7 Of The Best Austin’s 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.
1) Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden
Many Austin residents don’t ask for all that much from their patio restaurants. That is why Banger’s 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 Banger’s restaurant is the live country music each week from the makeshift stage area.
2) Moontower Saloon
Bangers are nothing compared to the Moontower Saloon when it comes to a chilled out Austin-style party. The owners describe it as like “crashing a rad backyard/house party already in progress.” This seems to be pretty accurate as there is a friendly, chilled atmosphere at this out-the-way, converted property.
This vibe is evident in everything from the family-friendly attitudes to kids and dogs, to the games on offer and jukebox. In addition to the jukebox, there is also live music from various artists four days a week.
This ongoing party is also well-catered with food trucks, late night food service and a full bar with all kinds of drinks. This is all enjoyed in a neighborhood-style location complete with fire pits.
3) 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 won’t get bored.
4) Mozart’s Coffee Roasters & Bakery
Not all Austin patio restaurants are typically characteristic of the area. Mozart’s 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 doesn’t 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.
5) Cherrywood Coffee House
Cherrywood is another of Austin’s patio restaurants that focus on the coffeehouse vibe. However, the range of options for food, drink, and entertainment is quite varied.
The schedule for this establishment is long and diverse. In the mornings, residents can drop in for a yoga session and their morning coffee. In the afternoon they can enjoy a late lunch of “real food” and happy hour of cocktails. In the evening, they open the place up to musical acts.
There is also a comedy open mic night, and the occasional kids show in the mornings. If that wasn’t enough, this family friendly coffee house also allows well-behaved pets and shows the New Orleans Saints for other homesick fans.
6) Weather Up
Weather Up is a name that may be more familiar to some in Austin than others. That is because this is part of a wider chain of patio restaurants that originated in New York.
As such, there is a sense of style and class that perhaps goes beyond the backyards and cafe settings seen so far. This is the place to sip cocktails outside while waited on by top table service.
The reputation of this establishment means that is one of the places to go during South by Southwest. This restaurant hosts the annual Billy Reid Shindig, as well as other SXSW events with Reddit, Third Man Records and Flood magazine. These catered events, with their VIP areas, bring in the crowds and put Weather Up firmly on the map.
7) Lenoir
The last option on the list of these best Austin patio restaurants with live music is Lenoir. The music isn’t as important a factor here; it is an occasional backdrop to the evening. This fits the tone of the space.
This isn’t a rowdy bar with a party going on outside. Instead, this is more like Weather Up in that there is a classier, more relaxed approach. This is evident from the rustic grounds where diners are warmly invited to enjoy fine food and wine.
The wine selection is the primary focus of the drinks menu. The food meanwhile is an interesting blend of local flavors and produce. This is an up-market establishment trying to ensure that goods made in Austin, stay in Austin.
