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# Equipment Room – Unique speakeasy restaurant in Austin, TX

Located at 1101 Music Ln, Austin, TX, Equipment Room is a unique speakeasy-style restaurant that offers a blend of music, food, and cocktails. Known for its intimate atmosphere and themed music nights, this hidden gem has quickly become a favorite among locals and visitors alike. The venue is situated in the basement of an old hotel, enhancing its charm with a vintage vibe. Guests rave about the extensive in-house record collection and the exceptional sound system, making it a haven for music lovers. With a focus on community engagement and a diverse menu, Equipment Room continues to attract a loyal following, earning high praise for its ambiance and culinary offerings.

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I had been wanting to come here for the longest time, and then my boyfriend's sister got me a gift card for my birthday. YAY! It was grand. I love that they have themed music night events. For example, The Clash, Bowie, etc. They had a night (which I missed) where Miles Zuniga (Austin local) of the band Fastball hosted. They do all sorts of cool music-related things here. It's really a rad little speakeasy for music lovers. They are literally located in the basement of an equipment room for an old hotel. The in-house record collection is nothing short of spectacular. Drinks and food are good. The ambiance is awesome. The entire experience is just that, an experience. An extremely good one at that. Reservations are a must.

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we booked the reservation through Resy. No issues at the door and our table was available promptly at the start of our event . We came for the outkast, Aquemini listening party. We started with a couple signature drinks off of the menu the Mamacita, which was like a Paloma and the Rosa Parks, which tasted like liquor in a cup with a splash of grenadine. I also ordered something off of the menu which was their espresso martini. The Mamacita and the martini we're both great and I would order them again. 18$ each. We also had the crab tostadas which came in three bite-size pieces for $15 - flavor was great but super small serving . guac and chips which I think was also $15 was flavorfully but very runny more like a salsa then a guac & finally a order of the shishito peppers which was intresting and missing some acidity to really make them pop. We did think the experience would have a little more narration throughout the playlist, but we did get the experience of having someone who hosted a release party for this album in the room who shared a lot of great information with us at the end of the listening session. they really promote moving throughout the room during the listening experience to hear different tones and tunes depend depending on where you're sitting they also had headphones throughout the establishment which you could grab and listen to which I thought was pretty cool. I do feel like the sound system was really not that great and it could use a little more bass and volume. Our server was great, very attentive and provided great suggestions throughout our experience. Over all we enjoyed our time here but everything was quite pricy (duh right, look at the location?!) and again we expected more from the sound system over all.

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A 'hidden' Japanese-inspired speakeasy located in plain sight next to Hotel Magdalena. It's located on the left side of the hotel (if you're facing it from the street) and it has a bright black box that says "EQ". Highly recommend RSVP on Resy as there is limited seating. Intimate vibes with surround sound & a DJ playing lofi music - sometimes it's almost hard to hear others talk then sometimes it's super low lol. Bartenders here are friendly and knowledgable. The cocktail menu has three parts: A-sides (your classic cocktails you know and love with a twist), B-sides (your bartenders take on cocktails and I think it's named after vinyls), and a menu for beer and sake. I got the Pink Lady and Daisy Mae - both were good drinks and semi-sweet. CK got the Casio and the coconut milk foam made it taste overly sweet - but the drink itself was..interesting (maybe cause of the fish sauce). They also offered light bites here, but we didn't get a chance to try it since we were full from dinner. Definitely coming back to check out next time I'm in Austin!

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Take a stroll down Music Lane slightly away from South Congress to reach an elegant speak easy with a rad vinyl music selection played through their audio setup of custom Klipsch speakers of La Scalia Heritage, Heresy Heritage IV, and R-121 Subwoofers, or though their SIVGA SV021 Robin Classic headphones of which they have at least 6 pairs--though you can only hookup in 3 parts of the room: 1) the left side of the bar, 2) the seating area next to the bookcase, and 3) the seating area next the wall that is to the right of the bathroom hallway. When you first approach the plain and minimal entrance and open it, there will be someone there to greet you, lead you down some steps through a dimly lit corridor, pulling aside a curtain and revealing a very charming, dimly lit space. On Saturdays, they open at 2pm; reservations (at the time of this writing) are made through Resy, where you can reserve a seat at the bar or at a "table"--really more like a low coffee table, where you'll sit on cushioned couches or chairs. Sitting at the bar on a Saturday afternoon, the bartender will be friendly and explain the menu to first-timers. Yet, as the sole bartender working the bar, she'll inadvertently look quite busy by the time you leave and the place starts was filling up. Searching for a good non-alcoholic cocktail bar can be challenging at times. The Equipment Room offerings change from time to time; their non-alcoholic options seem to have shrank over time. Currently, 3 non-alcoholic cocktails + 1 low-alcoholic option which can be made non-alcoholic are offered. Previous versions of their menu appear to offer a larger set of options. Quite eager to try some, we ordered a total of 3 NA drinks and while they were more on the interesting side and tasted quite fine, it is a rarity to see a NA beverage executed with as many compelling dimensions as the Protea from Julia Momose of Kumiko or the simple yet very well executed Coconut Woman from Virtue Restaurant. The NA drinks here could be refined more. Technocumbia -- Best Day Brewing Electro-Lime NA Cerveza, grapefruit cordial, lime, shot of Ginger Bonbuzz Slowburn. This one is essentially beer, with a ginger shot on the side. It's fizzy, smells (but doesn't taste) like piss, and has a nice bitterness reminiscent of grapefruit juice (or is it the beer?). The description claims to be spicy, but this is not capsaicin spice. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to put the shot in the drink or not, so I alternated sips between each. The shot flavor was segmented into layers for some reason. The top layers were extremely bitter and gave off ginger shot vibes. The bottom layers were gingery and sweet. Excess beer accompanied the drink in the original can. I was not ecstatic about this drink due to the urine smell it gave off (I'm not a beer drinker, and none of the other 5 beers I've had before had any urine smell), and the topside bitterness to the ginger shot was akin to asking a small child to have a nice big bite of bitter melon for the first time, or continuing to eat the grilled sambal striped bass from Siti (where the burnt charred skin edges imparted a terrible bitterness to the fish)--I'm all for bitter flavors, but the bitter topside is what I classify into a negative bitterness experience. Would not order again. Trees and Flowers -- Gunpowder Green Tea Ritual NA Gin, Lyre's Triple Sec, aquafaba, sakura syrup, Bonbuzz Slowburn, NA absinthe. This one was floral, slightly sweet and slightly sour. Good smells and surprisingly a good amount of texture to a drink. The foam almost has a gel-like consistency. Would order again. XS (made NA) -- Lustau Fino Sherry, Giffard NA Pineapple Liqueur, passionfruit, lime, blue spirulina, mirin, dragonfruit syrup, Liquid Rizz. The sourness from the passionfruit is tempered down with sweetness. Garnished with a thin slice of dragon fruit. Also, it's blue from the spirulina. Could order again. Chicken Karaage -- I'd order this again; it had a good combination of textures. The chicken is served with thick wooden skewers, pickled garlic, herbs, and a small vessel of kewpie mayo. I would reorder this. Okonomiyaki Waffles -- I was envisioning Okonomiyaki toppings on a waffle. So, yes, that's what it is, though, the three mini waffles were a bit greasy (seemed fried?) and each overall bite was a bit salty. I would skip this next time. Kobayashi Dog -- I liked the smoked sausage; it was less salty than your standard hotdog. It came in a pretzel bun, and apparently had tomato slices alongside it (which I failed to notice while eating). Equipment Room is here for the music and the intimate atmosphere. Food and beverages not tried this time around can be attempted in the future. Additionally, there will be opportunities to visit again when their menu updates.

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This is a beautiful speakeasy right underneath the Summer House on Music Lane restaurant. You'll see the EQ sign above a black door, right by the little road parallel to South Congress. I was able to show up around 7pm on a Tuesday and get in, but like other reviews say, it can get pretty packed on weekend nights. The sound system is as good as everyone makes it sound. I even tried the headphones and the sound was so textured and scratchy I loved it. I got the Lady Marmalade which was pretty strong and funky due to the bleu cheese. It wasn't my favorite drink ever, but if you have a refined taste, you would like it. I would definitely try a non-alcoholic drink the next time, since apparently they're just as deluxe. I also got the whipped guac with wontons and the wontons are amazing. I asked for a second order of them and munched through them.

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Hidden Gem The vibes here are always on point. I've never have had a bad time and always hear something new. Honor and Cody are the best servers too. We tried the chicken karrage, tuna ceviche, and lobster rolls and they were excellent. I don't drink so I can comment on their selection but everything looked good. Pro Tip: Make reservations at least a week in advance a request for headphones. Trust me. This place is slowly becoming popular. Great place for a date if you want to impress your date too. 10/10 Headphones

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First speakeasy on the trip! Great vibes, cool spot to listen to some records and nice selection of mocktails. Thanks Cody for making it a memorable visit for our friends birthday and gifting her a house made popcorn! Cody was also accommodating if our drinks weren't to our liking. Cool vibes, records, the decor and great selection of music that was playing! * Carnitas Wontons - smoked heritage pork, avocado salsa verde, lime, onions * Cheese Board - domestic and imported cheeses, yuzu marmalade, seeded crackers, dried fruit 33 RPM (Non-Alcoholic) * Multi-Love - Ritual Gin, Lyre's Rosso Aperitif, Bonbuz Slowburn, Gifford Aperitif, Tennyson Black Ginger, Pathfinder, blood orange, orange oil $15 * The Underdog - Pear Cinnamon Amazake, Seedlip Spice 94, yuzu, shiso tincture, blue lotus flower $15 * Million Reasons - Odd Bird Blanc de Blanc, Giffard Elderflower, strawberry balsamic shrub, lemon, soda $15 * Riviera Paradise - Bonbuz Slowburn, Giffard Aperitif, Lyre's Orange Sec, Pathfinder, falernum, pineapple, lime $15

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This place is so pretentious. The drinks were great but the whole vibe is a bit weird. We were told to go wait elsewhere for our reservation and finally just walked back to see what was going on. We were seated, but late and then still were basically thrown out 1.45 hours from when we were supposed to be seated. This place just tries too hard and the staff makes you feel like it's a privilege to be there.

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Such a cool vibe. Great music and food bites. Loved the karaage. Service was good too. Would come back

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The sound system was something to behold. Like you're in front of an orchestra without needing earplugs, this place was sonic butter. The balance of flavors and textures in the whipped guac was near perfection, and my "bottom of the river" cocktail was extraordinarily refined.

Discover the Equipment Room in Austin's vibrant 78704 area—an iconic restaurant blending local flavor with unforgettable dining experiences. Book your visit now.

Equipment Room in Austin, TX - Unique Local Dining Experience

Austin

Equipment Room

Texas

Discover Equipment Room in Austin, TX for a lively music scene, great food, and unforgettable nights. Perfect for music lovers and foodies alike! Book now.

Experience Equipment Room in Austin, TX - Unique Music Venue & Dining

Learn about Equipment Room in Austin, TX, a vibrant spot combining live music, delicious food, and a welcoming atmosphere. Visit us for a memorable experience.

About Equipment Room in Austin, TX - Your Music & Dining Destination

Opening hours for Equipment Room, Austin, TX. Find opening hours for Equipment Room, Austin, TX on 1101 Music Ln, Austin, TX.

Equipment Room – Unique speakeasy restaurant in Austin, TX

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