Midnight Cowboy

OUR ARTICLE

You could walk by a hundred times and still miss it – and that’s exactly how they want it. It’s how the aged Victorian-style building— which has made its living off of the idea of deception—has always wanted it. For over 30 years, a white sign reading “Midnight Cowboy Modeling Oriental Massage” projected from the side of the unassuming building on 6th Street in downtown Austin. The sign eventually came down after an FBI raid, closing forever one of Austin’s most infamous brothels and birthing life into what is now the best speakeasy in the Liberal City of Austin.

So cowboy up and come ready for an experience; we guarantee one of the happiest endings to an exceptionally tasty night.

Midnight Cowboy is a reservation bar, and it’s best kept that way, as its exclusivity creates a safe haven from the madness of 6th Street. While the notorious sign has come off the building, the bar still exhibits the same elusive mystique. Seen only by a red bulb that illuminates from the exterior wall, the bar is easier to miss than a gray hair on Matthew McConaughey’s mane. If walk-in tables are available, the Vacancy sign above the door will light up. Ring the buzzer on the door marked “Harry Craddock” and prepare for a mouthwatering massage of cocktail delight.

Once inside you will be escorted to a booth and handed menus featuring your nighttime selections. A bartender with the magic touch will provide tableside service, mixing up drinks that will make you float higher than a trip on Willie Nelson’s tour bus. We suggest you start off with a classic, the Vieux Carré. No massage oils needed for this experience, just Rye Whiskey, Cognac, Dolin Rouge, Benedictine, and Lemon Zest.

Midnight Cowboy is the cocktail bar that every great city needs—delicious drinks, hard to find, and an edgy story. So cowboy up and come ready for an experience; we guarantee one of the happiest endings to an exceptionally tasty night.