Rainey Street Renovation

Popular Austin beer garden reveals massive downtown expansion plans

Banger's is growing.

Photo courtesy of Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden

One of Austin's favorite beer gardens is tapping into the serious growth on Rainey Street. On Monday, March 20, Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden broke ground on a massive project that will add 15,000 square feet of dining, lounge, and event space to the popular destination.

"We've spent about three years designing this project, and I'm very proud of where we landed. This expansion allows us to not only grow our existing business, but also expand the experience that we offer to our customers, both now and well into the future," says owner Ben Siegel in a release.

"More than anything, this expansion is going to allow us to do a lot more cool stuff in the world of cooking, curing, roasting, and smoking whole animals and their various parts."

The construction, which will not affect Banger's daily operations or hours, will take place in the adjacent lot. Maker Architects, Lilanne Steckel Interior Design, and In Good Taste Design have been tapped to craft the look and feel.

The new building will include three levels. A basement area will feature a 300-person event space that could become a restaurant/bar in the future. The ground floor will be home to a bar, smokehouse, meat processing facility, and fermentation and pickling room. The second story will boast an outdoor deck, as well as private offices.

With the expansion, Banger's will add another 101 taps to its draft system, raising the total to 207 — the largest system of its kind in Texas. Banger's standing room capacity will grow to more than 2,000 people.

The multimillion dollar expansion is expected to be complete and open before SXSW in March 2018.

craft-beer downtown

Cat's Out of the Bag

Classic Austin dive bar Mean Eyed Cat opens new Driftwood outpost

Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

There ain't no grave can hold Austinites down when it's time to break in this new dive bar.

An Austin bar with a lot of personality has its eye on a new location. The Mean Eyed Cat is opening in Driftwood on Thursday, November 21.

This Johnny Cash-inspired bar has certainly always had the country aesthetic: the weathered wood, the live oak-shaded picnic tables, the black-and-white photos on the wall, and even the occasional taxidermy specimen. The same rustic vibes continue in Driftwood at 8750 W RR 150, Bldg. 100, according to a short press release.

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood interior This new bar already looks like it's been collecting antiques for decades.Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Good luck getting there on Google Maps. Right now, it drops a pin at the intersection of Ranch to Market Road 150 and Elder Hill Road. However, it appears to be next to Mad Rooster's Liquor Store — we can see the side of the building through the window and the same road signs. We've reached out to a spokesperson to get the proper directions.

The Austin original has been around since 2004, and this offshoot is only its second location. The promises "the same laid-back, offbeat charm that made the original bar an icon."

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood interior What's a dive bar without a pool table?Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Before the Austin location was a bar, it was a chainsaw repair shop that was aptly featured in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Chris Marsh was who converted it to a watering hole and Christened it the Mean Eyed Cat, and he later sold it to current owners Matt Luckie, Max Moreland, and Jed Thompson, placing it in a lineage that also includes Lavaca Street Bar & Grill, Sign Bar, Lala’s Little Nugget, and more locally beloved staples and oddities.

All the proper references are there in Driftwood, including several saw blades on the wall, Johnny Cash memorabilia, and lyrics on every available surface, including a picnic table that ominously says "HURT." First and foremost on the menu are whiskeys and classic cocktails, keeping things as simple as anyone would expect at a dive bar.

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood patio A spacious patio takes advantage of the Hill Country surroundings.Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Despite the relatively remote location, commenters on Instagram have already spotted people inside and started chomping at the bit. It sounds like opening day will be a lively affair.

The Mean Eyed Cat in Driftwood will be open Mondays through Thursdays from 2 pm to 2 am, and Fridays through Sundays from noon to 2 am. Happy hour will be weekdays from 4-7 pm.

dive bars whiskey cocktails openings driftwood