Somewhere in the middle of the Sixth street chaos lies a nice little getaway from the what can sometimes be overwhelming masses outside.
The first time I hung out at Darwins I was actually just looking for a decently clean and quiet place to cool my heels during South by Southwest. Right away the very open floor plan made the bar feel very inviting and casual. The bartender was incredibly friendly, skilled and quick. It wasn't until later that I found out that our bartender CJ was also the owner. It was kind of cool to see a bar owner working in his own bar in the middle of the day.
Darwins has a single pool table in the front corner next to a very cozy corner booth, there is a stage in the opposing corner that sometimes features everything from acoustic bands to full on rock acts. The crowd is always very friendly and much more laid back than a lot of the people on the street on a weekend. The atmosphere always makes you want to just sit around and share Austin stories.
This is a great first stop on any trip downtown and a great place to escape from the crowds outside and just take in a little quality bartending and simple evolution.
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