Happy hour is a great way to reward yourself and your colleagues after a long, hard day at work. If you live or work near central Austin, you’re in luck because this part of town is chock full of great happy hour spots. Here are 10 of the best!
10. Royal Jelly
Hip and funky Royal Jelly is a bar and restaurant ready for your next happy hour group outing. Even though this neighborhood joint is in the middle of densely populated central Austin, they have a front patio with picnic tables and plenty of shade from a big tree. In fact, you can’t even see their patio on Google Earth because of the tree’s canopy.
In addition to $2 off snacks including smoked trout dip and kimchi brussels sprouts, happy hour at Royal Jelly has $4 Austin Beerworks Pearl-Snap Pilsner, $2 Lone Star, $2 off all wine, $5 Moscow Mule, and $12 Cubano with any draft.
Address: 704 West Saint Johns Avenue; Happy hour: Tuesday-Saturday 4 p.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday 3 p.m.-8 p.m.
9. Pinthouse Pizza
Happy hour is short at Pinthouse Pizza, so if you want to get $2 off pints of their house beer, you’ll have to hurry over from work. But you’ll be glad you did. Match their brew with one of their specialty pies, and you’re in for a great early dinner.
Address: 4729 Burnet Road; Happy hour: Monday-Friday 5 p.m.-6 p.m.
8.) Vivo Modern Tex Mex
If you don’t like Tex-Mex food, what are you doing in Austin? Vivo Modern Tex Mex offers a great range of classic Tex-Mex dishes. Plus, their $5 happy hour margaritas, select $5 happy hour appetizers, and select tacos at two for $5 will have you ditching work early.
Address: 6406 North Interstate 35; Happy hour: Monday-Friday 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
7.) Blue Star Kitchen + Bar
Formerly Blue Star Cafeteria, Blue Star Kitchen + Bar sheds your preconceived notions about cafeterias to focus on uptown comfort cuisine. They still have tons of dishes to choose from, but you can forget about warming trays and sneeze guards. For happy hour, Blue Star Kitchen + Bar has $3 draft beers, $1 off bottled beers, $2 off wine glasses, 20% off wine bottles, and $2 off appetizers (excluding pizzas).
Address: 4800 Burnet Road; Happy hour: Monday-Saturday 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
6. Vino Vino
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If you want a glass of wine at happy hour, you can’t go wrong with a restaurant with wine twice in its name. Vino Vino has been a mainstay for romantic dining in Austin, and when you just want a glass of wine after work, they have you covered. At happy hour, Vino Vino serves $5 house reds and whites, $5 classic cocktails, and half price appetizers and burgers.
Address: 4119 Guadalupe Street; Happy hour: Sunday-Monday all day; Tuesday-Friday 3 p.m.- 7 p.m.; Saturday 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m.
5. The Peached Tortilla
It’s a familiar story in Austin. A food truck becomes all the rage in Austin, and it opens up a brick-and-mortar storefront. After slinging Asian and Southern inspired tacos and sliders from a food truck in 2010, Eric Silverstein followed up his successful brand with his central Austin location a few years later.
At happy hour — or “social hour,” as The Peached Tortilla calls is — customers can order a variety of discounted beers, wines, and cocktails. Pair the drinks with kalua pork tacos, Chinese BBQ pork tacos, or an order of one of their discounted bar snacks, and you have the start to a great evening.
Address: 5520 Burnet Road; Happy hour: Tuesday-Sunday 5 p.m.-7 p.m.
4. Posse East
If you don’t have a ticket to a Texas Longhorns football game, you’ll probably want to watch it from Posse East. But it doesn’t have to be game day for you to visit this bar just north of the University of Texas campus. If you need convincing, they have extensive happy hour specials on draft and bottled beers. Plus, they have cheap happy hour appetizers including $3 nachos, $5 large queso, $5.75 large queso with beef, and $5.95 for half a dozen chicken wings.
Address: 2900 Duval Street; Happy hour: Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Friday 2 p.m.-7 p.m.; Wednesday and Sunday open to close
3. Fonda San Miguel
We all have our favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican food joints. But sometimes, you want a spruced up Mexican meal. And when you’re in that mood, Fonda San Miguel is your place. Make sure you arrive in time to take advantage of their happy hour specials which include $1 off margaritas and half off select appetizers. On Tuesdays, their happy hour lasts all night and also includes $5.95 house margaritas and select glasses of wine.
Address: 2330 West North Loop Boulevard; Happy hour: Monday-Thursday 5 p.m.-7 p.m.; Tuesday all night
2. The Drag Bar
There’s probably no better place for a bar than across the street from a huge university and upstairs from a 24-hour pizzeria. Well, that’s exactly the place you’ll find The Drag Bar — right in the heart of The Drag (the section of Guadalupe Street bordering the University of Texas campus) and above Austin’s Pizza.
The Drag Bar will serve you a cold one any time except between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sundays. At happy hour, you can get $3.50 premium well drinks and $1 off all drafts. Plus, they have daily drink specials each day of the week.
Address: 2324 Guadalupe Street; Happy hour: Monday-Friday 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
1. Crown & Anchor Pub
The draft beer specials at Crown & Anchor Pub may be what draws you in at happy hour, but the burgers will be what you tell all your friends about. Their burgers are well known around town, and they’re priced much more favorably than those fancy burger joints. Do you dare try the triple cheeseburger? More importantly, can you finish it?
Address: 2911 San Jacinto Boulevard; Happy hour: Daily 2 p.m.-7 p.m.
This article is part of a series about Austin Happy Hours. Be sure to check out our posts about South Austin Happy Hours, East Austin Happy Hours and Downtown Austin Happy Hours, North Austin Happy Hours, and Austin Outdoor Happy Hours, too!
Featured photo courtesy of Fonda San Miguel.
