Cocktail barBeer garden$$$southtownDaily 12:00-00:00
The Friendly Spot is a family and dog friendly Southtown ice house with a huge beer list, where a frozen margarita and a taco under string lights is the move.
Signature drink: Cold longnecks and frozen margaritas
Food: Tacos and ice-house plates
Tip: It is family and dog friendly with a huge beer list. The frozen margarita and a taco is the order under the string lights.
Cocktail barDive bar$$$tobin-hillMon Closed, Tue 21:00-02:00, Wed-Sun 16:00-02:00
Faust Tavern is a Tobin Hill dive with stiff pours and a craft-beer list past sixty, cash-friendly and busy with the St Mary's crowd on weekend nights.
Signature drink: Stiff pours and 60-plus craft beers
Food: None
Tip: A proper dive with stiff pours and a deep beer list. Cash-friendly and busy with the St Mary's crowd on weekends.
Cocktail barHistoric tavern$$$downtownWed 11:30-01:00, Sun 11:30-02:00
The Esquire Tavern downtown keeps the longest wooden bar in Texas upstairs and a cocktail room by the river below; a burger soaks up the drinks either way.
Signature drink: Cocktails at the longest wooden bar in Texas
Food: Burgers and bar snacks
Tip: Sit at the historic bar upstairs, then drop to the downstairs cocktail room by the river. A burger soaks up the drinks.
Cocktail barCocktail and charity bar$$$east-sideTue-Thu 11:00-22:00, Fri 11:00-23:00, Sat 12:00-23:00
The Cherrity Bar near downtown's east side pairs craft cocktails and comfort food with a charity model, donating proceeds to rotating local causes.
Signature drink: Cocktails that fund local causes
Food: Vegan and comfort plates
Tip: Your tab supports a different local charity each cycle. The vegan kitchen and live-music nights make it a full evening.
Cocktail barCocktail bar$$$downtownSun-Thu 11:30-00:00, Fri-Sat 11:30-02:00
Double Standard is a downtown American tavern with a serious cocktail list, chef-crafted burgers and small bites, and fresh Texas oysters on ice.
Signature drink: Cocktails with burgers and Texas oysters
Food: Burgers, small bites, oysters
Tip: The cocktails come with a real kitchen behind them; the burger and oysters hold up. A reliable downtown option.
Cocktail barSpeakeasy and live music$$$downtownMon-Wed Closed, Thu 16:00-00:00, Fri-Sat 16:00-02:00, Sun Closed
Bar 414 is a downtown speakeasy stirring 1920s-style cocktails with house-made ingredients, named for the Gunter Hotel room where bluesman Robert Johnson.
Signature drink: Prohibition-era cocktails with live jazz and blues
Food: Snacks
Tip: Named for Robert Johnson's Gunter Hotel recording room. Come for the live jazz and a properly stirred classic.