Things you won’t see heavily featured at Austin’s newest Irish pub: shamrocks, pots of gold, leprechauns. At the Dead Rabbit, which opened downtown July 4, expect fewer Irish stereotypes, more celebration of contemporary Irish culture.
“In terms of what we’re trying to show Austin, it’s a new version of Ireland. It's Ireland very much of today,” says Dead Rabbit co-founder and owner Jack McGarry. “It’s to show that Irish culture, Irish drinks, Irish food are among the very best in the world.”
McGarry and co-founder Sean Muldoon, both Belfast natives, opened the first Dead Rabbit in lower Manhattan in 2013. Named after an 1850s Irish American street gang formed to protect Irish immigrants from nativist New Yorkers, the Dead Rabbit has become acclaimed in a city that’s already known for great pubs. Austin is the bar’s first location outside of New York and is part of a planned expansion into other U.S. cities.
Just like the storied New York bar, the Austin space is similarly steeped in its local history. The Sixth Street Hannig Row House was built by a cabinetmaker and undertaker known for two things: his wine parties, appropriately enough, and his status as fifth husband to “Messenger of the Alamo” Susanna Dickinson, who brought news of The Alamo’s fall to Sam Houston and the Texas Army. The building also formerly housed another Irish pub, B.D. Riley’s, which has since moved to Mueller.
This locale previously housed another well-known Irish pub.Photo courtesy of the Dead Rabbit
History notwithstanding, this newest opening will feature a revised aesthetic that McGarry deems “the debut of Dead Rabbit 2.0.”
Guests will encounter a brighter, more spacious atmosphere than most Irish pubs, McGarry says, and roughly 400 original art pieces to showcase modern Irish artists — and to shed light on Austin’s already-existing ties to Ireland. One piece, for instance, celebrates Irish UT grad Rhasidat Adeleke, a track & field star who will compete for Ireland in the summer 2024 Olympics.
“I would never have thought that Austin would have been a hotbed, if you will, for Irish culture,” McGarry says. But while Austin has a “pretty pronounced Irish community” McGarry notes — and even an Irish consulate — the city’s Irish pub scene is in “dire straits.”
To add to that scene, the Dead Rabbit brings a wide selection of Irish spirits and beer alongside a hefty cocktail menu — from classics like Irish Coffee to drinks with more of a Texas twist, like the First & Formosa, made with tequila, smoked watermelon, corn, curacao, and lime. Its food offerings also blend Ireland with Texas — featuring items like Guinness Braised Rib Sliders and Bangers & Mash alongside the vegetarian-friendly Texas Caviar Bowl.
This comfort food blends Irish and Texan tastes.Photo courtesy of the Dead Rabbit
The bar will also host Irish musicians and comedians, and will soon open the daytime Neighbourhood Café, a coffee and brunch spot that also hails from Belfast.
Located at 204 E. 6th St., the Dead Rabbit is open from 11 am to 2 am daily. Once open, Neighbourhood Cafe’s hours will be 8 am to 3 pm.
