Sahara Lounge

Have you seen the east? The east awaits. Time moves on and bones grind down and turn to dust, but the east is there, awaiting its pilgrimage. So go forth from the cannibal land of anonymous glass towers and Red Bull vodkas and forearm snake tattoos and come see East Austin, home of the renowned Sahara Lounge.

Venture out to this slower, quieter stretch of town to catch the elusive feel of Old Austin. Go east until the roads start to wind and the crickets sing a little louder and you'll find the dusty, neon-soaked gravel parking lot where the Sahara Lounge juts out like a blurry desert mirage. Step inside and it won't take long to see that the place is a different breed, a remnant of bygone times.

Sahara Lounge actually opened in 2011, which isn't that long ago. But the building itself wore the garb of different establishments over the years, when the neighborhood used to be called the "Hog Pen," the air was clean, and the Greenbelt had water.

Dating back to 1962, the space was known as the Lincoln Drive In, then RC's, then TC's Lounge. Much like the rest of the city, it has changed a bit. Though locals say that it still has the spirit of old—a valuable commodity in these times. Maybe they'll turn this place into a museum one day, in the future, when it's surrounded by modern-farmhouse duplexes and driverless cars rule the streets and cyborg punks snort crushed up microchips in the bathroom.

Don't miss the big, Vegas-style sign laying in the backyard that looks like it was perched atop a roadside motel at some point. Stick around for the excellent live music, which can range from blues to funk to slow-burn country on any given night. While the music hangs in the air, shoot some stick by the pool tables or light up a smoke on the back patio and let the time pass on by.

After all, it's no use trying to catch it.