Austin
You're flying out of Austin Airport, you have 90 minutes to kill, and you'd like to do better than a Pret. Good news: airport drinking has improved more in the last five years than the previous fifty. Pre-flight drinks at Austin Airport range from chain reliability to surprisingly polished hotel-style bars in the airport hotels. This is barsforKings's editor-curated guide to drinking better at Austin's airports.
South Congress · $$$
Aba Bar draws a steady local crowd in South Congress. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Downtown · $$$
Antone's Nightclub draws a steady local crowd in Downtown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
North Loop · $$
Austin Beerworks draws a steady local crowd in North Loop. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
2nd Street · $$$
Bar Illegal at La Condesa draws a steady local crowd in 2nd Street. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Want a real drink before flying? The fastest play is to get to airport hotels next door — most run polished bars that beat anything post-security. We list them at the bottom. If you've got 60 spare minutes pre-airport, see our shortlist of bars in Austin proper at the end.
Plays for Austin Airport: post-security, pre-security, lounges, and the airport-hotel cheat code.
Pre-flight drinks, hotel-bar reviews, and the openings we're watching across 176 cities. Friday mornings, no filler.
Looking beyond Austin? See our guide to the best airport bars worldwide, or compare airport bars city by city.