but other than that it was fine, albeit a little run down. One definite plus was the variety of games/​activities — everything from pool to foosball to arcade games. Probably won’t be back, but if you like dives, I’d recommend checking it out at least once.

Come here all the time! Cheap drinks and good people

Keeping this short.
I judge a bar by the following 3 criteria:
1: How fast you can get a drink (because sometimes you just gotta get drunk)
2: Music/​Ambiance (jukebox/​internet juke box/​dj — theme/​comfortability)
3: The Clientele (douchey/​sketchy/​sociable)
Therefore, Valhalla gets a 4 star… now to how the sausage was made!
Valhalla is probably as chill, comfy, and unpretentious you can get in the general area of Red River/​near 6^th.
Front: Patio for smokers with booths and some small tables with movable chairs — you can watch the foot traffic from Stubb’s/Mohawk Shows going to downtown or just space out to the noise of downtown Austin.
Inside: Two sided bar, which is optimal for getting a drink. They pretty much have any beer/​alcohol the typical person would drink (no champagne or ciroc… i don’t think… didn’t try to order any… ever) Bartending staff are attentive. Some more booths for sitting, pinball machines, pool tables, retro arcade games, snack machines, shuffle board, and upstairs there is skeeball and foosball. Restrooms are large and I would probably vote this the best bar to go to if you have gotta take a good shit while out drinking. The jukebox is old school style and has some really good albums to drink/​party with. I’m not a fan of the internet jukeboxes because eventually some idiot will decide to play some absolute horseshit that will annoy the fuck out of everyone you are with, to the point where a mass suicide is a viable option.
Ambiance/​Clientele — There’s quite a mix of people that come in and out — from the very rare frat type, to the occasional Austin tourist, mostly alternative types roam the floors… not many hipsters venture out of the east side and into this place. If you are bringing a date here with the intention to have a hardcore hookup, I wouldn’t come here, but if you want to bring a date here to have a conversation, it may be more suitable. It doesn’t get obnoxiously loud like most other bars may.
If you are having a late night, there’s Hoboken Pie next door to grab a greasy slice to soak up your booze corroded belly. The action from all the drunks at Hoboken Pie around closing time should be the set for the next brain rotting reality tv show.

In all of the SX chaos on 6^th St. I’m so glad to have found Red River. Chaotic yes, but this madhouse crowd makes for good energy and Valhalla is a sanctuary from it all.
The place drew my partner’s attention because of all of the vinyl album covers that cover the walls in the front/​smoking room. I quickly flashed my ID and walked in to take a look. We made our way into the next room and those walls were covered, too! This place is large and you’ll find another bar in the back room, which is also covered in album covers.
I should mention that there’s plenty of seating for your relaxation, old school arcade games for nostalgia, and good beers and cocktails to contribute to good conversations with cool strangers and other folks!

I like this place. I especially like it if I go to Stubbs, or another of the many concert venues on Red River — I’m hot, sweaty, not lookin my best — and I just want a Lone Star and a chilled atmosphere.
It’s also cheap, has nice bartenders that will actually make suggestions and not look at you like you are a child when you can’t decide immediately. I had my first «real» white russian here because they actually have the ingredients unlike most bars! yay!!!

Super cheap!
Awesome bartenders! Awesome, awesome, awesome bartenders!
Pool, foosball, pinball and arcade games
Ample seating!
Lots of «quiet» spots– by that I mean you can usually find a corner completely separated from the other customers if you just want to chill with your friends.

This is my new favorite place. Reminds me of Casino waaaay back in the day. Jackalope has gotten really «6^th Street-​y», so we’ve been looking for a similar vibe but with less of that and Valhalla fits. Excellent beer selection, super cool staff (unless, you know, you’re a total douche), and stuff to do, i.e. pinball, pool, video games. Thurs = $ 2 beer, Weds = vinyl night (rekkids, not clothing).
Jukebox never played a single stinker the whole time. Walls are lined with classic albums, some of which get played on Weds.
Anyhoo, a good litmus test for you would be to read rick r.‘s review. If you think he sounds like a swell guy who got a raw deal, it’s probably not the place for you. Try 6^th Street or J. Black’s. If, however, you imagined yourself at the bar watching this scene play out as you chuckle and then high-​five the door guy after rick and his entourage left, then you and I can probably be friends and hang out at Valhalla.
RIYL: Casino el Camino circa 1998, Jackalope, Scoot Inn but with less hipsters, Places that aren’t afraid to treat the douchoisie with the scorn and sarcasm they deserve.

II can’t say much about this place aside from them having Pinball and some video games. This would be the only reason for me to step inside this establishment.
They have some kind of weirdo «patio» in front where it appears people can (and do) smoke (a lot) — even tho it’s not even close to being the 15-​feet from an entrance that’s required by law. Bouncer guy who checked my ID was smoking. So if you don’t mind the gauntlet of smokers to get inside, this place might be fine for you. Not so much for me.
Ok — so they have Pinball — which is why I visited the place (so I can add them to my Pinball list).
Pinball at this location:
Demolition Man (Williams 1994)
Junkyard (Williams 1996)
This Junkyard seems to be in pretty good condition. The bar is dark so it’s hard to see the ball in play sometimes.

Complete jerks. Stopped by the place to grab a quick beer, never got inside. No wonder it was empty in there.
I show id and walk in.
one of the ladies I was with was stopped because she had a water container.
«Can we empty it and bring it in?»
«No open containers»
?? what? So you don’t allow anyone to have a water bottle with them, ever.
«Is it cool if they wait outside while I use the restroom?»
«No, this isn’t your outhouse»
WTF? Our intention was to come into your establishment and spend our money on your probably shyte beer selection, and you insult me like this?
«So that’s what kind of place this is» I was so suprised, that’s all I could think to say.
The bouncer then said something about that’s how he’s going to be if I’m a jerk, which I really don’t understand.
So I put my middle finger in his face and walked away.
Not so mature, but I was really thrown off by his antagonistic attitude.