New venue Sagebrush reopens in South Austin with food truck out front
After opening in early June but being forced to close 19 days later when state restrictions on bars tightened, new South Austin music venue Sagebrush is back in action again — thanks in part to an arrangement with former East Austin food truck Baton Creole.
The Cajun eatery is now parked in front of Sagebrush at 5500 S. Congress Ave., with dining options for the venue’s patrons as well as take-out service for those just dropping by for food.
While shuttered this summer, Sagebrush’s owners applied for and received a license to serve food, alongside their existing licenses for mixed beverages and late-night entertainment. Both the venue and the food truck are now open daily from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Co-owner Marshall McHone said Tuesday that the partnership with Baton Creole grew from a longstanding relationship with Lynzy “Pub” Moran, the food truck’s owner. Moran had previously operated food-truck service during South by Southwest in the parking lot of the White Horse, the East Austin bar that McHone, Denis O’Donnell and Margaret Bentley also own.
When Sagebrush opened in June with a primary focus on a large outdoor space behind the venue, Moran’s chicken truck Tender Thighs offered limited food service in the backyard. “It hadn’t always been open all the hours of the bar, which is one of the requirements of this license,” McHone said.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Like the White Horse, which remains shuttered at present, Sagebrush is featuring live music nightly. An extended calendar is not yet available, but the venue’s Facebook and Instagram pages show the lineups for the coming week. Music is on the outdoor stages Friday-Saturday and indoors on other days.
There’s no cover charge most nights, though McHone said the staff is asking for donations to the bands at the door. Masks are required for entry and whenever moving about the indoor space, with bandannas offered at the door for anyone who arrives without a mask.
McHone said the process of obtaining a food license from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission went smoothly. “They were every accommodating,” McHone said. “To their credit, TABC was very straightforward and helpful. They’re trying to figure out how to help some of us survive this, because it’s been all penalties up to this point from the state.”
RELATED:In Live Music Capital, venues feel let down by Austin leaders
Sagebrush’s live music offerings Sept. 8-13 are as follows:
Tuesday: Robert Allan Caldwell (8 p.m.), Armadillo Road (9 p.m.), Golden Roses (10 p.m.)
Wednesday: Shae Stuart (8 p.m.), Candler Wilkinson (10 p.m.), Lance Lipinsky (midnight)
Thursday: Ben Ballinger (8 p.m.), Sophia Johnson (10 p.m.), Loteria (midnight)
Friday: Jerrells (9 p.m.), Doug Strahan (11 p.m.)
Saturday: Buffalo Hunt (8 p.m.), Devin Jake (9 p.m.), Daddy Carper & the Blue Hankys (11 p.m.)
Sunday: Colton Turner (8 p.m.)