Mickey’s Thirsty-I-Lounge

Mickey sold the bar! :(But it is now owned by the wonderful Giovanni, who has done some great work around the place.

«What the hell is that place» seemed to be the question on everyone’s mind in my car when driving by this little charmer. Or should I say «salty looking establishment».
Not one to step down from a dive challenge a few friends and I entered the doors of Mickey’s Thirsty Lounge and were stared up and down like «y’all aint from here» in an old 70’s western. It would have deterred me under normal circumstances but the waitstaff was friendly even if the patrons looked at us suspiciously. To be fair we weren’t wearing denim overalls or trucker hats.
Hearing Thirsty’s was BYOB we had armed ourselves to the teeth with Coors.
Thirsty’s is strictly no frills kinda place, they have sawdust on the floor and the interior is basically cheap plywood but what it does have is authenticity. This place is on the outskirts of Austin for a reason, its one of the last surviving nitty gritty dives that will make an impression on anyone who ventures through its doors.
I think there was a sign that says «NO FIGHTING» which Thirsty’s is famed for so if you have a friend with a bad temper or an active imagination I would steer clear of this place.
Yippee Kai Yay

Mickey’s Thirsty Lounge is a wonderful little place. A pile of old wood, cheap beer, and regulars who look like they’ve been coming for 20 years straight. Absolutely worth a visit! This is the king of dive bars in Austin; it doesn’t get any dive-​ier than this.

As far as dive bars go, this is the holy of holies. A place to make your spiritual dive bar trek. It is like lala and ginny became lesbian lovers and had a child. The infamous Calysta J and I stumbled upon this place Friday and in some freaky twist of fate, it was karaōke night. And it was BYOB. And I’m not sure I’ll ever not smell like a ciggy again.
So we walked in, took in our first lungful of marlboro smoke and decided it was worth one lonestar to see what the night held. So first, the bathrooms. Freakishly clean. It was actually pretty impressive. I am used to the horror pit of other dive bars. Not this place. And bonus, the side table to put your stuff in had tiles with figures from the Canterbury Tales on them (i.e. Nuns priest). Dont know if chaucer would have been proud or horrified.
As we exited the bathroom, this string bean of a 70 year old cowboy started doing high kicks and stripper moves to a country and western song being karaoked very well actually. Later we would learn that his name was Larry, that he’d been singing and playing since he was 12 and that he actually did the jingle for his apartment complex, next to his truck to the tune of Folsom Prison blues. He had a handle of jack in a specs bottle and three roses he’d picked up for his social wife, who indeed was flitting around and making friends. My favorite part of the bar was the signage: The sign for their selection had «can beer» on it and the budweiser neon had the red/​white of the TX flag mixed up. I can pretty much guarantee that’s a collectors item.
Well that one beer turned into two (Thanks Larry!) and we stayed until the bar closed (midnight) and damn if that wasn’t some of the most hilarious fun I’ve had in a while. And the folks in attendance were just as I described them — but they were also very welcoming and friendly and chatty and that, my friends, is why if someone gives me the option to go to Mickeys or any place on west sixth, I will gladly drive to parmer and hang out with Larry and his crowd. At the heart of it, those people have a kind of class that can’t be found anywhere near an Ed Hardy T Shirt.

Best dive bar in Austin!!! Cheap beer, bring your own liquor (setups are sold), and a satellite-​run jukebox with literally everything on it. Not to be missed if you like lala’s, poodle dog, etc.

When I first moved into my house, I asked my neighbor-​friend to check this place out with me. I had visions of it becoming our favorite friendly neighborhood bar, but he said it looked too sketch and made me go to Bennigan’s for karaōke instead. Bo-​ring! Fast-​forward 5 years and I have now befriended a braver soul that will venture into the unknown with me. In the middle of the day, we walked over and wondered if it would be open. As we walked up, we were greeted by the stench of stale cigarettes. We opened the door to what surely was a scene in a Cohen Brothers movie. Dark, smoky, two bikers that seemed to be regulars, tv blaring, and the nice bar lady rasped, «What can I get ya, sug?» Cold, cheap beers for sure. There is a $ 4 charge for credit cards, so bring cash. I think they have karaōke on weekends. And there are lots of signs that say «no fighting». While it’s probably too late to become my favorite friendly neighborhood bar, it has that homey, divey, slightly seedy vibe I just can’t resist.

Been to Mickeys a few times. Everyone is
is cheap and cold. Oh and bonus.,…bathroom is always clean! Stop by, dont except anything fancy… its a true dive bar but you will make a new friend or two.

I actually grew up fairly near Mickey’s, but never went there until February 2010, I’m ashamed to admit. With an hour or so to kill before I had to pick up my wife nearby, I decided to stop and check this neat looking old place out.
Mickey’s is the kind of tiny old spot that you walk into and everyone stops to have a look at you. You get the feeling you’re walking into someone’s home while they have company, only you are warmly welcomed to come on in.
I sat on a stool at the bar and ordered a $ 2 can of Budweiser and had a nice chat with the barmaid about the origins of the bar, and discovered it’s the oldest beer bar north of the Colorado. Apparently they’ve been slinging suds at Mickey’s for about 75 years!
The atmosphere at Mickey’s is that of a sincerely friendly, cozy, humble dive bar at its best. There’s a pool table and a jukebox, often a game of dominos being played by Mickey himself, whom I was introduced to by his fabulous wife Barbara, who kindly stopped to chat with «the new guy at the bar.» I also understand that the Friday night karaōke is a hoot, and I plan to check this out in person soon.
Beerwise, everything is in cans or bottles, and it’s pretty standard dive bar fare, though they do have Smirnoff (which my wife enjoys). Mickey’s also offers liquor set-​ups for $ 3, which means you can bring your own bottle of booze in! Happy hour is 4 – 7, when most beers are $ 2. Barbara also expressed a lot of interest in getting some local beers in, particularly Jester King, who she’d just read an article about.
If you’re ok with a can of Lone Star or a bottle of Smirnoff, and If you are looking for an authentic, undiscovered, historical old dive bar on the north side of town, I wholeheartedly recommend you stop by Mickey’s Thirsty «Eye» Lounge for a cold one, you’ll be glad you did!