Going to be in Austin for a conference staying at the Hyatt Regency. I will be on my own from 5:00pm on. Anything cool going on those days that I should check out? I will not have a car so how about places close to my hotel for beers and BBQ? Any bottle shops and/or particular beers I may want to pick up? Thanks.
Bars: Ginger Man Banger's Uncle Billy's Brew-B-Que - brewpub & the food here is no longer terrible Easy Tiger Whole Foods or Whip-In for bottles ZAX is across the street and some decent taps and food JMueller BBQ is down South 1st but only serves from 10:30am until they sell out http://beermapping.com/maps/citymaps.php?m=austin#lat=30.345028162398513&lng=-97.723388671875&z=6
It's easier to get JMueller than Franklin's, at least. IMHO, I'd rather spend 1.5 hours to and from Lockhart, TX to Black's BBQ or Smitty's than wait 3 hours in line for just about anything. That's not gonna work for you though because it would probably take a week on foot If you want quick BBQ that's still really good downtown, IMHO... Iron Works BBQ is the place to go. Or take a taxi up Barton Springs Rd from your hotel over to Uncle Billy's BBQ... they just redid their menu recently [probably to remove any mentions of former Brewmaster Brian Peters] and their BBQ has been really great (their beer is great as well) Bottle shops? Downtown actually doesn't have many, but you are technically in South Austin. I'd hit up Whip In to pick up some growlers of beers not bottled [(512), Live Oak, Austin Beerworks special releases] and Jester King regulars (Le Petit Prince, Wytchmaker, Mad Meg, Noble King, Black Metal). They suck for limited releases because it's a popular place, so you're not going to find anything crazy unless they're putting it out while you're there... but they do have the cheapest Jester King in town. As for beers you should be looking for: from SeekABrew.com comparing to Michigan, I'd recommend Boulevard & Deschutes mostly. Whip In will definitely have those.
Thanks for the info. I'm going to see how many different beers i can try over three days and still make it to my conference.
Is there a reason I can't find Banger's on here or Ratebeer? I was hoping to find a taplist online as well.
Might be because they're new. They just opened within the last month or so. Go to their web site, and you can scroll through all of the beers there. They even have info on each one, if you're not familiar with them. Other places should take some tips from their web site set up. http://bangersaustin.com/
Both are great but the one that is consistently in top 10 in nation for brisket is Kruez (in Lockhart as well). http://www.kreuzmarket.com/index.shtml On a weekday after 6 is perfect time to go. Don't go on a Saturday. Ever. Franklin's is overrated IMO. Agreeing w Lutter to skip. As far as bottle shops, I like Spec's on Airport Blvd. For draught, my spot: http://www.draughthouse.com/ tap list: http://www.draughthouse.com/ON.TAP.2.html
He said he doesnt have a car, and will need to be able to walk places, so giving him a list of places he CAN'T walk to isnt really helping answer his questions.
taking the bus from downtown up to medical parkway isn't difficult. Plus the drop off is walking distance to central market and their 25% off beer sale.
MightyDog is right - best place in town for a drink is Draught House, followed by Black Star. You could take the train to Black Star, or a fairly short cab ride to Draught House. But seriously, Bangers is real good too, and walking distance for you.
If you have a chance to take a taxi or bus I would suggest heading North one evening to Draught House, Black Star Co-Op or Hopfields. Hopfields and Black Star both have good food and Draught House is a great stop for an after dinner beer.
Oh, I forgot to mention, if you DID decide to try Franklins BBQ (which everyone should) they're closed this week anyway, so don't waste the trip over there. Just FYI
