BARS, Pubs & Diver Bars

Texas has many counties that are dry or partially dry, but Austin is definitely not in a dry county. There are thousands of bars here--some local dive bars with Merle Haggard on the jukebox, others ultra-swank clubs that feature DJs. The following are the best watering holes in town.

Bars

Hanging out at 1920s Club (918 Congress Ave., 512/479-7979, www.1920s.com) can make you feel like alcohol is illegal again. This speakeasy set in a historic building at the heart of downtown brings the feel of prohibition back with elegant decor, period jazz and big band, and an authentic Tommy Gun (machine gun) in a violin case behind the bar. Top-shelf drinks and beers from around the world are available, and happy hour prices can ring in a beer at $2.50.

The high end multi-level lounge experience has been made perfect by The Belmont, (305 W. 6th St., 512/457-0300). This popular joint is plush and custom, outfitted with Vegas overtones and Manhattan undertones. If Dean Martin were alive, and if he was cool enough to live in Austin, he would probably oft be found smoking in one of the private rooms such as the Dakota Lounge, or on the outdoor patio--slightly hammered of course. The signature drink is the Belmontini, which features locally made Tito's Vodka and pineapple juice, and live music often helps to set the tone.

One of the more popular watering holes for beautiful people is Club De Ville (900 Red River St., 512/457-0900). Style is set with upholstery on the walls and near-darkness. Inside feels a lot like being at a sophisticated party in a darkroom for developing photos. The best feature here is the patio in the backyard, chiseled out of limestone cliffs. This is one of the better spaces in the Red River District for sipping and chatting with friends. Happy hour goes to 8 p.m., which works to bring folks in early.

On the quieter side of downtown towards Mo-Pac/Highway 1 is Donn's Depot (1600 W. 5th St., 512/478-0336). This fantastic old-time bar is housed in a former train depot and a real choo-choo. The crowd is very diverse, with old folks looking for a dance as well as spry youngsters seeking a cultural experience. Live and canned music is generally jazz, big band, bluegrass, country, and porch. Donn himself has two bands that perform here. Scene: dancing to live country and hobo-style drinking.

It's hard to pigeonhole Halcyon Coffeehouse (218 W. 4th St., 512/472-9637, www.halcyonaustin.com) as anything specific. This lack of definition is what makes it one of my favorite places to hang out any night of the week. Halcyon (pronounced HAL-see-yon) is a night-owl Cafe, a classy bar, a sophisticated art gallery, and a laid-back smoke shop all rolled into one Zig-Zag. The front half is a great Cafe space with low-lying chairs and couches, the back is the bar with loud music thumping, and on the side is a fish bowl that contains the tobacco shop. Everywhere in this place you will find great artwork hanging on the walls, and people surfing wireless Internet and socializing. If you're craving sweets they will bring fire to your table so you can roast marshmallows and make s'mores.

Most people don't go to bars to be reminded of death. But if you're one of those people who want to drink a beer on a coffin try Lovejoy's (604 Neches St. at 6th St., 512/477-1268). Here you'll find around 20 beers on tap, local and regional brews, wines, and a full bar. The scene is generally a flock of bikers and intellectuals sitting around on garage-sale furniture. If you want to be near, but not on, 6th Street, this is a great place to be. Every night most pints are only $2.

Lucky Lounge (209A W. 5th St., 512/479-7700, www.theluckylounge.com) is a trendy bar with '60s decor and occasionally good live music. If you want to lounge around, have live background music, and sip apple martinis, you're in luck at Lucky's. The crowd is primarily heterosexual singles looking to schmooze and flirt in a sophisticated way.

Momo's (618 W. 6th St., 512/479-8848), on the quieter side of 6th Street, is a versatile, upscale night spot with retro dancing in a Vegas-style atmosphere.

Just on the west side of Congress Avenue downtown is the ever-popular Red Fez (209B W. 5th St., 512/478-5120). Part bar, part nightclub, and all Middle Eastern decor make this an interesting place to find yourself at the wee hours on any given night. It can get loud and intense inside, which can either rev you up or turn you off depending on if you want a wild evening or a mellow one. Although the atmosphere is panache the prices of drinks isn't.

One of the best martinis in town is at Speakeasy (412D Congress Ave., 512/476-8017). The entrance is in the alley, which harkens back to the prohibition era. Suave and divine is a way of life here, with live music, relaxed atmosphere, brick and wood interior, and walls covered in vintage posters.

If Dracula lived in a loft in Manhattan it would probably look a lot like The Mohawk (912 Red River St., 512/482-8404). This space has been through so many incarnations over the years--from club after club, to swank bar, to full-on cocaine den. This time around I hope the Mohawk can survive. It's a unique space that's friendly and not too crowded, but this may change if it gets off the ground. The Mohawk also has three stages, although it's not known as a live music hot spot just yet.

Dive Bars

Have you recently been dragged through the briar patch of love? Have you lost faith in humankind because humans don't seem to be kind? Or are you just lonely and want to sit around with others that are lonely, pretending you don't want to be bothered, when you're really crying out for human contact? Austin's world-class dive bars can help you. Some of these joints have historical significance, although you would never know it from the outside--they look like they've been closed since REO Speedwagon broke up. Many of these drinking institutions are owned and operated by spry, older ladies who've created their own unique cultures in their bars. For obvious reasons these places dredge up images from Nick Cave (Jangling Jack), Frank Sinatra (Strangers in the Night), and Johnny Cash (Sunday Morning Coming Down). Be sure to bring cold hard cash to these places because most of the following joints don't take plastic.

If your inner child likes to drink check out the age-old Carousel Lounge (1110 E. 52nd St., 512/452-6790). The circus theme is taken to the limits with a big pink ceramic elephant, circus murals, and a mini-carousel. It summons images of Red Skelton's hobo clown combined with Dean Martin. A special tip of the hat goes to Stella Boes, the 80-year-old hostess who has won awards for her charisma. Only beer and wine are offered here.

Jukebox joint Deep Eddy Cabaret (2315 Lake Austin Blvd., 512/472-0961) will make you feel at home. Here you can swim in your own head while listening to the eclectic tunes on the jukebox. We've all heard of Elvis (both Costello and Presley), but what kind of dive bar patron has heard of Edith Piaf (often confused with eat a pilaf)? The early 20th century French singer gone heroin addict surprisingly adds a nice depressed touch to this dive bar experience. Pitchers of Lone Star are only $6, and snacks consist of hot nuts and pretzels.

Dry Creek Saloon (4812 Mount Bonnell Rd., 512/453-9244) is one of the oldest bars in town. This rustic shack is nestled among extravagant, million-dollar homes, but I assure you that all the patrons come from elsewhere. Only a couple kinds of beer are available, so don't expect marvelous microbrews on tap. The owner is an unpleasant cantankerous woman who's known to have kicked sober people out for being drunk. I used to think this added to the charm of Dry Creek Saloon but now I'm way over it. The saloon is high up Mount Bonnell Road, but don't expect some great mountain peak cause this is a Texas mountain, measuring in at a whopping 780 feet above sea level. This doesn't, however, diminish the fact that there's an extraordinary view from the saloon's rooftop deck.

You don't have to be drunk at a Christmas party to see elves dancing over the bar, because it's always Christmas at Lala's Lounge (2207-09 Justin Ln., 512/453-2521). Years of cigarette smoke and liquor-stained carpets produce a marvelous smell. Just like the patrons, the Christmas tree is always lit, with presents under her branches--and the skeleton over the pool table is riding a giant beer bottle. There's hidden symbolism in all this I'm sure. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin provide the soundtrack for this joint.

The legendary mini-honky-tonk Little Longhorn Saloon (5434 Burnet Rd., 512/458-1813) is a place steeped in character, booze, and bird poop. Local mother to the bar divers, Ginny Kalmbach is the owner/operator and has achieved mythical status in her own right. Besides being known as a place to get a drink and to hear real country music (as opposed to country pop), Little Longhorn is famous for Chicken Shit Sunday. This is when Ginny puts a specially designed bingo board on the pool table along with a chicken in a cage. People place bets on a number and if the chicken shits on your number you win the pot. The soundtrack is provided by a live performance by Dale Watson and his Lone Stars.

If you thought poodles and heavy metal had no place being together, check out the Poodle Dog Lounge (6507 Burnet Rd., 512/465-9468). You know you're there when you see a seemingly abandoned building with the faint image of a giant poodle on the outside. The Poodle is a wacky scene. On one hand it seems like it's an old bar in its death throws, and then on Friday nights, when heavy metal bands play, the place springs to life. A poor assortment of beers is all that's available here. Just up the road is Top Notch Hamburgers, which was one of the shooting locations for the movie Dazed and Confused.

PUBS

A pub with dark nooks and crannies similar to an English pub is Dog & Duck Pub (406 W. 17th St., 512/479-0598). Dog & Duck has 29 beers on tap, including the local Celis line, and dozens of bottled beers to choose from. The Austin Beer Club and the Homebrewing Club both meet here, which says a lot about the pub. Besides being a great place to suck down pints, Dog & Duck is a great place for the whole family. And just like an English pub the food is greasy and is good only because it goes with beer. On St. Patrick's Day Dog & Duck is packed. Drink specials are offered throughout the week.

The pub that most successfully replicates English-pub atmosphere is The Draught House (4112 Medical Parkway, 512/452-6258, www.draughthuose.com). Dark spaces, a good selection of microbrews and commercial beers, and a mellow atmosphere make this one of the best pubs in town. They have their own Old World-style brew house where they cook up some excellent beers using a traditional recipe. Ask for a taste before ordering one of their micros. Every day of the week they offer great deals that are sure to draw you in. Free Bratwurst on Saturday, free pizza on Wednesday, and pints for $2.75 on Tuesdays. The pub lets people take their brews outside, which has spawned a unique lawn-chair-parking-lot social scene. After dark don't drive in with your headlights on, as this will elicit the evil eye from patrons.

Fado (214 W. 4th St., 512/457-0172) in the Warehouse District is hailed as one of the most popular Irish pubs in town. Guinness may flow in rivers here but that doesn't make it Irish, or even a pub for that matter. The interior is faux Irish pub, featuring four different motifs: Victorian Dublin, the Gaelic Pub, the Traditional Pub, and the Irish Country Cottage Pub. You might expect to trip over a faux "Irish" sheep as you walk to the bathroom. However this doesn't diminish Fado's popularity and the fact that it's consistently hopping and always packed after dark.

The Gingerman (304 W. 4th St., 512/473-8801) is another one of my favorite pubs in town. Knowledgeable staff serves up bottles and pint glasses of brew produced at local breweries, as well as the ones you're most familiar with. No matter where you sit--at the booths inside or on the outside patio--Gingerman is a comfortable place to hang out with family, friends, or all alone.

A great place to have a beer on a second-story deck overlooking Austin is Opal Divine's (700 W. 6th St., 512/477-3308). Opal's is housed in an old building with lots of character, is staffed with knowledgeable and friendly people, offers food one notch above average pub fare, and is so comfortable that it's easy to waste away your whole evening. Take note of the floors and stairs. Much beer has been spilled on these wooden floors, which has created a remarkable protective coating.

Legacy and history make Scholz Garten (1607 San Jacinto, 512/474-1958) Austin's one and only biergarten. Established in 1866 over an old boarding house by a German immigrant, Scholz became a cultural center with beer as the communal glue. Over 100 years later Scholz is still a cultural center, and the beer still flows. Along with being one of Texas's oldest continuously operated businesses, Scholz also has the distinction of being one of the top 25 best sports bars in the United States according to Sports Illustrated. True to the German <@I>biergarten,<@P> Scholz offers schnitzels, along with American fare. Out back is a huge space with a stage for live music and picnic tables, which makes this a grand place for big crowds of family and friends to gather.