Entry No. 50 — the Oklahoma City file — filed under: vinyl-bar
The SoundBar
Tucked above a Mediterranean restaurant and a cigar lounge in Automobile Alley, The SoundBar is an upstairs loft you'd walk right past if you didn't know to look for Suite B — and most people never do. Once up that eerily quiet flight of stairs, you find a kissaten-inspired hi-fi vinyl listening bar: walls stacked with over 15,000 records, plush acoustically treated walls, and a serious audiophile rig (McIntosh, Klipsch, Tekton, Technics, Rega) that pumps music at nearly 90 decibels from 10 feet away without a hint of distortion. Owner Jay Shanker — entertainment lawyer, 60-year vinyl obsessive — programs themed listening nights ranging from Louisiana Zydeco to "Battle of the Bands" genre face-offs, and the whole thing runs on "Conversations Not Algorithms." Hidden deeper inside is an actual speakeasy room stocked with vintage gear for sale, where you can spin whatever you want in private.
The move: Pick a themed listening night, arrive early to flip through the wall of records together, then sweet-talk your way into the back speakeasy room and put on something only the two of you know.
📍 Before you go The SoundBar sits along Automobile Alley, the walkable historic auto-dealership strip on Broadway Avenue, where free on-street parking and surface lots are easy to find on most evenings. This is an evening destination built around its themed listening nights, so it's worth checking which theme is running before you lock in a date — that way the music matches your taste. As a bar, expect a 21-and-up crowd. Mondays and Tuesdays often go to private events and fundraisers, so public listening sessions tend to land later in the week. Make a night of the block: grab dinner downstairs or anywhere along the Alley first, with more bars and coffee just steps away.
- 📍 Automobile Alley / Downtown OKC
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 712B N Broadway Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Hours: Added 2026-06-09 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: okfilmmusic.org · okgazette.com · Yelp · Official site
last checked: 2026-06-09