Texas Venue Directory
Broken Spoke
Honky-tonk and dance hall · Austin
Austin honky-tonk offering live music, Texas two-step lessons, food, and dancing.
About this room
James White started building the Broken Spoke on the day he received his honorable discharge from the Army in 1964. He was twenty-five, Austin-born, and the site he picked at 3201 South Lamar was a mile outside the city limits with a big live oak on it and no other building in sight. He ran out of money and had to open with only the front room, now the restaurant. The dance hall went up the following year, built largely by volunteers. It is now hemmed in by condominium developments on two sides and is the oldest business on South Lamar. White ran it with his wife Annetta for the rest of his life. The City of Austin made it a historic landmark in 2023.
History sources checked August 29, 2026.
Things you may not know
- It was built without a level or a square. By White's account the carpenter would eyeball a joint and say to nail it. The building is measurably off-kilter as a result. Source
- The dance hall ceiling is so low that performers take their hats off to play. Garth Brooks did it during a surprise show. White's standard explanation was that people were not as tall in the sixties. Source
- The first opening act was paid $32: D. G. Burrow and the Western Melodies, 1964. Source
- George Strait played it once a month for seven years, from 1975 to 1982. Source
- The Austin Chronicle once voted it best restroom doors. The doors were animal-print shower curtains. Women burned the eyes out of the animals with their cigarettes, and then somebody stole the curtains. Source
- It became a city landmark on the late founder's birthday. The Austin City Council vote landed on April 12, 2023. Source
Venue details
Plan your night
Official sources
Dance lessons
This venue has a current or repeatedly documented lesson program in Dance Lessons in the Halls. Open the official lesson source there and confirm final details before traveling.
Around this room
Culture, craft & learning
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