Best Craft Breweries in Austin
Austin, Texas — updated August 21, 2026
Nine Austin breweries ranked by how well their ratings hold up under volume, from Jester King's Hill Country acreage to a Manor Road taproom pouring wild ales alongside thin-crust bar pizza.
Listings verified
Austin's brewery map runs from a Hill Country ranch off Fitzhugh Road to industrial bays in St. Elmo and a converted stretch of Manor Road, and most of the good ones now pour beer alongside pizza ovens or a parked food truck. The list below is ordered by how settled each rating is: a 4.6 across thousands of reviews carries more weight than a higher average across a few hundred. Hours vary widely, and several close Mondays, so the practical details matter as much as the beer.
1. Pinthouse Brewing
The strongest combination of rating and volume on this list: 4.7 across more than 1,700 reviews, which is a high average that has been tested hard. The Ben White location pairs the beer with pizza by the slice, and happy hour runs Monday through Friday, 3pm to 6pm, with $5 pints, $7 glasses of wine, $4 quick bites and $7 on select shareables. That window is the cheapest way to work through a flight without committing to a full evening. Go early on a weekday if you want a table before the after-work crowd fills the room.
2. Jester King Brewery
The most reviewed brewery in Austin by a wide margin: 4.6 from more than 3,600 reviews, which makes it the closest thing here to a settled verdict. It sits well west of the city at 13187 Fitzhugh Rd, so treat it as a drive and an afternoon rather than a quick stop. Open seven days: Monday through Thursday 2pm to 8pm, Friday until 9pm, Saturday 11am to 9pm and Sunday 11am to 8pm. Wood-fired pizza, food trucks and beer to go, plus a running events calendar with live music and the occasional bingo night.
3. St. Elmo Brewing Company
The highest-rated brewery in the group at 4.8, with 744 reviews behind it, enough volume to take the number seriously. The South Austin taproom at 440 E St Elmo Rd is open daily, with Yelp listing an 11am open and a 9pm close on Mondays. It is dog-friendly and family-friendly, with an outdoor patio, live music, weekly trivia and beer to go. Food comes from the Spicy Boys Fried Chicken truck, and breakfast tacos turn up on the food listings. There is a second St. Elmo address on Springdale Road if the south side is out of your way.
4. Meanwhile Brewing
The rare brewery that opens at 8am, which makes it useful long before beer o'clock: the taproom on Promontory Point Drive runs coffee drinks including an iced strawberry banana matcha and a shaken brown sugar banana cappuccino. The rating is 4.7 from more than 1,200 reviews, strong evidence for a large, food-truck-anchored yard. Weekday opening is 8am and weekend opening is 9am. Closing times differ between the brewery's taproom page and its homepage, so confirm before planning a late Sunday. The sprawl of outdoor seating means it absorbs a crowd better than most.
5. The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co.
A 4.6 across more than 1,400 reviews, and the most complete food operation of the bunch: cheese plate and meat plate at $22 each, pimiento cheese and chips at $10, deviled eggs with bacon at $5 and stuffed peppadews at $7. Taco Tuesday and a happy hour on select pints, pitchers and bites are part of the weekly rhythm, and there is a dance floor. Note the schedule at 1305 W Oltorf St: closed Mondays, opening at 11:30am Tuesday through Friday and at noon on Saturday and Sunday.
6. Austin Beerworks
The original taproom at 3001 Industrial Terrace, rated 4.6 from more than 1,000 reviews, in a North Austin light-industrial pocket rather than a scenic one. Taproom hours run 11am to 10pm Monday through Saturday and 11am to 8pm Sunday, so it opens earlier than most of the west-side breweries. Food truck listings mention conchas and masa corn dogs, with service starting in the evening. There is a second Austin Beerworks address on Springdale Road; the Industrial Terrace bay is the older of the two and the one people mean when they say the OG location.
7. Hold Out Brewing
The most central option here, at 1208 W 4th St, with a 4.6 from more than 1,000 reviews. It keeps the longest hours on the list: Monday 3pm to 10pm, Tuesday through Friday 11am to 11pm, Saturday 10am to 11pm and Sunday 10am to 10pm. The 10am weekend open makes it a viable brunch-hour destination rather than an evening-only stop. The brewery takes reservations and handles private events, parties and catering, which is worth knowing if you are moving a group downtown and do not want to gamble on patio space.
8. Oddwood Brewing
A small brewery on Manor Road with a specific focus: wild ales, hoppy pale ales and lagers, served with thin-crust bar pizzas and Italian wines. That combination is unusual enough in Austin to justify the trip on its own. The rating is 4.6 from 830 reviews, a solid sample for a taproom this size. It is closed Mondays and opens at 4pm Tuesday and Wednesday, so it is an evening place during the week. KG BBQ appears among the food options at the 3108 Manor Rd address, and there is a to-go menu.
9. Independence Brewing Co.
The longest-running operation here, brewing in Austin since 2004, but also the thinnest evidence on this list: 4.6 from 361 reviews, a promising average on a much smaller sample than the breweries above it. The taproom is at 3913 Todd Ln #607 in Southeast Austin, and Yelp lists it as closed Monday through Wednesday, so plan for the back half of the week. Independence has updated its menu recently and takes bookings through OpenTable, which is unusual for a brewery taproom and useful for larger groups.
What we left off
Craft Omakase appeared in an earlier version of this list. It is a 22-course seasonal tasting-menu restaurant on North Lamar, not a brewery, so it does not belong in a craft beer guide regardless of its rating. No chains or closed businesses were removed.