by Eric A. Crabtree
AUSTIN, TEXAS
Ambush Quote of the Times
Ambush is the Tea - Eddie Schwartz, Manager - Splash Video Bar
July 4 Picnic Featured
The Austin Tavern Guild (ATG) will be sponsoring their annual Fourth of July Picnic on Sun., July 4 from 12 noon till 4pm. The picnic will feature food, beer, sodas, music, volleyball tournaments, pet contests and lots of fun in store. Admission is free and open to all; however, a donation is requested for food and beverages. Coors of Austin will be providing the beer. The Volleyball Tournament, sponsored by Charlie's Austin & `Bout Time, will award trophies to the winners and runner-ups. Last year's overall winner went to the Forum. Do you have what it takes to beat them this year? Come on out with your team and sign up. The Pet Contest last year was quite a success with many entramts participating for trophies and prizes. This year's contest features the following competitive categories: Best Gay Pet, Pets Who Look More Like Their Owners, Prettiest Pet, and the Best Looking Ugliest Pet. Margie's Grooming and Boarding sponsors the Contests. All proceeds from the picnic will go toward benefiting Austin's Gay charities as selected by ATG. For more info., please contact Randy Cunniff at Splash Video Bar at splash@splashvideobar.com or Eric A. Crabtree at Ozparade@aol.com.
Hungry?
Eat (Almost) for Free
Are you hungry and have little to no money? Why not hit the bars and clubs in Austin and feed that hunger. Most area Gay and Lesbian establishments offer complimentary or at least reasonably priced food for patrons. These establishments serve food as part of their atmosphere, however patrons are urged to purchase at least a two-drink minimum at most. In any case, here is a current list of establishments in Austin serving up some good grub. You can eat out 7 days a week at these different establishments. So go eat, drink and be Mary and sample a taste of Austin and tell them Ambush sent ya.
'Bout Time offers free Fri. buffets from 5pm and on Sun. it's Potluck at 5pm with a main meat served. Patrons are asked to bring their favorite side dishes to share with all. At 1920's Club, their exquisite menu offers a wide variety of fantastic appetizers for a very low cost. At Chain Drive on Tues. it's Grandpa (Randy) Does Chicken with chicken and dumplings from 5-8pm for only $1.50 a bowl. On Wed. it's steak night with Chef Jeff from 5-8pm for only $5.00 with all the fixings. Sun. is Grille at Chain Drive Nights from 4pm-8pm with Chef Hugh. Cost for entrees is either $3.50 for a one-meat plate or $5.00 for a two meat plate. Over at Charlie's Austin, it's Tues. steak night from 6pm-8pm for only $5.00 with all the fixings. Fri. offers free buffets from 5-8pm. Sundays are cookouts with Chef Joel from 4-8pm and costs vary per entrees like fajitas, hamburgers, chicken and/or quesidallas. Dick's offers their patrons complimentary happy hour buffets on Wed. from 7pm-10pm with a baked potato and salad bar. Thurs. at Dick is free pool and pizza night. Fri. features Kindell's happy hour buffet starting at 5pm till 8pm. Sun. it's complimentary patio cookouts at 5pm till 8pm.
The Forum offers their free fabulous Fri. happy hour buffets with Chef Bob starting at 5pm. On Sun. the rooftop is the place to be with their cookouts starting at 5pm. Cost varies per entrees featured. The Forum urges any community organization to take over their Sun. rooftop patio cookouts to raise money for their own organization or charity. Please contact the Forum for further details. Oilcan Harry's promotes free happy hour buffets on Mon., Thurs. and Fri. starting at 5pm. It's steak or chicken night with Chef Margie on Wed. for $5.00 starting at 6pm till 8pm. Sun. offers complimentary happy hour BBQ or hamburgers on the patio starting at 5pm. Rainbow Cattle Company whoops it up every Tues. and Thurs. nights with some good grub. It's Taco Tues. with 50-cent chicken or beef tacos from 6-9pm. On Thurs. nights RCC features chicken, steak or rack of ribs for only $5.00 with all the fixings. Lastly, but not least, Splash Video Bar serves up complimentary shiner dogs and fixings on the patio prepared by master chef Bang.
Who's Where & Doing What?
Gone out to the Austin bars and clubs lately and noticed new staff members? Well Austin's Gay and Lesbian establishments have a tendency to recycle and/or hire new and old employees from other places. So that you do not need a new player list of who's who, here is a partial list, accurate as of press time for your information. `Bout Time does have two new DJs working. Fri. features Nick Soret spinning and Sat. rocks with Ben Pena. What's also new at `Bout Time? Check out their new volleyball court complete with canopy tents with misting coolers to beat the heat on Wed. and Sun. By the way, Chaz states that Mon. features Karaoke with Madam Murrah and Tues. Prize Night is back with cool prizes. The 1920's Club features Eric as their new bartender and are now open on Sun. without food.
Over at Chain Drive, Bruce is their new happy hour and night time bartender. Coming up July 4 weekend, Chain Drive features their Leather and Liberty Party with great drink specials all weekend until 11pm. On Sat. July 3 at 11pm it's the Mr. Austin Leather 2000 Contest. July 4 hosts their Grille @ Chain Drive from 4pm-8pm serving up a holiday feast. Over at Charlie's Austin, new employees Zack and Josh can be found working the door, and bar back Mark working the club. Dick's welcomes, for their grand reopening, Little Debbie and Sean as DJs, Kindell as their happy hour bartender and Shawn, Perry, Travis and Aaron as their night bartenders. Dick's offers July 4th weekend a free buffet on Fri starting at 5pm and then Momma's Boyz at 10pm. Sat. offers Momma's Boyz at 10pm. July 4 Sun, provides for their Independence cookout on their new patio starting at 5pm and then it's Fireworks Karaoke with Madam Murrah at 9pm.
The Forum welcomes Sylvester as their new happy hour daily bartender. Patrons may also find new bartenders named Adam, Christopher, Ken and Ryan serving nights. Come July 4th weekend, look for Independence Pump on Fri., the Proud Double CD Release Party with free CDs given away on Sat. and a Cajun Cookout by Bob with Fireworks on the patio on July 4th. Oilcan Harry's has new employees Jeff and Mike bartending, Jonathan working the front door, and Chris bar backing in the club. Look for details in Ambush soon on Oilcan Harry's Red Hot VIII on Fri., July 23. At Rainbow Cattle Company, patrons may find Scotty and John tending bar and Cody bar backing. Splash Video Bar also features new bartenders Randy, Marc and Warren serving the masses and Boy bar backing the club. July 3 at Splash features Colt's Man of the Year, Billy Herrington, as part of Splash's Interactive Summer. Go out and welcome all new employees and check out Austin's establishments and what's hot in Summer Austin '99.
6,000 Attend Austin Pride
Over 6,000 Gay and Lesbians attended this year's Texas Gay Pride Festival '99, hosted by the Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby of Texas (LGRL) recently with thousands and thousands of dollars raised benefiting LGRL. "Our community really deserved to party with pride after all the hardy work and long hours from the year and legislative session. This year's pride festival was the most successful with over 6,000 people attending. The Texas Pride Festival is definitely becoming a super party," said LGRL of Texas Executive Assistant, Andy Delony. For more info. on LGRL of Texas, please contact them at 512.474.5475 or visit their Web site at www.lgrl.org or E-mail at lgrltexas@aol.com.
Randall's Card helps CCMC
In between concerts, you can still support the mission and purpose of the Capital City Men's Chorus (CCMC) by using your Randall's Remarkable Card in Austin. Next time you are shopping at Randall's, ask the checkout person to assign your Randall's Remarkable Card to the CCMC's "Good Neighbor Number," # 5191 and a portion of your purchase will be directed to the fundraising account. Randall's then sends the funds accumulated in that account quarterly to the CCMC and it's that easy! Once you assign your card to the number, it will stay assigned until you request to change it. More info on CCMC may be obtained via the Web at: http://www.io.com/~ccmcaus/
ASA Hosts Dinner
& Viva Las Vegas Nite
Aids Services of Austin (ASA) hosts the fourth dinner of their 1999 Red Ribbon Dinner series. The fourth dinner slated will be held at Jean-Luc's French Bistro on Mon., July 12. The dinner consists of five courses paired with some of the most prestigious wine available. Dinners are $100 per person and are limited to fifty guests total. Dinners begin at 7pm and reservations are required and can be paid with cash, check or credit card. Reservations may be obtained by calling 512.406.6175. The Red Ribbon Dinners benefit ASA in Austin and provide funding to persons with AIDS-related illnesses.
It's Viva Las Vegas time at the Austin Music Hall located at 208 Nueces on Sat., July 12 beginning at 8pm. Admission is $10 in advance or $15 at the door. For the fifth straight year, First Texas Honda will be donating a new car to be given away at Via Las Vegas. Door prize tickets for a new 1999 Honda Civic are on sale for $5 each or 6 for $25. Via Las Vegas is ASA's 6th annual event featuring faux gambling, live entertainment, incredible food, and the "Love Me Tender" wedding chapel, complete with Elvis. For more information, please contract ASA - Heath Riddles at 512.406.6175 or visit ASA at: www.asaustin.org/.
