Famed New York City pub the Dead Rabbit brings refined touch to Austin's Dirty Sixth

New York City-based the Dead Rabbit, one of the country’s most celebrated modern Irish pubs, opened a location on Sixth Street at the beginning of July.

The bar revamped the space at 204 E. Sixth St. that B.D. Riley’s inhabited for 20 years before closing in 2020. It is the first location outside of Manhattan for the Dead Rabbit, which plans to expand to Washington D.C. and Boston in the next year.

Named after an Irish gang from the mid-1800s, the Dead Rabbit originally opened in downtown Manhattan in 2013 and quickly gained international acclaim for its whiskey punches, hand-chipped ice and throwback 19th century Irish pub vibes. The Dead Rabbit in NYC earned a spot on the World’s Best Bars list for North America each year from 2013 to 2016 and was named the World’s Best Bar in 2016. The Austin location was first announced two years ago.

In addition to its roster of Irish whiskies, tap Guinness and frozen Irish coffees, the bar serves drinks specific to the Austin location, like a First & Formosa, made with tequila, smoked watermelon, corn, Curacao and lime. The food menu at the restaurant that is open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. includes an Irish Breakfast; Guinness-braised short rib sliders; bangers and mash; and a cheeseburger that can also be ordered as a Beyond Burger.

The Dead Rabbit plans to program live music from up-and-coming Irish aírtists, as well as host storytelling and comedy from Irish producers Seanchoíche . The pub will soon be joined by the arrival of Neighbourhood Cafe next door, a Belfast coffee shop and brunch spot that, like Dead Rabbit, works in partnership with creative agency Crown Creative. Neighbourhood is slated to be open daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Dead Rabbit space has been polished in a way that will make it largely unrecognizable to B.D. Riley’s regulars. It is designed with photographs and aesthetic touches that speak to the bar’s Irish roots. The handsome and refined pub is one of the few businesses bringing a touch of class to the notoriously rowdy stretch of road known as Dirty Sixth, joining nearby Texas bistro Parkside. But, if developers can see their vision to reality, it won't be the last.

Related: Dozens of properties on 'Dirty' Sixth Street in Austin set for a major makeover

Real estate firm Stream Realty Partners, which has no affiliation with the Dead Rabbit, told the American-Statesman last year that it is working to restore more than 30 properties it has purchased along the entertainment district that runs from Congress Avenue to I-35. The plan for the historic street includes local shops, live music and restaurants.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Famed New York City pub the Dead Rabbit brings refined touch to Austin's Dirty Sixth