This Austin Hotel Is Worth It for the Chocolate Cake Alone

Austin is brimming with newness, so much so that long-time locals frequently complain about how the city has changed. Whether it’s a sky-rise hotel built in the lot of a beloved taco chain location or new neighborhood hotspots replacing stalwart Tex-Mex institutions, it seems that every day there’s something old that’s vanished and something new for locals to kvetch about.

However, if you look hard enough, you'll see that this city is still full of old-school gems. Sure, most of the bygone spots are from the 1980s, which isn’t even that old when you get down to it. But there’s one institution still going strong — arguably stronger than ever — and it has been a fixture in town since the 1880s. 

Prior to the 1990s, Austin had about two hotels: The Stephen F. Austin, named for the city’s founder, and The Driskill, named for a wealthy cattle baron. We're here to talk about the latter.

You sense that you're in the right place the moment you step through the doors. I know I did. Upon prying open the giant French doors of the Driskill, I saw a man, wearing a cowboy hat, loafing on the couch, smoking a cigarette. That was just the beginning.

Down the hall through Romanesque pillars, and to the right of a stained glass atrium, is a carpeted area that looks like a blend between a Las Vegas casino and a Western ranch. I imagine this design wasn’t lost on the founders, and that, at one point, it served as an informal casino of sorts, with several great games of cards occurring around wooden tables and bottles of whiskey. 

The same energy flows through the space today, although the drinking is tamer and the couches are cowhide. There are still pistols, even if they are in the form of bronze lamps, and “The Frontier” is still present, too, simply in the form of oil paintings adorning the walls. It’s a room filled with eye candy, and for taking it all in, a Bar menu with several Old Fashioneds to choose from and a country band playing on a piece of plywood make this the place to be on a Saturday night. 

There’s even something for history buffs. While Texas history is fraught with misconceptions, there is one factoid you can find to be both true and charming at this hotel: The Bar & Grill was the spot of President Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird’s first date. 

And man, he picked a good one: The drinks are strong (although he went for breakfast, which taking a first date to breakfast should not be overlooked as admirable: Kudos, Mr. President), and the food is hearty. While the Bar & Grill serves food (and popcorn which is both strange for the luxurious atmosphere the place throbs with, and fitting at the same time), the restaurant is worth a visit even with all of the gems popping up around the city. Here they serve real Texas fare. Not barbecue, not tacos, and not Tex-Mex, but biscuits, oysters Rockefeller, pork chops, all done right. 

But there’s one more thing this hotel is known for, and wisely, it saves the best for last: Chocolate cake. The best way to describe it is that it looks like something that would come from a grocery store bakery. It’s the kind of chocolate that clings to the cracks in your teeth and stays there. It is simple, moist, understated, classic, rich, and old-school luxury. The Driskill itself is all of those things. And there’s even one more cherry on top. It’s haunted.  But that’s a story for another time.