Sandy Carson

Best Monday Blues

T.C.'s Lounge

Eastside blues dive T.C.'s Lounge is an Austin gem. They know how to start the week off right. Monday nights, the bar is packed – blues onstage and a tiny dance floor packed with a variety of faces, from hipster college kids to older folks from the neighborhood. The more the merrier, but it gets hot. The building's age shows; there is no central air-conditioning, with only window units to keep the crowd cool. It's been open for almost three decades, owned by T.C. Perkins since 1979. All the dancing might make you hungry. Not to worry; every Monday T.C.'s offers a different dish to dine on: barbecue, chicken and dumplings, and even the occasional Manwich.