7 Best Dive Bars in Austin

Austin has fancy cocktail bars on every corner now, but locals still love a good dive.

Cheap drinks, live music, odd decor and zero pretense.

Here are the dive bars that keep Austin weird, including this year's top picks in the Austin Chronicle's readers' poll.

Every bar was checked on its own website or official page for its address and hours. All are 21 and up.

1. Hole in the Wall

Austin Chronicle readers voted Hole in the Wall the city's best dive bar in 2026.

It has been a cornerstone of the live music scene since 1974. The bar says Spoon, Shakey Graves, Fastball and Gary Clark Jr. all honed their chops on its small stage in the front window.

2. The Little Longhorn Saloon

The Little Longhorn calls itself the honkiest tonkiest beer joint in town and the original home of Chicken Shit Bingo.

Every Sunday from 4 to 8 PM, a chicken picks the winning square. Tickets are $2 and $5, cash only.

3. Carousel Lounge

Cecil and Myrtle Meier had drinks at the Carousel Lounge in New Orleans' Hotel Monteleone around 1961 and dreamed of opening their own one-ring circus in Austin.

They did it in 1963. There are still elephant and lion tamer murals and a real carousel behind the bar, plus live music most nights.

4. Lala's Little Nugget

Lala's has been open since 1972, and it is Christmas all year round.

The boughs of holly and the Santa decorations stay up every month of the year, according to the bar.

5. Barfly's

Barfly's calls itself Austin's most epic dive bar and has been pouring since 2001.

Watch your step. It is upstairs, above Burger Tex on Airport Boulevard, and it was a 2026 finalist for best dive bar in the Chronicle's readers' poll.

6. Buddy's Place

Alfred "Buddy" Lamb bought this Burnet Road bar in 1996 and renamed it Buddy's Place, according to the bar.

It built a reputation as a classic neighborhood dive with cold beer, live music and pool. It was also a 2026 Chronicle readers' poll finalist.

7. The Aristocrat Lounge

This Burnet Road spot calls itself a neighborhood place, with a promise to let you drink like you can afford to.

Happy hour runs from 4 to 7 PM every day.

Dive bars change hands and hours more than most places.

Check the bar's page before you head out, and get a ride home.

What is the best dive bar in Austin? Make your case in the comments.