Burgers, beer and best friends: A guide to our favorite dive bars in Austin

If you're sick of the fuss of Austin nightlife —the traffic, the parking, the reservations, the lines, and the expensive drinks — we've come bearing a gift: a guide to 10 dive bars in town.

We visited 10 dive bars, and have split up our list into two categories: bars with food and bars without. Check it out:

Drinks only, please.

If your bar horoscope reads: "You're someone who doesn't need gimmicks, expensive cocktails, or crowds. You're looking for a spot to grab a drink after work and this month, you'll find yourself in an Austin dive," then these are the places for you. Snacks are nice, but sometimes you just need a place to grab a beer. We've got you.

Our pick: The 04 Lounge, 3808 South Congress Ave.

Excuse us while we get emotional about a dive bar.

When we visited The 04 Lounge on an afternoon recently, a handful of regulars already saddled up to the bar welcomed us easily. Dive bars can feel intimidating. When we walked in from the sunlight to a dark space, the only patrons were a group of best friends chatting away. But bartender Mariah Requenez had us wishing we also spent afternoons working from The 04 Lounge.

Requenez flitted behind the bar, cracking open Lone Stars as regulars sat down. We came to understand that those who frequent the bar have created a true community. They share contact information of their favorite mechanics or plumbers and come together to take care of each other during health scares.

"When I describe my job to people, I'm literally like, 'I'm hanging out with my friends/family,'" Requenez said.

The 04 Lounge is a small space with a side patio. A couple of pool tables fill the entrance. The drinks are cheap and delicious. We had a margarita and it was really, really, really good. (This writer prefers her alcohol to not taste like alcohol, but the margarita wasn't too sweet either.) The atmosphere created by the people who spend their time at the bar though, was our favorite part.

The regulars and Resquenez kept sharing a quote from owner Italo "Benny" Pezzi to describe The 04 Lounge: "The right people are going to find this place. The rest never will."

Before we left, Resquenez pulled out a 2023 calendar featuring the men of The 04 Lounge. Each month had funny or sexy photos of the guys, who are all regulars at the bar. (One of the photos did include someone puking. It looked like an exorcism had taken place. Just, FYI.) The calendar days included the birthdays of each regular, including those who have died. The number of regulars appeared to be endless.

Barfly's, 5420 Airport Blvd.

This one is a classic. It's got no frills, no beers on tap and no cocktail menu. But that's the way we like it. The drinks are cheap and you can play pool, foosball, and arcade games. The people are nice and the vibes are pretty great. Barfly's is an ideal spot for sipping with friends without having to think about it too hard. The bar is open Monday to Thursday 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Fridays 3 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Saturday-Sunday 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. You can follow the bar's Instagram at: instagram.com.

G & S Lounge, 2420 South First St.

Are we maybe a little scared of this one? Yes. But is that one of the marks of a good dive bar? Maybe! OK, but really, we do love this spot on South First Street. Very easily missed, the bar is in a building on the corner. Inside, you'll find nothing fancy. Get you a drink and hang out.

The bar does have arcade games, including one of those fortune-telling Zoltar machines and a pool table. The bar doesn't have an Instagram page and when we clicked on its website, the link was broken. These are not complaints. They're proof that this really is a dive. The Google page for the bar lists its hours as 3:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. every day.

Carousel Lounge, 1110 East 52nd St.

We love something that's a little weird, and a little funky. Enter: Carousel Lounge. This just-north-of-51st Street bar has a circus theme and live music. The bar is bring-your-own-liquor and offers beer, wine and mixers. Whether you slide into a booth or post up at a table near the small stage, you'll feel comfortable kicking back here. The bar keeps an updated calendar of it's live shows on its website if you want to plan ahead: carousellounge.net.

Casino South Side, 1502 West Ben White Blvd.

Casino South Side has a velvety, cool energy and we highly recommend it. The bar, which followed the original Casino El Camino on Sixth Street, is dimly lit and has wonderful red accents. Visit to play games, including pool, or to hang out on the bar's great patio. We especially love Casino South Side's happy hour prices, which includes domestic beers for $3.50. The bar is open 4 p.m.-2 a.m. daily. Check out their website for more information: casinosouthside.com.

Bars with bites

We have a disclaimer: All the food we tried on our dive bar quest was very, very good. We kept waiting for something to taste just fine but we kept finding winners. (Tough gig we have here, huh?) We picked a favorite, but it's important to know you really can't go wrong with any of these when it comes to the food. OK, let's get to it.

Posse East, 2900 Duval St.

This University of Texas campus-adjacent spot feels classic college. It's got wooden accents and a shelf full of books. We opted for the bar's Waygu Burger, which comes with Waygu beef, mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles. While we should have gone for a double-patty burger, we still think this is one of the best burgers around. It tastes like a burger from a summer barbecue, but not like it was made by someone's dad. The single patty option was $10.75 and we got fries on the side. The fries did not have a whiff of fast food on 'em and they were perfectly cripsy, too. The kitchen is open Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sundays noon-8 p.m. For more information visit: posseeast.com.

Bender, 321 West Ben White Blvd.

If we were more creative, we'd write a poem about the curly fries at Bender. We asked the bartender what the must-haves on Bender's sizeable menu were. She suggested the chicken sandwich, before saying the wings were pretty bad ass.

We ordered lemon pepper wings with curly fries on the side, thank you very much. The wings were great, if not pretty standard. But the curly fries, oh the curly fries. They were the perfect shade of brown, the perfect size, and the perfect texture. Each bite had a delightful crunch and we highly recommend dipping them in the ranch you get with your wings. Our meal, which included a diet coke, came out to about $19. The kitchen is open 3 p.m. to midnight every day. For more information, visit: benderbar.com.

Our pick: The Silver Medal, 7100 U.S. 290 Frontage Road

There's no reason a tiny bar next to a motel on the side of a highway should be this good. But we've been surprised by less. Home to a menu of your usual bar beverages, jello shots and Malört, the bar also serves burgers, hot dogs, and frito pies. The Silver Medal is a must-must-must-visit. It's got a small indoor space —where we posted up on bar stools — and a cute patio.

Bartender Vannesa Danby helped us decide what to order with a story about a ride-share driver. She left the bar one night with two cheeseburgers because she loves them so much. Danby ended up giving one of the burgers to her driver and a week later the driver showed up at the bar — he needed another cheeseburger. A cheeseburger so good a person sleuthed to find where it came from? Sign us up. The burgers aren't too big, but not mini either. They are terrific. We weren't even hungry when we visited. Our lunch had barely digested! But we couldn't stop ourselves from eating the whole thing. The cheeseburger is $6. The kitchen opens daily at 4 p.m. Visit the bar's Facebook page at: facebook.com.

Whip In, 1950 South Interstate 35 Frontage Road

You've definitely seen Whip In even if you didn't realize it at the time — it's on the side of Interstate 35 heading south. But did you know it's also where you can find some pretty good Indian food? They have curries, kebabs, wraps, naan, and more. We apologize in advance for being basic and ordering the Tikka Masala curry, but we ordered the Tikka Masala curry. Being basic did pay off because we had a great time eating! And for $14, we'll be back. The kitchen is open Monday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. For more information, visit: whipin.com.

The Parlor, 4301 Guadalupe St.

Need a laid-back spot to eat pizza with your pals? The Parlor is the place for you. We've been here for lots of work happy hours which inevitably lead to ordering a pizza slice or two. The pizza isn't fancy, it doesn't require a reservation, and it's perfectly priced at $4-$4.50 per slice. We usually get a whole pepperoni pizza, which starts at $20 for a 12-inch pie. Find us on the patio eating our pizza. Do we have to tell you at this point that it's delicious? It's delicious and not too greasy. The bar is open every day. For more information, visit: theparloraustin.com.