Best Dive Bars in Austin for a Bachelor Party

Why Dive Bars for an Austin Bachelor Party

Sixth Street clubs are fine for one night, but the dive bars are where Austin actually drinks. You get cheap rounds, room to spread out a big group, and enough character that the night tells its own stories.

None of these take reservations, so the play is to roll in early, claim a corner, and build the crawl from there.

Nickel City

Best for: The all-around anchor bar | Price: cheap pours, cocktails that punch above the room

Widely called Austin's best dive, Nickel City runs a cocktail program most upscale bars cannot match while still feeling like a neighborhood joint. The Delray Cafe truck next door handles Detroit-style coneys, sliders, and wings.

Order this: A round of well drinks and a stack of coneys from the truck.

Casino El Camino

Best for: The legendary burger stop | Price: burgers roughly $13 to $16

Open since 1994 in the heart of Sixth Street, Casino has cult status for its dark, rock-and-roll room and a kitchen that outpunches the vibe. The Buffalo Burger, topped with the bar's own hot wing sauce and blue cheese, is the one people drive in for.

Order this: The Buffalo Burger, and give the kitchen time because it is worth the wait.

The White Horse

Best for: Honky-tonk dancing and live music | Price: cheap beer, whiskey on tap

This East Austin honky-tonk on Comal has live music seven nights a week, a big dance floor, two pool tables, and the Bomb Tacos trailer out back. It is the most fun room on this list if the crew is up for two-stepping badly.

Order this: A tap whiskey and a couple of tacos before you hit the floor.

Deep Eddy Cabaret

Best for: An afternoon beer after a swim | Price: some of the cheapest pints in town

Half of a classic Austin combo: swim at nearby Deep Eddy Pool, then post up here for a cold one. It is dim, unpretentious, and jukebox-driven, exactly what you want mid-afternoon.

Order this: A cheap draft and quarters for the jukebox.

Hole in the Wall

Best for: Live bands and pool near campus | Price: low covers, cheap drinks

A Guadalupe Street institution near UT, Hole in the Wall stacks local bands on two stages with legit sound for a room this casual. It is loud, cheap, and easy to lose a few hours in.

Order this: Whatever is on special, and catch whoever is playing that night.

The Liberty

Best for: A patio dive with great tacos | Price: cheap drinks, tacos out back

An East Sixth Street favorite with a big oak-shaded patio that dodges the usual downtown pretension. The East Side King trailer behind it turns out some of the best late-night bites in the city.

Order this: A drink on the patio and a run at the East Side King trailer.

Lala's Little Nugget

Best for: A weird, only-in-Austin photo op | Price: cheap and strong

Christmas decorations stay up all year here, which makes it the ideal absurd first or last stop on a crawl. Drinks are strong, the room is tiny, and your group photos will be unmistakably Austin.

Order this: Whatever the bartender pours strong, under the year-round tinsel.

Planning Tips

• None of these take reservations, so arrive early with a big group and grab space before the crowd.
• Bring cash; a few of these bars are cash-friendly and some cash-only, and it speeds up rounds.
• Group the East Side spots (White Horse, Liberty) into one leg and the Sixth Street spots (Casino, Nickel City) into another to cut down on rides.
• Eat at the bars with trucks attached so the night lasts longer and stays on its feet.