Murray's Tavern

Austin, Texas

Top 10 nominee for Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar at the 2024 Spirited Awards and regional honoree for Best U.S. Cocktail Bar at the 2025 Spirited Awards.

Travis Tober, who also runs Nickel City, named this tavern after his grandmother's maiden name and built the menu around modernised versions of her favorite cocktails: the Rob Roy, the Brandy Alexander, and the drinks that defined mid-century American entertaining. Cocktail Bar (Central) and a 2024 Top 10 nominee for Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar, Murray's channels family memory into a program that feels personal without becoming private. The grandmother's name on the door is not a gimmick; it is the mission statement. Austin's bar scene thrives on the same creative independence that built its music reputation, bartenders who care more about the drink than the ranking, venues that reflect their neighborhood rather than a formula, and a city that treats every evening as an opportunity to discover something new. Keep Austin weird, sure. Keep Austin drinking well, absolutely.