Monday, January 7, 2008

Kellee's Place at the Corner of East 6th and Pedernales in Austin










Just in case you hadn't noticed, Sixth Street east of the Interstate has recently become a hotbed for residential loft construction in Austin, Texas. Condos and coffee shops are going in everywhere but the yuppification all ends at Pedernales Street not far past the Post Office. After that, the area takes on the real feel of what East Austin is, was and hopefully will remain to be. I really doubt that change won't come, but I plan to hold onto that belief for as long as possible because I like this little joint a lot. The first time I saw it I was bewildered, from the outside it looked tiny but I was going to the new trendy bar down the street so I didn't pay it much mind. Then a year ago last November I asked my niece and her boyfriend and his sister to join me for breakfast at El Azteca on Seventh Street. After a great meal we went looking for a place to have a beer or two and immediately I remembered the white cinder block bar near the corner of East 6th Street and Pedernales that I had been to once before, and I drove there. They were closed but Kellee's was open. How fortuitous for us. The beer is cheap, the people are friendly and the jukebox is filled with Tejano, Cajunto, Norteno and Stevie Ray Vaughn. The first time I went there was a Saturday and the older gentleman behind the bar was the host with the most. Today his son was waiting bar and all I can say is, like father like son. If they own the property I expect they will soon be rich. If they don't I expect they will soon be moving this cool little bar to another location. In the meantime go on in and have a couple of beers or a Coke. They have Miller, Miller Lite, Bud, Bud Lite and Corona for the upscale dudes who like to pay three dollars instead of two and I'm sure you'll be welcomed even if you just sit there and soak up the ambiance, but I always go the cheap route and put the extra bucks in the tip jar or the jukebox or both. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFfOPEZcxR0

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This bar rocks!!! Sorry to see this beer joint coming to an end