Poison Girl’s got a strangely schizo feel to it. Inside, the narrow bar and hipster/rocker clientele reminds you of a dive in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg or San Francisco’s Mission District. Outside, though, the whole vibe shifts Texas-ward. There are picnic tables loaded with glasses of Bock beer, pebbly dirt on the ground, lots of lush subtropical foliage…and the rear of Poison Girl — that peaked white clapboard facade. What does it look like? You can’t quite place it at first, but then it comes in a rush: Gruene Hall. Somehow, even though you’re in the very heart of darkest Montrose, you feel like you’re in the Texas Hill Country. That’s one magic patio, folks.
This article appears in Sep 29 – Oct 5, 2005.