Here’s the 4th post in my Best Austin Happy Hours series! If you want to see more happy hour deals in Austin, check out these other posts:
Best Happy Hours in South Austin
Best Happy Hours in Downtown Austin
Best Happy Hours in East Austin
Central Austin is a reeeeeaally broad area. I’ll probably eventually break this down into several blog posts, but for today I’m including all of my favorites happy hours that are between campus and North Loop, and between Mopac and I35. Cheers, friends!
Best austin happy hours: central austin
1. The Peached Tortilla
The “Social Hour” at The Peached Tortilla is such a fun way to experience this restaurant! They offer all sorts of their best sellers, including tacos, charred Brussels (LOVE THOSE), and a smaller burger for just $7, plus lots of cocktail options!
Happy Hour: Tue-Sun, 5-7 pm, bar only
– $5 beer
-$6 wine and cocktails
-$4 tacos
– $5 snacks
– $7 social burger
thepeachedtortilla.com
2. Lucy’s
Lucy’s fried chicken is fun because every day is a different happy hour special! My favorite is Friday, with 1/2 off all their signature cocktails.
Happy hour: varies by day
– Monday (all day): $4 house margarita and $1 Lone Star
– Tuesday (all day): $3 pints and $2 off all glasses of wine
– Wednesday (all day): $1 Pearl and $5 Juicy Lucy
– Thursday (until 7 pm): $3 wells and $3 cans and bottles
– Friday (until 7 pm): 1/2 off all signature cocktails
– Saturday and Sunday (until 5 pm): $4 mimosas, $3 screwdrivers & salty dogs, $5 bloody marys
lucysfriedchicken.com
3. Vino Vino
This sultry wine bar is a great place to expand your wine pallet, but they also serve amazing food. The happy hour menu includes my favorite: beautiful cheese boards! You choose 3, 5, or 7 cheeses which are paired with jam, nuts, honeycomb, and house crackers. Ridiculously tasty, and you can’t beat 1/2 off during happy hour!
Happy hour: daily, 5-7 pm
– half off all liquor, cocktails, beer, and snacks
– $2 off wines by the glass
4. Uchiko
Uchiko wins for having one of my all-time favorite dining specials in the city! (Psst: Uchi has a good one too, which I mentioned in Best South Austin Happy Hours.) It’s always fun to get discounts, but dining at such a discounted rate at a fine-dining restaurant like Uchiko is one of the biggest ways you can save money and experience the best food in Austin.
Sake Social: daily, 5-6:30 pm
– specials on nigiri, tastings, mokimono, okashi, and drinks
uchikoaustin.com
5. The Steeping Room
This is a great happy hour for anyone who wants a quiet, healthier option! The Steeping Room looks like it’s just a tea house from the outside, but it’s actually a phenomenal breakfast/lunch restaurant! It’s a great place to meet up with a friend for a date to catch up on life. Happy hour includes a few different beverage choices, and THOSE SCONES! Seriously y’all…please be sure to get a pastry while you’re there. Once you see them, you won’t be able to resist! (Aaaaand…I totally just defeated the purpose of adding this one “healthy happy hour” option. Oops!)
Happy hour: 4:30-6:30, Mon-Fri
– $1 iced teas of the day
– $1 off all tea-tails
– $1 off all pots of tea
– $1 off beer
– $2 off wine by the glass
– $2 off scone set
thesteepingroom.com
6. Foreign and Domestic
Foreign and Domestic is a tiny farm-to-table spot in North Loop that emphasizes sourcing responsibly produced products from local farmers, butchers, and artisans. The food is crafted with care, and the space is a cozy spot for a romantic date night. I love their early happy hour because it offers so many different bites for just $4!
Happy hour: 5:30-6:30 pm, tue-sat
– $3.50 local beer
– $6 glass of wine
– $6 crispy pork rillettes & gribiche
– $4 onion rings & buttermilk
– $4 tempura cauliflower, peanuts, & red pepper hot honey
– $4 popovers & charred onion butter
– $4 pommes frites & rouille
fndaustin.com
7. Freedmen’s Bar
First reason I love this place: BBQ, plus a ridiculous whiskey selection. Second reason: it’s in a historic building that was built in 1869 as a freed slave community. Later, it housed Austin’s first black newspaper. The building has historical significance, charm, and really good eats!
Happy hour: 4-7 pm, Tue-Fri
– $3 whiskey of the month
– $5 BBQ sammies (until sold out)
– $2 lone star drafts and PBR tall boys
freedmensbar.com
8. Texas French Bread
I added this to my list of “23 classic Austin restaurants for your bucket list” because they’ve been making delicious bread in Austin for 37 years! The bakery has now morphed into a full-blown restaurant with delicious eats on their rotating menu. Happy hour is just for drinks, making it a great place to go out to dinner and snag some great prices on wine.
Happy hour: 5-6 pm, Wed-Sun
– half off all wine, beer, and cider
texasfrenchbread.com
9. Komé
Komé was opened in 2011 by two Japanese chefs who are truly passionate about food and community. First off, know this: Komé is an excellent restaurant with a creative, evolving menu that will leave you coming back for more. But equally important, Také and Kayo, the two chefs, care about providing food at a reasonable price so that anyone can enjoy it. And if the menu is still just a bit too pricey for you, the happy hour menu offers little bites that represent the restaurant beautifully.
Happy hour: 5-6 pm, Mon-Thur
– various snacks (try the come fries!) for around $4 and less
– various rolls for around $5
– various drinks (sake and wine) for around $5 or less
kome-austin.com
10. Drink.well
I often forget that Drink.Well is more than just a mighty cocktail bar…it’s also a great place to grab food! They have tasty snacks like pommes frites, deviled eggs, and a beautiful cheesemongers board on the happy hour.
Austin Happy Hour: 4-6 pm, M-F and all night sunday
– $6 seasonal cocktails
– $2 off wine by the glass
– $4 draught beer
– $2 snacks
drinkwellaustin.com
11. GUILD
This progressive American seafood restaurant from former Uchi chef Sterling Ridings is one of the prettiest restaurants I’ve seen…I just can’t stop taking pictures when I visit! Enjoy happy hour specials on cocktails, raw oysters, and snacks.
Austin happy hour: 5-7 pm, Tue-Fri
– $6 glasses of wine
– $8 cocktails
– discounted bites
– $36 dozen raw oysters
WEBSITE | 3800 N Lamar
Cheers, y’all! Be sure to check out these other posts in the Best Austin Happy Hour series if you’re looking for more discounted eats in Austin:
