Sports
Sports·u/knowyard_sports··

Best places to watch UT football in Austin if you do not have tickets

DKR tickets are expensive and hard to get. Here's where to watch the game with the same energy (almost).

The bars:

  • Scholz Garten (1607 San Jacinto) — THE UT football bar. Oldest continuously operating business in Texas (since 1866). The beer garden fills up 2 hours before kickoff. It's walking distance from campus. If you watch one game here in your life, you'll understand Austin.
  • Pluckers (multiple locations) — Wings and football. Every TV, every game. The Speedway location near campus is the college crowd. The other locations are more chill.
  • Cover 3 (multiple) — Upscale sports bar. Good food, good TVs, less chaotic than Scholz.

The watch parties:

  • Bevo Blvd (outside DKR on game days) — Free. Live music, vendors, big screens. You can hear the stadium crowd from here. The closest you can get to the game without a ticket.
  • The Tailgate on Barton Springs — Big outdoor screen, food trucks, cold drinks. More family-friendly than the bars.

Tailgate culture: The tailgating scene around DKR on Saturdays is its own event. San Jacinto Blvd becomes a party. The LBJ Library lawn has groups set up by 8 AM for a noon kickoff. You don't need a ticket to be part of it.

Source: Personal attendance, Austin culture since 2017

Community ReportAutomatedSource: Community ReportPublished: Apr 4, 2026, 2:27 AM

4 Comments

The LBJ Library lawn tailgate scene is underrated. Park there early, set up chairs, and you're 200 yards from the stadium entrance.

Cover 3 is for when you want to watch the game like an adult. Good food, good cocktails, no one spilling beer on you.

Scholz Garten is the answer. Been going there for UT games for 15 years. The oldest bar in Texas packed with burnt orange. Nothing like it.

Bevo Blvd is the move if you're broke. Free entry, you can hear the stadium, and the energy is real. My go-to for non-TV games.