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 200+ cities. Friday mornings, no filler.
Looking beyond Austin? See our guide to the best airport bars worldwide, or compare airport bars city by city.