#227: Bluff's

The Bar

Bluff's. 1107 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

Visited 2/27/2026 @ 9pm.

The Drink

Jalapeño business. Tequila, triple sec, jalapeño lime, tajín. $10.

When I asked the bartender for his recommendation, he initially tried to beg off because this was in the very first hour of his very first shift here. Well, too bad! I'm on a quest here, man! In truth, he did just fine, as the spicy margarita he eventually made me was just fine. His compatriot behind the bar lent a hand, both conceptually - he was the beverage director - and in the actual pouring. I confess that I find myself somewhat at a loss for something interesting to say about this drink, given how solid it was; despite being the single most popular cocktail in America, margaritas are not generally a drink that people rhapsodize over. No matter: it was strong, tasty, and cheap, and I would recommend it unhesitatingly. We also had a round of espresso martinis that were delicious, and I would recommend those as well.

The Crew

Aaron, Carter, Ishani, Elijah.

Notes

Bird's Barbershop, the not-really-a-bar that snuck on this list thanks to the salesmanship of its staff, has moved a few blocks the street, its old location replaced as of January by Bluff's. Frustratingly, I couldn't learn much about this bar's story since the owners were not present and all of the staff were brand new. There's basically nothing about it online, not even a blurb from the normally extremely useful Eater Austin, aside from a surprisingly informative influencer video. I did learn that this is not a chain or branch location, and I am always heartened to see another bar started from passion rather than from pecuniary impulses alone. Otherwise this seemed like a fairly typical Dirty Sixth bar despite being on East Sixth; I am not sure if this portends any cultural shift of the "grungy/touristic" vibe eastwards into the "hipper/laidback" zone, but it was perfectly pleasant while we were there. Some of us needed a snack, so after a long conversation with a fellow patron about the woeful history of the Jets, we decided to get a round of pondering Iron Whips (the best frozen cocktail in the game) and some Jewboy sliders at Violet Crown next door before tackling Buckshot, the third and final official stop of the night.