Nickel City wants to believe it’s a dive bar on the East Side, and at one point it almost was. But the servers are too friendly, the cocktails are too developed, and the whiskey selection is too extensive. They’re one of our favorite bars in Austin, toeing the line between just about every category a bar can fall into. There’s also a great food trailer out back (Delray Cafe) serving up perfectly-executed bar foods, like fried bologna sandwiches, burgers, and some of the best wings in town. 

photo credit: Nicolai McCrary