Of The Best Austins Patio Restaurants For Live Music
Austin is a city famous for its music, culture and general hospitality. It is a laid-back place where people can gather in small social groups to watch a local band play at a local bar with ease.
At the same time, it is a hub where thousands descend for a weekend of festivities during South by Southwest. This history and reputation mean that Austin has to be a place with plenty of top patio restaurants with music nights.
Everyone has to have a place to go and drink on a warm evening, and these bands have to start somewhere. As the following show, there is no simple formula for the best establishment in town. Here are 7 of the best patio restaurants in Austin for live music and good times.
Great Spots For Live Music And Food In Austin
Feed your stomach and your ears
As the self-proclaimed Live Music Capital of the World, Austin is home to a seemingly endless number of great places to catch a limitless amount of concerts. With music often comes beers and cocktails, followed by food, which is something more and more places are getting serious about.
Here is Eaters guide to the bestmusic venues serving food in the city, where attendees can enjoy quality snacks or full-on meals before, during, or after live performances. This includes stalwarts like the iconic Shady Grove on Barton Springs, campus dive Hole in the Wall, honky tonk White Horse, and several of the Red River spots like Cheer Up Charlie’s and Stubb’s, along with East Side’s Stay Gold and sausage haven Banger’s.
The list below is unranked. If your favorite music venue and eatery is missing, chime in on the tipline, share a comment, or take it up in the forum.
Max Bonem
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Mozarts Coffee Roasters & Bakery
Not all Austin patio restaurants are typically characteristic of the area. Mozarts is a coffee house that boasts more of a European vibe. The interior is reminiscent of European cafe culture, with a strong coffee and dessert menu.
It doesnt take long for diners to remember precisely where they are. Not with that beautiful view of Lake Austin from the patio. It is the ideal place to see a flame roasted coffee in the morning, enjoy a lunch meeting or enjoy some live music.
There are musical guests every weekend Thursday through Sunday. These guests range in style and provide an excellent backdrop for social occasions. This makes this lakefront cafe one of the attractive and tranquil weekend haunts.
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Vista Brewing Company1333 Buena Vista St, 512-766-1842, vistabrewingtx.comThe Divide 21880 Babcock Rd, thedivide-kremkau.comCactus Land Brewing Company368 County Rd 325, Adkins, 414-2776, cactuslandbrewing.comOld Main Ice House110 N Main St, Cibolo, 455-5275, oldmainicehouse.comSmoke BBQ + Skybar501 E. Crockett St., 253-9919, smokedowntown.comBackyard on Broadway2411 Broadway, 634-1405, backyardonbroadway.comWindmill Ice House 2769 Nacogdoches Rd, 714-0630, windmillicehousesatx.square.siteDog and Pony Grill1481 S Main St, Boerne, 816-7669, dogandponygrill.comMultiple Locations, Sams Burger Joint 330 E Grayson St, 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com
New Destination For Live Music And Food Opens On Outskirts Of Austin

A new restaurant and bar on the outskirts of Austin is already hopping with customers. Taking the quick drive down the Highway 183 Toll Road, new live music destination Lucky Rabbit is deceptively easy to get to despite the 30-minute estimated drive time on Google. And once you arrive, everything at the friendly outpost invites you to kick your feet up and stay a while.
Founders Matt Morcher and Sandra Cleveland have been in the restaurant business for a collective 32 years, with Morcher getting his start at local staples like Jack Allens and Z Tejas. Their attention to detail and desire to create a great experience are found in every aspect of the new undertaking, from the design to the music to the menu.
Walking in the front doors, with handles constructed from two shotguns, guests are welcomed into a neon-colored wonder world of natural wood, live music, and the clinking of beer glasses filled with local drafts. The family- and dog-friendly venue takes the place of an old beer barn drive-thru. Morcher and Cleveland completely renovated the space, maintaining the original venues strong country vibes.
The menu certainly competes with live music for the main attraction: everything is scratch-made, from the delicious starters to the sandwiches and salads on offer. Sample the country fried pickle chips to start. Wash them down with a local draft beer or any of the frozen margaritas, like the Jackrabbit, which features a Tajin rim and spiced watermelon.
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Live Music Venues In Austin That Also Have Great Food
Its no secret that when it comes to what were thankful for this Thanksgiving, its definitely Austins live music scene. What could possibly be better than seeing a show in the Live Music Capitol of the World? Well, perhaps seeing a show while eating delicious food could be better. Austin has seemingly limitless options of places to catch live music, but if music paired with great food is what you seek, see our choices below of places where you can catch great music and enjoy either a snack or a full meal. We all know food tastes better when you eat it while watching live music!
Stubbs BBQ
This BBQ joint blew up in the 70s and was a major player in the live music scene of Austin, offering a stage to the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and many others. Musicians stopped by and played for their supper, oftentimes leaving with a plate of Christopher B. Stubblefields delicious barbecue in hand. Besides having a killer outdoor amphitheater, Stubbs also has an intimate indoor stage where live music is featured nightly. Each Sunday Stubbs hosts Gospel Brunch, a buffet with live gospel music, where you can indulge in grits, fried catfish and BBQ brisket.
Threadgills
Shady Grove
Gueros Taco Bar
Lamberts BBQ
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Radio Coffee & Beer Radio Coffee
The only problem with Moontower Saloon is that it is deliberately out the way, almost one for that in-the-know. Beer Radio Coffee is different. This has a more accessible feel to the place, so much so that they had to expand to accommodate everyone.
This patio restaurant offers great food and drinks options to enjoy in a range of spaces. The Veracruz All Natural tacos are a big favorite out on the lawns. There is also plenty to keep people entertained while they eat. There is a music of varied genres on a regular basis.
In addition to this, there are also outdoor cinema screenings and trivia nights. There is something pretty much every day of the week so that locals wont get bored.
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Empire Control Room And Garage
The progressive club built in the shell of a former auto shop reopened its outdoor space in October and has been booking limited capacity shows ever since. The venue has been arranged to enforce social distancing with tickets sold by the table or pod. Coming soon: Govinda with Trouble in the Streets, April 17 Sara Landry, April 23 Think No Think, April 24 Matthew Logan Vasquez, May 7 Nané, May 15. Deborah Sengupta Stith
Make A Splash In Grand Prairie With Swimming Shopping And More
In the heart of North Texas, just minutes from the DFW International Airport, Grand Prairie is a hub for family-friendly attractions and live music think Lone Star Park, Ripley’s Believe it or Not!, and The Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie along with shopping, nightlife, and more.
But theres plenty to do right within city limits, with mega-sized water, land, and lake adventures. Here are three of your best bets.
Break out the swimsuits and make a splashIts always summer at Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark, which has been dubbed the Cruise Ship on Land and for good reason.
The place boasts 80,000 square feet of serious splash factor under a retractable roof, with 11 waterslides, including three first-of-their-kind slides: the LassoLoop, Yellow Jacket Drop, and Aquanaut.
If youre not in the mood to spike your adrenaline, you can also grab a tube and float the longest indoor lazy river in Texas, clocking in at 650 feet, or get in on a game of water basketball in the swimming hole.
Theres also a cafe, a big arcade, full-service bar, party rooms, an outdoor wave pool, and a FlowRider where you can test your surfing skills.
Shop til you dropSince 1973, Traders Village has been delivering all the goods. The open-air market has seemingly endless rows of shops filled with everything you could possibly imagine, including auto accessories, furniture, toys, clothing, jewelry, and lots of unique finds.
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A Locals Guide To Austin
Change is inevitable in any city, but in Austin, its a particularly sensitive subject. New high-rises crowd the skyline, old music venues have shut down, and the sidewalks are clogged with scooters.
But its not all changing. While Austins restaurant scene has blossomed and its reputation as a high-tech hub has grown, the city has retained a lot of its laid-back, slacker vibe. Its still a university and state-government town with idealists and budding artists trying to make their marks alongside Bitcoin-mining startup CEOs. Keep Austin Weird may not be exactly right these days, but with South by Southwest Music Festival, the Austin City Limits TV show and plenty of live shows every night, no one can argue it doesnt still have a vibrant music scene.
Kinfolk Lounge & Library
This new 20-seat bar is stashed in a 150-year-old cellar beneath Moonshine Grill. Its the perfect spot to escape the hustle and bustle upstairs and dip into an artisan cocktail alongside Antonelli’s Cheese and Charcuterie from La Salumeria. Tip: Book ahead, as spots will fill up fast during SXSW, and try the Mrs Robbins, made with Mezcal Union El Viejo, Chairmans Spiced Rum, clarified lime juice, and gum syrup.How to book: Reserve via Resy.
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Some Of Our Favorite Under
They call it The Live Music Capital of the World for a reason: nearly every honky tonk and cocktail lounge in Austin is bursting with the sounds of seasoned artists and up-and-coming bands. Besides the well-known watering holes and music venues, locals and visitors can also find talent performing in places you might not expect. From artsy destinations to buzzworthy restaurants, here are seven of our favorite under-the-radar live music locations:
Still Austin Whiskey Co

This South Austin distillery does more than make excellent bourbon. The local whiskey maker also hosts a Bourbon & Blues music series, featuring local blues and rock favorite Lewis Christian. The event takes place just outside Still Austins tasting room, in the distillerys whiskey garden. With plenty of outdoor seating, guests are encouraged to kick back, sip on bourbon cocktails and listen to good music. Catch the show every other Wednesday, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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Bangers Sausage House & Beer Garden
Many Austin residents dont ask for all that much from their patio restaurants. That is why Bangers Sausage House and Beer Garden is so popular. The clue to the success here is the name. The serve a large variety of homemade specialty sausages and home-brewed craft beer.
Meat and drinks, and a nice place to sit outside and enjoy it all. In fact, there are 30 different sausages and 104 beers on draft. They also have a promise that they will cook anything with a face at once a month.
This is worrying for all the dogs in their new dog park, but they do get their dog-friendly sausages to eat. The added selling point of Bangers restaurant is the live country music each week from the makeshift stage area.
Best Restaurants In Austin
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Austin has a reputation as a welcoming, friendly place, but like New Yorkers over pizza, Austinites may come damn near throwing a punch if you take issue with their choice of brisket smoker or breakfast taco maker. Local specialties like that are just the beginning of the food conversation in the Texas capital, though. Austins fine dining scene has clawed its way to national attention, as have a wide variety of other styles, putting it on the short list of true American food destinations. From refined omakase to only-in-Austin goat chili Frito pie, our list has it all. These are the best restaurants in Austin.
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Restaurant With Live Music
I am traveling tomorrow night to austin
Please i need advice for a restaurant with live music preferably country
We are a group of six , with a teenager of 15 , who loves this kind of music
I appreciate very much your help and Happy New Year.
The Broken Spoke will be your best bet for food and country music –
6-8pm band in restaurant
Here is the current issue of Austin Chronicle which is the weekly entertainment newspaper for Austin.
Go over to the box on left of Home Page and click E-Edition. You will be able to see what’s happening tmw. If you have doubts about the 15 year old, you could call. A lot of restaurants have live entertainment on weekends and they are open to all.
There a 2 restaurants and one coffee shop just on the outskirts of downtown. They will not have live music 12/28, but they will be on the water and Mozarts Coffeehouse has a huge outside deck on the water that has a fantastic light display. Every hour there is also a special light show. To the left of Mozarts is Hula Hut restaurant and to the right is Abel’s on the Lake. It might be fun to have dinner at one of those two, if you can’t find a restaurant with music. You will be totally entertained by the beautiful lights. They all have Facebook pages too. Go to Mozart’s FBk page and see great photos of the lights.
The 15 Best Places With Live Music In Austin
Evelyn A: Live Music, great local Beer, and Amazing BBQ! the BBQ sauce is sweet and tangy with a kick!
Social News Network: Great place to see a concert. The outdoor stage does get hot during the summer, and there is usually a line to get in, but it is a solid venue to see concerts. You can get nice and close
Jacelyn Rhame: Awesome concert venue and it’s down the street from some pretty good bars. Drinks were a little pricey but that was to be expected, it had an awesome selection of alcohol though!
Jennifer: Best music venue in Austin. I come here as much as possible, even though they tend to feature more… um, mature acts.
Paul Canterbury: Fantastic live music venue!
Steve Ingkavet: Best music venue I’ve ever been to. Beats NYC.
Social News Network: This is a great place to watch live music, but even better in the front room. This club also gets non-mainstream artists. Recently it hosted the composer of the School House Rock music.
Twizzle: This place was well worth visit. Great music, and atmosphere. I’d highly encourage anyone to stop in and have drink or two while listening to some great live music. Staff quite friendly, too.
The Tastes that Make the City: The Sunday night live show is the best live music in Austin, which is why its on our list of The Tastes That Make the City: Austin. Read more.
Anna Weiss: Tacos, live music all week, giant dance floor, pool tables, photo booth, and whiskey on tap. End the night here.
Kevin V.: Concerts!!!!!!
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Kitchen + Cocktails + Music
Located in Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt 476-4755
Restaurants in Austin are so much more than Tex or Mex. We bring it. Big time. Austin’s food playbook is wide open, and at Geraldine’s, authentic Austin is the name of the game. Geraldine’s joins the field of downtown Austin restaurants with inspired cuisine that’s firmly rooted in the classics but as unique as the city itself. You’ll find a straight-up Texas style, chef-driven and craveworthy menu fueled with the freshest ingredients. And if you’re up for some adventure, grab some friends and order a feast. Eat it up then wash it down with a selection from our artfully designed and skillfully executed cocktail, wine, beer and spirits program. Be a little messy. That’s what napkins are for.
Stay connected with all things happening at Geraldine’s, on our stage, and in the bar:
Dining Room Hours
Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co
At Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co, otherwise known as the ABGB to Austin locals, their guiding philosophy is Beer Makes It Better! Holding true to this philosophy, the ABGB donates 10% of their profits every year to various non-profit organizations. On top of that, the venue is known to be top-notch in artist hospitality, their delicious pies, sandwiches, and salads, and their unbeatable selection of craft beers. Check out their events calendar for more information on their weekly lineups of some of Austins best local artists.
Zach Person at Geraldine’s. Credit Ismael Quintanilla III.
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