Beverly's Sunday final day party is strictly BYOH

[TexasRed]

Bum deal

(Bring Your Own Harley)

By John Kelso
Sunday, March 09, 2008

Maybe part of the reason Beverly's Bar is closing is that the bikers are getting so old, they're moving from one style of two-wheeler to another — the kind you ride up and down the halls at the nursing home.

Either way, Austin will suffer a cultural blow today when Beverly's in far South Austin shuts its doors forever.

The business, in a ramshackle stone building at 8504 S. Congress Ave. that has Harley-Davidson insignias on the sign out front, lost its lease, bartender Amanda Ward said.

This apparently isn't a growth issue. No loft is on the way. Ron Meyers, the real estate agent for the property owner, says they're just looking to lease to somebody who will get liquor liability insurance.

So, today, Beverly's is having a big goodbye party and barbecue that lasts till midnight, when the beer license runs out.

Situated on 3 acres, Beverly's can accommodate a fairly large outdoorsy group of people who need to sleep it off. "We're telling people, 'Please, spend the night; bring a tent,' " said Ward, whose mother, Beverly Ray, owns the place. Beverly's has been around since 1980, Ward said.

I love Beverly's because no pretense is allowed. Bikers make up a significant part of the clientele. We're talking real bikers, the kind that roamed the earth before all the bikers were heart specialists and periodontists.

Check out the "My Child Was Inmate of the Month at County Jail" bumper sticker on the wall. Then there's the sticker that says: "Illiterate? Write for help."

If you're looking for a pair of used Harley boots, there's a pair for sale sitting on top of a cooler. The note on the boots says you can take them home for $60.

"Where are all the bikers gonna go now?" asked a gal who walked up to the bar.

"To hell," Ward said.

"I've been there once," said the gal.

"Recently divorced, huh?" Ward asked.

On the left as you walk through the front door, you'll see a memory wall, where you'll find photos and other memorabilia about Harley riders who have gone on to that Rally in the Sky.

The longhaired guy in the big glossy photo giving the world the finger was known as T.K., a member of the Bandidos, Ward said. "He passed away from a heart attack; he was a good guy," she said.

You're probably safer in here than you are at a loft party with the mayor.

"Not every place could make it this long just down the street from a substation for the police," Ward said.

The place has had two large fires. Both times, Beverly's kept selling beer out the side window, presumably after the flames had been extinguished. But not necessarily.

"We've never closed," Ward said. "I can't believe the fire department would save this old building. I'm surprised they just didn't say, 'Too bad.' "

Out front, the ground is pretty much covered with cigarette butts. Some cable spools serve as outdoor tables. In the corner, you'll see a stripper pole that somebody apparently dragged in for decoration.

"I'm not sure where it came from. But that is a genuine stripper pole of the highest quality," Ward said.

The wood floors sag. There's one pool table and a fireplace, and graffiti is all over the ceiling.

"T-Bone was here many times," it says.

I'll just bet he was.

[TexasFatboy]

Sad fuckin' day indeed...that place was an Austin landmark and I tipped many a cold one there...

Damn...

[curley725]

I can't belive I missed this post.... That is some sad news..... Beverly's has been there as long as I can remember...When I moved to Houston in the early 80's.. Some people I met intrduced me to Bev's and we use to ride over there on the way to the Hill country.. I haven't been there in years but hate to see it go none the less


Curley