Plan the Best Austin Bachelor Party

Stock the Fridge

It’s always smart to have a stocked fridge and cooler, so here are a few of my favorite local beverages to keep spirits high:

• Ranch Rider Spirits
• Austin Winery
• Richard’s Rainwater
• Nine Banded Whiskey
• Still Austin Whiskey Co.
• Lalo Tequila

Hangover Helpers

A cold plunge is the best medicine to relieve your hangover, and there’s no better spot than Barton Springs—swimming here is like a baptism into Austin. Throw yourself in the 70 degree water to breathe some life back into you before refueling with carbs. For a healthier hangover brunch pre or post dip, head to Better Half where you can double fist really good coffee and a cocktail. Not into fancy? Tacodeli will set things right with a no-fail, generic tacos and their Doña salsa if you can handle it (Choose it over Torchy’s).

BBQ Boys

If you’re new to Texas, or just a BBQ fan-boy, don’t let your crew finish the weekend without a taste of Texas BBQ. 

LORO, the smash-up between renowned Franklin’s BBQ chef, Aaron Franklin, and Uchi chef, Tyson Cole, is enjoyable day or night, and best for folks who prefer to enjoy their BBQ with fork and knife and no baked beans or white bread. You can roll right up, have nice cocktails like a frozen mango sake, and order more composed dishes and sandwiches with an Asian flare, or opt for meat plates like: Smoked Turkey Breast, Smoked Beef Brisket (after 4 PM), and Full Baby Back Duroc Pork Ribs (Sunday & Monday after 4 PM)

Leroy & Lewis is an award-winning and humble food-truck set-up, great if you’re in a hurry or down South because you rarely have to wait in a long line like at Terry Black’s or Franklin’s.

On the east side?  Another food-truck, Rollin’ Smoke brings the heat with its crispy quesataco (Sundays only!)

Rent a boat from Float On or Austin Boat Rentals, who will even pack a Yeti and Ice for you. Ask your driver to take you by the 360 bridge for a photo opp and party cove, where people dance and swim with fellow bachelors and bachelorettes. Make sure to book early and it’s still fun even if you’re not in the dead of summer. (When most people say lake, they mean Lake Austin. Lake Travis is beautiful, but unless you’re wanting a 45 min Uber ride each way, stay close to home). I also love a good sunset boat ride, so if you book later in the afternoon, it’s all good because the sun stays out later here in the summer.

Before and/or after, a Texas Tea at Abel’s on the Lake is a crowd-pleaser that might bring back memories of your college days. Let’s talk about what a Texas Tea is: it’s a Texas rendition of a Long Island Iced Tea made with vodka, gin, rum, triple sec, soda water, sour, and tequila—there’s a limit to 2 for a reason.

Definitely advise you don’t go on an empty stomach, and tacos make for sturdy sustenance. Depending on where you’re staying, here are some options from my top taco spot list:

• East – Granny’s (truck) or Cisco’s (casual sit down Tex-Mex)
• West – Taco Flats (this is my favorite breakfast taco in town with the best fluffy flour tortillas and guacamole on each one)
• South – El Primo (cash only)
• South – Veracruz at Radio (easy for tacos and coffee)

Desert Door 

I love this distillery, their Sotol cocktails, and outdoor patio with a couple of food trucks. If you don’t know what sotol is, it’s ok. I guess I’ll tell you—it’s a distilled spirit from wild-harvested sotol plants native to Mexico—like a distant cousin of tequila and mezcal with a more botanical flavor profile.

Jester King Brewery

This brewery set on 165 acres of farmland is a dreamland if any of the guys are obsessed with beer. Head out earlier in the day because it gets crowded.

Treaty Oak Distilling 

If your crew is more into spirits, Treaty Oak in Dripping Springs serves their own whiskey and sister-brand Waterloo Gin.

For a beer in town: 

• ABGB (live music too!)
• Austin Beerworks
• St Elmo Brewing Co (they have food trucks and Sagebrush is close by for live music)
• Still Austin

Osome 

An Omakase experience that’s really good and easy to set-up. As long as you have an Airbnb, you can have an at-home sushi experience. Chef John Gocong used to work at Uchi and creates a menu catered to you including salad, nigiri, and torched salmon, plus he’ll set up a bar with great cocktails. Bookable online!

Private Chef via Tivity

My friend Zach started this company for booking a private chef. It’s a must if you have some chefs in the crew or are looking for an activity. You tell Tivity what you want, what style of dining, and they pair you with a chef and set it up at your house!

Backyard BBQ

La Barbecue 

Place an order in advance and pick-up at their east side location, they have amazing, juicy turkey, mac and cheese, and a ‘wet’ brisket.

If you’re staying more central, Terry Black’s is the OG BBQ from Lockhart. Terry’s twin sons opened up the Austin shop and they make the best, gigantic beef ribs, smoky brisket, and corn muffins. The line is usually long, so it’s good to pick up to-go.

Franklin’s 

The most popular spot in Austin (nominated for a James Beard) where people wait in line for hours, but with a minimum order of 5 lbs of meat, you can order ahead. It’s the juiciest and richest option.

If you want a lot of sides. I’d pick Terry Black’s.

For a private dining room, where you can toast (or roast) the man of the hour, try these:

• The Flour House at La Condesa
• Il Brutto
• Sammie’s
• Uchiko
• Lenoir
• Qi
• Justine’s Secret House
• Parkside
• Oseyo
• Canje
• Vespaio
• Fonda San Miguel
• Juniper

The infamous Ramen Tatsu-ya graced us with Kemuri Tatsu-ya chill izakaya (a casual Japanese bar) serving meat-centric shareable dishes influenced by Japanese and Texan cuisines. The flavor pairings are so creative, and it’s always fun to share a bunch of plates.

Comedor is an upscale Mexican restaurant right in the heart of downtown with Chef Phillip Spear at the helm. The space has beautifully tall ceilings designed by a famous Seattle architect and the outdoor patio reminds me of a mix of Mexico City and LA. They serve a variety of moles; Smoked Tuna, Octopus, Shrimp Tostada, Salsa Matcha; and the Mushroom Quesadilla is one of the best in town. The most popular dish is the build-your-own bone marrow tacos, and the Gremolata is another hands-on dish—you can pour tequila in the bones and take a shot! For the heavy hitters, try the Whole Ribeye and NY Strip. And it goes without saying, but they have inventive cocktails and an extensive mezcal and tequila list. 

Go out Downtown to Coconut Club’s rooftop if you want or… 

If you want to go from your nice dinner to a casual Honky Tonk, the White Horse is the place. They have shows that run past midnight and two-stepping. It only feels right to order a Lone Star or Ranch Water.

Walk along E 6th, bar hop, and get all different types of music in a few blocks: 

• Hotel Vegas
• Shangri-La 
• Latchkey – has really good DJs Friday or Sat
• Nickel City – if you don’t want to listen to music. It feels like a dive bar but with really good cocktails. Order the Del Ray with tater tots and sliders if you need to keep snacking.
• Outer Heaven – Get wild and sweaty on the dance floor 

Eberly is also home to the Cedar Tavern, which has some NYC history the big city visitors would appreciate—it was a well-known bar in NYC moved locations around the city until the the owners of Stubb’s brought it to Austin. Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix used to play here, so a lot of famous people will come to town like Bill Murray just to see its reincarnation (it’s pure mahogany wood and was shipped in pieces and put back together here!) It’s a hard act to follow, but Eberly is another showstopper. People get dressed up to go here and good news for you, there are a lot of women sitting in the sexy, navy booths and co-ed bathrooms.The chef used to work at Barbuto in NYC and makes rich, flavorful dishes like Japanese milk rolls, grilled octopus, rigatoni, pomodoro, short ribs. 

If you want a more secluded dinner experience, the Private Room at Jeffrey’s (in a cool apartment above the restaurant) fits a big group and you can dine on a family style meal with a personal record player and bartender, and servers dressed to the nines in coattails.

A smaller group can sit in the partially secluded wine room in the restaurant called Napoleon Room. I recommend the King crab and avocado toast to start, the Hamachi Carpaccio and  light popovers, plus they make all types of meats from Duck to seafood risotto to any kind of steak. See if they’ll let you order the Bar Burger with the Steak Cut Fries to cheers with your martini.

Hestia

A live-fire restaurant where the smoky smell greets you at the front door. You can see the chefs in the kitchen, and they’ll bring you the food and tell you what and how they made it.

I’d order the homemade bread and beef tartare to start and the scallops with beef tallow is one of my fave dishes in all of Austin

West 6th St.

The new rendition of Dirty 6th that can be defined by blocks of DJs, loud music, wannabe clubs, and sports bars. I don’t come here often, but I like Dirty Bill’s because they have music videos playing in the background, and it’s a fun place to dance (on the table).

If you find yourself here and are not a party animal, Little Woodrow’s is a safe stop to grab a beer and watch a game. 

TenTen, the sushi restaurant on West 6th and one of the owners used to work in Vegas, so it feels club-like. The menu has nigiri, sashimi, and larger plates too like a Wagyu Tenderloin, plus a unique Lychee Martini.

Also on West 6th St., Mayfair is one of the only clubs that does bottle service, so if that’s your vibe, check the DJ schedule and snag your table.

Red Ash 

A modern and non-stuffy Italian steakhouse downtown with the best garlic bread I’ve ever had in my life. It’s so good, I ordered it for dessert, too. The menu is pretty big, so you can try all kinds of dishes and share—homemade pasta, premium cuts of beef, octopus a la plancha are a few highlights.This can be a hard reservation to snag so call and plan ahead.

Odd Duck 

You might look at the menu and have no idea what any of the ingredients are, but the chef, Bryce Gilmore, has been nominated for the James Beard Award, and can be trusted. He serves thoughtful and creative food pairings you might have thought you never liked. The menu changes regularly and is fairly select, so you can pretty much order everything! I’ve had fried kale beignets, ceviche, whole fish, and memorable cocktails here. It’s a pretty casual atmosphere and you can easily fit in here. 

You could easily pop over to Rainey St. after this and enjoy walking around. Start at Lustre Pearl or Icenhauer’s, then check out the recently renovated Clive Bar. 

For a late night snack, grab Asador Tacos, or pop into Geraldine’s at the Hotel Van Zandt.

Head to Bangers if you’re not into crazy vibes or are feeling more chill.

And if you’re looking to leave Rainey, Sahara Lounge’s Africa Night on Saturday is one of the most diverse crowds, and the dance floor feels like a house party.