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Anyone sensing a neon-lit theme?
Anyone sensing a neon-lit theme?
Photo: Nancy V./Yelp /

Austin's Diviest Dive Bars, Mapped

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Anyone sensing a neon-lit theme?
| Photo: Nancy V./Yelp /

Next month, thousands and thousands of people from around the world will come to Austin watch some cars drive around a track, and they will descend upon the city ready to spend all their newly exchanged money on food and beverages at our finest restaurants, eating from menus planned by Austin's most remarkable chefs. Truly, this is Austin's chance to show off for some of the world's most passionate—and deep-pocketed—sports fans.

Accordingly, here's a map of Austin dive bars, from the storied Lala's Little Nugget to the Giddy Up honky-tonk to the east side St. Roch's, where you're almost certainly not going to run into any of them.

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Lala's Little Nugget

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It's always Christmas at Lala's, which is kind of sad and also kind of awesome. Hipsters love Lala's and townies will defend it to the death.

Ego's Lounge

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Ego's may be hidden in the basement of a SoCo office tower, but the karaoke dive bar shines night after night, with a steady crew of regulars always ready to welcome new faces with a songbook and a smile.

Mugshots

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Around the corner from the insanity of Sixth Street is Mugshots on Seventh, where stand-up comedians, downtown drunks and other saucy characters meet to avail themselves of the shamefully cheap drinks and empty backyard lot that serves as a patio.

Hole In The Wall

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This Guadalupe drag live music venue and bar has been keeping University of Texas students sauced for decades. In November, Paul Qui's East Side King concept will take over the kitchen, making the Hole a kind of Austin superdive featuring the city's best bar food and musicians in one place.

Nasty's

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Boasting a better beer selection than any dive bar has a right to serve, Nasty's is easy to miss, tucked behind an auto shop off of Guadalupe, and a long night there is even harder to remember.

G & S Lounge

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The service at this South First Street dive is notoriously poor, but that's part of G&S' enduring south side charm. Follow the light of the bar's fine selection of arcade games if you get lost in one of their heavy pours.

Barfly's

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Criminally cheap beers and unabashedly pleasant bartenders make a trip to Barfly's nourishing both for the wallet and soul. Don't trip on all those stairs, though. Party foul.

St Roch's Bar

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St. Roch's is a small but mighty east side Petri dish-slash-dive, appealing to sports fans, bikers, rockers, hipsters and neighborhood folks alike.

Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon

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There's nothing little about Ginny's Little Longhorn's reputation. Sunday afternoons feature the storied Austin institution of Lone Stars, live music and chicken shit bingo.

Deep Eddy Cabaret

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The Deep Eddy area isn't known for its divey tendencies, but the Deep Eddy Cabaret hearkens back to a time before gentrification was the name of the west side game.

Poodle Dog Lounge

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Don't be fooled by the cute name of this BYOB spot on Burnet Road: ain't much adorable about the bar's dedication to dirty diveyness.

Carousel Lounge

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This east side circus-themed dive offers set-ups, beer and wine as well as live music and even the occasional theatrical performance. It's cash-only, of course, like any good dive should be, and you'll want to keep some quarters on hand for that guy outside who promises to watch your car.

C-Hunts Ice House

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"Every hour's happy hour" at C-Hunts Icehouse, this far north dive with an expansive patio, set-ups and absolutely no pretense.

Giddy-Ups

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Giddy Ups looks like the set out of some Wild West-style musical, but there's nothing just for show at this far south honky-tonk. Boot-scoot, play shuffleboard, or just take in some live music over a couple of cold ones or six.

Bout Time

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Bout Time is Austin's signature gay dive bar, welcoming a truly eclectic mix of patrons who want something a little lower key than what downtown's bar scene has to offer.

The Horseshoe Lounge

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There may be no bar prouder of its no-frills beer offerings and incredible drink specials. The Horseshoe is an enduring tribute to the best parts of the old-school South Austin lifestyle.

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Lala's Little Nugget

It's always Christmas at Lala's, which is kind of sad and also kind of awesome. Hipsters love Lala's and townies will defend it to the death.

Ego's Lounge

Ego's may be hidden in the basement of a SoCo office tower, but the karaoke dive bar shines night after night, with a steady crew of regulars always ready to welcome new faces with a songbook and a smile.

Mugshots

Around the corner from the insanity of Sixth Street is Mugshots on Seventh, where stand-up comedians, downtown drunks and other saucy characters meet to avail themselves of the shamefully cheap drinks and empty backyard lot that serves as a patio.

Hole In The Wall

This Guadalupe drag live music venue and bar has been keeping University of Texas students sauced for decades. In November, Paul Qui's East Side King concept will take over the kitchen, making the Hole a kind of Austin superdive featuring the city's best bar food and musicians in one place.

Nasty's

Boasting a better beer selection than any dive bar has a right to serve, Nasty's is easy to miss, tucked behind an auto shop off of Guadalupe, and a long night there is even harder to remember.

G & S Lounge

The service at this South First Street dive is notoriously poor, but that's part of G&S' enduring south side charm. Follow the light of the bar's fine selection of arcade games if you get lost in one of their heavy pours.

Barfly's

Criminally cheap beers and unabashedly pleasant bartenders make a trip to Barfly's nourishing both for the wallet and soul. Don't trip on all those stairs, though. Party foul.

St Roch's Bar

St. Roch's is a small but mighty east side Petri dish-slash-dive, appealing to sports fans, bikers, rockers, hipsters and neighborhood folks alike.

Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon

There's nothing little about Ginny's Little Longhorn's reputation. Sunday afternoons feature the storied Austin institution of Lone Stars, live music and chicken shit bingo.

Deep Eddy Cabaret

The Deep Eddy area isn't known for its divey tendencies, but the Deep Eddy Cabaret hearkens back to a time before gentrification was the name of the west side game.

Poodle Dog Lounge

Don't be fooled by the cute name of this BYOB spot on Burnet Road: ain't much adorable about the bar's dedication to dirty diveyness.

Carousel Lounge

This east side circus-themed dive offers set-ups, beer and wine as well as live music and even the occasional theatrical performance. It's cash-only, of course, like any good dive should be, and you'll want to keep some quarters on hand for that guy outside who promises to watch your car.

C-Hunts Ice House

"Every hour's happy hour" at C-Hunts Icehouse, this far north dive with an expansive patio, set-ups and absolutely no pretense.

Giddy-Ups

Giddy Ups looks like the set out of some Wild West-style musical, but there's nothing just for show at this far south honky-tonk. Boot-scoot, play shuffleboard, or just take in some live music over a couple of cold ones or six.

Bout Time

Bout Time is Austin's signature gay dive bar, welcoming a truly eclectic mix of patrons who want something a little lower key than what downtown's bar scene has to offer.

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The Horseshoe Lounge

There may be no bar prouder of its no-frills beer offerings and incredible drink specials. The Horseshoe is an enduring tribute to the best parts of the old-school South Austin lifestyle.

Related Maps