Austin bar keeps Christmas up year-round
A North Austin establishment established in 1972 maintains permanent holiday decorations, attributing the practice to three distinct origin stories.
By Pedro Barnes ·
For more than 50 years, the interior of Lala’s Little Nugget has remained permanently decorated for the holiday season. The bar in Austin’s Crestview neighborhood features tinsel, ornaments, and vintage Santa figures that stay up regardless of the calendar date. Co-owner Max Moreland describes the atmosphere as resembling a warm, homey environment, comparing the experience to entering a grandmother’s basement where the space feels like a hug.
Frances Lala opened the establishment in 1972. By 2015, she was in her 80s and facing health complications that prompted her to consider retiring. Local residents and friends intervened, bringing the business to FBR Management. This management group had previously taken over other local venues such as Lavaca Street Bar, Star Bar, and Mean Eyed Cat. However, Lala’s Little Nugget marked the first time FBR assumed ownership of a bar that required no structural construction or major renovation.
Moreland stated that the team preserved the existing model because the neighborhood valued it. The bar maintains a rotating cocktail menu, though the bloody mary remains a constant fixture. The eggnog is made from scratch using a recipe from a former manager’s family. Other specific offerings include a gingerbread man shot composed of fireball, butterscotch schnapps, and Irish cream. Since FBR took ownership, the venue added a patio, additional bathrooms, and expanded food service.
The food menu features pizzas from Pedroso’s, served Tuesday through Sunday. Customers can order American-style or New York-style pies, along with salads and appetizers. One specific menu item is the Texas Chainsaw, an American-style pizza topped with salami, meatballs, capocollo, pepperoni, and sausage. Dessert options include cannoli shells filled with pistachio or chocolate chip cream.
The reason for the permanent holiday decor remains officially unresolved according to Moreland. He outlines three theories that patrons are free to choose. The first suggests that when Lala removed the decorations in January 1972, the bar looked too bare, so she put them back up. The second theory posits that her husband left her on Christmas, leading to a period of depression where she lacked the energy to remove the items, allowing the decor to take on a life of its own. The third theory claims her son left for the Vietnam War before the holidays, and she vowed to keep the decorations up until he returned. Legend states he never came home, making the decor permanent. This specific narrative gained wider attention after the 2019 release of Hayes Carll’s song “Jesus and Elvis.”
In August 2024, FBR Management expanded the brand to a second location at 3008 Davis Lane, Suite 101, in South Austin. The new venue, named Lala’s South Pole, originated when the landlord of the original building developed a new property nearby and asked the team to expand. Rather than replicating the original bar’s exact aesthetic, the new location features a hunting cabin vibe with dark wood walls and a large moose named Marty. The menu is entirely different, with a popular drink called the Yule Shoot Your Chai Out, which mixes Maniball Peanut Butter Tequila, El Jimador Tequila, coconut, chai, and brown sugar.
Moreland noted that recreating the specific feel of a bar with a half-century history is difficult. He explained that the team avoided a cheap imitation by taking a different direction with the new location. He stated that the original venue creates a subconscious feeling of happiness and peace associated with the holidays. Moreland expressed that the team is thrilled to continue the legacy created by Frances Lala.
