A visit to a new place will always be a terrific adventure, but can you really feel as if you have “seen it all” if you only stick to the tourist spots in town? For travelers who like to be a part of the towns they are exploring, who want to get to know the people, the places, and the history, and quite possibly, who want to save a little money as they do all of the above, visiting locals only spots will give you a true understanding of your vacation destination. And because that includes the local watering holes where they might not know YOUR name but are willing to make a new friend, we at I Love Dripping Springs have created this guide to the top five local only Dripping Springs bars in the heart of Texas Hill Country.
Hudson’s on Mercer, 381 Mercer Street in Dripping Springs
Nothing goes better together than hot music and cold drinks and Hudson’s on Mercer celebrates both with style and ease. Owned by a family that had been making quite a happy living in the music industry in Nashville but soon began to realize they needed to make a permanent home for stability for their kids, Hudson’s has been the place for music and fantastic happy hour drinks for over 10 years. Offering their own house band and holiday themed events, Dripping Springs locals are happy to spend their down moments jamming to whatever band is playing on their stage.
Mercer Dancehall, 23490 Ranch Road 12 in Driftwood
Although the topic of this article is local bars in Dripping Springs, we don’t mind extending the parameters out to our neighboring Texas Hill Country towns to give guests a more complete picture, and Mercer Dancehall in Driftwood is the perfect example as to why. Originally located in Dripping Springs proper, they lost their lease about 5 years ago and had to move a few miles away to Driftwood, but their heart remained in our fair hometown. Offering live music every weekend and a 2000 square foot front porch, on which drinks just seem to taste better, their kitchen, known as Mercer’s Munchies, may be the only place in town where guests can enjoy a big old bowl of Old School Frito Pie, accompanied by an ice cold local beer, of course!
Dark Skies Tavern, 1 Woodcreek Circle in Wimberley
This little road trip takes us a few miles south of Dripping Springs to the idyllic town of Wimberley for a stop in one of our favorite dive bars that isn’t really a dive. Dark Skies Tavern sits on the river that runs through the town, offering old school hospitality in a cozy cabin like environment and has hosted many of the greats of country music, including the red headed stranger himself. Stop in on a hot summer’s day and make new friends in a place where old friends have been hanging out since the reopening in 2017.
The Barber Shop, 207 W Mercer Street in Dripping Springs
Our journey of beers and pub grub take us back home to Dripping Springs with a visit to the Barber Shop, an establishment whose humble beginnings as a garage in no way lessens its impact as a great locals only place to drink. The building itself has stood in the same location since 1924, offering a family friendly experience that extends itself to children AND dogs (the patio is incredible and is host to some of the best local “garage” bands who perform under a tin roof. Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly) the Barber Shop offers an extensive selection of craft beers that connoisseurs of brew will be quite impressed about.
One of the Best Bears in Dripping Springs: Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road in New Braunfels
We would be remiss if we didn’t include Gruene Hall on our list of local bars, especially as it has stood the test of time for over a century. Opening its doors in a time when horses were hitched to posts in front of saloons, when Rutherford B Hayes served our country as the 19th President, and when the town of Dripping Springs was still nothing more than a few log cabins and a post office, the oldest operating dancehall in the state will add a taste of history to your very modern Texas adventures. Today it looks very much the same as it did in 1878, featuring a tin roof, a large back garden, and multiple places, to sit, sip, and savor the sound of boots tapping on its hard wood floors and when you join in the fun, you may even hear the echoes of all who danced there before you at this Dripping Springs bar!
Sipping at Home with I Love Dripping Springs
Your best vacation moments, however, may be the quiet ones you enjoy sitting on back patios, watching the sun set over the horizon, and sipping on your favorite beverages. Reserve your favorite I Love Dripping Springs escape today!
