South Central Austin happy hours
South Central covers South Congress, South First and Bouldin, and it is the most walkable stretch of Austin outside downtown. It is also, quietly, the best part of town for not drinking: sixteen of the 80+ places here discount something non-alcoholic, the highest count anywhere in the city. The other local habit is the long window: several places out here run happy hour for eight hours or more.
Where to start
10 of the 80+ we track, chosen for a reason rather than a rating. Hours below come straight from our database, not from this article.
-
Photo: Aussie's Grill & Beach Bar via Google Maps 01 · Eleven in the morning until eleven at night
- Sat, Sun 9 AM–11 PM
- Mon–Fri 11 AM–11 PM
- Mon–Fri 1–6 PM
One of the longest happy hour windows in Austin with 30+ deals to fill it. Go for the sand volleyball and the length of the window rather than the service, which is the consistent complaint.
-
Photo: Uchi Austin via Google Maps 02 · The biggest board on South Lamar
Uchi
$$$$- Daily 4–6 PM
40+ deals. As with Uchiko up north, happy hour is the way into a room people describe in superlatives without committing to the full evening. Bar seats only, and they go quickly.
See Uchi's deals in Zappy → Checked -
Photo: Amanda Deinum via Google Maps 03 · Half off the appetizer list
- Mon–Fri 3–5 PM
Dumplings, wonton soup, spring rolls and fritters all at half price: the discount runs across the starters rather than picking two. The shrimp rolls are the order people repeat, and it gets tight at dinner.
-
Photo: Salt Traders Coastal Cooking via Google Maps 04 · Five-dollar martinis, and a dollar off every oyster
- Sat, Sun 11 AM–3 PM
- Tue–Fri 3:30–6:30 PM
- Mon 3:30–9 PM
Martinis at five dollars, a dollar off every oyster and five dollars off the crab cake, the calamari and the smoked fish dip, on a 20+ deal board. Unusually for the format, a room where the service gets praised as often as the shellfish.
-
Photo: Bouldin Creek Cafe via Google Maps 05 · The zero-proof one
- Mon–Fri 3–6 PM
South Central has more non-alcoholic happy hour deals than any part of Austin and this is the room that has been at it longest. Vegetarian and vegan-led, and one of the most consistently well-reviewed places in this guide.
-
Photo: Easy Tiger South Lamar via Google Maps 06 · Half off, again
- Mon–Fri 4–6 PM
The same half-price list as the Linc: pints, glasses of wine, coffee. Worth knowing both exist when you are choosing which side of town to be on.
-
Photo: Courtyard Lounge at Hotel San José via Google Maps 07 · Half-price snacks on South Congress
- Mon–Thu 2–6 PM
- Mon–Thu, Sun 9–10 PM
- Fri, Sat 9 PM–12 AM
Popcorn, olives, spiced nuts, kettle chips: small things at half price in the courtyard that is the reason people come to this block. It stays quiet in a part of town that increasingly isn't, which is most of the appeal.
-
Photo: Lavaca Street Bar - South Lamar via Google Maps 08 · Dollar wings, dollar beer
- Mon–Fri 4–7 PM
- Mon–Wed, Fri 4–11 PM
Select Mexican cans at a dollar and wings at a dollar. A sports bar first: if there is a game on, that is the reason to pick this one.
-
Photo: Two Hands via Google Maps 09 · Starts at eight in the morning
Two Hands
$$- Sat, Sun 8 AM–5 PM
- Wed 8 AM–9 PM
- Daily 4–6 PM
One of the earliest windows in this part of town, running to nine at night on Wednesdays. Bright, health-leaning Australian café food; the crispy brussels sprouts are the dish that gets named.
See Two Hands's deals in Zappy → Checked -
Photo: Juliet Italian Kitchen - Barton Springs via Google Maps 10 · Runs daily, three to six
- Daily 3–6 PM
A daily window with four-dollar spritzes and two-dollar truffle chips. A large room with a garden patio: worth a booking, because service can stretch when it is full.
When South Central happy hour actually happens
Three is the most common opening and six the most common close, so the middle of the distribution is an ordinary late afternoon. What is not ordinary is the tail: a good number open at 11 AM, and a handful run past ten at night.
That gives this part of town two distinct modes. There is the standard 3-to-6, and there is the all-day room where happy hour is less an event than a condition: Aussie’s, Barton Springs Saloon, Lou’s. If you are trying to eat cheaply on a Saturday afternoon rather than after work, that second group is the one that matters.
The zero-proof capital
Sixteen venues here discount non-alcoholic drinks, more than any other part of Austin and more than double what most neighborhoods manage. That is not a large number in absolute terms (city-wide fewer than seventy places do it at all), but it is concentrated enough that South Central is the honest answer to “where do I go if I’m not drinking.”
Getting around
South Congress and South First run parallel and both are walkable, which makes this the other part of town where a route beats a destination. Same rule as everywhere else: earliest cutoff first. We wrote the longer version in how to plan an Austin bar crawl.
All 80+, sorted by what's live
This page is 10 places and an opinion. The app has every South Central Austin happy hour we track (900+ deals) on a map, filtered by the day, the time and what you actually want to eat.
Common questions
Where can I find non-alcoholic happy hour deals in Austin?
South Central Austin has the most of any part of the city: sixteen of the 80+ venues we track here discount something non-alcoholic during happy hour, including Bouldin Creek Cafe, Fresa's and Cidercade. You can filter for zero-proof deals directly in the Zappy app.
What time does happy hour start on South Congress?
Most South Central Austin happy hours start at 3 PM, with 4 PM next most common, and the majority end at 6 PM. Several venues run much longer windows: a few open at 11 AM and run until 11 PM.
How many South Central Austin places have a happy hour?
Zappy tracks 80+ venues across South Congress, South First and Bouldin, carrying 900+ deals. Twenty-two of them run a window every day of the week.
Is South Congress expensive for happy hour?
Less than you might expect. All but about ten South Central venues are $ or $$. The neighborhood's reputation is pricier than its happy hour list.