The Infamous Best Austin Happy Hours List
Every Thursday, in my final semester of college, my roommates and I would partake in happy hours. This is a compilation of those adventures. Kids, make sure you dilute your margaritas with plenty of chips & salsa.
HH Ratings.
1= The drinks were gross
3= Nothing special
>3.5= I'd come back.
5= I crave it often.
Ambiance.
1= You come here solely for the coffee. You don't stick around. You leave right when you get the coffee.
3= Nothing memorable. Again, typical hipster set up.
5= I wish I lived here.
Food Rating.
1= Gross.
3= Nothing memorable.
5= I crave this food.
| Venue | The Good | The Bad | HH Rating | Food Rating | Ambiance |
| Mijo's | Their beer drink with chili powder and tamarind: yum | Ambiance is bleh. Too much fluorescent light. The salsa was horrible here. | 4 | 2 | 1.5 |
| Trudy's | The Mexican Martini. Yum. Yum. Yum. The salsa is fresh and yummy. | Crowded. The ambiance is meh and unlit. | 4.5 | 3 | 1.5 |
| El Taquito | Giant, goblet-size margaritas and good tacos. The prices are ridiculously cheap. Best bang for your buck. | Not close to anything. You'll probably be too drunk to drive anywhere after this (maybe that's a good thing?). | 3.5 | 4 | 1.5 |
| Curra's Grill | The wall murals were cool. | The salsa was not great and the set up of the tables was crowded. | 2.5 | 2 | 2 |
| Irie Coffee Shop | Eh, a coffee shop | 2 | 2 | ||
| Cork & Co. | Downtown. The waiters are really nice. | The wine selection is not great. | 2 | 2 | |
| Maiko Sushi | Good location. | Sushi is mediocre. | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2.5 |
| J. BLACK'S Feel Good Kitchen & Lounge | Super sweet staff, carefully crafted drinks | Too sweet. | 3 | 2 | |
| Javelina | Good drink selection. Nice patio. | The ambiance of the bar area is not great. | 3.5 | 2.5 | |
| Z'Tejas | Good location. | Drinks too sweet. The food is not good. | 2 | 1.5 | 3 |
| Dolce Vita | Delicious desserts, unique drinks. | It's not well lit, and the drinks aren't anything unique. | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3 |
| Fliptonic | Nice outdoor seating, not many unique happy hour offerings | The drinks are not the best. | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| El Arroyo | Great salsa and strong margaritas. Lot's of outdoor seating. | There are better outdoor patios to sit on. | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Shady Grove | Outdoor seating, music. | The cocktails are nothing special. The inside ambiance is like a fast food diner. | 2.5 | 1.5 | 3.5 |
| Easy Tiger | Baked goods & a bar. Lots of beers on tap. Outdoor seating. | Wish they had better lighting inside. | 3 | 3 | 3.5 |
| Apothecary Wine Bar | Chill environment, good wine | Expensive. Good place for wine and dessert. | 4 | 3 | 3.5 |
| Icehauer's | Best sangria in ATX, slightly carbonated, not too sweet | Not well lit inside. | 5 | 3.5 | |
| El Alma | They have margaritas and sangria. | Not my favorite salsa. The drinks were a little too sweet for me. | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Malaga Tapas Bar | In a great part of the city that is lit up with Christmas lights. The Sangria was good, but not the best. | The people working here were snobby. | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Paggi House | Indoor, outdoor feel; great drinks | The people working here are snobby. | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Searsucker | Great unique drinks, near DT | Snobby. Limited seating. Their happy hour ends quite early. | 4.5 | 4 | 4 |
| Banger's | So many beers on tap. Best spot to get a beer in ATX. | Always so crowded. | 5 | 4.5 | 4 |
| East End Wines | Great ambiance of east Austin, outdoor seating. The guy will help you find the perfect wine. The best place to buy wine in ATX. | The corkage fee sucks (especially for a night when they're not busy). | 5 | 4 | |
| El Naranjo | On Rainey, great margs. Everything is freshly made. I saw the barista muddle fruit for guava margaritas. | Early happy hour. | 4.5 | 3 | 4.5 |
| Brew Exchange | Great beer, cool ambiance. Right in the middle of downtown. | The people working here are so snobby. | 4.5 | 4.5 | |
| Peche | Unique cocktails. Cool idea of an absinthe bar. Makes you feel swanky. | Drinks are so expensive. | 4.5 | 4.5 | |
| Whistler's | Great outdoor place for beer and there's a dumpling trailer in the courtyard. | 5 | 5 | ||
| Benji's Cantina | Great, potent margaritas. Nice patio area on a rooftop. Yummy salsa and chips. | Snobby wait staff. | 4.5 | 4 | 5 |
| TnT: Tacos & Tequila | Great drinks and tacos, great atmosphere. Have different types of salsa and sweet potato chips, which are unique. | Really nothing. I want to say bad things about this place because I want it to be my secret spot no one knows about. | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Dedicated to: Jain, Dhanya, & Cody
What are your favorite happy hour spots? Comment below.
