Nightlife in Round Rock

Frank's professional sausage stylists enliven the casual downtown restaurant with gourmet makeovers for the humble and plainspoken hot dog. The Jackalope, with antelope, rabbit, and pork smothered in huckleberry compote, sriracha aioli, and applewood-smoked cheddar ($7) shares the culinary salon with the Carolina Pork It, a Vienna dog stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon, deep fried, and topped with grilled coleslaw and green-chile pimento cheese ($6). Meataphobes can switch out any standard dog for a veggie dog ($0.25 extra) and top their soy delight with veggie chili ($1 extra). Traditional bar-food sides round out the quirk of curry and sage sausages. Waffle-fry nachos come pinned down to the plate with cheese, refried beans, sour cream, and salsa ($7), while a cup of baked beans ($2.50) closes the savory, pork-based circle.

Much like the raucous saloons of the Old West, where grizzled cowboys would gather to play Truth or Dare and give each other makeovers, Shiner's Saloon is outfitted with many a TV and video game, and brings in live music seven nights a week. Hop a cozy squat in one of Shiner's heavy, country-style chairs and be transported to a time of gunslingers, outlaws, and painted ladies, assuming you have time to play Deadwood on the Wii before the next local rock band takes the stage.

Unlike recommended solitary activities such as filling diaries with embarrassing secrets, running as a third-party candidate, and juggling flaming chainsaws, J. BLACK'S menu is designed for socializing, with many easily shared tapas-style options and a daily happy hour from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (and all day Sunday). Bring culinary cohorts to enjoy Texas Kobe sliders ($13), a marriage of Kobe-beef cheeseburgers and dijon mustard with pickles, ketchup, and hand-cut fries. The shrimp ceviche ($12) pleases crowds with tiger shrimp, grape tomatoes, red onion, avocado, piquant serrano peppers, and chopped cilantro in a spicy lime sauce with tortilla strips. J. BLACK'S also offers a medley of 12-inch pizzas, including the margherita ($10), barbecue pulled pork ($12), crab and portobello ($14), and the Stefano (applewood-smoked bacon, goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, shallots, and arugula, $14).

Patrons will be able to make a selection from 21 varieties of Torres Cigars, which range from $5–$20 per cigar. Containing masterfully crafted blends with a Texas twist, Torres Cigars provide smokers an opportunity to sample top-notch tobacco in a striking package. Additionally, visitors can kick back and relax next to the bar, where a selection of wines and beers with the purchase of food await to wet the smoke-parched whistles of distinguished smokers and budding connoisseurs alike. You can use this Groupon toward cheese plates that include aged cheddar, havarti, imported gouda, and more ($3.75 for 1/2 plate, $5.75 for regular plate, $8.75 for large plate).

Although Esther's Follies' variety show of music, magic, and comedy recalls the vaudevillian entertainment of yesteryear (albeit with a more acerbic modern bent), the nostalgia goes beyond just the performances. The longstanding venue and comedy troupe was named after Esther Williams, the Golden Age starlet whose career as a professional swimmer led to numerous iconic MGM films. Posters for several of these pictures are plastered throughout the space, and an undersea mural bustling with brightly-hued coral, kaleidoscopic marine life, and even a Loch Ness monster further contributes to Esther's otherworldly, aquatic theme. The magical environment, along with the shows themselves, have wowed audiences and Austin Chronicle critics alike.

On the production end, Esther's Follies busts guts in record speed with satirical quips on current events; relevant parodies; and high-stepping, fast-paced comedy sketches. Resident magician Ray Anderson keeps things light with levitation illusions known to dazzle crowds. As the Follies cast ignites into choral skewerings of front-page newsmakers, audiences will laugh so hard that giggles come out their noses.

Though named for a fixture of a bygone era and reportedly haunted by its ghosts, Speakeasy lives in the present: its three floors fill with modern music each night. On the first floor, live music from local bands spills through Speakeasy Live, where hardwood accents, art-deco lamps, candle-lit tables, and exposed brick complement a Jazz Age atmosphere. On the Mezzanine level, a full bar, antique couches, and two vintage bowling lanes overlook the main stage.

At the top of a 59-step staircase, patrons emerge onto Terrace59—a neon-lit rooftop lounge that offers panoramic views of downtown Austin. The terrace stays heated during the colder months, while a canopy allows the full bar to serve and lively music to play even in the event of inclement weather and cushions the fall of DJs who decided to parachute in. On each of the three floors, servers pour all kinds of drinks, many of which are named for people, places, and events associated with Prohibition.