Austin is home to some of the coolest, most memorable bars I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting, none more unique than Container Bar. Situated on Rainey Street, one of the busiest bar districts in town, Container Bar stands out in stark contrast to the area’s myriad cozy cocktail bars, a wild post-industrial two story structure made out of multicolored shipping containers stacked on top of one another. It’s a real damn sight to behold, looking like someone took a look at an accidental pileup left in the aftermath of a massive hurricane and decided to make the best of a bad situation.
Embracing Austin’s year round nice weather (it is Texas after all) there’s plenty of outdoor space, a dog-friendly environment perfect for group hangs, featuring games like corn hole and even a handful of hula hoops lying around (?), plus a stage for live music and DJs to do their respective things. That said, the real attraction is the shipping containers, each of which boasts a slightly different vibe in their fully refurbished, air conditioned interiors. Some are loungy, dimly lit affairs, with low tables and romantic nooks, others are rustic, full of reclaimed wood and mismatched furniture.
The beverage selection is fairly standard here, a wall of taps featuring local craft brews, plus a handful of riffs on fairly straightforward cocktails, like a Paloma made with Jarritos Grapefruit Soda or the fruity Vanilla Peach Shandy, featuring Tito’s Vodka and Alaskan White Ale blended with peach puree and vanilla. While Container Bar itself doesn’t offer food, you can count on Austin’s vibrant food truck scene to come through for you every time, with plenty of trucks chilling just outside the bar, all up and down Rainey Street.
Container Bar, 90 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701, is open Monday through Thursday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday and Sunday noon to 2 a.m.