So good we went twice! Seems like more of a neighborhood bar which is what I prefer. Bartenders were friendly and drinks were good. Didn’t have the food. They advertise as bear-owned but the crowd was very diverse and friendly (not saying that bears are neither!).Good music and videos. Went on Saturday night which is country night after 9pm. Also had NCAA women’s final four game on the TV so assuming they probably have other sports on at other time. Over a cool place to hang out for a few drinks.
The bartender served the people in front of us and when it was our turn he went to the next till to serve the line of people who came in after us. Zero communication that he would be back and the interaction after was very minimal. We came the previous night and we tipped fine so we did not understand why he did this.Overall bad service and we regret tipping the second time.
Highly recommend! I walked in trying to find a chill vibe bar! Josh was super friendly! Im new to Austin so this was a great experience for the first bar Ive been to in austin!
Small but LOTS of fun! No cover charge. I would recommend them hiring twice the bartenders. I can’t wait to go back.
Good food, strong drinks, and fun themed nights. The best and only gay dive bar in atx.
So many good times here. Literally everyone that works there is great. Always one of the best spots in town, especially on Sundays. Very few ATX bars make you feel as comfortable as this place.I always bring friends here when they visit & they love it. They’re always surprised at how good the food is. I stop in occasionally for lunch just for the buffalo chicken sandwich.Seem to be doing a lot of new theme nights lately which has been a lot of fun. Definitely recommend checking em out.
Anytime I’m visiting Mom down in New Braunfels I try to find an evening to go to this place. Good drinks and eye candy.
Good amount of food for the price, good value, but they need to install some sound insulation as it is difficult to carry a conversation
Friendliest gay bar in the area that gives the best vibes. People just seem happy here, and thats because all are welcomed and nobody thinks they are better than anyone else. Wings on Monday are phenomenally, as is the Queso. Good, strong drinks for a great price. They have pool and a TouchTunes where you can pick your own music. This has become one of our new go tos. If you need the run down on the gay clubs downtown.Iron Bear- absolutely.OCH- great place to watch drag race queensHighland- great or horrible depending on the nightRain- absolutely awful, Judgmental gays that work there and horrible pricesCheer up Charlies- amazingHalcyon- not a gay bar, but extremely gay friendly with awesome vibesIf you want a fun night out with friends, I def recommend starting and ending your night at Iron Bear, you wont regret it.
I just have to say that the younger Hispanic dude that served me today was so nice and inviting but also made the best drink I’ve had in the 3 years I’ve been coming here. It’s sucks when the night time bartenders come because they all have attitudes and treat you like trash. And they’re all the white ones who apparently are all in a relationship together. It’s really draining and saddening how the atmosphere changes once one of them come in. Nothing but attitude and dirty looks till they see I’m a good tipper. They really need to hire new guys that aren’t in that polyamorous relationship who can actually be nice fun and have a good vibe. This is 3 years of coming here and dealing with these guys over and over again. The iron bear needs to do better. These guys are making your business look bad to the community!!!! Please replace them
I am travelling alone and found this lovely bar purely by chance. I felt safe and welcome, the staff were super friendly, and the quesadilla were delicious. If I lived in Austin this would be a regular spot for me. Oh, and they have karaoke nights. Just saying.
Went on a non-busy night (Tuesday) and the bartender was more concerned with having a good time than serving paying customers. Visited a few days before and the bartender from Saturday was working as the bar back and unable to serve even though he acknowledged and made an effort. Get your staff in order.
I ordered the Sleepy Bear Burger. It came with cheddar cheese, bacon, grilled onions, a fried egg and a special sauce. It came with plenty of fries and a side of ketchup. The bartender was really sweet. I definitely want to try more food, because I really enjoyed the burger.
Love the Bear! Awesome strong drinks, good tunes, fun parties and awesome staff. Lots of cute bearded bartenders and the manager Chops is awesome. Definitely our first stop when we go out!
Not a fan of the racist bar staff,but if you are into weak drinks & mid food this is your spot
Stumbled in on the place, came back twice in my time in Austin. It has 4 frozen alcoholic drink choices ready to serve and good bar eats. I met one of the owners and a manager, both very welcoming. We had a great time, definitely plan on coming back when I return to Austin.
The Iron Bear is the best gay bar in Austin! Great food, friendly faces, and great music/atmosphere!I would recommend this place to anyone who is supportive of the LGBTQIA + family!
A nice little bear den to have a drink in. The bartenders are sweet and the drinks are affordable.
What a great bar! I was for work in Austin and loved unwinding in this place. In the weekend loads of people just expressing themselves whether its leather, pups or just bears and handsome bigger guys. Super relaxed atmosphere and a staff that made me feel welcome.
Friendly staff, food and drinks at reasonable price.
Friendliest bar in town! Great theme nights. Also has great food! They have some of the best bartenders around!
Don’t come to this bar and use your credit card because e they double charge and u will wake up with more money being charged to your account this is the second time they have done this DO NOT COME TO THIS BAR THEY WILL SCAM YOU
They charge way too much for beer, almost double what other places charge for a standard craft beer. Not going back.
Waited 20 min on a SAT nt to get a beer before leaving. Management needs to hire bar tenders.
Fun gay bar ft a pool table! My girlfriend and I had a good time, plus the bartender was very friendly and kind.
The Iron Bear is the best gay bar in Austin, Texas! I always stop by when visiting Austin. The entire staff (bartenders, security, floor staff, and DJs) are always so welcoming. Good drinks and friendly vibes! Definitely check it out if you havent.
Way too expensive. They charged me $12 for a single pint.
Love the Iron Bear. The staff is great. All super fun and friendly. Food is surprisingly great for bar food. The corn dog and patty melt is great.
Decent place to stop in for a quick drink. Found the bar staff to be slow and somewhat unfriendly (maybe picked up on us not being LGBT), hence the loss of stars.Made an average tasting margarita and vodka lemonade, nothing much stood out to me about the bar. Pool table to play on, good amount of room to sit and hang out with friends. Its fine, good timekiller for 30 minutes while we waited for a show at Fallout Theater.
Easily my favorite LGBT bar in town, the staff is always friendly, you can go on weekends or weekdays and theres always something for someone. The food is always good and I enjoy that they revamp the menu every so often too.
Are you kidding me so beyond burnt. I wouldn’t had ordered anything ESPECIALLY at that price. I was so excited and had been putting it off several months to get this. Hadn’t ate all day either so upsetting.
I. Love. This. Place. So much!!! Ever since they opened their new location, I have experienced nothing but a fantastic time. Pro tip: their burgers are giant, you don’t need to order a double unless you are super hungry or super hammered lol 😂They have a dog friendly front patio. Please bring your muffin there and I promise I will let them!!!! 💜
Let’s start with the guy at the door , he didn’t even check my ID properly, only one bartender and took forever take my order , my food was delivery 45 minute later and cold because bartender didn’t put number . Not coming back again , bad service , only one bartender and line to order drinks
This is my fifth time visiting and I keep coming back for Mack! He is amazing. He’s always so friendly and quick! He makes amazing drinks and always greets us with a smile, warm hug and remembers my drink order! He recommended the funnel cake fries and they were good too! Thank you, Mack for being amazing and always pushing me to purchase your famous shots!
Welcoming place. Nice vibe early, before upping the energy late.Good bar food.Blended drinks were perfect on 100+ degree day.
This place has a good bar and is set up well. The bartenders are friendly and quick. The only bad thing, and its a big thing, is the music is deafeningly loud. Its not a dance club so I have no idea why the music is set so loud. Its nearly impossible to talk with friends and I ended up screaming my drink order to the bar tender. Its a pity they allow the DJ to ruin what could be a nice pub experience.
Ok bear bar , well drinks are ridiculous at 7 bucks though. not to mention parking is 15 to 20 bucks unless you drive around forever for a free space if it opens up.
Arrived and sat at bar Fri bit before 9PM. There are 2 patron service areas at bar to order. I was sitting next to the main service area. In the next 25 mins was not able to get the attention of bartenders even when we made eye contact serval times. Thought maybe the policy was you must be standing directly in service area. But found that incorrect when someone sat next to me (at bar) and serviced immediately. Then moved a foot over and stood up none else was around bartender asked what I wanted. When asked why ignored when sitting right there. Answer was did not see me. Find that answer incredible. So much for texan hospitality.
Surprised at the service my group received as we waited for a drink. We were the only brown people at the bar and our server intentionally ignored us to help other patrons, funny enough all were white. Basically We had walked in and went straight to the back bar to order, We saw it was busy and knew it would take long time but it was over 20 min and we still never got to order. As new people got to the bar, their orders were taken and still we were ignored, even after making eye contact with the bartender. Other patrons also mentioned to us that it seemed odd we were being skipped over. We won’t be returning
I work in the area and happened to see the flashing light open, i love burgers and decided to try a burger from here. I ordered a double patty burger and mozzarella sticks to go. I received my food and left to eat it at work, i opened up the mozzarella sticks that looked great until i started eating them and half were cooked to long and lost the cheese from inside. Now the burger is a different story, first appearance was WOW factor meaning looked delicious until i looked at the patty and saw that it wasnt cooked enough, i ordered the burger medium but this was definitely a rare cooked burger. I didnt have time to go back so i just took the patties off and cooked them in the microwave for 2 minutes which cooked them perfectly to medium temp. Very disappointing because i love burgers and they will not see me again based on this. Good luck with your business and I wish you the best. NOTE: The staff that waited on me was very courteous.
Cocktails were on point! Goodlooking men everywhere!
Parking is the worst of any nightclub/bar I have ever been too! I went on a Saturday night and the crowd looked very sketchy, almost homeless. And speaking of homeless, I must of stepped over 50+ homeless people from the parking lot to the bar. The music was good, the bartender was polite, bar was clean that I could tell in the dimly lit bar. Would I return, only if the bar moved to a less crowded, less traffic, better parking area.
Excellent place for a burger and beer.
While this bar was a very nice place, in that it was very clean and the bar seemed to be in order; the bartender ignored us, and the manager denied my friends and I service claiming we were too intoxicated, despite the fact that this was the first bar my friends and I visited on our night of bar hopping on my friends 21st.It may have just been a bad night, but I hate to say that I wouldnt recommend this place on a busy night, or if youre looking to have fun with friends, our experience set a poor mood for the beginning of the night, however it seems like a good bar to go to when youre looking to have a couple of drinks and simply relax with friends.Id love to go again and see if the attitude has changed.
Id give them a 100 if I couldThis place is nothing short of AWESOME and AMAZING!!!! To my server Mac....I can hear, but it was really loud and I took out my hearing aid. You didnt let me signing to you stop you. He made it work perfectly and very effectively as well. Hes very polite and his parents should be proud of him and how hes turned out. Great food and the prices? Well I said they didnt charge enough since their service is spot on and the food is a FIELD GOAL!!!! Thank you Iron BearILL BE BACK AGAIN!!!!!!!!! Keep rocking it IB
First time visiting Austin and decided to stop by this bar. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit! The music was right up my alley, the people were so nice, and the bartender (I wish I would have gotten his name beard, bearish, great legs, and sooo cute lol) any who, he was amazing. I will definitely make a point to come back and bring my Panama City Beach friends!
Not a fan of the racist staff that I witnessed today
Very rude if they decide they dont like you.I had a friend visit from out of town, and we waited 15 minutes to order a drink while the bartenders were joking around with each other.We finally just left.Another night, they treated me well with inexpensive drinks made right away.50/50 with this place.
My favorite gay bar in Austin! It gets crowded late, but karaoke is great, drinks are cheap and they crank the AC waaay down. Nice patio for smokers and pool tables/darts downstairs. Great place to spend a few hours.
I loooove Josh!!!! He’s an amazing bartender 🫶🏽!!! Seriously go see him 🥰!
Iron bear is definitely my go to bar in town! Just a walk down 4th street! Good drinks and welcoming bartenders! 🐾 🐻
Great place for drinks and food. Bartender Mac was excellent. His service and personality was great! I will definitely return and recommend that you go. Ask for Mac he is a great bartender.Try the funnel cake fries!Ken
Ive been for Geeks Who Drink trivia a couple of times and the bartenders are usually super nice and fast. The space is a little smaller and intimate which is ok because the patrons are fun to be around too. This venue is LGBT friendly and more or less geared towards that clientele.
Theres nothing pretentious about this friendly neighborhood gay bar! The bar staff is friendly, great jukebox, cute men (and boys) and fun atmosphere. Iron Bear is very involved in the LGBT community and hosts and variety of fundraisers and beer busts on a regular basis.
Quick beer with a friend. Seems like a great spot for just the thing.
My boyfriend really likes this place. He says its the one gay bar that he can go to and not be judged. I tend to agree with him. The interior is on the darkish side, but the bartenders are friendly. They have a temporary outside smoking section/patio, and also have 2 pool tables in a lower level area. They have a weekly poker tournament, during this time, it turns from a gay bar to a mixed bar.
Good drinks, good food, bartender was super friendly (also handsome AF). If you don’t go to this bar when visiting Austin, you’re missing out.
Im happy they moved to a new location. They are very welcoming. They have a Great staff and music taste. They sell basic bar food but I love theprice of the mimosas.
Slow service, food was good, drinks were terrible! An old fashion, and gin and tonic tasted the same. Deep eddy lime vodka drink tasted like rubbing alcohol... beers were a safer bet.
My gay best friend swears by this place! The bartenders are nice and friendly, and the drinks are cheap. Great for happy hour or hanging out with friends. Always something going on here. Feeding the animals is encouraged, lol!
Kyle is just as cute with his mask as without. Drinks are cold and delicious and the service is still great. The menu is bigger and better than ever. Give it a try!
Best LGBTQ+ bar in Austin! The bartenders are exceptional, the atmosphere is perfect, great place for Karaoke (Sunday & Wednesday night), and overall just a great comfy vibe!
Went while visiting Austin for the first time. Chill vibes. Mature and diverse crowd. Pool table. My type of place.
Amazing staff!!! Made me feel at home and just completely changed my experience when visiting Austin! Huge shoutout to Mac and Mike!! They completely Made our trip! Recommend and will come back every time!!!!!
The new and improved Iron Bear is fantastic. This bar (which was formally located on 8th and Colorado) has officially moved to 6th and Lavaca. This LGBT “bear” bar has some of the best quick bar eats in the area and for a good price. A very inclusive group of people frequent this bar from locals to tourists. Known for the bear scene, they are also well known in the leather community with their inclusion of gear nights. They also have amazing karaoke nights on Wednesdays and Sundays and poker nights on Tuesdays. If you want something fun to do stop by the bear. It’s an amazing new gem here on 6th street.
When it comes down to quality ...if that is important to you happy hour at this establishment when Al is working will have u coming back again and again.The people that are here during his shift march the quality of his understand of a good drink good conversation and it goes on from there.3-9 mon-wed and sat.Tom W
I love the jukebox and friendly atmosphere.
If you like onion rings they have a kitchen that makes the best huge onion rings and Austin there are hamburgers is beyond compare to any other Burger in the city well-stocked bar small dancing floor and karaoke nights
Great music played by and around the mosf fun and sexy people this side of the Amazon! Good n stiff drinks made by the cutest and sweetest peeps you will ever meet♡
$10 a beer is a little steep
Such a lovely layout, bartenders are great with recommendations for menu & cocktails. Will definitely be returning with an entourage in the near future.
Burgers or Quesadillas always good!
Fun gay bar but very loud and busy - and the craziness of 6th street on a weekend is no joke!
The drinks are heavy poured. Thats a good thing! They have two pool tables. They love their drink specials. Its a fun place to grab a pre-drink or finish your night.
Always a friendly face behind the bar, and the crowd is as interesting as it is diverse. Great prices, food on Sundays, AND A BEER BUST! overall its a great place to chill on a sunday afternoon.
Me and my husband came from Houston to enjoy Austin and the door men is very rude and disrespectful we spend our time at The Land of free brave and it was nice spot. I DONT RECOMMEND THAT PLACE !
Well maybe I wasnt expecting anything that that bar is...I thought it would be the leather kinda bar... I mean bears are usually within that range.Well let me tell you... with the giant window with transparent glass you know that the eagle jockstrap night aint happening here lolWent on a Monday, ok usual slow night anywhere... it was video game night. Great to meet geeks (I think geek are sexy but still... not in my leather bar)So basically it s a basic gay bar to me, period.
Cheers always glorified a bar where everybody knows your name. Growing up, I never thought that place for me would be a gay bear bar. But thats what The Iron Bear is for me. Its turned into my third space and I love it more than any other bar in Austin. Cheap drinks. amazing staff, and the occasionnal hottie make The Iron Bear better than any other gay joint in ATX.
Good bar with friendly staff and friendly, not uptight atmosphere. Pretty reliable place to watch sports; theyll put on what you want if you ask. Tabbed out works well here for convenience
A fantastic bar!!! Love the vibe!!!
Great place for a good time and cheap drinks. I enjoy the people here and the staff has been nothing but kind.
A great spot to wet your thirst.
Josh was incredible, give that man a raise 🩷🩷🩷🩷
The biggest problem I have with this place is its insistence on filling up the bar with fake smoke. Its not the 80s. You cant cruise the guys or people watch because its that smokey. It gets so bad that people leave and go to 4th street. People dont come for the music. Its easy to park.
One bartender here rated a 10 for friendliness. He gave a smile to all. None of the other employees smiled.
Cheap drinks, great food, it’s a bit of a dive bar but the vibe is great and exactly what you would expect.
Best bar in Austin and my favorite bar ever. Best part of coming to Austin is 6th street
No liquor license yet but the food was great. We had excellent wings and chicken tenders today! 👍
Josh the sad clown was the best part of the night. 10/10 will be going again!
Very welcoming and nice atmosphere, even if you are not a bear. Very happy that this bar exists and glad I can go and hang out there.
Strong drinksBeautiful bearish staffGay Divas playing perfect Sunday fun dayMy burger was also perfect but who goes for the food 😂
Great for everyone. Fun karaoke nights, costume parties. Some nights they have DJ. Cos-play on some weekends. Friendly staff too.
I hate it when their hot bartenders steal on the oxygen out of the room, but that suffocation is worth it
This bar makes everyone feel like home. Open to everyone to have a great time and make life long friends. Fantastic staff
The new location is AMAZING!!! and the food too! I had the Sleepy Bear burger with sweet-potatoes fries and it was delicious!!! and the staff is the best!
If you want to be treated super badly and contemptuously at the entrance, come to this place where the older man who works at the entrance is always in a bad mood and likes to humiliate customers !!! inside it is totally different but the one at the entrance is the worst !!!
Karaoke on Wednesday and Sunday, starting at 9:30pm to close. Great bartenders, great drinks, and friendly atmosphere, just be friendly and smile!
Last night..2/1/20.. I drove 45 minutes to go to the bar.From Georgetown to Down Town Austin.when I arrived I saw that the bar was closed, although on the internet it said it was open.BTW..i paid for the parking
Oddly enough super dead on a karaoke night for Sunday Funday. But love the new location my first time since the update.
Should have given 0 stars , But cant . Came from houston to have a seat at a nice spit . Door man was as rude as hell and he refused service although there was no one inside . Went to another place and spent my money there
It’s fine but way too hot inside to where it’s uncomfortable and hard to move around when crowded with all the tables.
The bartenders ignore new people. You have to know them to be in.
Awesome place to imbibe and hang out with friends. I had a wonderful time with Garrett in the back bar and my friends.
Great atmosphere! Fair prices and the bartender Michael was fabulous and friendly! I highly recommend!
Cool bar. Fun and ejoyable with great drinks. Can get busy, but the more people the better. Fun to people watch lol. Was here Saturday night.
Best gay bar experience Ive ever had. Great place for friendly people and non-twinky guys.
Best bear bar. Hands down. Beer blast on Sundays and karaoke are my favorite times to be here.
The music in my car gets louder than it does on the dance floor here.
You would never expect this but the food they have is sooooo good and bartender Dustin is such a sexy thang to l👀k at!
New location. Just glad to see they have survived the pandemic in their new location. Ask for Kyle, hes great.
Great bar with good location
We had lunch...very flavorful burgers and great staff. Mac was so much fun!
Very small space on two levels. Small bar. Tiny outdoor seating area on sidewalk in front. Lots of large men. Boring.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I really needed an lgbt haven right now. The nicest, sweetest staff. Thank you for being open and working so hard! I really needed the atmosphere and community. Thank youuuuuu. Be back every daaaay!
Love having a Gay bear that is not on the fringes of town. It is clean, airy, good drinks and great free parking!
My favorite place nice staff and good drinks the price is awesome and highly recommended
Sat there for an 1hr and half for an order to not arrive.Spoke with the bartender and no luck. 5 groups were served after me. Was told, SOL.
Strong drinks. Sweet bartenders. Fun times.
Great place. Good daily specials and happy hour. Free dinner on Sunday
Fun bear bar, good atmosphere and better scenery.
Small venue but good prices, and excellent bartenders. Nice relaxed atmosphere.
Love this bar for many years and it won’t go away ever I love you iron bear 🐻❤️
I had no idea bars this close to sixth street could be so clean. Great margaritas. Great people.
Wow, so Covid is over here, its been a long while since I have been in a place this loud. Wonderful place full of smiles.
Drinks where expensive.. Some of the karaoke singers were great, others my ears Bled..
25 out of 5 stars. This place is pretty much my favorite bar ever.
I have tried most all the food there and the food is in st as good as there drinks.
.Only had beers, but the service was great. Highly recommend!
Love love love this place. Great burgers, corn dogs and fries too!
Everyone knows bears are the friendliest! Try out the burgers and bear punch you wont regret it!
Be sure to get a drink from Gerold & Gerald.Both great guys for many, years.Very friendly staff.
Great venue. Always a reason to visit with their variety of theme nights and charity events.
A great place for the bigger, hairy gay man. My husband and I come here every time we come to Austin.
I love this place so much.I look forward to gear night and seeing my friends.
Friendly folks, lots of laughs, and great bartenders. I instantly felt right at home.
Great new location on 6th!! Staff are awesome, especially Josh (AKA Dimples)
Great place, great drinks! Very friendly vibe! GERRRRRRR
Best place for get a drink and some food. Awesome service
Super fun and friendly bar. A great alternative from 4th street.
So glad to see Mac at Iron Bear. We loved him at BT2. Glad to see him here.
Affordable drinks in a very chill and welcoming atmosphere! 🏳️🌈
Great place to wind down the evening. Bar staff was great too.
Great, non-judgmental, and chill place to hang out. Support your local gay bar!
Full of ATTITUDE bar , but typical of the Nouveau Austin scene .
Great food, service, and star quality bears 🧸🧸
A really beautiful vibe. Lovely people!
Great food, drinks and service!!
A fun experience for people who enjoy conversations, interesting characters, and friendly staff!
Super fun bear bar in the heart of Austin. Will definitely be back.
Worst chicken wings I ever had
Relaxed and friendly crowd. Fun karaoke this night.
Decent gay bar for a drink
Food was great service could have been better
Friendly bartenders and welcome crowds. Karaoke night was a blast
A great time wonderful bartender i love it here
Food slow to arrive, grossly overpriced & delivered cold!
Good place to drink/eat.Xo
Great Gay Bar where anyone is welcome. ;-) bjh
Had to wait forever for my food..... Terrible... Unacceptable.....
Perfect pub to grab a beer and catch up with friends
THE hangout! Especially for a Sunday Funday Beer Bust!
I was impreased by the new loactions menu offering
Fun place to visit for the befurred among us.
Low key laid back and great atmosphere
Great food & Prices
Great food and awesome drinks
Lunch was meh, cant comment on the place at night.
All of the staff are sweet and is a fun time.
Lots of fun, safe place to party
Had a nice time. First time at the new location.
Fantastic place 1# in my book!
Loved it!
Best beer prices in town!
Why’s it smell like Fabuloso in here?!
YES!! what else to say? cept FREAKIN LOVE IT
Great food and great atmosphere
Fun place
Fun place, good food
Go for the karaoke! Its worth it.
Great atmosphere inclusive and friendly
Good day-drinking and special events.
Great burgers great service
Good bar
Always fun to be had at The Bear!
Good times and Great Memories
Love the new venue
Always a good time