Best New Bars

These are the best new Austin bars of 2016

Austin is abuzz with fabulous new bars. To toast the end of the year, we've rounded up 14 of the best new bars of 2016, from swanky lounges to funky dives.

Ah Sing Den
East Side Show Room owners Trudy and Mickie Spencer shuttered the East Austin favorite this summer, replacing it with Ah Sing Den in August. The new bar offers a mix of unique and classic cocktails alongside beer, wine, sake, and an Asian-influenced food lineup.

Backbeat
Backbeat is a laid-back lounge from drink.well. owners Jessica and Michael Sanders. In addition to cocktails, the hangout offers a curated wine list, craft beer on draft, and a unique champagne program highlighting different producers. These can be enjoyed inside an intimate Jamie Chioco-designed space or on the stunning rooftop patio with views of South Lamar Boulevard.

Boiler Nine Bar + Grill
This massive four-story bar and restaurant at the Seaholm development features three unique concepts and a beverage program helmed by expert barman Jason Stevens. Expect boozy, old-school drinks in underground tavern the Boiler Room and pick-your-booze cocktails on Deck Nine, the rooftop patio.

Cedar Tavern
The star of Cedar Tavern, the classy bar inside newcomer Eberly on South Lamar Boulevard, is the legendary mahogany bar straight from the historic Cedar Tavern in New York City. The drinks, curated by Kelon Bryant, focus on craft cocktails and beer to go along with a menu of elevated bar food.

Kitty Cohen's
This sexy little number on Webberville Road broke the east side dive bar mold when it opened with refreshing cocktails, funky 1970s vibes, and a gorgeous patio and pool. In addition to beer, wine, and sake, the beverage program includes sweet concoctions designed to be sipped throughout the day. Standouts are the citrusy, gin-based Key Party and the Roman Holiday wine spritzer.

The Little Darlin'
The Little Darlin' could be your new favorite South Austin dive. The bar has a small but solid selection of local craft beers on tap, and the frozen margaritas are a big hit among regulars. You'll find a large lawn with picnic bench seating, yard games, and comfortable vibes.

Milonga Room
Underneath Buenos Aires Cafe on East Sixth Street is Milonga Room, a sultry speakeasy specializing in Argentinean wines and tapas. A cocktail selection relies heavily on bitters and Fernet, both popular in the home country. Reservations — with accompanying passwords — are highly recommended.

Moloko
Perhaps the most buzzed about opening of the year, Moloko is A Clockwork Orange-themed dive bar on the east side. The bar's name refers to the blend of milk and designer drugs served to characters in the book and Stanley Kubrick's 1971 film adaptation. While there won't be any illicit substances on tap at Moloko, patrons can enjoy craft cocktails and other adult beverages.

Parlor & Yard
Parlor & Yard, a "Sinatra-esque" sports and game lounge, took over the former Arro space on West Sixth early this year. Classic cocktails and a small selection of beers on tap are complemented by bar bites and brunch offerings. Our favorite part? The old-school games scattered around the space.

Prohibition Creamery
A drink-and-dessert destination, Prohibition Creamery on East Seventh Street serves cocktails, wine, beer, and alcoholic ice cream. Boozy desserts are available in sorbet, shake, and float form, with plenty of alternatives for those who prefer dairy- or alcohol-free sweets.

Revelry Kitchen + Bar
This new bar/restaurant combo on the east side features a shaded front patio and a large space with fun yard games. The beverage program features craft cocktails alongside canned and bottled brews and a rotating wine selection. A second Revelry location on North Lamar Boulevard is slated to open next spring.

Rusty Cannon Pub
Chill out with some burgers and beers and catch the game on one of the many televisions that Rusty Cannon has to offer. This Texas pub on Stassney Lane delivers on its promise of a good time with delicious food, an awesome beer lineup, and fun bar games.

Sellers
This swanky cocktail space from the team behind Rainey Street hot spot Icenhauer's just opened in the Warehouse District. The atmosphere and the drinks take inspiration from the '70s, which means funky designs and craft cocktails named after iconic films of the decade.

Small Victory
Tucked away downtown, this cozy hangout is a mixture of dark accents and bright Tiffany lamps. Bar veteran Josh Loving's interesting selection of beer and wine is topped only by the cocktail list, which reads as an instruction manual to some of your favorite craft drinks.

Head to Deck Nine at Boiler Nine Bar + Grill.

Deck Nine Observatory Bar at Boiler Nine

Photo by Robert Lerma

Head to Deck Nine at Boiler Nine Bar + Grill.

drinks bests nightlife cocktails openings

Smoked Sow

Austin restaurant Salty Sow opens barbecue outpost with new friends

Waylon J's Pit boss Chad Deen and Salty Sow chef Harold Marmulstein

Photo courtesy of Salty Sow and Waylon J's

Pit boss Chad Deen and chef Harold Marmulstein each bring different specialties to the new outpost.

After 13 years of Austinites showing up to Salty Sow expecting barbecue, the restaurant has joined forces with a "pit boss" ready to provide it. A new concept called Smoke Break, headed by Chad Deen of the existing barbecue trailer Waylon J's, has moved into a building on Salty Sow's property.

Smoke Break opens Friday, June 20, and will serve barbecue during the lunch hours when Salty Sow is usually closed. It will operate through counter service, so guests can enjoy their dishes on Salty Sow's patio, inside the dining room, or as takeaway.

Waylon J's at Salty Sow Waylon J's has moved into a building sharing a parking lot with Salty Sow.Photo courtesy of Salty Sow and Waylon J's

Salty Sow is highly regarded for its zhuzhed up comfort foods offering chef-minded takes on "gastropub fare" and Southern classics like deviled eggs, fried chicken, and smoked pork shoulder. However, chef owner Harold Marmulstein says the name has led many guests to believe they would be ordering barbecue — so this partnership just made sense. He met Deen at a series of tastings at local Mexican restaurant Bulevar.

Smoke Break combines the barbecue style that Deen had already developed for Waylon J's with sides in the regular style of Salty Sow, creating a partnership that stays on-brand but doesn't sacrifice either point of view.

The concept is starting with a relatively expansive menu, offering smoked meats — prime brisket, pork sausage, whiskey maple pork belly, smoked turkey, pork shoulder with craklin' pork belly, and a Sichuan bacon rib — plus sides and sandwiches. Marmulstein says whereas a standard barbecue sandwich tends to be chopped, the meat on these sandwiches will be hand-pulled and tossed in a unique sauce for each recipe.

"The slaw is freshly made," Marmulstein says. "We use Martin's potato buns. We're buttering them and double-toasting both sides on them, so it's going to come out on a warm, butter-toasted bun, not just a bun taken out of a bag."

Smoke Break sandwiches are each paired with a special sauce.Photo courtesy of Salty Sow and Waylon J's

A highlight among the sauces is Deen's whiskey maple mop, which is made with spirits from Andalusia Whiskey Company in Blanco. That comes on the pulled pork and cracklin' sandwich; the turkey sandwich is paired with Alabama white sauce, and the prime brisket comes with a classic au jus.

"We kind of combine different techniques," says Deen of Waylon J's approach to briskets. "[It] takes extra steps to do that. But we do feel like the quality is top notch. We use prime grade Goodstock meats, and we go through ... early in the morning and check each one like they're our babies, and then we wrap them all back up in butcher paper paper. It's a very tedious thing to do."

Rounding out the menu are a few desserts, each with an option to add ice cream, plus grab-and-go drinks including beer, margaritas, and frozen old fashioneds.

Salty Sow and Smoke Break, which is marked by a Waylon J's sign, are both located at 1917 Manor Rd. Smoke Break is open for lunch from 11 am to 3 pm Fridays through Sundays. Salty Sow is open for dinner from 4:30-9 pm Sundays through Thursdays, and 4:30-10 pm Fridays and Saturdays. Smoke Break will also offer catering with 72 hours of notice.

barbecue sandwiches lunch openings east austin

Best New Bars

These are the best new Austin bars of 2016

Head to Deck Nine at Boiler Nine Bar + Grill.

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Austin restaurant Salty Sow opens barbecue outpost with new friends

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