As one of the top foodie cities in the country, Austin wouldn’t be complete without its variety of delectable dishes and one-of-a-kind restaurants. For many students at the University of Texas, the city’s food and bar scene is one of their favorite parts about attending UT. Especially if you’re looking to explore Austin on the budget of a college student, happy hours are your best friend.
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From sushi and sake to chicken wings and beer, there are a number of great spots around Austin and West Campus with killer happy hour deals that are great for UT students. Here, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite places with great food and drink specials that we think every student should try.
12 Best Food and Drink Specials for UT Students to Try Near West Campus
1. Cain & Abel’s
Neighborhood: West Campus
Distance from Rambler: 10-minute walk
Address: 907 W 24th St, Austin, TX 78705
Kicking off the list is a location that nearly every UT student knows and loves: Cain and Abel’s.
While some might say that “Dollar Beers” on Tuesdays are the equivalent of a campus-wide holiday, Abel’s also features great deals during the rest of the week:
- Monday: $5 domestic pitchers
- Tuesday: $1.50 domestic bottles
- Wednesday: $2 house margaritas (traditional, mango, or strawberry on the rocks)
- Thursday: $7 Texas Teas, $3 Texas pints
- Friday: $2.50 White Trash Cans
- Sunday Funday: $2.50 All Deep Eddy, Tito’s, and Dulce Vida drinks, all other select top-shelf liquors $2.50
2. Bar Moxy
Neighborhood: West Campus
Distance from Rambler: 3-minute walk
Address: 2552 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78705
Situated inside the lobby of the Moxy Austin University Hotel on Guad, Bar Moxy’s location is perfect for UT students living in West Campus. With a large outdoor patio and plenty of indoor lounge areas, Moxy can match whatever vibe you’re going for.
Bar Moxy makes a new menu (called a ‘Syllabus’) each month for their daily drink specials. Check out the Moxy website for updated information. While you’re there, don’t forget to try out their connecting Zombie Taco location!
3. Plucker’s
Neighborhood: West Campus
Distance from Rambler: 6-minute walk
Address: 2222 Rio Grande St Ste D116, Austin, TX 78705
Pluckers’ West Campus location is well-loved among UT students for some of the best chicken wings in town. The Austin-born chain is also popular for its daily specials:
Sunday
- $1 off all cocktails
Monday
- All-you-can-eat wings
- $2 off Mother Plucker Mugs (34 oz.) of Bud Light and Michelob Ultra
Texas Tuesday
- $1 off all pints, bottles, cans, and Plucker’s Cocktails featuring Texas-made products
Wednesday
- Live Team Trivia at 7:30pm
- $7.25 Mother Pluckers Mugs (34 oz.) of Miller Lite, plus other specially priced mugs
Thursday
- All-you-can-eat buffalo bites
- Specially priced Dos Equis, Specialty Margaritas, and Pluckers L.I.T.
4. Moody’s
Neighborhood: West Campus
Distance from Rambler: 4-minute walk
Address: 2530 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78705
Directly across the street from UT’s Moody College of Communication, Moody’s Kitchen + Bar is a well-loved and conveniently located hotspot. From 4 to 7pm on Monday through Friday, Moody’s offers daily specials on pizza, burger, wings, beer, cocktails, and more. In addition to a spacious outdoor patio area, Moody’s also hosts Trivia Night every Wednesday and Karaoke Night every Thursday!
5. Dirty Martin’s
Neighborhood: West Campus
Distance from Rambler: 6-minute walk
Address: 2808 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78705
A long-standing favorite amongst the UT community, Dirty Martin’s Place is famous for its laid-back atmosphere and great food. Every weekday from 2 to 6pm, Dirty Martin’s offers $4 small cheeseburgers, $3.50 tallboys, and $5 Longhorn Iced Teas. In addition, they have daily drink specials that help you make the most of a college student’s budget:
Monday:
- $12 Shiner pitchers
- $3 house margs
Tuesday:
- $3.50 domestic tallboys
Wednesday:
- $6 all Dirty’s cocktails
Thursday:
- $12 lone star pitchers
- $4 house margs
Friday:
- $6 longhorn iced teas
- $6 mellow melons
Sunday:
- $3 mimosas
- $16 domestic buckets
- $6 Tito’s bloody mary’s
- $5 micheladas
6. Z’Tejas
Neighborhood: Downtown
Distance from Rambler: 8-minute Uber
Address: 1110 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78703
From 3 to 6pm daily, Z’Tejas offers tempting drink specials such as $5 house margaritas, $2 off all other margaritas and wine, and $1 off all beer. While they serve a full variety of southwestern food, their happy hour menu includes the salsa trio, yuca fries, gringo tacos, fried tamale, catfish beignets, nacho Z’s, and Cebollas Locas all for $8 or less.
7. El Arroyo
Neighborhood: Downtown
Distance from Rambler: 10-minute Uber
Address: 1624 W 5th St, Austin, TX 78703
Last, but certainly not least, our list of the best happy hour spots for UT students wouldn’t be complete without El Arroyo. With $2 margaritas on Thursday nights, be sure to arrive early, as the line is always out the door for this unbeatable special.
Famous for its witty marquee sign that changes daily, El Arroyo also offers discounted bloody marys, mimosas, poinsettias, screwdrivers, and palomas during its weekend brunch from 10am to 3pm
8. Maudie’s
Neighborhood: West Austin
Distance from Rambler: 10-minute Uber
Address: 2608 W 7th St, Austin, TX 78703
If you’re in the mood for Tex-Mex, Maudie’s a must-try local to Austin. They have a long list of food and drink specials, including a variety of appetizers including queso, guacamole, nachos, and more for only $5 on weekdays from 3 to 6:30pm (and Monday until close!). At this time, guests also receive $1 off all beer, plus a variety of margaritas to choose from as low as $6.50.
In addition, Maudie’s offers happy hour from 2-7pm every day on all draft beer and rotating daily specials on select domestic and imported beer. Oh, and happy hour is all day on Sundays!.
9. Upstairs at Caroline
Neighborhood: Downtown
Distance from Rambler: 11-minute Uber
Address: 621 Congress Ave #201, Austin, TX 78701
Located on Congress Avenue, Upstairs at Caroline is a popular open-air bar atop the Caroline restaurant. This dog-friendly spot offers daily food and drink specials from 4 to 7pm:
Chill Out Monday
- $6 Shrimp Cocktail or Tuna Crudo
- $7 Frozen beverages
Taco Tuesday
- $2 Tacos
- $7 Blood Orange Margaritas
Hump Day Happy Hour
- $7 “Backyard Beverages”
- $4 Walking Tacos
Thirsty Thursday
- $4 Draft Beers
- $7 Draft Cocktails
Friday (12-3pm)
- $4 Draft Beers
- 2 for $5 Tacos
- $7 Bad Life Choices
Sunday Yappy Hour (11am-2pm)
- Bring your dog for 25% off your visit!
10. RA Sushi
Neighborhood: Downtown
Distance from Rambler: 13-minute Uber
Address: 117 W 4th St STE 300, Austin, TX 78701
RA, a Downtown Austin sushi spot, offers a separate discounted menu from Monday through Saturday 3pm to 7pm and 10pm to close, as well as on Sunday from 3pm to close.
This happy hour menu is complete with specialty rolls, maki rolls, nigiri, and appetizers like edamame and “RA”ckin’ shrimp. It also has a selection of cocktails, wine, beer, and sake available.
If you’re planning on going on the weekend or with a large group, we recommend making a reservation ahead of time!
11. Austin Eastciders
Neighborhood: Barton Springs
Distance from Rambler: 14-minute Uber
Address: 1530 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704
A great location to stop by after a day at Zilker or Barton Springs, Austin Eastciders has $4 draft ciders and $1 off cocktails Tuesday through Friday from 2 to 5pm, along with a well-rounded restaurant menu including everything from fried pickles to specialty salads.
This is also a fun spot to grab brunch on the weekends, offering $4 kolaches and other delicious delicious food choices, plus brunch cocktails as low as $4 from 10am to 3pm.
12. P6 at the LINE
Neighborhood: Downtown
Distance from Rambler: 15-minute Uber
Address: 111 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701
If you’re looking for an elevated happy hour experience, P6 at the LINE Hotel is home to one of the most gorgeous views of the sunset on Lake Austin. Here, you’ll find a wide menu of discounted cocktails, beers, and bites on Monday through Friday from 4 to 6pm. We recommend making a reservation beforehand since this is a popular spot for special occasions.
We hope that this list of some of our favorite happy hours helps you continue to explore Austin! If there is anything else the Rambler team can help you with, please contact our leasing office.
