Texas · best-of list
The 10 Best Bars & Cafés in Texas
All 10 bars & cafés our route editors picked in Texas, across 8 destinations, gathered in one list. Expect bars, cafés and tasting rooms, spread across 8 destinations.
Our curated picks
10 bars & cafés in Texas, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Austin 2 picks
Broken Spoke
Austin · On our Texas BBQ Trail route
Classic honky-tonk dance hall with two-step lessons and chicken-fried steak.
Tip: Arrive for the early dance lesson.
Photo: SueRostvold · CC BY 4.0
The Continental Club
Austin · On our Texas BBQ Trail route
South Congress music bar since 1955 with live country, rockabilly and blues.
Photo: Steve Takata · Google
San Antonio 2 picks
Menger Bar
San Antonio · On our San Antonio & the Texas Hill Country route
Dark-paneled 1887 bar in the Menger Hotel beside the Alamo, modeled on the House of Lords pub in London.
Sternewirth
San Antonio · On our Texas BBQ Trail route
Hotel Emma's bar in the old brewhouse, with intimate booths in vintage tanks.
Photo: Christine · Google
Dallas 1 pick
Westlake Brewing Company
Dallas · On our Texas BBQ Trail route
Deep Ellum taproom in a 1940s building with a big patio, house brews and flatbreads.
Photo: Westlake Brewing Company · Google
Downtown Austin & Lady Bird Lake 1 pick
Continental Club
Downtown Austin & Lady Bird Lake · On our Austin New Year's Eve route
A South Congress music club since 1955, with live roots, rock and country bands every night of the week.
Tip: Arrive early in the evening for a spot near the stage.
Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0
Downtown Dallas & Reunion Tower 1 pick
House of Blues Dallas
Downtown Dallas & Reunion Tower · On our Dallas New Year's Eve route
A concert hall, bar and restaurant in Victory Park, a short ride north of the tower.
Tip: Check its Dec 31 lineup in November; holiday shows sell out.
Downtown Houston 1 pick
La Carafe
Downtown Houston · On our Houston New Year's Eve route
A candlelit wine bar in the Kennedy Bakery building on Market Square, probably the oldest Houston building on its original site.
Tip: Cash-friendly and tiny; come for an early drink before dinner rather than near midnight.
Downtown San Antonio & Hemisfair 1 pick
Esquire Tavern
Downtown San Antonio & Hemisfair · On our San Antonio New Year's Eve route
A River Walk bar open since 1933, with a very long wooden bar upstairs and a cocktail bar downstairs on the river.
Tip: Go before 9 pm on Dec 31; it fills quickly once the party starts.
Texas Hill Country 1 pick
Fredericksburg Brewing Company
Texas Hill Country · On our San Antonio & the Texas Hill Country route
Texas's oldest brewpub, open since 1994 in a historic building on Main Street, with German-style beers.
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the bars & cafés in Texas?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 10 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Texas has the most bars & cafés on this list?
Austin and San Antonio lead with 2 each; the other picks are spread across 6 more destinations.
More lists for Texas
Best bars & cafés nearby
Destinations on this list
- Austin 2 on this list
- San Antonio 2 on this list
- Dallas 1 on this list
- Downtown Austin & Lady Bird Lake 1 on this list
- Downtown Dallas & Reunion Tower 1 on this list
- Downtown Houston 1 on this list
- Downtown San Antonio & Hemisfair 1 on this list
- Texas Hill Country 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.