Local Love: Neighborhood Hangouts

A good neighborhood hangout is a spot where you can meet up with friends and spend an hour or two. Here are a few casual, cozy, and unique places that make for great hangouts.

MELLOW JOHNNY’S / JUAN PELOTA CAFÉ

Downtown: 400 Nueces St.
Nestled near the warehouse district, this is a mini-mecca for cycling enthusiasts to hang out, check their gear, and drink some top-notch coffee.

Figure 8 Coffee Purveyors

East Austin: 1111 Chicon St.
A go-to hotspot for regular coffee shop workers and writers, the sunlit tables and smell of Four Barrel coffee can’t help but make for an inviting atmosphere. Park yourself at the bar, or catch up with a friend at an outdoor patio table.

Ego’s

South Congress: 510 S. Congress Ave.
Inside this funky cavernous space beneath a parking garage, lies your chance to turn a room full of strangers into a room full of friends through the power of karaoke.

Radio Coffee & Beer

South Austin: 4204 Manchaca Rd.
With cold brew on tap, a patio begging to be sat on, and live music and trivia nights it’s no wonder Radio is often packed. Escape the heat at an indoor table with another kind of brew on tap – beers from Blue Owl, Hops & Grain, Austin Beerworks and a dozen or so others.

Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery

Hyde Park: 411 E. 43rd St.
Boasting alluring cases of sweet treats, including colorfully decorated cookies, frosted cupcakes, muffins and pies, Quack’s is the quintessential place to pop in for a scone and a coffee, or sit outside with a friend for a weekend snack.

Donn’s Depot

Clarksville: 1600 W. 5th St.
From the older couples cutting a rug on the dance floor to piano tunes, to the ladies’ bathroom housed in an old train caboose, this bar is flush with laid-back charm.

Malvern Books

North University: 613 W. 29th St.
An intimate shop with off beat titles, chapbooks, and a good poetry selection, Malvern also hosts regular author events and literary journal issue release parties.

Thinkery

Mueller: 1830 Simond Ave.
More than a standard children’s museum, the Thinkery offers interactive exhibitions both kids and adults can enjoy. And, their adults-only Thinkery 21 events are popular nights to have a drink and do some learning.

_{Read more from the Neighborhoods Issue | June 2017}