Cactus Cafe

Review №1

Rating: 3

I know this place has been around for well over 50 years which for Austin is something to write home about but the actual café is a little too small. The sound system is definitely not good and while the chairs are comfortable, there s just really no wiggle room it s kind of dank and smelly and definitely needs an overhaul and renovation

Date: 2 weeks ago

Review №2

Rating: 5

This place is something special- when the musicians are playing, the place is packed, and you can hear a pin drop. It s so intimate, and the sound quality is excellent, you really get to melt into it. I went for open mic and will be back for sure

Date: a month ago

Review №3

Rating: 5

Excellent little venue with an intimate environment.

Date: 2 months ago

Review №4

Rating: 5

great sound. intimate vibe

Date: 2 months ago

Review №5

Rating: 5

Beautiful, intimate venue where musicians really connect!

Date: 5 months ago

Review №6

Rating: 5

Excellent place. I highly recommend it

Date: 7 months ago

Review №7

Rating: 5

Attended Open Mic event at Cactus Cafe while visiting Austin Jan 2024. The artists were top notch, some professional with announced song release dates. Audience was warm to the newer artists if you re planning to perform, just keep in mind the high talent level can be intimidating. Place was packed, guessing 100 fans with standing room only for 20 in the back . arrive early if planning to attend. Located on UT campus, but parked on adjacent street off campus with short 5 min walk. No food or drink served in room during performances, but lots of places around nearby before and after. Free to attend.

Date: 8 months ago

Review №8

Rating: 5

Loved the music by Philp Gibbs with many good friends at Cactus Cafe. It is a Texas Land Mark place with great music, a sound system, and drinks.

Date: a year ago

Review №9

Rating: 5

Date: a year ago

Review №10

Rating: 5

Superb venue ... small, intimate, great sound and a well stocked bar to order your favorite cocktail, wine or ale! Always get excited when theres word of an artist coming through Austin with a stop schedule for The Cactus Cafe. Check it out!

Date: a year ago

Review №11

Rating: 4

Date: a year ago

Review №12

Rating: 5

Date: 2 years ago

Review №13

Rating: 5

Date: 2 years ago

Review №14

Rating: 5

This hidden gem is well worth your time. The music is always awesome and there is a full bar. I highly recommend the Cactus.

Date: 2 years ago

Review №15

Rating: 5

Date: 2 years ago

Review №16

Rating: 4

Date: 2 years ago

Review №17

Rating: 5

I just bought an Austin EastCider for 3.50. and its fkn watermelon flavored. does it get any better than that?

Date: 2 years ago

Review №18

Rating: 5

Date: 2 years ago

Review №19

Rating: 5

Date: 2 years ago

Review №20

Rating: 5

Date: 2 years ago

Review №21

Rating: 5

What jolly merry making to be had while watching whatever jester or bard work thy stage! Mine backbreaking indentured servitude is assuaged from watching such marvels spin their craft. Thy acoustics of thy room allow for much foot stamping and hand clapping. Tis room is on thy small side though, so while its cozy like sheep wool it becomes cramped like mine maidens arthritis for events with large attendance.

Date: 2 years ago

Review №22

Rating: 5

Date: 2 years ago

Review №23

Rating: 5

Date: 2 years ago

Review №24

Rating: 5

Great music and drinks!

Date: 2 years ago

Review №25

Rating: 1

Not open. We drove quite a way to go here. Its in the college.

Date: 3 years ago

Review №26

Rating: 5

Date: 4 years ago

Review №27

Rating: 5

Very Nice!!!

Date: 4 years ago

Review №28

Rating: 5

Date: 4 years ago

Review №29

Rating: 5

Date: 4 years ago

Review №30

Rating: 5

Date: 5 years ago

Review №31

Rating: 5

Date: 5 years ago

Review №32

Rating: 5

Date: 5 years ago

Review №33

Rating: 5

11:59 Songwriting performance blew me away. The creativity and camaraderie. The music, the laughs. Perfect way to end a weekend. What a classic venue

Date: 5 years ago

Review №34

Rating: 5

#old austin, baby. Everyone has played here. Chill student bartenders, eccentric profs holding office hours at the bar.

Date: 5 years ago

Review №35

Rating: 5

Date: 5 years ago

Review №36

Rating: 5

If you want to listen to acoustic music in a small club, this is the place to go. No serving of drinks during the show. No chit chatting while the performers are on the stage. What a concept.

Date: 5 years ago

Review №37

Rating: 5

I love thus place! Great cozy environment.

Date: 5 years ago

Review №38

Rating: 4

Cool place to go and relax at. Saw a guitar concert here and had a good time.

Date: 5 years ago

Review №39

Rating: 5

Date: 5 years ago

Review №40

Rating: 5

Legendary music venue in the University of Texas Union Building. Cool bar, tiny stage. The best of the best Texas outlaw players have been here. Tiny stage. Super cool venue.

Date: 5 years ago

Review №41

Rating: 5

Date: 6 years ago

Review №42

Rating: 5

If you love music, this place is one of the best ways to see it. Intimate venue. Quite and respectful audience. Great talent. Lesser known musicians. See them before everyone else does. And KUTX approved. Say no more.

Date: 6 years ago

Review №43

Rating: 5

Date: 6 years ago

Review №44

Rating: 5

Date: 6 years ago

Review №45

Rating: 5

Date: 6 years ago

Review №46

Rating: 5

Date: 6 years ago

Review №47

Rating: 5

Date: 6 years ago

Review №48

Rating: 5

Date: 6 years ago

Review №49

Rating: 4

Intimate setting with good acoustics. Bring a chair cushion if you can!

Date: 6 years ago

Review №50

Rating: 5

Fabulous intimate listening room.

Date: 6 years ago

Review №51

Rating: 4

Best place in Austin to listen to live music, up close and personal with staff that merely tolerates visitors.

Date: 6 years ago

Review №52

Rating: 5

Friendly place with good selections.

Date: 6 years ago

Review №53

Rating: 5

Date: 6 years ago

Review №54

Rating: 5

Best sounding listening room in town.

Date: 6 years ago

Review №55

Rating: 4

Great hideout on campus for some studying, group chat, or a drink. Also you can sneak away from the masses for lunch here due to the 21+ policy. Plenty of Zilker beer available also!

Date: 6 years ago

Review №56

Rating: 5

Date: 6 years ago

Review №57

Rating: 5

An incredible place to watch a concert. Billed as legendary and theres no question as to why.

Date: 6 years ago

Review №58

Rating: 3

Date: 7 years ago

Review №59

Rating: 4

I like getting a beer here after class. The staff is nice, and they have an Italian language group that meets here weekly

Date: 7 years ago

Review №60

Rating: 5

Date: 7 years ago

Review №61

Rating: 4

Best spot around campus for eclectic fare - music, talks, debates. Friendly staff

Date: 7 years ago

Review №62

Rating: 4

Intimate setting. Friendly bar staff. Usual campus-like venue.

Date: 7 years ago

Review №63

Rating: 4

Intimate place to see whatever you are seeing, small but cheap drinks!

Date: 7 years ago

Review №64

Rating: 5

Fantastic music venue, especially with beer in hand

Date: 7 years ago

Review №65

Rating: 5

Coolest tiny venue ever.

Date: 7 years ago

Review №66

Rating: 4

Date: 7 years ago

Review №67

Rating: 4

Date: 7 years ago

Review №68

Rating: 5

Date: 7 years ago

Review №69

Rating: 4

Date: 7 years ago

Review №70

Rating: 2

lol, it was suppose to be a bar. It does have drinks but it closes very early.

Date: 8 years ago

Review №71

Rating: 5

I lived in Texas for 22 years. This is the best tex-mex Ive found outside of Texas yet! I highly recommend the green enchiladas! They remind me of Chuys Stacked Enchiladas... before they went downhill (for any Austinites reading this!)

Date: 8 years ago

Review №72

Rating: 4

This is a wonderful intimate Austin gem. Its a fun excuse to visit the campus. Make sure you get there early to secure a seat and good luck with parking, be prepared to walk.

Date: 8 years ago

Review №73

Rating: 5

This venue is amazing. The staff that keep the place running have a beautiful historic building. This is one of the most intimate music venues I have ever been to. Community coming together and supporting musicians from all over the globe. Thank you again Cactus Cafe ,& KUT for your service to music and artists.

Date: 8 years ago

Review №74

Rating: 5

I have only one experience here seeing John Paul White perform his new (at the time not even released) album. OMG! It was intimate and perfect from an experience standpoint. The drinks were fairly priced and they were stocked well (I went for whiskey neat). The sound system isnt the best and the electric amp was micd poorly, but that may not have been Cactuss staff. The sound volume was perfect. Most venues crank the music so loud that you cant actually here the nuances of fantastic performers and you leave with your ears ringing. Not here it was perfect. Oh, and the best part was the timing. I dont know if it was Cactus Cafe who decided or JPW who decided, but the whole thing ended at 11. Perfect! Why dont more places start live music at a time family people can enjoy it and not be a zombie the next day!?

Date: 8 years ago

Review №75

Rating: 4

Intimate music venue with bar, lots of history to this place, very Austin.

Date: 8 years ago

Review №76

Rating: 4

Date: 8 years ago

Review №77

Rating: 4

Great music venue.

Date: 8 years ago

Review №78

Rating: 5

Had to stand up (it was so packed), but the intimacy and clarity of communication from the artist is phenomenal. No question, they want to play the room and the audience adores it. This is the best acoustic music room in Austin.

Date: 8 years ago

Review №79

Rating: 5

Views and Brews

Date: 8 years ago

Review №80

Rating: 5

Date: 8 years ago

Review №81

Rating: 4

Lovely place nice music

Date: 8 years ago

Review №82

Rating: 4

Date: 8 years ago

Review №83

Rating: 5

Date: 8 years ago

Review №84

Rating: 4

Its a wonderful little bar/cafe, but the hours are very limited.

Date: 9 years ago

Review №85

Rating: 5

Ok so I love it because its so small and I got to see the singing voice of my favorite cartoon Jem and let me tell you Britta Phillips rocks

Date: 9 years ago

Review №86

Rating: 4

The only downside is the parking. We went on a Tuesday for the local KUT radio event that discussed How to Have a Bullsh*t-free Wedding and we learned a ton and even found our pre-marital counselor. Fun time was had by all and the drinks were pretty cheap.

Date: 10 years ago

Review №87

Rating: 4

Cool music

Date: 10 years ago

Review №88

Rating: 4

I saw Van Hunt here and I think he was disappointed. I wasnt, though. He kept trying to get the crowd to get up and move, but theres just not enough room to do that in this venue. Its very tight and intimate, so I dont think it lends itself to really rocking, loud shows...thats just my humble opinion. You just have to know where this place is because we walked for a half hour before we stumbled upon it. All in all, its a cool little place and I know its historic. Id go here to see a talk before Id go to hear a band again. Its just too small.

Date: 10 years ago

Review №89

Rating: 4

An amazing venue for a small show. The acoustics are fantastic and the Cactus Cafe has that nostalgic feel about it. The drinks were reasonable and the service was not bad at all. The best thing about this venue is the intimacy you feel. It feels almost like the show is in your front room with a small gathering of friends. If you want to really experience music- try a show at the Cactus Cafe.

Date: 11 years ago

Review №90

Rating: 5

Great little music venue in the heart of the Texas Student Union. And they have panel discussions and other special events there as well.

Date: 11 years ago

Review №91

Rating: 4

Date: 12 years ago

Review №92

Rating: 4

a classic, intimate music venue that was nearly lost -- but remains due to the love of the many fans, this corner stage and back bar setup provide some of the finest live music performances in austin and offer a treat to longhorn alums as they return to the heart of the student union building on campus for a night out. long live the cactus!

Date: 12 years ago

Review №93

Rating: 5

If you get a chance to see a musician you like play here you really should go. Very intimate atmosphere. Tickets are always reasonably priced.

Date: 12 years ago

Review №94

Rating: 5

One of my favorite music venues. The set up is intimate and the acoustics are great. I really like the bar located inside the venue. Ive seen several musical acts here and I am hard pressed to find another comparable venue.

Date: 12 years ago

Review №95

Rating: 5

Date: 13 years ago

Review №96

Rating: 4

Truly an institution! I was very happy to hear that they werent getting shut down. I love it here!

Date: 13 years ago

Review №97

Rating: 4

An Austin and UT institution. Very cool campus spot to check out some lesser-known musicians! Luckily, its funding didnt get cut...(yet).

Date: 13 years ago

Review №98

Rating: 5

They used to have science lectures there. Good venue for that sort of thing.

Date: 13 years ago

Review №99

Rating: 5

Terrific, intimate venue to see great music.

Date: 13 years ago

Review №100

Rating: 4

Love it here! Such a great place to see bands/artists play. The booze is fairly cheap, too.

Date: 13 years ago

Review №101

Rating: 5

I LOVE seeing shows here. You feel like youre almost in a private performance. Comfortable and youre right next to the stage, even in the back.

Date: 13 years ago

Review №102

Rating: 3

Date: 13 years ago

Review №103

Rating: 5

Date: 13 years ago

Review №104

Rating: 5

Date: 13 years ago

Review №105

Rating: 5

Date: 13 years ago

Review №106

Rating: 4

Date: 13 years ago