135 Best Bars in Texas, USA

For country music and two-stepping, try Cowboys Red River.

Just down the street, Cricket's Grill and Draft House features more than 100 on-tap beers.

Curtain Club and Liquid Lounge are two distinct clubs inside a shared building. Live musical acts, including acoustic, rock, and country, play here Thursday through Sunday.

Or mingle at the Dancing Bear Pub, which has a good selection of domestic and imported beers, as well as hearty fare like pizza, nachos, and burritos.

Part wine bar and café, part travel agency, the Departure Lounge brings together a global variety of wine, coffee, cheese, chocolates, and pastries while offering guests a chance to explore various regions of the world. The low-key vibe allows wine enthusiasts to enjoy weekly seminars on wine regions around the world while sampling appropriate examples, and armchair travelers can use the many large touch screens to check out potential getaways through an interactive experience.

This appropriately named brewpub serves house beers and global comfort food and features a spacious covered patio overlooking a duck-filled pond, with live music from Thursday through Sunday. The menu includes customizable burgers, Hill Country sausages, and plenty of beer-friendly snack plates, like giant pretzels, fried green tomatoes, and hot artichoke dip.

Across from Hotel Contessa, Drink Texas serves tapas and has a large variety of signature Texas cocktails, wines by the bottle, and wines by the glass. They're also known for their long (2 pm to 9 pm) happy hour.

This north Austin neighborhood craft cocktail haven has all the comforts of a local community pub with all the sophistication of a sleek downtown bar. Creative signature libations and local beers dominate the beverage menu, while a tasty spread of snacks and savory bar food keeps guests pulled up to the cozy bar for a few hours. There's an open-air back patio that expands the seating of the intimate interior.

The Dubliner is a rowdy Irish pub in which to hoist pints or throw darts.

For good food, great drinks and, yes, board games, Emerald Tavern is the place to go. The front retail portion resembles a simple old-school book shop, but with a variety of games lining the shelves. In the back, the tavern offers a unique selection of beers on tap, a sizable wine list, a few café-style bites, and fresh coffee from local roaster Cuvée Coffee. Both indoors and out on the patio, you can sip and savor while passing the time playing a selection of classic, European, and role-playing games, as well as tabletop miniature games that involve tiny figurines.

Once a classic Red River haunt in the middle of downtown, this indie rock and punk venue is now on East Riverside, where a much larger main stage hosts internationally acclaimed names in the music industry, including the likes of Blues Traveler and Lauryn Hill. A long-time player in the Austin music scene, expect plenty of SXSW showcases.

Home to some of Austin’s top comedy and improv performances, the Fallout Theater draws a broad audience who journey into the rather small venue for cheap, free-sketch, stand-up, and improv comedy on most days of the week, often with two performance time-slots a night. The theater also offers eight-week classes on improv or sketch writing. There is a full-service bar, but some shows are BYOB.

At this lounge-bar, chill out to the music of a rotating group of DJs or hang out on the large outdoor patio with The Flat's regular group of low-key hipsters.

The thought of parking in downtown Austin induces an instant headache. Yet, one particular parking garage on Colorado in between Fifth and Sixth streets has been known as a stress-relieving, inner-city sanctuary for savvy cocktail lovers since 2014. Enter under the "Cocktails" sign just past the nondescript garage's "Enter" and "Exit" signs and arrive via a winding entryway into the intimate, industrial-meets-mid-century-chic speakeasy. Snag one of the dozen stools around the curved granite bar to watch the experts at work on signature cocktails like the popular Indian Paintbrush, or cozy up in the banquette booths to people watch the weekend crowds. The menu also includes tasty small plates and snacks.

One of the top spots for live music on the perpetually vibrant East Sixth Street since 1978, the Gibson Room is one of famed bar Maggie Mae's music spaces and has its own entrance on the other side of the building. Sponsored by Gibson Guitars, this exclusive music venue is an artful homage to some of the world’s greatest rock artists, styled with Gibson guitars associated with legendary musicians like Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. Regular shows are open to the public, especially during SXSW, but the venue also hosts private events.

Gilley's Dallas is a giant honky-tonk with live music (mostly country), a 10,000-square-foot dance floor, and a mechanical bull. It's just south of Downtown.

Try The Grape for wine, sandwiches, and appetizers.

This cozy, art-filled spot beckons you to tuck away into its curtained-off private dining areas or sit and stay awhile on the tree-lined patio. Choose a bottle of wine from the well-curated selection, to enjoy on-site or take home, or choose from the array of craft beer. But definitely don't sleep on the food, which features crave-worthy dishes done right, like the Boom Boom Burger (a brisket burger with cream cheese and candied jalapeño and onions) and "crack-eroni" mac 'n' cheese topped with antelope chili, for lunch or dinner.

A prime spot for craft cocktail aficionados, Half Step is a swanky Rainey Street locale with first-rate bartenders who are serious about cocktails, but not too serious to keep away the fun. Both the indoor and outdoor seating areas are prime for people watching, and there are two delicious local food trucks parked on-site: Little Lucy's Mini Donut's and Spicy Boy's Fried Chicken. Live music and DJ sets are scheduled on weekends.

Originally opened by local celebrity Lance Armstrong, this lively Warehouse District bar quickly became a place to see and be seen. The warm lighting, exposed brick walls, and hardwood accents give this place a sexy urban-chic appeal, and the rooftop lounge provides amazing views of downtown at night. This venue will undoubtedly pull in a SXSW lineup.

This historic outdoor music venue, established in 1871, is tucked away on the east side and offers a funky and fresh mix of music and theme parties in a dive-bar–esque setting with an impressive outdoor stage. On-site parking can be tough to find, so ride-sharing is encouraged. Be sure to check out their lineup during SXSW.

The hallowed walls of this UT dive bar and music venue are legendary. It's been a mainstay on the Drag since 1974, with a gritty Old Austin atmosphere that still remains today despite the high-rise apartments and student housing that continue to develop around it in West Campus. It's a reliable haunt where you can find cheap Lone Star beers and excellent live music every day of the week. Celebs looking for an authentic night out in Austin are spotted here regularly during festivals like SXSW, as are a lively tribe of locals who show up for the weekly happy hours, songwriters' nights, and monthly lineup of local bands and touring headlining acts. There's an indoor and outdoor stage with an on-site food truck that stays open late.

This small live music venue attracts a diverse range of bands and DJs, in every genre from rock to hip-hop, Tuesday–Sunday throughout the year; Monday is stand-up comedy night. There's a laid back vibe, and Holy Mountain serves up southern-inspired food and drink specials on the back patio.

You don't need to be a hotel guest to unwind at the San José's popular courtyard bar and lounge in what many consider to be the hippest hotel in town. Enjoy signature micheladas, reasonably priced bottles of wine, and cheese plates poolside or at a bamboo-bordered patio table. Special events, like the annual South by San Jose SXSW festival, showcase local bands in the adjacent parking lot, while weekly DJ sets, themed dance parties, and seasonal happy hour specials are hosted in the lounge space.

If the sun has set and you're ready to not only hear, but feel some beats, then hit up these side-by-side sister bars and live music venues for nightly live bands, killer DJ sets, and dance parties in the heart of East Sixth Street. Expect a throwdown of sound during SXSW.

House of Blues is an intimate venue that hosts touring musical acts and serves dressed-up Southern-style fare.

Come here to have a dueling-piano bar and high-energy live show experience—and don't hesitate to sing along. They have a big selection of cocktails, shots, and beers. It's a great place to book parties and group events.

With its weathered barnwood exterior, this music venue, owned by Chad and Natasha Hudson, gives the appearance of being a town fixture—which it is. Home to live music performances onstage six days per week, with a music studio and place where locals take lessons, it’s a great place to stop and stay awhile, nursing a beer.

Book your table and seating times online for this favorite cool hot spot for live jazz and fine dining. Jazz, TX is located in the basement of the Food Hall at Bottling Department, accessible by outside stairs or indoor elevator. With seven shows a week (two each on Friday and Saturday nights), they have quite the variety of live music performances: jazz, blues, big band, Texas swing, salsa, and Latin jazz. The atmosphere is very old-school supper club, with craft cocktails, wine, and beer. Depending on the artist, tickets can range from $50 to $100 per person.

This family-owned bar features wine by the glass or bottle, rotating snack offerings (think pizza, smoked salmon, hummus, and more), and near-nightly live music.