As a true center for both delicious food and excellent locally-made libations, Austin boasts no shortage of awesome happy hour situations. Restaurants and bars throughout the city offer early-evening deals on cocktails, drafts, and snacks, and we’ve rounded up the four neighborhoods where you’re particularly likely to find delicious happy hour specials.

South Lamar

Courtesy of Uchi Austin

A rapidly growing neighborhood south of Lady Bird Lake, South Lamar attracts a population heavily skewed toward young professionals. As a result, early-evening happy hours for post-work revelers are easy to find.

Superstar Austin chef Tyson Cole heads up the kitchen at Uchi, a celebrated South Lamar destination for artisanal sushi made from sustainably sourced fish flown in from Japan daily. Dinner at Uchi can be a bit of an investment, but for those looking to save some cash, the restaurant serves a daily “Sake Social” from 5-6:30pm. During this time, guests can order small plates like $6 hand rolls with salmon and grilled shishito, $3 chef’s choice nigiri made from market fish, hot dishes like $7.50 sakana tempura with pickled onion and chili ponzu, and $3 glasses of sake.

If wine’s your drink of choice, Aviary Wine and Kitchen offers a daily happy hour from 3-6 p.m., including $2-off any glass of wine from their impressive list, $2-off beer cans and bottles, $10-off of select bottles of wine, and $2 oysters for some classy sustenance.

Downtown

Courtesy of Fareground

Downtown enjoys the distinction of serving as Austin’s central business district, and because workers from all over the city and the Austin metro area flock to this area on a daily basis, local eateries benefit handsomely from post-workday happy hour deals. 

A popular example can be found at Fareground, Austin’s first-ever food hall. It’s been open for a few months now, and it’s already a well-established hit with Downtown Austin residents, commuters, and revelers. Fareground hosts booths from top Austin restaurants like Dai Due, Easy Tiger, and Contigo, and from 3-6 p.m. on weekdays, patrons have access to happy hour discounts from all vendors, including $5 drink specials at the Fareground bar, $2-off all kolaches at Henbit, $5 cheddar cheese curds at Antonelli’s, and $3 sausages at Easy Tiger. 

Happy hour drinking can work up an appetite, and Parkside on Sixth Street has you covered on that front. This sunny gastropub with patios overlooking all the Sixth Street action goes big with their daily deal, offering all beer, wine, cocktails, and the full food menu for half price between 5 and 6 p.m. 

East Austin

Courtesy of Haymaker

A neighborhood in flux, East Austin recently became the city’s top destination for young, creative, and trend-conscious newcomers. It’s therefore no surprise that East Austin contains many lively bars and restaurants that are drawing these hip crowds with their well-appointed happy hour discounts.

An East Austin hotspot for cold brews and hearty sandwiches, Haymaker features some of the neighborhood’s most popular drink deals. Haymaker offers drink specials on a nightly basis, and they vary depending on the date, with particular favorites including Tuesday’s $3 Texas pints and Friday’s $2 frozen margaritas. 

For another excellent East Austin daily happy hour, head just a few blocks down the street from Haymaker to Salty Sow, a highly esteemed locavore gastropub. Those who stop by from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. are rewarded with Salty Sow’s happy hour menu, featuring $5 glasses of wine, $4 craft beers, $5 tacos, and $5 shareable plates like truffled deviled eggs with bacon and chives or honey-rosemary fried chicken with a housemade biscuit. 

The Drag

Courtesy of Freedmen's

Food and drink spots in The Drag, a narrow Austin neighborhood bordered by Guadalupe Street, have their proximity to the University of Texas to thank for their brisk business. Long considered a residential area full of Austin families, The Drag is also home to plenty of students and UT faculty, and the neighborhood’s abundance of happy hours caters to this group. 

A great barbecue-themed happy hour is a must-have for a carnivorous city like Austin, and Freedmen’s by the University of Texas campus gives guests exactly that. On weekdays from 4-7 p.m., Freedmen’s serves up $2 Lone Star drafts, $3 pours of Freedmen’s Whiskey of the Month, and $5 barbecue sandwiches. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Freedmen’s does a “Reverse” Happy Hour from 10 p.m.-12 midnight, with the same deals as the regular happy hour plus $6 glasses of wine.

An upscale eatery well outside of most UT students’ budgets, The Carillon offers cut-rate bites and drinks on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Tuesdays are Oyster Nights at The Carillon, with East Coast oysters available for $1 all night long. On Wednesday nights, visitors can get a bottle of house red or white and an artisanal cheese board for just $25. Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m. features The Carillon’s Bites at the Bar special, which entitles patrons to one chef-selected small plate for each glass of wine or cocktail they purchase.