A couple of months ago a new bar opened up in the San Antonio area. Lowcountry, located on the northern end of the Southtown, is nestled in a quaint two story house just behind Cezar Chavez Pkwy.

The vibe at Lowcountry is very reflective of the style present in Southtown. It’s cozy, artsy, quaint, and laid back. Even the nights that musical guests are blasting tunes out the windows of the house, it keeps a cool and relaxing composure. From the outside, it doesn’t look like much, a little house that is situated in front of a busy road in downtown San Antonio, inside is where you really fall for the charm of the unique watering hole.

Opened by the same brains behind the Squeezebox, Faust, and Hi-Tones,  Lowcountry is headed by Denise DeGlopper who was formerly at Barbaro under the direction of Elizabeth Forsythe. While she was at Barbaro, Denise crafted most of the cocktails on their brunch menu as well as a few on their rotating menu.

Lowcountry sports a relaxing vibe, the outside facade of the building is simple, a nice porch with a few tables and chairs and a neon glowing sign letting the passerby’s on the street know it open for business. Enter the building and you’ll be met with a simple little receiving area complete with a fireplace, here, is where most of the performers and musical guests set up.  Go further back and you will find the bar. It takes up the whole middle room and is host to little knick knacks and bowls with a cash register fixed onto the it’s end. Venturing further, to the final area of the bar you come out on the back porch, a nice outdoor area, garnished with outdoor lights and picnic tables, and the gentle echo of music from indoor. On a clear night you can get a great view of the Tower of the Americas from the bar’s backyard.

The atmosphere of the bar is not the only thing that makes it such a gem. The quaint middle bar room mentioned earlier also sports a chalkboard menu. It’s the spot where all available beers, wines, and cocktails are listed for the customer to peruse. This board, which is similar the to the one at Squeezebox, is one of best features of the bar. A chalk board, in lieu of menus, allows the bar program to rotate cocktails based on the season and the availability of ingredients. It also creates a little bit of surprise for every visit. When the bar first opened there was a great cocktail that was being made using a jasmine infused gin mixed with vodka, a take on the Vesper Martini, and absolutely delicious. Though it was a favorite, you could visit the bar a couple of weeks later and it would be replaced by something new and just as delicious. The rotating menu will be scary to some, the timid might find an item they enjoy and be displeased when it is removed from the menu. For these patrons I would encourage them to try something new, the menu at Lowcountry is carefully crafted and showcases great craft cocktails. While the menu rotates frequently, there are some menu items that will forever and always have a spot on the board, the Lazy Man’s Old Fashioned is one. It’s a take on an Old Fashioned that is made with your choice of whiskey and jam instead of simple syrup.  If cocktails are not your preferred libation, they do have beer and wine or try a shot and a wash for $5. Simple and to the point.

Lowcountry has also joined in on the happy hour fun, offering their rotating house cocktails for $5 (usually priced at $7-$9) from 4-7PM and the shot and a wash goes down to $4, quite a steal. Sometimes on a weekend you can catch some great musical guests during happy hour as well.

If you’re looking for a relaxed atmosphere, music, and great drinks served by some of the coolest folks out there, Lowcountry is the place to be. Beware- the dive can get a little crowded on First Friday, or with popular musical guests playing, if you ask me though the crowds are worth it. The local watering hole is closed on Mondays, but is open 4PM-2AM Tuesday through Sunday.