Happy hour is a great time to sample the dining establishments and watering holes east of Interstate 35. Next time you’re looking for a spot to kick back after a day’s work, try one of these East Austin happy hours.
10.) Quickie Pickie
Quickie Pickie embodies the feel of East Austin. Owner Zahir Prasla makes sure of that. “Part convenience grocery, part café, part beer joint, we are a hybrid uniquely suited to our neighborhood in the same way the bodegas of the northeast, the packed little colmados of Latin America, and the bar-tabacs of Paris and Marseille are uniquely suited to theirs,” he says.
Thursday night at Quickie Pickie is the time to clue yourself into new brews. Each week, they feature a different brewery with cheap pours, free swag, and a chance to chat with the biggest beer nerds in Austin.
1208 East 11th Street and 2027 East Cesar Chavez Street; Thursday pint night
9.) Salty Sow
American gastropub Salty Sow serves contemporary farmhouse fare. Entrees and cocktails are served fresh daily, mindfully sourced from local farms and vendors. Happy hour features $2 off all signature cocktails, beer, and wine. Plus, they have shareable bites like truffled deviled eggs, honey rosemary dipped fried chicken, and duck fat fries.
1917 Manor Road; Happy hour: Everyday, 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
8.) The Silo on Seventh
Rooftop patios aren’t just for downtown Austin. Kick back and relax on the patio at The Silo on Seventh. Enjoy one of their many varieties of craft burgers and try one of their signature cocktails like Ginger Mojito (Real McCoy 3 year aged rum, Domaine De Canton ginger liqueur, soda, fresh lime juice, mint), Hard Arnold (Deep Eddy Sweet Tea vodka, Deep Eddy Peach Vodka, lemonade), or The Irish Bar Fight (Whole can of Cuvee Black & Blue Cold Brew, topped w/ Jameson Irish Whiskey, Bailey’s Irish Creme, simple syrup, on ice).
At Silo on Seventh, happy hours never take a day off. Happy hour specials include half off select appetizers, $3 premium wells and Lone Star tall boys, $2 off signature cocktails and $1 off draft craft beers.
1300 East 7th Street; Happy hour: Everyday, 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
7.) Sawyer & Co.
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The design of Sawyer & Co. will take you back to the 1950s, and the flavors will take you to New Orleans. The juxtaposition is unlike any other place in Austin. It fits the Keep Austin Weird mantra, but in an accessible way.
Stop by during happy hour, and you’ll get $1 off cocktails such as The Sawyer (gin, lime, simple syrup, 28 dashes of various bitters), Springdale Daisy (gin, lemon, lime, spiced hibiscus grenadine, angostura bitters), and Blueradura (vodka, blueberry herb syrup, lemon, soda). They also offer $1 off glasses of wine and beer.
4827 East Cesar Chavez Street; Happy hour: Monday-Friday, 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
6.) Jacoby’s Restaurant & Mercantile
Jacoby’s Restaurant & Mercantile is an upscale dinner and brunch place. They have a small menu, but what they do, they do well.
Though Jacoby’s only offers happy hour a few days a week, they have good specials — $2 off all wines by the glass, draft beers, and “snacks.” Interested in deviled eggs, pimento cheese, warm crab dip, tempura fried onion rings, pickles or hush puppies? Well, you’re in luck! They’re all on the “snacks” menu!
The mercantile features an ever evolving collection of artisan food, vintage and modern goods, and unique one-of-a-kind finds. You might walk away from Jacoby’s with more than merely a full stomach!
3235 East Cesar Chavez Street; Happy hour: Tuesday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-7 p.m.
5.) Dog & Duck Pub
Let’s face it. British food doesn’t have the greatest reputation. But when Dog & Duck Pub prides itself on its British food and at the same time consistently wins local awards for pub food, maybe you need to take a second look. Perhaps you’ve tried bangers and mash or shepherd’s pie at another British pub and didn’t care for it. But have you had those classic British dishes at Dog & Duck? If not, you might want to withhold judgment. And with their happy hour going for four hours a day every single day they’re open, you’re going to get a great deal on drinks to wash down the across-the-pond fare.
2400 Webberville Road, Building A; Happy hour: Everyday, 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
4.) Lustre Pearl East
Just a few blocks from where East Cesar Chavez and East 2nd Streets come together in east Austin sits a little bar on Linden Street called Lustre Pearl East. The original location is on Rainey Street, but this second location is several miles removed from Austin’s hipster epicenter.
Specialty cocktails, drafts, and wells are $1 off during happy hour. That gives you an extra reason to try the Lustre Lemon (Reyka Vodka, strawberry syrup, lemon juice, soda), Rainey Street Mule (Ketel One Vodka, Maine Root ginger beer, Angostura bitters, lime juice), or Ophelian (Notel’s Gin, melon liqueur, strawberries, cucumber). You might discover your new favorite cocktail!
114 Linden Street; Happy hour: Monday-Friday 4 p.m.-7 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.- 2 p.m.
3.) Cenote
While you may think of happy hour as only consisting of alcohol and light appetizers, Cenote will change your mind. The folks at Cenote describe their establishment as “part coffeehouse, part wine bar, part tap room.” Well, they also have great food sourced locally to the greatest extent possible.
Coffee at happy hour may be foreign to you, but why not give it a try? Cenote currently serves coffee from Wild Gift, Merit, and Casa Brasil. They use a French press for their house coffee and also boast a rotating selection of coffees using a pour over method for optimal flavor.
If you don’t want to try their coffee for happy hour, they have more traditional happy hour offerings. You can get $1 off all beer and wine (excluding $2 beers and mimosas), plus half price appetizers.
And you can experience some Austin history. Cenote’s building is quite the artifact in its own right. Erected in 1887, the structure appears on Austin’s earliest known hand-drawn map produced in 1889. Though the building has undergone extensive renovations over the years, Cenote was awarded Heritage Society of Austin’s “Merit Award for Adaptive Use” in 2011.
1010 East Cesar Chavez Street; Happy hour: Monday-Friday, 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
2.) Haymaker
A big sandwich and a craft beer. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Lucky for you, those are the specialties at Haymaker. This east side neighborhood bar wants to fill your belly and put you in a food coma.
Their namesake sandwich has rare roast beef topped with french fries, gruyere sauce, slaw, tomatoes and a fried egg. Wash it down with a craft beer, and you have the Haymaker experience.
They don’t have a set time for happy hour, but they do have daily drink specials. For instance, they have $2 frozen margaritas, $3 beer ritas and $2 off all bombers on Fridays. Check their menu of daily drink specials to see which day pulls you through their doorway. No matter which day you choose, you’re going to walk out full.
2310 Manor Road; Daily drink specials
1.) School House Pub
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Even if you were a straight D student, you’ll love going to this school. Instead of detention starting at 3 p.m., School House Pub starts happy hour. Now, that’s much better than doing your homework.
School House Pub is closed on Sundays, but every other day has unique happy hour specials. Plus, their weekday happy hour has $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon and Lone Star, $3 wells and $5 fish and chips. Cheap beer and cheap food? Looks like you’ll be skipping dinner after a School House Pub weekday happy hour.
On top of all that, they have a reverse happy hour on Saturday nights during peak hours — 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. You may have just found your new weekend hangout spot.
2207 Manor Road; Happy hour: Monday-Saturday, 3 p.m.-7 p.m.; Reverse happy hour: Saturday, 10 p.m.-1 a.m.
This article is part of a series about Austin Happy Hours. Be sure to check out our post about South Austin Happy Hours, too!
Featured photo courtesy of The Silo on Seventh
