When you consider visiting 6th Street in Austin, the most talked about part of the road is known by locals as the “Dirty 6” and might be compared to Bourbon Street in New Orleans by those who come to visit. Dirty 6 is what locals like to call the west side of 6th Street and has been a popular place for entertainment for many years. Though you might hear more about this section of 6th Street, the east end has its share of reasons to spend a full day exploring this one section of the city. We know that the place to be when you want to have fast paced fun is at any establishment located on this noteworthy road in downtown Austin. Upscale bars and restaurants line this street along with dive bars and entertainment venues of all sorts. Regardless of what level you have in mind, a visit to 6th Street is where you will want to explore if you get the chance to party in downtown Austin. During the week, you have the freedom to drive through this entertainment district but expect the busiest portion of road to be closed when the weekends start so everyone can safely walk from bar to bar. Keep reading to find out more about where to eat, drink, and dance the night away on the Dirty 6 and further down 6th St.
The Dizzy Rooster
4.2 ★
For over twenty years, The Dizzy Rooster has been an establishment where the party never stops. They were even featured on MTV at one point, not to mention voted “Best Bar on 6th Street” in their time. Every night, you can look forward to live musical acts performing on their stage from 8-11 pm with awesome DJ’s handling the music any other time. With something like twenty televisions, you will be able to catch the game you’re looking for even if you have to ask the bartender about changing the channel. Hosting birthday parties is a specialty at The Dizzy Rooster, they love to have large groups come in and celebrate so bring your favorite people to dance the night away. Nobody is a wallflower at this establishment and the party is always in full swing at The Dizzy Rooster.
Museum of the Weird
4.2 ★
Located on the east end is one of the strangest attractions you can find in Austin and maybe all of Texas, the Museum of the Weird. Only closed on major holidays, this museum is open daily from 10 am – 7 pm with attractions that will have your curiosity peaked within a few moments of your entry. Shrunken heads and fossils are only the beginning of this exhibit. Don’t miss out on the chance to pose with a massive pair of King Kong hands for photos. Not only is this museum for weird items and displays, they also have a wax character section which is where you are going to find the hands. Make sure you have enough room in your camera roll before you take a trip to this museum. You’re going to want to document as much of this experience as you can. Visit their website to view an archive of their past exhibits and get a taste of what they have offered before. Admission into the museum doesn’t cost much, under $20 per ticket but you can visit the Lucky Lizard Curios & Gift Shop without a ticket. Their gift shop is noteworthy enough without gaining access to the main event, but the museum is where all the real razzle dazzle resides.
Walton’s Fancy & Staple
4.4 ★
One of Austin’s most loved bakeries is Walton’s Fancy & Staple, not to mention the floral shop located in the very same building. Stop by for breakfast or lunch from 7 am – 4 pm every day and order a sandwich full of all natural meat. They even roast their meats in house every day, adding to the expansive menu. For a bit of variety and access to more than a simple restaurant all at once, you can visit Walton’s Fancy & Staple. First established in the 1960s, Walton’s Fancy & Staple was originally a florist in the Westlake Hills area. Keeping up with the old tradition, you are still able to purchase small gifts and fun flower arrangements at this location on west 6th St. Take a bite out of Austin’s history while enjoying a plate of flavor filled food at Walton’s Fancy & Staple.
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VooDoo Doughnut
4.6 ★
When the donuts are as tasty as what VooDoo Doughnut has to offer, you know that there has to be magic involved somewhere along the way. With a new flavor making a premier every week, you could literally never try the same donut twice if you wanted. More than just another shop that sells pastries, VooDoo Doughnut has been a place where you can enjoy small concerts, get married, and even learn another language. In the last twenty or so years, the owners of VooDoo Doughnut have managed to grow this shop into multiple locations that have been covered in a number of well known publications. If the likes of Wheel of Fortune and The Tonight Show are willing to vouch for this establishment, you know they are worth walking into at least once. Visit them early in the morning or late at night, VooDoo Doughnut is only closed for a few hours out of each day.
Coyote Ugly
4.0 ★
While you might remember the NYC based bar from the movie, the 6th St rendition of this bar is full of the noteworthy Coyote Ugly vibes you’re looking for. Gorgeous bartenders and awesome music are always in high supply at this popular bar. On any given night, Coyote Ugly is full of people having the night of their lives until 2 am. Staff members are prone to dancing on the bars so keep an eye out for a show and get easily engrossed in the overall experience. Long time fans of the film will enjoy getting to bask in the ambiance of this classic venue that fits in great with 6th street well.
Amy’s Ice Creams
4.7 ★
Since their initial construction in 1984, Amy’s Ice Creams has been expanding their collection of flavors in every direction imaginable to the 350 that rotate through each store. At their 6th St location, For almost 40 years now, Amy’s Ice Cream has been serving ice cream to this community and giving back to it as well. Amy’s Ice Creams is known far and wide throughout Texas for their constant donations to nonprofit organizations. They truly believe in making the world a better place, one scoop at a time. Visit them on 6th St from 11 am – 11 pm every day and don’t be caught off guard if the person serving your ice cream starts dancing or telling jokes during your interaction. These employees only take their job seriously enough to ensure that your service is top grade.
Esther’s Follies
4.8 ★
Comedy, music, and magic collide at Esther’s Follies, an easily recognizable part of 6th st. Trust us, you will know the building when you see it and you won’t have to look hard. Comparisons of Esther’s Follies to SNL’s late night sketch style have been made by many publications, there was even a documentary produced about the location. After forty years in business, this place has developed a reputation for keeping crowds in stitches throughout the entire show. Find out what happens in this iconic club at a show scheduled Thursday-Saturday where they can “Keep the laughs going” constantly. You can expect acts that include magic, juggling, and singing on top of comedic takes on current events. They keep changing the game at Esther’s Follies for the better with each show performed.
Rustic Tap
4.4 ★
Community driven and featuring live music every night, Rustic Tap is in the art of keeping Austin’s local music scene alive from their spacious establishment on the west end of 6th St. There’s plenty of room for a full crowd at this bar with a stage and televisions tuned to football as often as possible. Add a full food menu to the mix and you have everything you need to spend hours at Rustic Tap with as many friends as you can manage to bring together. During the week, Rustic Tap is open after 4 pm and right at noon on the weekends. Stay out late watching the game or listening to music or eating some fried pickles and Mexican street corn. Maybe you will get sucked into a game of beer pong, they are always coming up with more ways to party at Rustic Tap.
CONCLUSION
Now that you have a better idea of how to navigate 6th Street, we hope you have the time of your life when you do. Check out older posts by The Austin Insider and know that we have your back with advice on everything from food to drinks and places to stay.