10BEST | Austin's Best Dive Bars
I love dive bars. They remind me of when I was 26 and basically invincible. On any given night, I could meet a girl or a new best friend. I could buy a round of shots and a few beers and still have a dirt cheap tab. I'm too damned old and they are harder to find these days, but there are still a few gems left in this town, if you know where to look. Here is a list of where to look. Read the article, go get a craft beer and a shot, but don't screw up some of my favorite places by being an idiot. Now go have responsible fun.
| Dive Bar | Why | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Back Lot | The old Nasty's became Back Lot a few years ago. Other than a few buckets of paint and some upgrades inside, it has the same divey vibe, crappy bathrooms and all. But there is no better beer and a shot special in Austin and their craft beer wall is solid. | 606 Maiden Ln, Austin, TX 78705 |
| Billy's on Burnet | It's named after Billy Forrester, so you know the craft beer selection is great. It also sports one of the best dive bar burgers I have ever had and is a great place to grab a beer and watch the game. It's almost like they hate progress at Billy's, which makes it amazing. | 2105 Hancock Dr, Austin, TX 78756 |
| Deep Eddy Cabaret | Deep Eddy is one of the oldest and one of the best, but is also a cautionary tale on how a great place can fall victim to a growing city and a cool reputation. I used to love it, but now its crowded with transplanted GenZ and Millennial hipsters who want to experience old Austin. I am shaking my fist with the other old timers. Get off my lawn. | 2315 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, TX 78703 |
| The Grackle | This is almost the anti-Deep Eddy. It is nestled in the middle of East 6th and should be crawling with Austin transplants, but its still divey as hell and never all that crowded. They have the best whiskey selection on this list and always have great craft beer on tap. The bartender told me I am the 3rd most irritating patron she has ever dealt with. Unfortunately for them, that made me like it more, challenge accepted. I am kidding of course, I think she and I are at peace now. | 1700 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702 |
| The Hideout Pub | This place really used to be a super divey biker bar, but they took the Covid years to make some upgrades and now it borders on "nice". At least they got that sewer smell out of the bathrooms. Hideout is the place on this list that I have been to the most and the longest. I have a lot of history here and this place honestly means a lot to me. | 12164 TX-1 Loop, Austin, TX 78758 |
| The Hole in the Wall | Another place that has made a lot of upgrades, probably to avoid being condemned. I miss the trip hazard that was the floor, but I saw a lot of great bands here in college and have a lot of memories. Hole in the Wall has narrowly avoided closure on many occasions, but with recent news (click this link), they are going to be around for a long time to come. | 2538 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78705 |
| The Lost Well | This is one of my more recent finds. All of Webberville is pretty great and The Lost Well is incredible. Its sort of what the Jackalope used to be before Dirty 6th became a hellscape. The craft beer options are a little lacking, but the music and the vibe are outstanding. Go eat and pre-game at Cavalier next door and then stumble over here for the live music and the old school Austin feel. | 2421 Webberville Rd, Austin, TX 78702 |
| Nickel City | Much like Deep Eddy, it is becoming a little too well known and too much of a destination. They did it to themselves with their yearly Moe's Tavern makeover, but regardless of that, this place is always fun, with great beer and drink specials and a pretty good Hot Dog at Delray Cafe. Side note: I hate that they are opening more locations. Get your own cool things Dallas and Houston. | 1133 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78702 |
| The Silver Medal | Another newer find for me. This is probably the most by the book, according to Hoyle, definition of a Dive Bar in Austin, TX. Their mascot is Tanya Harding, their motto is "Nearly the Best" and their burger, hotdog, drink specials are of course, just short of the best in town. They are well deserving of 2nd place. | 7100 U.S. 290 Frontage Rd, Austin, TX 78723 |
| The Water Tank | The Tank made the list because my friends all love it and I end up here quite often. They opened a new back patio and now they sport 40 pretty well selected craft and domestic taps. The place has been around for over 30 years, its got a ton of local color in their regulars, its generally just pretty damned fun. | 7309 McNeil Dr, Austin, TX 78729 |
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