Riley’s Tavern

We didn’t get the full Riley’s experience because we went early in the day before there was a band or food or much of a crowd except for a gaggle of bikers who had dropped in for some beers and smokes. So we grabbed a couple of long necks at the bar and headed out to the garden where the stage is. Before too long, there was a group of folks playing horseshoes and having a good time in the sultry heat of a mid-​September Saturday. We stayed awhile but had to take off. I’d go again, especially if I could spend the night in the cottage. Thank you, fellow Unilocalers, for your colorful descriptions that enticed me to the oldest bar in Tejas!

Riley’s is a great place to grab a drink and listen live music; it’s a true Hill Country Bar

We spent the day making a circle from Austin to Fredricksburg to Luckenbach to Albert to Riley’s and back to Austin. Of all the places we stopped Riley’s was the least friendly of all. We tried to buy can koozy’s and tshirts and they were out of both. Other than the obvious history it was the disappointment of the day.

Best Little Hole in the Wall in Texas! Great place to make some memories and hear some Live Music!

Dive bar fans unite! Riley’s is such a monumental place for Texas beer drinking history. From being the oldest bar in the state since prohibition, to the building’s ‘boom town’ ties to Missouri-​Pacific Railroad this little dive has held its own. The bartenders are great and if you’re lucky or nice enough you will be rewarded with a free drink token. This is one of those ‘bring your out of towners’ places to get a true Texas dive experience. I like to compare it to South Austin’s Red Shed Tavern with its biker bar tendencies. It’s also out in the sticks so if you’re not in the mood to hit up the San Marcos square, this is a very low-​key place to chill, drink, and enjoy some live music.

Great place… Uniquely Texas. Everyone is welcome. Tonight we saw a concert that drew all backgrounds and types: Bikers… Retros from every decade… Greasers… Jets… Soccer moms… Coaches… College kids… Yuppies… And you know what? The oldest guy in the room out danced everyone in the room. Awesome!

There are few things in this world that come together for a perfect storm. For example like hitting a long shot trifecta during march madness in Vegas. Rileys is freakin awesome! The bar has a definite biker feel probably because of all the bikers. I’ve only gone for Sunday funday but the drinks are cold and cheap. The service is wonderful with a welcome all comers vibe. Rileys is the oldest bar in Texas and the first bar to get it’s liqour liscense after prohibition. On sundays they have free pool, shuffle board and juke box. Just gotta ask the bartender for quarters. One of the first things you’ll notice is all the stuff written on the wall. It’s worth taking a minute walking around and reading all the stuff written. Most of the building is still original as apparent by the low ceilings (people were shorter back then) so watch your head. Very few places come to mind when you can walk in and feel the history. Riley’s definately delivers! If you consider yourself a true Texan going to Rileys is a requirement!

Get in your car on a sunny weekend day, pack it full of your friends, and drive it down the winding country roads to Riley’s (I try to take the roads parallel to 35 — at least hit San Marcos and drive down Hunter instead).
Totally worth the drive. I promise.
It has the standard beers, full bar, and pub grub for cheap, but it boasts an awesome beer garden, a ton of games, a jukebox, and live music. There’s shuffle board, pool, pinball, horseshoes, and more. It’s a total biker/​greaser bar — but they’re friendly. Once a guy approached us, drunk, and yelled «WAIT, you’re NOT on motorcycles?! Me neither!» Which, for some reason, caused a cacophony of laughter. Who knows? Either way, everyone was super friendly and chatting us up after. He hung out with us the rest of the day.
The bartenders and regulars are really friendly. It’s a good place to spend an afternoon outside of Austin. And, it’s the oldest legally-​existing bar in Texas!
It also has a cottage you can stay in. I’ve tried to get it a couple times, because it sounds like a cool weekend getaway, but they’re always booked. :\

Great fun since 1933. It’s the oldest bar in Texas and worth the drive out there. They always have a band and the drinks are reasonably priced.

Great place for hanging out with friends. It has a large outside area with games and live music. The prices are good aswell. I only with it didn’t close at midnight

Cool rustic hideout honky tonk hangout in Hunter, TX. They’ve got a beer garden, pool tables, pub grub, live music, B&B cottages and the main construction has been around since the cotton picking days of the 1800’s.
This is my must stop when cruising the back roads between San Marcos and New Braunfels. I have been here many times after a long day on the river when we just weren’t ready to go home. We’d stop here decipher some Lone Star bottle caps and chat with the friendly locals. The small town American life at its best.