With the NBA playoffs reaching a conclusion, baseball reaching its mid-season and the start of the football right around the corner, now is as good a time as ever to check out the sports bar scene of Austin. Watching a game at a bar is vastly superior to watching at home for many reasons, including camaraderie, good food and numerous televisions.
Here are the five best sports bars in Austin to find this out for yourself.
Cain and Abel's
This bar, located in West Campus next to the University of Texas, has been a classic for students since 1991. The most popular spot at this bar is the outdoor patio which has plenty of seating and televisions to catch the action. UT sporting events are a big drawl here so look for UT fans to come here to tailgate before big games or cheer on the team during road games. The crowd tends to skew toward younger individuals in Greek life, so keep that in mind before deciding to bring a large group here.
Bar 96
Bar 96 is in Austin's popular Rainey Street District includes a wraparound patio, food truck and picnic tables to provide fans plenty of seating to see their teams in action. Due to the fact that the bar is not located next to campus, sports fans from multiple teams come here to cheer on their favorite players. The atmosphere is relaxed, so even non-sports fans can tag along and still find enjoyment at this bar. After drinking any number of the numerous specials found here, head for the food truck located on the premises that serves tacos, quesadillas and sandwiches.
Tap 24
Similar to Cain and Abel's, Tap 24 is located just west of the UT campus. Recently renovated, this bar serves as a place for Austinites and visitors to watch sports. Soccer, in particular, has a huge following among the patrons of this bar. They have frequent crawfish boils serving up one of the best meals that can be found on a hot Texas day. Even though it is located near campus, customers of all ages patronize this bar. On Wednesdays, they offer $1 tallboys all day.
Third Base
This locally-owned chain has multiple locations throughout the Austin area. Along with the standard food and drinks, this place will cater food to your sports-viewing party. A unique service that is offered by this bar is the Third Bus. This is a 34-foot long converted bus that has six televisions, a 1000-watt stereo system and a DirectTV hookup. For a good time, invite this bus out to your house and request that they use the on-board draft beer system.
TopGolf
This is one of the few bars where you can actually play and watch sports while simultaneously drinking and eating. The layout is set up as one big driving range with golf balls implanted with sensors to tell you the distance on your shots. An hour use of the driving range will cost you anywhere from $20 to $40 an hour, especially cheap if split among friends. While playing, servers come around and take food and drink orders. The most notable drinks are the fishbowls, which are concoctions of liquor that come in golf bag-style cups. According to the Austin-American Statesman, this bar is one of the top-selling alcohol distributors in Travis County.
