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A fancy platter of fried chicken with champagne bottles and glasses in front of a gray wall.
Champagne and fried chicken from Geraldine’s.
Geraldine’s

Where to Eat and Drink on Rainey Street

Cut straight to quality cocktails, good tacos, and fun beer

by Erin Russell Updated
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Champagne and fried chicken from Geraldine’s.
| Geraldine’s
by Erin Russell Updated

Directly adjacent to downtown and, critically, the Austin Convention Center, Rainey Street is home to some of Austin’s best bars and restaurants. A mix of old and new, refurbished bungalows and sky-high condos (leaning way more towards the latter these days), the district was primarily single-family homes until 2005, when a zoning change allowed bars and restaurants to pour in.

Today, Rainey is a popular night-out destination for locals, tourists, and so many bachelor and bachelorette parties (as well as the source of some controversy). For a relaxed evening, visit Lustre Pearl, a Rainey Street original. In terms of food, try upscale dishes from farm-and-grain-focused Emmer & Rye or sausages at Banger’s. Finally, have fancy cocktails and apps with a view at Geraldine’s, the restaurant and bar of the hip Hotel Van Zandt.

Below is the map of can’t-miss food and drink spots on Rainey. Be sure to also check out the downtown guide, and where to eat near the convention center.

For the purposes of this guide, the map covers Rainey Street between Driskill Street all the way down to Cummings Street. Check out Eater Austin’s other neighborhood dining guides too.

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Lustre Pearl Rainey

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One of the original bars on Rainey Street, Lustre Pearl is a casual place to grab a beer or a cocktail and play a game or two. It shares owners with Clive Bar down the street. There are indoor and outdoor areas.

94 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

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Geraldine's

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For a more elegant night on Rainey, head up to the fourth floor of the Hotel Van Zandt to the gorgeous Geraldine’s, named after a guinea hen that once roamed the district. The restaurant has excellent cocktails and a constantly rotating menu. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

605 Davis St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 476-4755
(512) 476-4755
A restaurant dining room.
Geraldine’s.
JR Photo/Eater Austin

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Asador on Rainey

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Great tacos and weekend brunch can be found at the Rainey Street outpost of Asador. The former includes fillings like brisket, cauliflower, and carnitas, and the former with brisket and grits, chilaquiles, and wild boar hash. Takeout orders can be placed online or in person; there are outdoor dine-in areas courtesy of host site the Drafting Room.

88 1/2 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

Little Brother & Bummer Burrito

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The tiny 367-square-feet space has a lot of personality. Designed like a teenage boy’s ideal bedroom (including VHS tapes and co-owner Matthew Bolick’s actual childhood television), it serves coffee, beer, and excellent and fun cocktails (frozen to batched to mixed). For food, order up from sibling truck Bummer Burrito. There’s a few tables outside make up a patio to observe the revelry alfresco. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are outdoor seats.

89 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

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Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden

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With over 200 taps of beer, cider, and mead and a massive outdoor patio, Banger’s is popular with locals and tourists alike. It serves a variety of sausages, including ones made with duck and venison, whole-hog barbecue, and has a popular brunch that includes one-liter mimosas. To-go orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

79 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 386-1656
(512) 386-1656
A tray of pancakes and eggs.
Brunch at Banger’s.
Banger’s/Facebook

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Half Step

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One of Austin’s best cocktail bars, Half Step serves quality drinks (try the draft ginger paloma) in a relaxed atmosphere. Its large outdoor patio has lawn games and, often, live music. Sweets truck Little Lucy’s Mini Donuts is also parked adjacent to the bar. There are indoor and outdoor seats.

75 1/2 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 391-1877
(512) 391-1877
A tri-colored tall drink with ice.
A drink from Half Step.
Claire McCormack Photography

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The Stay Put

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A respite from the frenzy of Rainey, the Stay Put is a casual brewery and bar from the same hospitality group as nearby Half Step. Look for easy-drinking beers and draft cocktails. There’s indoor and outdoor seating.

73 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 379-0126
(512) 379-0126

Emmer & Rye

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Powerhouse team chef Kevin Fink (a James Beard Award finalist in 2019) and pastry chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph (a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2023) run this restaurant at the end of Rainey focused on using heritage grains, local products, and in-house fermentation. It’s known for a delicate cacio e pepe pasta and creative desserts from Bristol-Joseph like sorbet with salted cream. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

SkyHouse, 51 Rainey St #110, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 366-5530
(512) 366-5530

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Lustre Pearl Rainey

94 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

One of the original bars on Rainey Street, Lustre Pearl is a casual place to grab a beer or a cocktail and play a game or two. It shares owners with Clive Bar down the street. There are indoor and outdoor areas.

94 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

Geraldine's

605 Davis St, Austin, TX 78701

For a more elegant night on Rainey, head up to the fourth floor of the Hotel Van Zandt to the gorgeous Geraldine’s, named after a guinea hen that once roamed the district. The restaurant has excellent cocktails and a constantly rotating menu. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

605 Davis St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 476-4755
(512) 476-4755
A restaurant dining room.
Geraldine’s.
JR Photo/Eater Austin

Asador on Rainey

88 1/2 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

Great tacos and weekend brunch can be found at the Rainey Street outpost of Asador. The former includes fillings like brisket, cauliflower, and carnitas, and the former with brisket and grits, chilaquiles, and wild boar hash. Takeout orders can be placed online or in person; there are outdoor dine-in areas courtesy of host site the Drafting Room.

88 1/2 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

Little Brother & Bummer Burrito

89 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

The tiny 367-square-feet space has a lot of personality. Designed like a teenage boy’s ideal bedroom (including VHS tapes and co-owner Matthew Bolick’s actual childhood television), it serves coffee, beer, and excellent and fun cocktails (frozen to batched to mixed). For food, order up from sibling truck Bummer Burrito. There’s a few tables outside make up a patio to observe the revelry alfresco. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are outdoor seats.

89 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden

79 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

With over 200 taps of beer, cider, and mead and a massive outdoor patio, Banger’s is popular with locals and tourists alike. It serves a variety of sausages, including ones made with duck and venison, whole-hog barbecue, and has a popular brunch that includes one-liter mimosas. To-go orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

79 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 386-1656
(512) 386-1656
A tray of pancakes and eggs.
Brunch at Banger’s.
Banger’s/Facebook

Half Step

75 1/2 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

One of Austin’s best cocktail bars, Half Step serves quality drinks (try the draft ginger paloma) in a relaxed atmosphere. Its large outdoor patio has lawn games and, often, live music. Sweets truck Little Lucy’s Mini Donuts is also parked adjacent to the bar. There are indoor and outdoor seats.

75 1/2 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 391-1877
(512) 391-1877
A tri-colored tall drink with ice.
A drink from Half Step.
Claire McCormack Photography

The Stay Put

73 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

A respite from the frenzy of Rainey, the Stay Put is a casual brewery and bar from the same hospitality group as nearby Half Step. Look for easy-drinking beers and draft cocktails. There’s indoor and outdoor seating.

73 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 379-0126
(512) 379-0126

Emmer & Rye

SkyHouse, 51 Rainey St #110, Austin, TX 78701

Powerhouse team chef Kevin Fink (a James Beard Award finalist in 2019) and pastry chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph (a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2023) run this restaurant at the end of Rainey focused on using heritage grains, local products, and in-house fermentation. It’s known for a delicate cacio e pepe pasta and creative desserts from Bristol-Joseph like sorbet with salted cream. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

SkyHouse, 51 Rainey St #110, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 366-5530
(512) 366-5530

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