Discover the Best Things to Do in Austin, Food & Drink deals and more!
The Highball at 1120 S Lamar
When The Highball closed its doors almost two years ago, it left a gaping hole in the Austin nightlife scene. Seriously. Where else could you grab a drink, sing a Miley Cyrus song and bowl ten frames without leaving the building? Now settled in its refurbished home, the South Lamar landmark is looking to reclaim its crown as one of Austin’s most distinctive hot spots.
Parkside at 301 E Sixth Street
Parkside holds a special place in my heart. Over the last several years, my wife and I have shared anniversaries, birthdays and many other special moments there, and the memories flood back every time I visit.
We’ve often sat in the same booth, overlooking the Sixth Street sidewalk and the passers-by who provide such quality entertainment throughout our meal.
Our repeated visits have proven that Parkside is able to deliver something rare and important: consistency. I’m always satisfied when I leave because the service, food and drinks are always top notch, no matter the day of the week or time. [Read more…]
Edgar and Christina Torres outside School House Pub
School is back in session, and there’s no better place to get “studious” than School House Pub in East Austin. Located off Manor Road among what seems to be an ever expanding collection of go-to bars and restaurants, School House Pub brings you inside the classroom where food and drinks are always allowed.
The small, but cozy interior is cleverly decorated with schoolbooks, chalkboards and charts galore. Their cocktails are quirkily named (Teacher’s Pet, Intro to Spanish, Extra Credit) and are some of the most reasonably priced in town ($7-9). When you walk in, look up and you’ll be staring at the pub’s flagship school bell hanging from a well-lit tower. [Read more…]
Now this is how you do a Vertical! NXNW has a flight of their barleywine from the last 4 years on tap during the holidays.
The craft beer scene in Austin is blowing up. For every new brewery that opens, there are at least three bars that pop up, eager to serve you the best local beers that Austin has to offer.
Continuing the tradition Eric started with his Best Burger Joint in Austin series, I’m profiling and reviewing the best craft beer joints in Austin, with the occasional stop or two at bars that have room for improvement. I’ll take into consideration everything from beer selection to ambiance to overall value, and everything in between.
Please join me as I try to catalog your favorite watering holes in Austin, and let me know what you think in a comment below.
What is the oldest, still active craft brewery in Austin? If you guessed North by Northwest because of the title of this article, you’d be wrong. But not by much. Live Oak lays claim to being the first still active brewery, founded in 1997. Having opened their doors just two years later in 1999, NXNW is a relatively close second. It’s hard to believe that one of Austin’s first brewpubs has been open for 15 years now. [Read more…]
This guest blog article is by Kip Sikora.
Austin’s musical heritage is a well-worn, groovy tapestry woven with a kaleidoscope of sonic threads that make it worthy of a lone star. Not even a mixed up box of chocolates from Forrest Gump’s mama could match the musical diversity here. And in a town where you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a musician, it’s inevitable that some of its watering holes wind up immortalized in song.
Here’s a list of three Austin beer joints with such a connection. Check them out. Perhaps you too can draw a little nectar from their boozy wells of inspiration. [Read more…]
Let the Sunday Funday begin! (Credit: Bryan Pelz via Flickr CC)
This guest blog article is by Dawn Sarnecky.
As a transplant from Michigan, my typical weekend always started on Friday and continued through Saturday. I would potentially spend my Sunday nursing the after effects of those previous two days combined.
Little did I know that here in the ATX, Sunday is when all the cool kids go out, just as if it were a regular ol’ Saturday night.
Adapting to my adopted city, I set out to find the perfect formula for what many Austinites refer to as Sunday Funday. I quickly discovered I could happily spend the entire day in one neighborhood. Sunday Funday destination: Rainey Street. [Read more…]
Welcoming interior at Winebelly
Winebelly is true to its name. It invites the purple-tongued, the cheek-flushed, the loud-laughers, and you are unlikely to leave without a satisfied stomach.
A comfortable wine bar on Oltorf and South 1st St, Winebelly’s dark paneled bartop wood and golden booths invite guests to relax. At the same time, the venue maintains the class and food quality demanded of any successful wine joint.
The tapas bar was opened in 2013 by the same family who owns the Hai Ky Vietnamese restaurants in Austin. The Winebelly tapas and vino bar is vastly different from the Vietnamese go-to, but its local Austin roots are unmistakable.
Local ingredients are used in many of their plates and local beer, including the potent Devil’s Backbone, is served on tap and in bottles or cans at decent prices. [Read more…]
Deep Eddy Cabaret has been located on Lake Austin Blvd. for over 50 years
This guest article is by Lisa Taylor.
Psychiatrists have told us for years that change is one of the biggest stressors in our daily lives. There have been books written on how to cope with it. Seminars are done for corporations to help ease the fear that is usually associated with it. And most people just aren’t really comfortable with change.
As a long time Austinite, change has been something I’ve had to embrace over the years because as they say, “You can’t stop progress”.
I’ve watched from the sidelines as some of the most beloved restaurants and music venues in our fair city have closed their doors. Pearl’s Oyster Bar, Liberty Lunch, and Steamboat are a few that come to mind. And when it happens, you take a moment to remember the good times, but just a moment, because the next week there is a new sign and a new place where memories will be made.
In light of this constant change, it’s always nice to find a place where it seems as if nothing ever changes. This is exactly what you’ll find at Deep Eddy Cabaret. [Read more…]
Moonshine is located on Waller Creek at the corner of 3rd and Red River
If there’s one thing all real Texans love, it’s comfort food. Give us fried chicken, grits, and basically anything with melted cheese, and we’re a happy bunch.
Combine our appreciation for comfort food with our pride in Texas history, southern hospitality, and a good Bloody Mary, and we are in love.
For these very reasons, Battle of the Brunches Round 3 goes to Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill.
Most Austinites have either visited or passed by the old Hofheinz-Reissig Store, a National Register property located at 3rd and Red River across from the Convention Center.
This 160 year old dry goods store, originally built as part of the Waterloo Compound, now operates as Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill, one of the most unforgettable brunch spots in the city. [Read more…]
The Cloak Room, known as the darkest bar in Texas
Have you noticed how much Austin has changed? In the past 10 years, Austin has risen to become the 11th largest city in the nation, and it has the stretch marks to show for it.
An ever-increasing metro population has led to growing pains in the form of construction cranes, an increased cost of living, and traffic that seems to go nowhere. It’s great to live in a popular city, but it can be a bit exhausting.
Still, if you search hard enough, you can find pockets of the old Austin, thriving amid the development and high-rises. Case in point: Austin’s darkest bar [Read more…]