The Rustic Tap

Rating: 3.5/5 [drinks only] Our friend took us on a bar-hopping tour, and Rustic Tap was one of the stops. The place has a cozy, homey vibe with a mix of seating options—from campfire-style setups to bar seating and regular tables. I tried the Sure 'Nuff (Deep Eddy Lemon, Peach Schnapps, and Pink Lemonade), which was super easy to drink and tasted great. The self-serve water stations were a nice, convenient touch. We sat in front of the stage and caught a couple of songs from the live band before heading out. Overall, Rustic Tap is a fun, laid-back spot to hang out with friends and enjoy some live music.

As many others have mentioned, the service is just horrible. The bartenders along with their manager just always seem to be in a bad mood. I’ve visited this place 2x and it’s been about the same bad experience both times. Other neighboring bars are great and ecstatic to do their job but for some reason this one is an issue. Also yeah watch for the automatic 20% gratuity in top of them expecting you to tip more. Only bright side about the “talent” they hire is the door guy, cool guys both times.

Went in and was surprised they were giving out free voodoo ranger beer for some event. It was full, but the atmosphere was nice, very lively. They had a live band with good music, a game where a good toss sent a volunteer into a tub of water. Real cool. Had a good time.

This place was so much fun! We came on a Saturday night and there was a great live band playing. Lots of people there but not overly packed. People were dancing but there was also a section where people were sitting around fire places which was very cute. Definitely recommend coming here for a drink!

over crowded weekend game days, not very comfortable unless you get a lawn chair and the veteran bar staff are very abrasive for no reason or the noobies cant even pour a beer correctly so hit or miss on drinks but the biggest flaw is this place has the worst musical talent representing austin even for a free show... weekdays are pretty good though since its slower and they allow for a more "rustic" acoustic set. totally different vibe, its pretty solid food for 6th street but thats not really saying much and even though they have two huge cinemas style screens its often the showing same game, total joke, but can be good at times. overall very mid.

Great West Austin spot! I saw River Shook perform with Sarah Shook and the Disarmers on a week night in 2019 and it was amazing! The sound is great and you are likely to hear someone on a week night that may be on your playlist a few years later!

It’s a great place to watch games with two monster screens plus numerous large screens throughout but also an excellent live music venue with Texas and some national touring bands playing multiple nights per week with no cover charge. The staff is the best around and the food hits the spot. 10/10!

Holy shiitake mushrooms. What’s not to love about this place? The local beer selection is delightful. The bartenders will happily answer any questions you have. The food is a MUST! Don’t sleep on the chips trio. Which is better, the salsa or queso? We couldn’t decide… great options for those eating gluten friendly!!

Rustic tap is THE sports bar to go to in Austin. Great drinks, plenty of room to hangout or sit at a picnic table, good music. It's hands down my favorite place to watch a sports game. When there isn't sports on, it's fun to watch live music there too. I'll also shout out their food as I love their snack menu. I always get their flautas as a late night snack and they always hit.

Came here on a Thursday night, the bar was busy and packed with corporate finance bros with name tags and Thursday football crowd. There were multiple fireplaces surrounded with comfy camping chairs, which was a nice touch. We didn't order any food but they do have normal bar food. They have a nice selection of local beers. Out of the cocktails we ordered, El Tigre was the better one (3.5/5). I'm not a fan of their take on ranch water (2/5).

Your sports bar on 6th street near downtown Austin. Not sure how you can park nearby for free so that's a minus. Very frat bro and corporate bro vibes to this bar and super crowded on a Thursday night but it's got ample outdoor seating and food much like Heights Biergarden in Houston. Their drinks were fine and not too watered down but their ranch water wasn't my favorite.

They have some good food which is why I came back to order. I understand it's a bar but they don't have order online nor would they let me in to order the dang chicken strips because I didn't have my ID(I'm 25) ! I had to let my friend go in and order and waited since he had an ID. As I waited they still questioned why I was waiting outside.. All I'm saying is at least let people be able to place an online order. Well based on the other reviews they don't care about their reputation anyways good chicken strips though.

Great LSU bar!!! Bartenders were very efficient. The sound system is great and the atmosphere was definitely game like.

One of my favorite bars, especially as an LSU alum. However, my last experience there we were sitting watching the LSU game, and at halftime they switched it to another game. We had the most difficult time trying to get someone to change the channel back.

Went in and was surprised they were giving out free voodoo ranger beer for some event. It was full, but the atmosphere was nice, very lively. They had a live band with good music, a game where a good toss sent a volunteer into a tub of water. Real cool. Had a good time. Restrooms were porter potty style, not nice

Drinks outshine the food but in all fairness it is a bar. I was hoping for a little more variety for beers on tap. It was mostly IPAs and run of the mill Austin standbys. I would have liked to see a sour, fruited or something a bit more adventurous. The food options are mostly fried fair and it tasted bland but did the job of soaking up the alcohol. I didn't have much interaction with the staff so maybe they need to have more people working behind the bar? The space is like the food. It serves its purpose, nothing really wrong with it but forgettable.

I love rustic tap so much, they have a wonderful, kind, attentive staff and are always friendly. Meghan is one of the best bartenders. She is so hard working and is on it on game day. As it gets busy with football and college back in session, all of the bartenders keep up and make it quick and easy to grab a drink.

Holy shiitake mushrooms. What's not to love about this place? The local beer selection is delightful. The bartenders will happily answer any questions you have. The food is a MUST! Don't sleep on the chips trio. Which is better, the salsa or queso? We couldn't decide...

Came here for drinks and live music. The band, Sachin and the Porch, was amazing and drinks were tasty! We'd come back again! Loved the outdoor space, and lots of great seating.

Beer and ambience was fantastic. Fun new beers for this out of state traveler to try. Unfortunately, the bar tender wasn't friendly at all. My friend I and I were the first ones in the bar on a Thursday afternoon. No hello, no smile, nothing. We ordered our drinks, which were delicious, still no smile or verbal interaction from the bartender. A little saddening since I've been told Texas is a friendly state.

This place has potential. Nice set up with fans and misters for the Texas Heat. Where this goes sideways is the lack of attention to actually serving customers AND poor hygiene by bartender. Talk to customers or friends, OK, but you don't ignore customers patiently waiting. I had to pound my fist on bar to get attention and that's only because his friend stopped him and pointed to me. The bartender with all the tattoos was running his hands through his hair consistently and making customers cocktails. Never washing his hands. He did it countless times. It's almost 100°, it's steamy and humid and he's touching everything. Come on. Dive bar doesn't have to mean poor hygiene and crappy service.

The Rustic Tap feels like one big backyard party in Texas, and I love it. Nothing fancy here-- you got lawn chairs, fire pits, and picnic tables. Add in the delicious cocktails they serve or grab a cold beer, while listening to the sweet sounds of a live band and you have the perfect Austin day. Pet owners beware! You WILL find broken shards of glass, rusty nails, and more on the ground. If your pet is anything like mine, be prepared to frantically shout "LEAVE IT" on repeat.

I love this place!! We started down at the "dirty sixth" part of the street and made our way down to this end. So many better bars!! No wait to get in and there was no cover. The whole vibe is outdoorsy and chill. Lawn chairs and picnic tables are everywhere. The band and stage area was great and still on theme. The night we went they played Alan Jackson and tons of old country hits. It's a very young professional aged crowd. Beers were average price for downtown Austin. This was our favorite place during our entire trip!

Cool place. Lots of music (I think every night) to enjoy every time I've come here. Crawfish season is awesome here and reasonably priced. Bartenders are fun

Great spot for live music! They are open seven days a week and have music pretty much every night. On Fridays and Saturdays I wish the band would go until one or 2 AM, but they start playing at midnight. Make sure to check out the live music here! Great spot.

Nov/2019 Went to Austin for a weekend and met up with a friend from SA, TX We hopped around town and came here twice on one night. Fun atmosphere and great staff and crowd

I wish I had a better experience here. I know a lot of my friends swear by the Rustic Tap. Sadly, my first time visiting on a UT game day we were lucky enough to sit by a TV that wasn't working. It was 1 hr after the game time footage started and we asked for help multiple times from any server, bouncer, or staff member we could find. We got responses such as, "the TV is broke" and "it's not my job". We never had a staff member come over to try and help. One of the folks in our group tried turning the TV on and off and a bouncer with orange hair and flower tattoos came right over and actually screamed at us and threatened the guy who touched the tv. Screamed. No conversation, no offer to help. Mind you, this group has paid well over $1000 in buckets of beers in the hours we spent arriving before the game for a table. Fast forward a few minutes and the staff is joking about how they "definitely will never help" now. When three college age women come to talk to a bouncer and offer their numbers they suddenly produce a remote and try to change the channel. So sad to receive such poor treatment from an Austin staple. I expected more from the Rustic Tap.

Large space for seating, all outdoor seating. Stage for a band and dancing if your heart so desires. The place is crowded on Saturday nights so the bartenders are stretched thin so the service isn't great, and the drinks are even worse.

There are so many better bars to go to on west 6th, skip this place. We went there for after dinner drinks when there were only 5-8 other patrons and the staff had an unfriendly attitude. The bartender was a downright b-word and the bar manager was just staring off into space every time we went up to the bar. Why?? The decor was cute, but there are plenty of other cute and kitschy options in Austin. If you want to have a good night, go someplace else.

Ahhhhh I just love this place! If you're looking for a bar with a great atmosphere, attentive staff, awesome drinks and even better food.. you've found your spot. I can't recommend this place more. Whether it's for a casual drink, Friday night out, Sunday football or just to get a bite to eat.. Rustic is your spot! Favorite bar by far

We came. We drank. We saw. That's what happens when you're on a group pedal bike and have a short amount of time to check out a bar. But what we did see, and what we did experience was by far one of the best open-air bars in Austin. There was a total "backyard" vibe going on, complete with fire pits, lawn chairs, lawn games, and of course the bathtub for pics. We arrived around noon and it was pretty much empty. The heat was ON, but they kept the area cool with fans and misters. I had a delicious bloody mary complete with pickled okra - a must for any bloody mary going forward! The Rustic Tap was the perfect amount of chill, but looks like it could be lively as the sun begins to set. A great Austin location!

While other bars in the area were all crickets on a Tuesday night around 10pm, The Rustic Tap was bustling. There was live music (which seems to be their thing), so that might have helped draw a crowd, or it could have been the fire pits that create a backyard vibe, either way, I was happy to find something with a pulse. I sat at the bar and drank two beers while the band finished up and then i watched the rest of a baseball game that was on TV. The bartenders warmed up to me after ordering the second beer. They were friendly and efficient; working the small crowd with ease. Seemed like a bar that suits all different ages and all different drinking habits, so prob a good fit for any occasion.

My friends band was playing at the Rustic Tap so I initially came for that but was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere. It's a fun, outdoor, laid back bar with plenty of space and covered or uncovered options. It took a little bit to get a drink but it was fairly crowded so it was understandable. I'd definitely go back for a day or night out. COVID Precautions: It's an outdoor space so not much were needed.

We love that you have a sprinkler system and live music. We sometimes bring our pup to sit and enjoy with us. The ambiance is great.

Got charged $4 for a water :( hit up little woodrow for better service and nicer bartenders. Must be a common thing bc I complained to the person next to me and they said the same things happened to them.

Megan was really rude. I usually get club soda for free here! However she charged my friend $16, so I went to nicely ask how come. (I promise I wasn't mean) and she got really defensive and rude really fast. I know things are busy, and I wasn't trying to be rude, I just had a simple question. Anyways, wasn't fun.

Very fun place! If you're visiting Austin this is a great spot. Drinks, open space and country music.

Felt the need to leave a great review. The staff here on all levels are just so great. You can tell they genuinely care about providing a great atmosphere for their customers. Constantly grabbing drinks off table when you're done with them cleaning, etc. The food was great and came out at a reasonable time during GAMEDAY season. Bartenders are super fast and nice. Overall, LOVE rustic tap.

Such a great spot to enjoy live music and drinks outside! I really enjoyed this spot, the location is great, the ambiance is fun and they take all covid precautions.

We walked in the door at 9:50 pm looking for a late bite to eat. The guy at the bar gave us menus and we took a seat. After mulling over the menu for several minutes, we went to the bar at 10:02 to place our order only to be told the kitchen closed at 10:00. LOL.

Poor service and sitting with strangers seems bizarre during social distancing. The system for calling over your waitress is flawed; raise a white flag at your table and you will get service. Or not, as was our case. Our fries and onion rings were hot, but both orders of sliders (2 sliders for $10) had burnt buns and cold meat. Raised the white flag and we were ignored. Waited and waited to get out of there with our flag raised, but totally ignored. Went to the bar to cash out where staff was condescending. Just a visitor, so I won't be back. I'll be sure to tell others of my experience.

The Rustic Tap is an outdoor bar. They have live music and outside furniture. It had just rained so it was a bit muddy outside. So my shoes got very dirty since the seating was all on top of the dirt. They had some good deals going on for beers, which is why we went. We tried some good beers.

Bartender threw a lime at my face to get my attention. Ordered two beers and she gave me one of them, started taking another order so I walked away and threw a lime at my face to get my attention for the other beer few seconds later. She was also super rude to my other friends

Always a fun time here! Wing Monday's I believe which is great. Food and barstaff are great.

Food is very tasty!!! Prices are low, very different vibe of what I am used to but I liked it, beer is good and cold for a very hot day like the day I visited this location overall great!!!

Would not even rate this one star. Went for one drink and kept my receipt and somehow when I spent 10$ got charged $25. When trying to call them they're phone said this person is not currently taking calls. Ridiculous I guess they needed the money more than I did.

The best place on West 6th for a casual beer and live music! Love the casual seating with built in fire places in the middle of each table in the winter. They've stayed consistent in their service throughout the pandemic, but still enforcing the mask mandate when not seated at your table.

Cute little place with a nice outdoor space. Some of the staff was great, and some were definitely rude.. They have a lot of staff members seating people, serving drinks, walking around making sure people that are getting up have masks on, etc. The band that played the night I came was EXCELLENT. What was sad was that they did not allow dancing, even if both people were wearing masks. It's OUTDOORS and both people are wearing masks.. I don't agree with the rule, but I digress. I really like the outdoor covered patio that had an indoor feel. It gets pretty busy here at night. It's more laid back and less crowded during the day on a weekend. Great place to watch football, tons of TV's outside with loud speakers to hear the announcers. Get here early at night to see the live music. I will definitely be back because they had great talent here. Awesome spot for live music. I just hope they ease up on the covid restrictions soon.

Bar tender over charged and tipped himself without my signature. $50.00 for two vodka Red Bull drinks.

Terrible service, after one person in my party of ten was standing up they kicked that person out. So accordingly we all decided to leave. The waiter and bouncers would not let us see our tickets or checks and said we would be charged a 25% tip no matter. Don't go here unless you want to be bullied by the wait staff and bouncers!!!!!!

Used to be a fun hangout until the bros showed up. Guess that made the bartenders rude and disrespectful. Too bad, can't wait to see what the next owner makes it!

Running any in person business during a global pandemic is quite the task. Running a bar during a pandemic and working to make sure patrons feel safe and well taken care of is likely even more difficult. Rustic Tap and their staff seem to be doing everything they can to make people feel safe while feeling a bit of normalcy in these interesting times. The friendly staff, great drinks, and solid bar food make this bar a must go for anyone traveling in or living in the Austin area. Oh, live music as well

To hell with this place. It's sad they let the bias of their bouncers dictate their business. Mind you I am the designated driver and have not had a single sip of alcohol. One of my friends who was also a DD that night (we took two cars) was also told she couldn't get in. We could literally blow a straight 0 in a breathalyzer. That's how sober we were. Bouncer points at me and the other DD and says shes not letting us in. We ask why and her only reason was because she "says so". Pretty sure it was the bouncer's own personal bias on gay people since the other DD and I do not dress to feminine standards. Sad how a business lets their employees spew hate in their honor. I'd rather burn my money instead of spend it here.

Lovedddd stumbling into this bar that we ended up returning twice on our long weekend trip! We immediately gravitated toward the camp chairs / fire pit with blankets, since we must have caught Texas at its coldest during our visit (go figure). They had spiked hot chocolate at apple cider which made the experience even more cozy. Loved the apple cider so much- just strange it was in a regular cup instead of like a mug. Awesome choice of lawn games like garbage can beer pong or cornhole.. or the TVs more than likely will have a game on. We really enjoyed day drinking here.

A bouncer sprayed me in the mouth, face, and chest with sanitizer spray used to clean the tables. Management will not respond to any of my messages. I am beyond shocked and disappointed with the staff at this restaurant and I would highly recommend staying away

Megan is the best bartender on West 6th. She's Very friendly, professional, and hard working. We enjoyed being served by her

This bar is so cool. They have campfire chairs around tables with fire in the middle. It is an outdoor bar underneath a tent which gives off really cool vibes. Their drink menu is amazing. They have a lot of options of special holiday theme drinks. There is live music and a lot of TVs. The servers were all very friendly.