DRINKS BACKYARD

Drinks Backyard is a southeast Austin bar and outdoor venue that opened in late 2023 at the old Pilot Knob Liquor Store off Highway 183 South. The area down past the airport does not get a lot of love when people talk about Austin nightlife, but this spot is working to change that. Co-owner Sara Lupa, a longtime Austinite, wanted to build something for the neighborhood, a place where people could grab a drink without having to drive all the way downtown or up to South Lamar. The indoor bar is cozy with a good cocktail menu and local drafts on tap. Step outside and the property opens up into a big backyard space with an outdoor stage, shipping container lounges, fire pits for cooler nights, a pool table, and a twenty-foot video wall. There are multiple food trucks on site serving everything from barbecue smoked on the premises to pizza and more. Mornings start with coffee through a partnership with Austin Roasting Company. The bar hosts live music regularly on the outdoor stage, bringing in local bands that range from country and rock to surf and Latin. It is twenty-one and up, open every day, and the vibe is distinctly laid-back. If you live south of Ben White and east of 35, Drinks Backyard is trying to be your neighborhood spot, the kind of place where you know the bartender's name and nobody is in a rush to leave.