Date Night in Austin: A Table, Then Somewhere to Go After

For date night in Austin, pair dinner with somewhere you can walk to afterwards. Our picks: a steak at the Driskill Grill and a nightcap at the Driskill Bar on Sixth Street, dinner at Emmer & Rye then cocktails at Half Step on Rainey Street, or pizza at Home Slice Pizza and a live set at the Continental Club on South Congress. Below are six pairings across Downtown, Sixth Street, Rainey Street and South Congress. Each one has a budget or splurge note, and every place is inside the city of Austin.

The idea is simple. Book the table, then skip the second drive. In each pair the after-dinner stop is on the same street or a short walk away, so the evening keeps going on foot.

Austin date nights have a long history. The Driskill's own timeline says Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson had their first date at the hotel in September 1934, over breakfast in the Driskill Dining Room. You can do it at dinner instead.

How did we choose these date nights?

Every place here was confirmed open on its own official website in November 2026, and each sits inside the city of Austin. We chose pairs where dinner and the after-plan are walkable from each other, wrote one budget-friendly and one splurge pairing for each area where we could, and left out places whose official site showed a closure notice. Hours, covers and menus change, so check each official site before you go.

Pair 1: The Driskill Grill, then the Driskill Bar (Sixth Street, splurge)

For a dressed-up date night in Austin, book dinner at the Driskill Grill and finish a few steps away at the Driskill Bar, both inside The Driskill hotel at 604 Brazos Street on the corner of Sixth Street.

The table. The Driskill Grill is a classic American steakhouse inside the hotel. Dry-aged steaks and cold martinis are the point, and dinner is typically served nightly from 4:30pm to 10:30pm. The Grill asks for cocktail attire every night, and shorts, flip-flops and slides are not allowed, so dress up. See the Driskill Grill page.

After. The Driskill Bar serves crafted cocktails, cold beer and small plates around its hexagonal bar. It typically stays open until 11pm Sunday through Thursday and until 1am on Friday and Saturday (the Driskill Bar page). Before you sit down, walk through the lobby. Colonel Jesse Driskill opened the hotel in 1886, and its timeline puts the cost at about $400,000 (The Driskill timeline).

Why it works. You get Sixth Street's history without the Sixth Street crowds. If the night is still young, the street's bars are right outside the door.

Pair 2: Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill, then the Elephant Room (Downtown, budget)

For a lower-key downtown date, eat Southern comfort food at Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill on Red River Street, then walk west to the Elephant Room, a basement jazz club on Congress Avenue.

The table. Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill is at 303 Red River Street, at the edge of the Red River Cultural District. According to the restaurant, the building dates to the 1880s, when it was the Hofheintz-Reissig General Store & Saloon. Its limestone cellar stored Mustang wine made from native grapes, served as a speakeasy during Prohibition, and now holds Kinfolk Lounge & Library. The menu is scratch-made Southern comfort food, and the bar pours the restaurant's own single-barrel bourbon picks. It is typically open until 10pm Monday through Saturday, with Sunday dinner until 9pm (Moonshine downtown).

After. The Elephant Room, at 315 Congress Avenue in downtown Austin, has hosted live jazz in its basement since 1991 and has music seven nights a week. It is 21 and over, first come first served, with no reservations. The cover is typically $5 from 6pm to 8pm on weekdays and goes up later in the evening. The short cocktail list leans on the club's own riffs: the Old Hat is a bourbon and brandy Old Fashioned with apricot and bitters. Check the Elephant Room for the night's calendar.

Why it works. Two historic rooms, two cheap-ish tabs, and a walk of well under a mile between them. Arrive at the Elephant Room before 8pm on a weeknight and you pay the early cover.

Pair 3: Emmer & Rye, then Half Step (Rainey Street, splurge)

For the Rainey Street splurge, have dinner at Emmer & Rye, then walk a few doors down the same street for cocktails at Half Step.

The table. Emmer & Rye is at 51 Rainey Street, Suite 110, in downtown Austin. It has held a MICHELIN Green Star for sustainability and a Bib Gourmand since 2024. The menu changes often. Its representative dinner menu has included a smoked Gulf oyster with boiled peanut miso, a cacio e pepe made with Blue Beard Durum spaghetti, and pappardelle with smoked Wagyu short rib. It is typically open from 5:30pm, closes on Mondays, and welcomes walk-ins, though a reservation is safer on weekends (Emmer & Rye).

After. Half Step is a cocktail bar at 75 1/2 Rainey Street. It typically opens at 4pm Monday through Thursday and at noon Friday through Sunday, stays open until 2am every night, and runs happy hour on weekdays until 7pm (Half Step).

Why it works. The whole night fits on one block of Rainey Street, where the bars and restaurants sit in renovated old bungalows.

Pair 4: Banger's, then a walk to Lady Bird Lake (Rainey Street, budget)

On a budget, Rainey Street works with sausages and beer at Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden, then a free walk to Lady Bird Lake at the south end of the street.

The table. Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden is at 79, 81 and 81.5 Rainey Street. Expect homemade sausage, craft beer, pickled vegetables and a soundtrack of Americana and country music. It typically stays open until 10pm Monday through Thursday, 11pm on Friday and Saturday, and 9pm on Sunday (Banger's).

After. Walk to the lakefront at the south end of Rainey Street and follow the trail along Lady Bird Lake. In the warm months, an estimated 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats leave the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge around dusk. Texas Parks and Wildlife calls it the largest urban bat colony in the world. Viewing is free from the Austin American-Statesman's Bat Observation Area on the southeast side of the bridge, though the nearby lot charges for parking (Texas Parks and Wildlife).

Why it works. It's a cheap dinner, and the after-plan is free.

Pair 5: Home Slice Pizza, then the Continental Club (South Congress, budget)

The classic South Congress date is a New York-style pie at Home Slice Pizza and then live music at the Continental Club, a block up the avenue.

The table. Home Slice Pizza, at 1415 South Congress Avenue, has served New York-style pizza since its dine-in side opened in November 2005. For a quick slice, More Home Slice sits across the parking lot. It typically stays open until 11pm most nights and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. If parking is tight, use the extra lot at the church off Elizabeth Street (Home Slice Pizza).

After. The Continental Club, at 1315 South Congress Avenue, opened in 1955 as a private supper club and is now a City of Austin historic landmark. It books roots, rockabilly, country, swing, rock and blues every night of the week (Continental Club). Check the Austin calendar before you go.

Why it works. The two places are a block apart, and live music every night of the week means you don't need to plan around a date.

Pair 6: June's All Day, then the Continental Gallery (South Congress, splurge)

For a slower South Congress night, share a bottle at June's All Day, a wine-focused bistro, then walk north to the Continental Gallery, the small room upstairs from the Continental Club.

The table. June's All Day is at 1722 South Congress Avenue in South Austin. Dinner is typically served from 4pm to 10pm daily, and the bar stays open late. The wine list changes often, there's a long marble bar, and there's a vintage jukebox. On weekdays from 3pm to 5pm, wine bottles are typically 25 percent off, and on Monday evenings sparkling wine is typically half price (June's All Day).

After. Walk north along the avenue. Jo's Coffee, at 1300 South Congress Avenue, is home to the green “i love you so much” wall. Jo's says the words began in 2011 as an apology note written after a quarrel between the founder and her partner (Jo's Coffee). Then head upstairs at the Continental Club. The Continental Gallery is a small room with a Hammond B-3 organ that hosts jazz, soul and R&B (Continental Club).

Why it works. South Congress's best-known love note started as an apology. That makes it a good stop on a date.

What should you know before a date night in Austin?

Keep this checklist handy: it covers bookings, dress codes, covers and parking for every pair above.

• Book the table, not the after-plan. The Elephant Room takes no reservations, so arrive early for a seat, while Emmer & Rye welcomes walk-ins but is safer booked on weekends.
• Dress for the Driskill Grill. Cocktail attire is required, and shorts and flip-flops are not allowed.
• Go early for jazz. The Elephant Room's weekday cover is typically lowest from 6pm to 8pm.
• Time the bats. On a warm-weather evening, finish dinner on Rainey Street before sunset and walk to the Congress Avenue Bridge.
• Park once. Home Slice points to a church lot off Elizabeth Street, and June's has parking behind the restaurant.
• Bring ID. The Elephant Room is 21 and over.
• Check before you go. Menus at Emmer & Rye and June's All Day change often.

Want more dinner ideas? Browse the food and dining listings, or see what's on this weekend to build your own pair.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Where should we go for a romantic date night in Austin?

For a dressed-up date, have dinner at the Driskill Grill and a nightcap at the Driskill Bar, both inside The Driskill hotel at Sixth and Brazos streets in downtown Austin. For something more relaxed, eat at Emmer & Rye on Rainey Street and walk a few doors down to Half Step for cocktails.

What is a cheap date night in Austin?

Get New York-style pizza at Home Slice Pizza on South Congress Avenue, then see live music at the Continental Club a block away. Or go to the Elephant Room's basement jazz club on Congress Avenue before 8pm on a weeknight, when the cover is typically $5.

What can couples do after dinner in Austin?

After dinner, couples in Austin can hear live jazz at the Elephant Room on Congress Avenue or catch a set at the Continental Club on South Congress Avenue. On warm-weather evenings, you can also watch an estimated 1.5 million bats leave the Congress Avenue Bridge at dusk for free.

Do you need reservations for date night in Austin?

Book the restaurant, especially Emmer & Rye or the Driskill Grill on a weekend. Many after-dinner stops, including the Elephant Room jazz club, don't take reservations, so arriving early is the best plan.

Is there a dress code at the Driskill Grill in Austin?

Yes. The Driskill Grill in downtown Austin requires cocktail attire every night and does not allow shorts, flip-flops or slides.