The birthplace of legendary rock star Janis Joplin will be getting a new life as an upscale steakhouse next year. North Austin-based Bartlett’s is building a $4 million restaurant in the former Threadgill’s tavern and an iconic Austin music institution.
Bartlett’s second location will be at 301 W. Riverside Drive, according to a recently submitted Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) filing. That site was the 22-year home of Threadgill’s and, prior to that the Armadillo World Headquarters, a historic live music venue in the heart of Austin.
Started by Kenneth Threadgill as a Gulf filling station and beer joint in 1933, the original Threadgill’s opened at 6416 N. Lamar Blvd. near the University of Texas at Austin. Janis Joplin, who attended UT in the 1960s, performed at the tavern to hone her craft…