Keeping Tabs: Eastwood’s Bar

Eastwood’s Bar, opened recently in the ill-fated Uptown Pawn’s location, is a new hotspot that manages to strike a comfortable balance between dressed-up (polished indoor bar with fancy cocktails) and low-key (breezy, dog-friendly patio with live music).



The Atmosphere: The patio is the star attraction at Eastwood’s—a light-strewn, comfortable outdoor spot with plenty of seating (depending on the night) and acoustic entertainment (also depending on the night). Inside, you’ll find high-backed booths along the perimeter of the room, a colorfully lit bar, flat screens for sports watching, and plenty of eclectic oddities decorating the walls (think: black-and-white photos, a faded globe, a ceramic Boston terrier).

What to Order: When it comes to drinks, Eastwood’s is serious business. The menu offers 16 cocktails (plus low-priced libations found on the happy hour menu, like the $4 Uptown Sour). The “Mixed Up Drinks” section features unique cocktails like the Pink Starburst Conspiracy Theory (featuring vodka, almond milk, and pink candy syrup) and the insane-sounding $22 Texas Red, White, & Bluebonnet (made with house-made bluebonnet simple syrup). The “Strong Minded” section includes cocktails that combine flavors like cocoa and chili, cloves and bananas. Consult the food menu for salads, dips, entrees, and a Nutella banana egg roll.

Who’s There: So many pretty people. There were two separate, large parties of beautiful women wearing tight dresses with impossibly tall heels (to be fair, at least one of them was a bachelorette party). Overall, though, Eastwood’s remains unpretentious while still drawing a dressed-to-the-nines Uptown crowd. Inside, there was a group in formal attire eating dinner (when they weren’t busy taking group photos). Outside, I noticed girlfriends in flip-flops and at least one dressed-down older couple having beers on the patio. There were guys in suit jackets and bros in polos.

What I Didn’t Like: The bartenders seemed cool, but they weren’t super helpful—it took an eternity for someone to just hand me a cocktail menu. Eventually, a bar back (not either of the people I’d originally asked, by the way) managed to dig one up for me. 

What I Did Like: Conversely, the manager and owner were really great—despite being swamped, they were friendly, helpful, and keen to answer my asinine questions about the place’s décor. Also, the patio: it’s perfection on a warm, breezy night.