Video games, whiskey, pool table, dark interior, hazy, cheap, gross-but-endearing-, musky, heart-felt, REAL. If Lala's is the Queen of Austin Dive Bars then Barfly's is the King. The first thing I think of when I think of Barfly's is the stair case. It is tall, steep and concrete. You will have to climb this to get inside. I don't know how they are ADA approved. Same thing for if you want to go on the back patio: There is another long flight of stairs to climb down. This is significant if you are holding a bev or have had too much to drink. Careful! The most recent visit was after a prom themed birthday party where all of us showed up at Barfly's in prom dresses. Patrons at the bar kept asking if it was Austin's prom weekend that weekend. Nevermind that it is the end of June and most of us are over 30 years of age. We all decided that being in prom dresses at Barfly's should become a regular experience. read more

Great spot! Fun, relaxed, cheap drinks, pool, and a great patio. Possibly the best dive bar in Austin. Check it out, you won't be disappointed! read more

Barfly exemplifies one of my huge gripes about Austin bars: Since you can't smoke inside, any chance for me to enjoy the weather outdoors is completely scuppered by all the ciggies that flock to the patio. Such is definitely the case at Barfly. The outdoor area is probably twice as large as the inside, but on weekend nights, it's far too smoky for me to even taste my drink. I can enjoy this place on less crowded nights, when you can find a seat indoors or some clean air on the patio. Barfly is unique because of its location - it's a happenin' hipster dive bar that's farther north than most others of its ilk. Great if you want the vibe but don't want to deal with downtown madness. Expect a youngish, just-finished-college crowd here, and if you're allergic to hipsters, stay away. If you're not, you'll probably have a good time. There's a pool table and a well- stocked bar, and it's actually possible to hold a conversation. The indoors is pretty frickin dark, but you can always bathe in the light of the jukebox. read more

Here it is, my first five-star review. Think about your favorite cocktail, then get it at Barfly's. Bartenders are on their game, there are usually enough pool tables to go around, you can get any friend to meet you there-I've never had someone turn up their nose at the idea, unless they'd already been too many times that week. Mixed up crowd most nights, old men watching the young ladies walk in and the young ladies throwin' up later on in the night. read more

Always has been, always will be, the greatest bar in Austin. Cheap, strong drinks. A great jukebox. Awesome, friendly bartenders, who will remember your name, your drink, and shake your hand if you go there often enough. A lively clientele of non-douches. A Ms. PacMan Cabinet. What more could you ask for? Bar none (hehehehehe), my favorite place to get drunk in Austin. I've been coming here since I turned 21, I will keep coming here as long as it's open. If Marcos ever decides he has to move on, I will fly down to be there to give the place a proper Irish wake. This bar, however sadly you want to take it, has been a very deep part of my identity. Sigh, OK, there's no way to take it but sad. If you were a regular, you'd understand. read more

If there was any place I would be proud to be called a regular, Barfly's would be that place. As soon as I walk up the staircase, I feel like I'm at home. The dim lights immediately relieve the migraine caused by five days under fluorescent lighting. I have always been able to find a seat, and the cool air is a welcome respite from the oppressive Texas heat that does not mix well with vodka tonics. The alcohol is cheap, and the bartenders are very generous. I usually leave Barfly's with only a tiny dent in my wallet, and after all that drinking and fun, the only drawback is the looming staircase of death that requires a shoulder to lean on when descending in a drunken haze. If you make it downstairs, you will definitely be coming back for more. read more

Such a great place. A total gem. Kind bartenders. The jukebox has awesome music. Everything you want in an Austin vibe bar.

It ain't pretty, but Barfly's pretty much has everything you need. Jukebox, pool, an arcade bowling video game, outside smoking patio, toilets, liquor, beer, and a creepy atmosphere from the outside that somewhat mellows out once you enter the establishment. I like it a lot. That might be because it's right above the Burger Tex on Airport and that Burger Tex is a comforting place for me. The point is that Barfly's is an unpretentious, simple little bar and it's not too expensive and I hope it sticks around forever. read more

I like their prices on drinks, and their outside patio. My chief complaint would have to be when they turn the jukebox at an eardrum-bursting volume every night. I don't like hanging out at places where I have to yell to my friends in order for them to hear me. It's at a good location since I don't have to go deep into downtown to fight the crowds. I like going to this place when the weather's nice because you can enjoy the breezy nights. read more

Barfly's is a staple of my life and of Austin. You don't go here for a cocktail; you go here for a whiskey on the rocks or a lone star over a game of pool. Perhaps the greatest thing about it: best juke box in town. At the Drive In to Snoop Dogg to Cursive to Hank Williams - they have anything that's respectable. The staff is super nice, the bar often tended by one of the owners. After a few times they'll know you. Go here, and you'll see why I love it. read more

I went here for the first time as part of a friend's weekend-long birthday fest. Dark, dirty, crowded and hot as hell . . . it reminds me of New Orleans. They pour their drinks strong, which I appreciate. They have a porch out back where you can sit and smoke, although those stairs are a treacherous thing. How many drunks have taken a header down either set of stairs? I grabbed a seat in the back room for a bit, where I got in a strange conversation with a guy in his early 20s about relationships and how people don't seem to know how to argue properly. He told me how his grandparents met and it was funny. I made my way downstairs to the porch, found one of my fellow party-goers and giggled for the next 20 minutes. I will be returning. read more

If this place were to bother with the Olympics, it'd get perfect scores in the diving events, because it's the best dive there is. Normally, limited splashing is essential in getting a high score for dives, but this place will make a splash, and you will be submerged in good cheer and cheap drinks. From the non-existent windows, to the walls, the sweat won't drip down the billiard balls, because they keep it nice and cool in there. If indoors isn't your thing, the patio is warm and welcoming. Even resident patio expert, Pat E. O. agrees - she named it top patio in Austin, and I can't say I disagree. read more

Pro tip: if you haven't showered and didn't put any effort in that day but you still want to take out your tinder date, bring them here. It's dark, nobody can see you, nobody will bother you, and the drinks are perfect and cheap. It's the diviest of dives. Have that expectation and it's 5 stars every time. read more

Jukebox has awesome music. Drinks are perfect. Dark and dive-y atmosphere. Pool table and foosball table. Bring yo friends. read more

Barfly's - Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great place to hang. The regulars are chill and the bar staff is fast n sarcastic. Cant ask for more out of bar in Austin! They have drink specails but theyre not a craft bar. Skip the fru fru bs and order a damn drink yall read more

The bar staff are really nice, but very chatty. I had to wait forever to get a drink because the bartender decided to tell us all a story about Eddie Van Halen's finger picking. Maybe if I was a lonely patron with Asperger's, or a fan of Van Halen, I would have enjoyed it more, but I just wanted my drink. This place reminds me of somewhere I would have gone in the early 90's, if I was 21 in the early 90's. Too bad I was only 6. I could see myself talking about this new album I just bought, "Siamese Dream," and I how recently really got into this thing called, "cappuccinos." It doesn't smell bad, which is a plus, but it is very dark in there. To make matters worse (or better if you're an "ug") at 11PM, they turn the lights even dimmer. At first I thought something was wrong with the lights, but no, they really like it dark in there. It has brick walls, tables, chairs, pool tables, a foosball table, an exit staircase that people use as a patio and a weird mix of characters. There were middle-aged metal-loving Mexicans that rode their bikes to this place, young people, a tranny that I thought wasn't trying very hard but turned out to be a real girl and pharmacy student at UT, dudes watching the baseball game and, in general, "good people." I won't lie, it was weird in there...but I liked it. read more

Barfly's- best bar in Austin- I'm not really sure what the criteria would need to be to make Barfly's the best bar. I'm sure there are a lot of bars in Austin that offer up similar atmosphere and alcohol selection. But, none are withing walking distance of my house and offer daily $1.50 Lonestars. I've been visiting Barfly's a few times a weeks since moving to Austin and consider it my favorite spot. The bar staff is great and the patrons are friendly. Barfly's tends to be more of a late night bar and is usually packed after 11pm everyday. They have one of the best jukebox's in Austin and a Tornado foosball table. Barflys is located above the Burger Tex on Airport Blvd and opens at 5pm, 7 days a week. read more

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barfly's could straight up get it on sight! get the sexy svedka shooter! it's straight up sex positive! read more

I live by this motto for little lovely dive Bang for your buck drinks! Go experience, you'll figure it out. Not rocket science read more

I didn't know, this was on the list of a dive bar Friday night outing by one of my more classy girlfriends and yeah what you want? It's just a bunch of people that I'm not sure if they are truly alcoholics or are just lame and uninteresting. The joint is dingy and dirty like a barfly would have it. Me? I want no part of that. read more

Up, up, up the stairs you go ... To a dark, little dive bar with big, strong drinks, that is stumbling distance from Burger Tex. Burgers, beer, and darkness all in one building. 'Nuff said. read more

I just don't get the big deal. Sure, it's a bit further north than most dive bars, but other than that, how is it special? The jukebox is reasonably good but not phenomenal, the drink prices are average, and the bar doesn't stock anything particularly special. The bathrooms are TINY. I'm just not feeling the love; sign me up for LoveJoy's, Draught House, or even Saba any day first. I only frequent BarFly's because it's down the street from my kung fu studio. read more

When I drink, I've been known to occasionally pull some shenanigans, such as: * trying to pull the towel off of my then-roommate after he got out of the shower (he shouldn't have been prancing around with only a towel on in the first place). * destroying Journey songs in karaoke. * checking IDs at a bar I don't work at. That last one was one of the dumb ass things I did at Barfly's, and all I got was a slap on the wrist. If I could go back in time, I would have kicked my own ass. But the point is that the bartenders and staff at Barfly's are really cool, and to top it off, the drinks are cheap and decently stiff. I repeat: cheeeeeeap. I'm primarily a whiskey dude now, and prices for those are pretty damn good too (under $5 for a glass of Maker's or Crown on the rocks); this pleases my liver even more. I don't go to Barfly's nearly as often as I should, especially considering that it's a mile and change from home. It's a laid back dive off the beaten path, so you won't get bothered by those scantily clad beer girls who try to pimp free useless schwag on Sixth St. It has the Descendents on the jukebox, plenty of parking, and a nice outdoor area with covered picnic benches. My only complaint is that sometimes it's so dark inside that I have a hard time signing my tab, but things could be worse. read more

The people who own this bar also own Violet Crown, Benders, and the Hideout up north. This means that there are great prices, $2 lone stars, and a great outdoor area. There is a small parking lot, but I prefer to park in the well-lit street. It's right above BurgerTex. It's not quite a dive bar. Most of the place is darkly lit with a pool table, but there is also a brighter board game room. The downstairs patio has bleachers and a few tables. The biggest downside for me is that there is no draft beer. read more

Cheap and strong. Like your mom, but tastes better. They POUR them, and when you finally focus on the tab at the end of the night it's so much better than what you expected. This is the place when you know you are a cheap punkass that never buys your friends drinks and you want to look like a big boy that can afford to splurge a little because you finally kept a job for more than a month. The pool tables are straight, the bartenders are NOT dicks, and there's an outdoor patio for people that still smoke. The crowd is pretty well mixed, leaning toward the tattooed, and there's no clique-ish feel. I've never gotten any attitude from anyone. The jukebox makes me happy with Misfits, Willie Nelson, Radiohead, and too many others to remember. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR THERE OVERNIGHT...I GOT TOWED, AND THE SIGNS WARNING YOU ARE NOT OBVIOUS. I can walk there, so I love it. Especially when it iced over. read more

You want to get wasted on cheap (but strong) drinks? Barfly's is your place. Speaking as a person who sometimes refers to themselves as a drunk, I can tell you the drinks will knock your ass out after about 3 of them. The bartenders are heavy with the pour, which is a great thing if that's what you are looking for. The interior is a little ugly, it's located on a not-so-cool street (airport blvd west of I-35), sometimes people love to load the jukebox up with metal, but the smoking area is ample (even if you do have to go down some steep stairs. Nice for drunken people, let me tell you.), the drinks are made for getting drunk and the place is pretty relaxed. Just watch out for the cops that love to patrol Airport around prime drunken driving hours. You shouldn't drink and drive, but we all know that's not always the case. read more

Browsing through my reviews, I apparently have a penchant for businesses that smell of stale beer and vomit. So yes, Barfly does indeed live up to my incredibly high standards. Very stiff drinks for very low coin. Very, very dark inside...very, very smokey outside. Bartenders are pretty, pretty friendly cats... as are most of the tattooed patrons. *Bonus points for the super steep cement stairs that keep chics with trendy high heels going elsewhere! read more

GREAT DIVE! cheap, strong drinks. Pool Tables, Juke Box, and back patio for the smokers :). The crowd is awesome/laid back and friendly....so is the staff. Just be careful when you leave as those stairs can be a bit treacherous.... read more

Man, Barfly's is awesome. I just live right around the corner, but I don't know why I hadn't visited this place. The jukebox doesn't suck at all. No Nickelback allowed. And I'm not sure how my tab turned out to only 20 bucks. OH YEAH, I love the UTEP and El Paso paraphernalia. Just seeing a pictures of the Tap and Chicos Tacos and UTEP basketball schedule brings me back home and makes my day. One of the bartenders told me you can't work there unless you're from El Paso, haha. Overall, it was an awesome place, tight and cramped at times around the bar, but everyone was nice. Every single person apologized for bumping into me. The crowd around the bar kinda came in cycles so it wasn't a big deal. Definitely coming back with the El Paso friends. read more

This is definitely one of my favorite places to go. 5$ Long Island Iced Teas for the ultimate win. Not to mention cool bartenders, a dark and laid back atmosphere, and it isn't filled with pretentious pricks. :D And yes, the thing about it having a nice jukebox selection is true. Check it out; you'll like it... unless you are a pretentious prick. Oh.. and I have seen a couple people complain about the bathroom.. but it has been clean every time I went there. There's only one toilet in the Ladies' room, though, so I hope you're not about to piss yourself. read more

Exactly what I was looking for at that moment. Chill but social. There was a pretty wide variety of people there and I love that. I was with friends and I only talked to them, but I got the feeling that it would have been easy to find myself talking to God-knows-who and it would have been an interesting convo. 2 beers - a Shiner and a Dos Equis - $5.50. Niiice. Long story short... I'm definitely going back. Maybe right now. OK. Not now, but definitely later. read more

Coolest place to unwind! The best dive bar in Austin! Jukebox is fantastic and the movies are great!

Great bar. Has fairly cheap drinks for a bar, a nice outdoor area, and some interesting choices for alcohol. The bar is a bit on the small side though, and I tend to like the atmosphere at other bars better. Still this will be a place I'll come back to occasionally. read more

Love this place. I'd been there several times before I realized that the drinks are ALWAYS that inexpensive. I am a beer drinker (particularly Stella Artois -3$), but the wife is all about Jack and Diet Coke...she's not easy to impress, but actually commented on the strength of the drinks. I think her actual words were "whoa baby - that's how we make 'em at home.....ahhhh". From my perspective, her drink looked like weak iced tea, and I could actually smell it from my barstool. I really should go more, since it's ostensibly my neighborhood bar (my immediate neighborhood isn't QUITE ready for a bar yet). Lots of good reviews for this place already, so if you're reading this review, you're probably already going to head to barfly's. If you're still in doubt, just go...you'll have a good time. For the record, my wife put down 4 of those drinks, so we'll give Barfly's one star for each drink with a bonus star for having inexpensive beer. Oh yeah....don't trip on the stairs. read more

the jukebox is great but I am still mourning the loss of the bowling machine and it breaks my heart to step in here. The best service, It is not fancy, but when you just want to get out and grab a beer, see a friend and enjoy the nice air, it doesn't have to be. The bartenders are great, they are fast, always have been every time I have been here. Which in my pre-mommy days was a few times a month Now I just drive by and remember the good times and how easy it was to just grab a drink and listen to a good song. read more

The bar staff only care about their "regulars". Don't expect to get good service here

Big fan of this place. The bartenders are nice, the crowd is generally a lot friendlier than the dark atmosphere might lead you to believe and there is some awesome old comic wallpaper to read on the walls while you take a whiz. Prices are very fair. This is a jewel in the Austin dive bar world. Women in stripper heels and dudes in popped collars need-not apply. Keep in mind in Tuesday and Friday is when they get their beer shipments and straighten up the place, so if you're itching for a beer a bit before 5, those are great days to stop in after 3. read more

CHEAP BEER. Barflys is a great place to drink without spending a lot of money. If you like pool, there's a few tables, and I've never seen it really crowded. Bartenders are friendly as well as the customers. It's definitely pretty run-down looking, and with the one entrance via a flight of stairs and the blocked out windows it feels a bit like a fire trap, but that's all part of the charm. read more

Barfly's is an ideal dive bar. They've got pool, drinks, and not much else. Drinks are cheap, the well whiskey is... fine and I've had some of my most memorable night on the town here. If you're in the neighborhood, this is the bar for you. read more

The juke box alone is worth trying this place out. I LOVE barfly's. It's quirky. It's oddly arranged. it's got inside and an outside. The drinks are good. The bartenders are awesome. It's also a free for all, melting pot of personalities. read more