#204: Woody's

The Bar

Woody's. 715 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78701

Visited 2/28/2025 @ 7pm.

The Drink

Ranch water. Espolon tequila, sweet & sour mix, Topo Chico, lime. $6.

I always say that one of the most fun things about this project is learning history, and I was delighted to discover that the humble ranch water, which in its elemental form is just a margarita with sparkling water, was not only invented in Austin mere blocks away at Ranch 616 (which unfortunately is just off Sixth Street and therefore not eligible for inclusion), but helped popularize Topo Chico as a sparkling water brand in Austin. I love learning about connections between everyday items, and even if Topo Chico has been part of the Coca-Cola beverage portfolio since 2017, it's still something I drink all the time. Woody's rendition of the classic is about as everyday as you can get: the humble workhorse Espolon tequila as a base, generic sweet & sour to mix, and the requisite Topo Chico with lime to top it off. Yes, I know sparkling water is sparkling water, but how many other sparkling water brands get songs about them? A solid drink at a solid price.

The Crew

Aaron, Rome.

Notes

I left Aris to join up with Rome at a place where cocktails weren't $20. It's important to note that Woody's is unrelated to Bob Woody, the infamous "mayor of Sixth Street". Instead, its name refers to the Woody's Brands holding group which also owns Little Woodrow's, the microchain of Houston-based bars who have a few locations in Austin, including the one about a hundred yards down the street. Woody's is brand new, having opened about a month ago when Woody's Brands bought The Dogwood and reopened it as a cocktail bar named DW's (hold that thought for a moment), then pivoted to a more affordable/downscale concept under the Woody's name, which is what you see here. There's a strong 60s retro vibe, with lots of pictures of Marilyn Monroe, JFK, etc., as well as the kind of groovy wallpaper that reminds me of the hotel carpet in Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas. I talk a lot on this blog about how the changing economics of the city practically guarantee that all new bars will be upscale $20 cocktail joints, but that is not always the case; this really feels like a legacy dive bar in its early days. We really appreciated that there are still cheap, unpretentious places opening up on Sixth Street these days, so we stuck around for another round enjoying the vibes before travelling back in time to DW's....