Runner/Expo Taco Flats-Lakeway 900 Ranch Road 620 South, Lakeway, TX 78734

The original Taco Flats came to life during Austinʼs first booming period in the late 1970s, developing quite the reputation as an infamous local hangout. You could always find a friend inside, and entertainment was guaranteed. As an active participant in Austinʼs famous music scene, Taco Flats provided a stage for the likes of Gary P. Nunn, Blaze Foley, Calvin Russell, and Townes Van Zandt, just to name a few. And if there wasnʼt live music, there was a crowd cheering on a jalapeno eating contest, or maybe an (unofficial) drinking contest. The calmer days were spent simply sharing cheap beer with good company. No matter what, Taco Flats was the place to party and it was always open to everyone. But like all great parties, it had to come to an end when Taco Flats shook off its hangover and closed up shop in October 1981.

Simon Madera, a local small business owner and entrepreneur, originally sought to open a local neighborhood bar on Burnet Road; something he thought the budding area lacked. Research led him to previous Taco Flats owner, Linda Steele, who introduced him to their once-great institution and the legend of her late husband, “Cozzmic Carl” Steele.