C-Boys Heart & Soul

A quality dive bar with a definite Austin vibe. Came here for Christmas day and was pleased as punch to find that not only were they open, but there was a live band playing. The feel was relaxed and local: Most folks just enjoying themselves in whatever way they saw fit (dancing, drinking, schmoozing, or otherwise.)

The owner of this bar knows his stuff. This bar is near perfect. Music. Great! Cover charge… Totally reasonable! Bartenders. Friendly! Great outside patio! It’s the best thing to happen on South Congress brought to you by the man who owns my other favorite bar, the Continental Club.

The patio out back is pretty nice, but I came looking for live music. I wasn’t looking for a salsa band. Nothing against salsa, but not what I had in mind.

This is the kind of place that takes you back to the time when music was doo-​wops, did-​dees, and all the cool cats came to shake their tail feathers. I adore this place because it is romantically 1950’s-60’s décor, lighting, and even the bands and acts they book here totally encapsulates the vibes of being young, wild, and free.
Beers were a little pricey ($ 4.50 for Lonestar & $ 5 for a mixed well drink) but it was all good since I was having a dancing/​good ol’ time from seeing 2 live bands that evening. Whoever books the bands here is on point. Bravo! I look forward to seeing some more bands as I continue to frequent here.
Down side:
I was here with a friend that is wheelchair bound and noticed how hard of a time she had maneuvering in and out of the crowd. She couldn’t order her own drink because 1) the bar was too high for her to get the bartenders attention (it was crowded inside because of the bands) and 2) going in and out of the crowd was so tight for her that many people ended up banging into her legs and/​or falling back on her. The nice doorman did everything he could to accommodate my friend and I and even told us about the chairlift that allows anyone who needs it to be able to elevator it up to the 2^nd floor where I hear are some pool tables and addition seating.
Both my friend and I will be back in the future to have some more drinks and enjoy the bands, regardless. Thanks C-​Boys Heart & Soul for the accommodations, good time, and great tunes.

The cheesy exterior does not match how cool cool the interior is. It’s a dive bar/​jazz club and that is pretty awesome on SoCo.
Not one but two quality jazz bands showed up on a Tuesday evening for sets, the bartender was attentive and nice, and the back patio was big. Nice bar area. Good date spot.
I like this place and I will be back.

Wow, I just love this place. It is small and intimate and funky, yes funky! The night I was there Barfield played and I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing in a VERY GOOD way. He is magic and makes you giggle with delight!!! XXOO

Austin’s best kept dive bar. Friday night, upstairs bar, dark with red lights accented, oldies music playing, great bar tender. I’m sorry I haven’t come here sooner.

Great venue for live R&b. Super fun atmosphere and moderate priced drinks. Great place to swing by if you are visiting Austin.

I really loved this bar and wish I could have stayed. Super hip, chill vibe. Everyone there was older (maybe 30s), reasonably priced drinks, good music, room to dance, and good service from cool bartenders. I just hated I couldn’t stay longer.

Typical dive bar with typical rude staff. The band was pretty good on a Friday night but were playing songs even my parents would call old and boring. If funk and simplicity is your thing this is your place.
A round of Shinerbrock will run you about 50 bucks with tip.

Came in to get away from the rain and have a beer.
This place is a few blocks up, away from the majority of the restaurants and shops on S. Congress. From the outside, this place looks like a weird «trying too hard» nightclub… it’s a little intimidating. All concrete with writing on the walls – supposed to entice you?
We were the only people in the place, but it was 4:00 in the afternoon! The bartender was very pleasant and told us about the music starting around 9. Said things get pretty busy on the weekends and caters to a blues music crowd that enjoys dancing.
We enjoyed some local beers while listening to old Motown on the radio. An old movie played on the TV above the bar. Beers were about $ 4 and the prices for the other drinks seemed reasonable.
Still can’t quite get a true feel for the place, will update review if we go back. But, our short visit was nice enough!

Tamika Jones was great last night. Friendly crowd, half wanting to hear hear her and the other half wanting to be there and hear themselves talking. Good service from friendly waitress.

Just saw an incredible show here. Sound was great, vibe was great. These guys book serious talent. They need to raise the stage a solid 1 – 3 feet because it’s impossible to see the artists unless you’re in the front row.

Can’t wait to go back to this place. Love the crowd and vibe here. We stumbled in while exploring south congress. We couldn’t stay long as they were about to clear out for a sold out show but staff was friendly and drinks reasonably priced. Just seems like a cool place and sometimes I’m a cool dude.

When I heard Trophy’s was closing, I poured a few beers out for them. After all, Trophy’s was the epitome of 78 704 living.
However, when I heard what Trophy’s was going to become, my heart instantly warmed when I realized that there would no longer be cockroaches crawling all over the place, nor toothless patrons hogging all the prime bar spots. (Hey, it was part of the charm…)
The new C-​Boys is two stories of pure class, outfitted with record players, a lovely sound system, red romantic lighting and plenty of ice cold drinks.
I definitely want to make this my new home bar… it certainly makes me pretty happy to see familiar faces here, the more I swing on by.

This place is so good. Bartender Shaun made all our drinks above and beyond our expectations. Doesn’t hurt that he’s such a hottie. Love this place, I can’t even…

Went on a Friday at 9 PM. It was deader than an episode of Ghost Hunter. 4 – 5 staffers to 3 patrons total. Staffers seemed bored and almost annoyed we were there. Bartender wasn’t very friendly, 2 lame beers on tap, mosquito-​infested inside and outdoors.
I feel since it is Austin all places need at least a few craft beer options. This spot seemed to be more of a cocktail joint.
Re: Mosquitos — I totally expect everywhere in Austin to have Mosquitos outdoors. If I am indoors at your bar, I shouldn’t get murdered by Mosquitos in a booth. Maybe have spray out, close the front door where the bouncer sits, or consider adding a fan or something to prevent them from making it uncomfortable inside.
On the positive — south side around congress needs some spots open after 10pm. Décor was cool. Nice retro stage too. Loved the custom door leading out to the back patio.

This place just oozes «cool». I almost don’t want to write a review because I feel like I want to keep it a secret! (Mind you, this place had a line out the door so it is no secret).
The décor is classic and beautiful and unlike any other place in Austin. From the glitzy backdrop for the band, to the disco ball, to the glittery walls in the bathrooms, this place just has «it».
The band playing was The Lost Counts and they were great! They had everyone dancing.
The bar upstairs is also very cool. I’m really looking forward to coming back. I love that it is a little secluded in that it’s a little bit separate from the busy part of S. Congress or any of the other bar strips in town.

You know that song everyone knows how to play on the piano? Dun dun dun… dundundundundundun… yeah. It’s called Heart and Soul. And there are words: «Heart and soul, I fell in love with you, Heart and soul, the way a fool would do, Madly… Because you held me tight, And stole a kiss in the night… «
I don’t want to bore you with more information other than to say I couldn’t get that damn song out of my head after our trip to C-​Boys. And now, good luck getting it out of yours.
I didn’t have the same love for Trophy’s that a lot of other people did. It was a hell hole. The bathroom was atrocious, the back area was like a terrifying prison yard and more often than not, the music induced rage. Enter C-​Boys. Last night we checked this spot out and they’ve done an incredible job of renovating it.
First things first, that door is tricky. It has a tiny handle in one of the decorative «ribs.» Each of us in turn went upstairs after trying and failing to find the handle. Thankfully the gorgeous and friendly bouncer let us in. We ordered drinks, checked out the «Jade Room» upstairs, enjoyed the sweet stylings of blues on vinyl and tried to puzzle out the Sinatra movie on repeat.
It’s snazzy, stylish, comfortable with booths that will fit friends or luvvvvvers. The drink prices were reasonable and they were amenable to my feedback about the musty taste of the water. In the spring and fall, the outside will be packed, given that they’ve built a gorgeous deck out back. I look forward to spending many an evening at C Boys before people start packing in like sardines.

When you say, «A new R&B/soul bar, by the Continental Club people, just opened on South Congress!» you can bet your bippy I’ll make my way over there as soon as I possibly can.
Hence, Friday night I went. They only feature music acts on Friday and Saturday nights, at present, and I’d sooner eat a leper’s arm than miss the opportunity.
And this place has already gotten a lot of buzz, and was pretty crowded when I got there at 7:30. Luckily for me, a spot in the dirt parking lot out back opened up just as I arrived.
Providence? Perhaps so!
They’ve got the Original New Orleans Po’ Boy & Gumbo Shop trailer on the patio, and thank gawd for that. I hadn’t eaten all day, and I love me a good shrimp po’ boy. And this one was guuuuuud, but that’s for another review.
Upstairs on the south side of the building, adjacent to the food trailer, you’ll find The Jade Room. It’s drenched in red, though, and it has bay windows (neat!).
The acoustics really stink in The Jade Room, and the crowd seemed to follow me up there, so I didn’t stay too long.
I really did like the rich, romantic, red darkness of it, though.
The price differences between C-​Boys and Jade are stark. I paid $ 4 for a vodka soda at C-​Boys, but paid $ 5.50 for the same upstairs. Yowch! I’ll stay downstairs, thanks!
The funk/R&B band was totally hot, and a shiny, HUGE disco ball intermittently blinded me. It wasn’t as huge as the balls of some of the guys in the bar tonight, based on their behavior.
Oh, and aside from the huge, shiny disco ball, there’s a gold, glittery backdrop on the stage, and plenty of shiny things in the ladies’ restroom.
They’d better hope raccoons don’t break in after closing.
They also have a TURNTABLE and RECORDS, so you know I automatically love this place.
I really can’t say enough good things about C-​Boys, so I’ll just shut up now.