For a full rundown on these spots including additional restaurants and our ranking system based on food, service and atmosphere, tune into our 04 HH Podcast.
South Austin Happy Hours in the 04
We are so excited for a full guide to the 78704 Happy Hour scene. For those of you that don’t know what “the 04′” is, it is the neighborhood in south Austin for the 78704 zip code that includes South Congress, South 1st, South Lamar, Barton Springs, and Riverside (west of I-35). A lot of the 365 family lives in the 04 and we frequent these very restaurants. We wanted to research other spots where we aren’t regulars to give our readers the full picture. We did a lengthy research day (tough job) and found some a few new gems. What we love about the 04, is the history and culture you can find around every corner.
Perla’s
Our favorite thing about Perla’s is the patio. There is a giant Oak Tree in the middle keeping it pretty shaded and it has very Northeast Hamptons vibes. Perla’s has fish flown in daily so it is very fresh and seasonal cuisine with coastal cocktails, and bright and fun wines. Go sit on the patio and get the daily frozen drink, share the lobster roll and fries, get the lobster shells and cheese, and if you are with a group, definitely share the Poco Platter, it has a little bit of everything!
Check out our posts on dog-friendly patios, favorite restaurant bar patios and best places to get Oysters in Austin.
Genre: Seafood/Oyster Bar
Location: South Congress – also featured on our top 5 favorite patios!
Time: Monday-Friday, 3– p.m.
Special: $8 Frozen Drink of the Day, $8 Fish Tacos, 50¢ off oysters, $2 off beverages, 1/2 off Lobster Roll, 1/2 off bottles of rosé
Favorites: Lobster Roll, Fries, Lobster Mac & Cheese, Poco Platter (Oysters, Shrimp Cocktail, Crab Fingers), Daily Frozen Drink
Keep your SoCo streak going and pop over to June’s for some June’s Rosé, or grab a burger at Hopdoddy.
Elizabeth Street Cafe
Another MMH Spot—like a neighborhood Vietnamese cafe with a French bakery (get the daily macaroons). They have everything from croissants and spring rolls to pho, curries, and fun cocktails. Get the crunchy chicken spring rolls (the dipping sauces are to die for), ginger chile oil dumplings, mango cucumber salad, the 1/2 off banh mi, one of the seasonal punches (or ask for the Shady Blonde—it’s an off-menu brunch cocktail with gin, lillet blanc, grapefruit, and thyme over crushed ice). Sit on the patio if it is nice! They also have plenty of street parking.
Genre: Vietnamese/French Bakery. (Check out our full post on Elizabeth St., here.)
Location: South 1st Street
Time: Monday-Friday, 3–6 p.m.
Special: 1/2 off appetizers and bahn mi’s, $2 off cocktails, beer, wine, sake, and punch
Favorites: Any of the spring rolls (we love crunchy chicken), daily macaroons, ginger chile oil dumplings, mango cucumber salad, beef carpaccio, pork belly steamed buns, singapore noodles or dan dan noodles, seasonal punches, the Shady Blonde (it’s on brunch menu but you can ask for it!)
If you’re not drinking, try the Vietnamese coffee or a house made shrub soda!
Lenoir
Sit outside in the wine garden—it backs up to Bouldin Creek and is so green, lush, and beautiful. All snacks and small plates are between $5–14, get the smoked fish tartine ($11), daily bread ($5), blue corn hushpuppies ($8), crudo ($14), and the gnocchi ($9). Any bottle under $80 is half off, so split one with friends!
To keep the party going in the Bouldin Creek area, pop over to Mattie’s at Green Pastures after for a drink on the lawn.
Genre: Farm to Table
Location: South 1st
Time: Tuesday-Sunday, 5–6:30 p.m.
Special: 1/2 off bottles of wine under $80
Favorites: Oysters with beet mignonette, cilantro & fried onions; Smoked Fish Tartine on squid ink potato pullman (potato bread), Daily Bread & spread, Blue Corn Hushpups with aerated gruyere cheese, Almaco Jack Crudo, Toasted Masa Gnocchi, inside has the daily menu of 4 courses for $60 (all locally sourced)
Check out our Podcast and Blog post in collaboration with Natalie Paramore and the owner of Lenoir, Todd Duplechan.
Juliet
Chef came from Asti, Mulberry & Haddingtons—beautiful green patio, large bar area to sit at as well. Get the seasonal pizza, sit on the patio or in the bar, get the $5 Aperol Spritz, the daily crudo, and the crispy broccoli!
Genre: Italian
Location: Barton Springs and Lamar (Check out our guide to a day in the Zilker neighborhood.)
Time: Every Day, 3–7 p.m., Wednesday Nights Jazz Night
Special: $5 wine, beer, and cocktails, $7–15 snacks
Favorites: $5 Aperol Spritz, any of the $5 Wines, $7 Salmon Crudo, $11 Seasonal Pizza, $15 Cheese & Meat Board, $7 Bruschetta, $11 Daily Fresh Pulled Mozzarella, $14 Mussels in Spicy Tomato Broth with Ciabatta, $7 Brussels with bacon and a sweet glaze; $7 Crispy Broccoli—this has garlic butter and chile flakes (kind of burnt, but so good!)
For more happy hours around Zilker Park & Barton Springs, check out this post, or pop over to El Alma, another favorite!
Aviary Wine & Kitchen
One of our all-time favorites! This used to be a furniture store that also sold wine, but they quickly realized they were selling more wine than furniture. Owners Marco Fiorilo and John Coronado converted it to a beautiful open-air kitchen with a raw bar, and a highly curated wine program. The menu is always changing and has a ton of seasonal small plates. We have never had a bad dish here! Go right when they open, expect amazing service, try wines you’ve never heard off, and cheeses you can’t pronounce. Get multiple of the seasonal small dishes, whatever the seasonal pasta is, and you HAVE to get a dessert.
Pop over to Backbeat on S. Lamar after for a nightcap and an awesome view of the skyline.
Genre: New American, Italian Influences
Location: South Lamar (Next to Black Sheep Lodge). Get your nails done at Queen Spa and then pop over!
Time: Every Day, 4–6 p.m.
Special: $2 off wine by the glass, $2 off beer, $10 off daily select bottles, Saturdays – 1/2 off bottles of wine (4–6 p.m.)
Favorites: Cheese Board (this is a must have); dishes are constantly changing but right now we suggest: Carrots Pastor, Aviary Egg, Escabeche (fried, and so good), Roasted Cauliflower, Ceviche, Tuna Tostada, any pasta dish, and every dessert
Uchi
If you haven’t been to Uchi, the Happy Hour is a great way test the waters. Started by James Beard award winner, Tyson Cole, they now have four locations, including Denver and Dallas. Cole started working as a dishwasher at Mushashino in Austin and worked his way up to chef. He trained for 10 years in Japan and then at Sushi Bond in NYC before starting Uchi in 2003. Everything is amazing but getting any of the daily fresh Nigiri and Sashimi specials, the Hamachi Cure, Karage Chicken and Hand rolls are a great start for HH!
Our favorite thing to do is walk over to Eberly either while you wait for a table, or after your HH (get the $8 Mac and Cheese from Eberly if you’re still hungry after small sushi plates!).
Genre: Sushi/Japanese
Location: South Lamar
Time: Everyday Sake Social, 5–6:30 p.m. (Get here early—4:30–4:45, get your name on the list and sit at your table at 5.)
Special: Drinks and food $3–7
Favorites: $3 sake, $7 wine, $7 Walu Walu (Oak Grilled Escolar with Citrus), any of the $7 Daily Nigiri and Sashimi, $4 Hand Rolls, off HH menu—Hama Chile, Brussels, Karage Chicken (Spicy), $3-5 Tempura Veggies, Hot Rock, and our all time favorite—the Hamachi Cure.
Have a nightcap at Gibson St. Bar afterward. If you’re still hungry, try their trailer, Luke’s Inside Out.
Fresas
We love this patio! Bring your dog, get a ranch water (add jalapenos), the queso, apple guacamole (make it healthy by adding sliced jicama and carrot sticks), brussels, beets, and elotes, and we love the kale caesar and power/super bols for lunch! Check out our podcast in collaboration with A Taste of Koko for more favorite patios.
Genre: Mexican
Location: South 1st (& the Drive Thru on 6th and Lamar)
Time: Monday-Friday, 3–6 p.m. (or all day, every day if sitting at the bar), in winter if it is under 32 degrees; margaritas are $2
Special: $2 off margaritas, wine, beer, appetizers, and agua frescas
Favorites: $7 Quesadillas, $5 Flautas, $6 Black bean pachucos, Avocado Margaritas & Ranch Waters (try it spicy), Palomas, Any of the wood fired meats, Kale Caesar, Power & Super Bol’s, Housemade Ice Creams, the coffee that is 1/2 cold brew 1/2 horchata!
Junes
Named after June Rodil, a master sommelier (one of only 24 female master somms in the world) and former Beverage Director for MMH, this place has cool vibes. They are also known for their signature June’s Brut Rosé, which is the perfect mix of still and sparkling with a light pink, slightly orange color. Sit on the patio if it’s nice and order a bottle of the June’s Rosé—split between two people on HH it is $12/each, so cheap! Get the carpaccio, split the burger or fried chicken sandwich with fries, and definitely get a monster cookie for dessert. Oh, and you might as well throw a June’s candle on your tab (they are burning in the bathroom). It is the best smell ever.
Genre: New American
Location: South Congress
Time: Monday-Friday, 4–6 p.m.
Special: 25% off food, 50% off bubbles, $2 off drinks, Mondays 50% off bubbles all night
Favorites: June’s Rosé, Chilled Artichoke (Two Part Dish, first served chilled with traditional butter dipping sauce, then taken to the back and brought back with the artichoke heart sliced and topped with egg salad—sounds weird but is AMAZING), Snapper Carpaccio with citrus, avo, thai chili & orange; Seasonal Burrata, Fried Chicken Sandwich with Kohlrabi ranch slaw & hot sauce, Giant Cookies (like at Josephine House), the Burger with grilled onions and jalapenos, american cheese, pickles, and fries
Pop across the street to Central Standard afterward to continue HH’ing.
Eberly
Eberly started by a few Austinites who used to live in NYC and had a favorite bar there called the Cedar Tavern. When it closed they purchased the bar, deconstructed it and moved it into storage in 2006. They patiently waited for the right location and eventually purchased this old print shop. It is huge – with a large front restaurant, atrium in the middle that can seat large parties, the Cedar Tavern in the back (where we like to sit for HH) with more of a lounge feel, and multiple private party spaces including a rooftop.
Genre: New American
Location: South Lamar
Time: Tuesday-Friday, 5–7 p.m., Sunday and Monday, all night
Special: $7 cocktails, $7 wine, $4 beer
Favorites: Food discounts are not included on on HH but, the full menu is available. We love the $4 whole wheat sourdough bread with house made garlic honey butter, the $8 giant shells and cheese, the fluke crudo with preserved lemon, sweety drop peppers and fresno chili; the grilled octopus with romesco and arugula; cornmeal hushpuppies with andouille sausage, green lentil jambapaya & shaved ricotta salata; and of course the pizzas – the calabrese with sausage & peppadew peppers, and the republic with pepperoni and jalapenos!
Winebelly
We love this on a rainy or cold day, sit inside, get the truffle fries, shishitos, meat board (and chicken liver mousse if you’re up for it), the wagyu sliders with bacon jam, and the tempura eggplant fries with truffle honey glaze. They have an extensive wine list here so you really can’t go wrong with anything you pick!
Genre: Tapas/Wine Bar – also featured in our favorite places to drink wine in Austin!
Location: South 1st
Time: Tuesday-Saturday, 4–6 p.m.
Special: $5 wine, $4 beer, snacks $4 & $5
Favorites: $5 – Shishito Peppers, Parmesan Truffle Fries with lemon aioli, Meat Board & Chicken Liver Mousse with whole grain mustard; $10 Wagyu Sliders with bacon jam (add quail egg); Tapas Style Potatoes Bravas with garlic aioli, Tempura Eggplant Fries with smoked ricotta and truffle honey glaze, Fried Green Tomatoes
Pop over to Velouria for a nightcap after!
Odd Duck
We love Odd Duck’s story. Started by Bryce Gilmore (son of Jack Allen of Jack Allen’s Kitchen Restaurants), it originally started as a trailer before opening Barleyswine on S. Lamar as his first brick-and-mortar. Everything is locally sourced, and when this was just a trailer, Gilmore used to frequent farmer’s markets every weekend to get local ingredients. Still today everything is local—they now own Barleyswine (relocated to N. Burnet) and Sour Duck Market on E. 12th Street, which is the bakery for all restaurants. You have to try the sourdough bread! Everything else changes constantly with the seasonal ingredients but our favorites are below.
Genre: Farm to Table
Location: South Lamar
Time: Sunday-Thursday, 2:30–6:30 p.m. for drinks, 5–6:30 p.m. for half-off food specials
Special: Daily drink specials 2:30–6:30, 1/2 off food 5-6:30 p.m.
Favorites: Sourdough from sister restaurant, Sour Duck Market; Redfish Ceviche with tigers milk, squash curry & chips; Pretzel Sticks with Squash Queso; Green Chile Crab Pimento with everything bagel crackers, apple, mustard seed; Pork & Quail Corndog with doña hot sauce, charred pepper relish, cucumber and cilantro; the Wagyu burger with green chile pork jam & beer cheese
Head south on Lamar to Opa for a nice patio and HH that continues until 7!
To see your restaurant featured, please contact erin@365thingsaustin.com.
