Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
The Infatuation
The Least Awful Bars On Dirty Sixth Street
By Nicolai McCrary,
3 hours ago
Whether you’re new to Austin or a lifelong resident, you’ve heard of Dirty Sixth Street, loosely defined as the area anchored between Congress Avenue and I-35. It’s Austin’s answer to Bourbon Street, South Beach, or any other district famous for partying and future hangovers. This is one of the most popular streets to hit if you’re visiting Austin, or if you’re in your early 20s (or just wish you were). Hidden among the mechanical bulls, the flaming Dr Pepper shots, and the bouncers begging you to come in for $3 wells are a few spots worth going out of your way for. Here are the Dirty Sixth Street bars we actually endorse.
Casino El Camino is essentially a dive bar that slings out excellent burgers, hot dogs, and wings. It’s dark in here—don’t be surprised if it takes your eyes a few minutes to adjust. You’ll probably spend that time waiting in line to order anyway, because the “secret” that is Casino El Camino’s thick, char-grilled patties is out. Whether you want to try one of the best burgers in Austin, or just hide out and sip cold beer while playing pool, there are plenty of reasons to visit Casino, including the small patio that kind of feels like a miniature tropical resort, complete with Saltillo tiled floors, fountains, and a vibrant Aztec mural on the wall.
A Downtown Austin institution since the late 1800s, The Driskill is a historic hotel at 6th and Congress that some people think is haunted (we think it’s the flaming Dr Pepper shots talking). It’s also home to a pretty iconic bar that feels like where your grandparents went for a formal night out. While this technically falls into the “hotel bar” category, you don't need an overnight stay to visit. The cocktails aren’t anything special, but they’re a cut above a lot of what you’ll find in the area, if a bit on the pricey side.
Firehouse Lounge is a hostel bar and a speakeasy, and it serves both purposes equally well. The entrance is right next to the check-in desk for the hostel, hidden behind a very heavy bookshelf that you’ll need to slide open. Small as the entrance is, the space is large and dimly lit. And since there are no reservations or secret codes needed, Firehouse can get crowded on the weekends. But it’s a good kind of crowded—a mix of visitors, off-shift service industry types, and locals looking to escape the chaos of Dirty Sixth with a classic cocktail.
Right on top of Here Nor There—an underground speakeasy-style bar—is another cocktail spot from the same team, but this time on ground level and slightly less hidden. Unlike at their sister bar, In Plain Sight doesn’t require a special app, a code, or a reservation days in advance—just the knowledge that behind a barely marked frosted glass door are eight stools, a little standing area, and a small bar shaking up excellent cocktails. It’s a sleek, tiny space half a block off Dirty Sixth with lights that change colors every few minutes, making the experience feel like you’re getting drinks in the closet of a futuristic spaceship.
Overlooking Waller Creek on a relatively quiet stretch of Downtown, the neighborhood-style bar Marlow should be the first stop the next time that you have friends in town who “want to see what Dirty Sixth Street is like.” The theme here skews retro, with leather chairs and velvet pillows strewn around a cactus-filled interior, while exposed rafters and brick walls give the space an industrial feel. Most of the cocktails are inventive riffs on classics—like pandan painkillers or a split-spirit, citrus tea-infused martini—with excellent presentation that feels deserving of Downtown cocktail-bar pricing. Start the night here, and maybe you’ll “accidentally” forget all about those plans you made to find flaming Dr Pepper shots a few blocks over.
Midnight Cowboy, housed in a former brothel, was one of Austin's first speakeasies. You’ll need a reservation to get in—it comes with a name that you’ll hit on the buzzer outside of an unmarked door with a little red light overhead. Inside, the long room looks like it was plucked directly out of the Prohibition era, complete with tufted leather booths, dark marble tables, and old wood flooring. Calling this a Dirty Sixth bar almost feels like cheating, until you step outside afterward and see tipsy people stumbling around in every direction.
Despite its Dirty Sixth surroundings, Parkside is where you can dress up a little and sip fancy cocktails while eating oysters and a good burger. It’s more restaurant than bar, but don’t let that stop you from popping in for a half-priced cocktail during Happy Hour on the weekdays. Or just show up for a hearty weekend dinner before things inevitably go downhill later in the night.
The Dead Rabbit
$$$$
After nearly a decade of renown in New York City, The Dead Rabbit opened a second location on Sixth Street, transforming a former B.D. Riley’s into a cavernous pub full of heavy wooden tables and walls covered in homey framed artwork. It's equal parts cocktail bar and restaurant, and while we’re not huge fans of the food, we can confidently say that the drinks coming out of the place are some of the best-crafted cocktails you’ll find in the area (particularly without a speakeasy reservation). Stop by for a pint of Guinness or a perfectly crafted Irish coffee to jump-start a night full of live music, mechanical bull rides, and bad shots.
Right down the street from the cocktail bar Eden—and from the same team—Yup Lounge is a Downtown bar on San Jacinto just off Dirty Sixth Street. Eden is where you nerd out about how foamy the bartenders can make a Ramos gin fizz, while Yup Lounge is more of a place to relax with a draft beer while you second-guess your decision to head to Sixth Street. Cocktails aren’t the primary focus here, but you’ll still see a thoughtful approach to drinks, including a refreshing and colorful scotch and Big Red highball that feels like it was appropriately crafted on this bridge between Dirty Sixth and the world outside.
There are pretty much five bars split across two floors at Maggie Mae’s, one of the biggest establishments on Dirty Sixth. Despite that, you’ll always find a crowd here on Friday and Saturday nights. While some of the other spots on this list provide better departures from the madness, Maggie Mae’s is where you come when you want to lean in and experience it firsthand, in a setting that’s less claustrophobic than some of the block’s other bars. Post up on the second-story balcony and watch the street action below.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Most Popular
Comments / 0