BD Riley’s Irish Pub & Restaurant

Great food, cozy inviting atmosphere. A perfect place for lunch. Best onion rings in town.

Great place to watch a sports event. Fantastic food, my favorite is the black bean queso. The staff makes you feel like your in your hometown bar. Friendly attentive staff, and thirsty goat on draft. A nice place to sit by the open doors on a nice Austin day watching the crowd on sixth. Eric goes out of his way to make sure you have what you need. Really cool music shows also, quite a variety.

We stopped by BD Riley’s because we were really in the mood for some fish and chips, and the quality did not disappoint. We came around 3 for a late lunch on a Saturday, and there was live music at the front of the house. We sat towards the back, simply so we could enjoy the music but also have a conversation.
The fish and chips were quite delicious, and definitely easy to share between two people. We also ordered the black bean queso since we saw so many recommendations from Unilocalers. I liked the queso, I liked the chips, I just wasn’t the biggest fan of the chips with the queso (they’re not your traditional tortilla chips). I found that they were a little too heavy for the queso so the flavor got lost.
I plan on visiting BD Riley’s again for a drink and some more fish and chips! It’s definitely a treasure on 6^th Street.

Great spot to get a cold Guinness. The menu has some Irish favorites that you might like — the corned beef and cabbage served with mashed potatoes is excellent. And I highly recommend the Irish style nachos — basically like loaded cheese fries but so good! Enjoy a stop into a nice little conservative pub among the progressive bars and restaurants of 6^th street!

I had been to BD Riley’s before, but not during a Patriots playoff game. Needless to say, wow.
No matter how busy it was, the manager, Eric, did his best to make sure that all of his customers were properly accommodated, including ourselves. We got there about two hours before kickoff and were planning on standing the whole game, but as soon as Eric saw us huddled in a corner, he said he would try to figure something out for us. Well, not much longer, he came through and said he found a table that was not being fully used and the people sitting there had agreed to let us share.
It was obvious that this is the kind of manager who Eric is. He was actively attentive and made sure that everyone was happy, making sure nothing was needed. Aside from that, regardless of how many people were in the pub, our waitress tried to drop by as often as possible and make sure it was okay. There was barely walking room, yet, I did not feel neglected at any point.
Considering last week I went to another bar where I received close to no attention, even though it was half as packed as BD Riley’s yesterday, I was astonished. I had a great experience and I am certain that I will be back — football season or not.

Best potato soup I’ve ever had.

Went to BD Riley’s 2 times during a recent visit to Austin. From Boston so we know Irish pubs. Had a great time.
Saturday 1÷16÷16 — awesome beer — Guinness, Harp for us. At max capacity — the bar was sooo– friendly. The staff and the patrons. A top Irish bar.
Wednesday 1÷20÷16 — Went for the trivia contest on Wednesday. While we are not good trivialists, had a real fun time. Once again very friendly and welcoming staff. Great fish and chips at a reasonable price!

Went here on NYE, the food was delicious, nachos were off the hook and the cost was on point for the quality. Have been here twice since then just to eat and start the night on a content belly.

I was in Austin over the weekend on business and was bummed I’d be missing the Patriots playoff game with Boston fans… until I found BD Riley’s!!! I totally hit the jackpot! Great Patriots crowd in a fun pub atmosphere with exceptional service! Eric, manager, was welcoming and attentive the entire day. Our waitress was Araceli, and she was flawless in the midst of an insane crowd. To start, we ordered the original nachos w/​chicken — unique chips make this an outstanding pub version. Later we got the sliders and fried pickles and they did not disappoint. Overall a fantastic experience, but get there early or you’ll struggle to find a seat!

Great live music! The apps were awesome! We had the battered mushrooms and black bean queso. All delicious. We also traded the couple next to us mushrooms for some fried pickled… Yum!

Very good Irish pub and they have an amazing harpist Kristen Gibbs playing few days a week.
We went there 3 days in a row just to listen her.

Excellent fish and chips! The apple cider was great too. You can’t go wrong stopping in here.

New England Patriots bar-​so you better like the Pat’s if you want to frequent this place! Regulars show up at least 3 hours before the game-​save most of the bar seats and nearby tables-​which I think is a bit annoying and not cool. They got a few local beers on tap and now offer a brunch menu in addition to their regular menu, average price for food is $ 10 – 12 each.

I went for Monday Night Patriots last week, my fourth time there overall (the first time I was lured off the street by the sound of a singer who was pretty Adele-​esque.) The second time was trivia, third just for a drink around SXSW, but this most recent time was by far the best. I moved here right after last Super Bowl and am from Boston. I’d heard it was a good Boston bar, especially for Pats games, and I guess I heard right.
THIS IS WHERE TO BE FOR PATRIOTS GAMES.
The atmosphere was so awesome. The crowd is really into it and true-​blue Pats fans. They did prizes every single commercial break and they gave out a bunch of free clam chowder (it was wicked good!) and wings/​celery, as well as cookies for dessert. I arrived starving and had their awesome Fish n’ Chips right away, before stuffing myself with multiple chowder servings! It’s nice to have beers like Harp, Harpoon, and various Stouts available; Irish pubs are a dime a dozen back in Boston, NYC etc… but here, it’s different, and during the chilly part of football season, this place is a great taste of home. They run around with the flag when the Pats score a touchdown and have a countdown to the next Pats game/​St. Patrick’s Day going.
Thinking of going again for Pats-​Broncos. I hope it’s not too packed! Though I can understand why it would be. Last Monday was busy and it was funny how no other bars on 6^th had business (the girls from Bikinis were outside half naked hula-​hooping, trying to draw ppl in) I love the food and the atmosphere. Now that it’s super chilly two weeks running, plus the height of holiday season, and the heart of a dominant Pats season, I wanna make regular appearances at this pub to make the dreary party of Winter pass by nice n’ easy. There’s another Pats-​fan-​friendly bar around downtown (my local bar, The Local is a Bronco bar, eek!) but BD Riley’s serves great food. It’ll probably be a tad crowded during the playoffs (knock on wood, Super Bowl?) but the remainder of regular season, if not beyond, I plan to be there!

As I scanned the menu in search of fish and chips I noticed the price tag. I thought to myself, this better be good and not just a tourist trap. I’ve had fish and chips in numerous places, So this has some competition to get through.
Sure enough, not only was the fish excellent but the tarter sauce, which taste home made, was fantastic. Heck even the fries were perfectly cooked and salted. And the portion size was fitting for even a starving connoisseur.
Well done… I must say. Yeah the pricing is slightly on the higher side for Austin IMHO but it was well worth it.
Service was great and I’ll most definitely be back
Great job!

Unfortunately, i didnt have the chance to eat here or get any drinks for that matter, HOWEVER, I was with a party of 6 and everyone else did.
My rating is purely based on the atmosphere which was absolutely amazing. Theres just so much «irishness» is this bar, it is impressive. The live music was fun and the service was great.
Everyone in the party enjoyed their experience and everything they ordered. I am definitely coming back next time I am in Austin

I love this place. In the stinky, douchey 6^th St strip, this is a refined old timey pub where you can actually hear yourself think. Plus, it doesn’t smell like puke. Win win.
I’ve never had Kilkenny’s red cream ale anywhere and they have it here! It’s delicious!
The place is decorated well, lots of Tvs for football and they regularly have this great band with a gal who plays the harp and sings like Adele– amazing!

I’ve been on the hunt for a good Reuben. BD Riley’s has a decent menu of typical American Irish pub fare. The Reuben wasn’t bad, it was just a bit greasier than I might like. I wasn’t disappointed, but it didn’t completely scratch my Reuben itch. Easy Tiger just a few blocks further does.

My gut tells me you’re drunk when you’re here if you give it 5 stars, or you just don’t know better. This is a less than average Irish Pub. i don’t care if they moved every brick from Ireland or not. The food is not that good or true to its roots. The only thing I can say about the place is they do pour a proper pint of Guinness. Eh, the rest is average. Not that great of service, not all that clean, loud non Irish music and sub par food. It added up.
I got the bangers n mash, because God help me, I do I love bangers n mash. The bangers came off Cisco food truck. They were bland and had no flavor. I came in here with a tour group, and we all sampled from each others plates. Nothing really stood out.
Great if you’re a college kid on 6^th street in Austin. I didn’t love it. I won’t be back.

I would like to say that I used to work at JJ Murphy’s Irish Pub in Prague, CZ. The bar was owned and managed by Irish men and it was a perfect representation and blend of Ireland and European service/​vibe/​layout. B. D. Riley’s is the only Irish pub I have been to in the U.S. That nails it. Irish pubs don’t just mean Guinness and fish and chips, it’s the lay out, the set up, the menu, the presentation, the presentation of the menu even, the service and the atmosphere. It is a European-​style Irish pub.
I also have been so impressed by the service. Chelsea was my waitress and not only was she a cute and sweet girl, she went above and beyond to make the experience an awesome one.
Delicious food, awesome service, relatively decent prices, and above all– a TRUE Irish pub down to the wooded panelling, the football (SOCCER!) game playing, the crisps meaning chips and the chips meaning fries, and the condiment baskets! LOVE IT HERE!
Thank you Chelsea, you made an already great experience an especially memorable one!

If this is the center of Irish culture in Austin, then the center can not hold.
I have been here twice — for failed evenings both times.
One night was the Irish open mike.
Austin just doesn’t have the concentration of good Irish musicians that say a London would have. so the music definitely fell flat.
But «flat» beats «atrocious» and atrocious is what you get on Thursday night, when the Irish harpist sets up on stage.
Her basic concept is a good one. Electrify the harp and have a base and drum backup.
This is a promising mix that could give you the hope of a Clannad — or a good independent song writer with fusion Celtic sensibilities.
What you get is Holiday Inn Cocktail piano — but with harp instead of the piano.
The orientation here is «Everything from Bach to Broadway! «and a Beatles song is supposed to be a big thrill.
Worse– she sings a lot (vocals 95% harp solo 5%)
and she sings demanding material such as Nat King Cole.
Vocal jazz really requires that you have a voice and you know how to sing
none of which apply here.
We tried to drown our sorrows in our whiskey and our food
but there was not much comfort there either.
The fish was authentic — home made, puffy, light — and tasteless.
Salt didn’t help. Malt vinegar didn’t help. Lemon didn’t help.
The tartar sauce did help — and thank god it was provided in copious quantity.
Sadly, despite the skill of the frying — the basic fish in the middle was low quality stuff —
and no amount of wizardry in the kitchen was going to save it
The much vaunted Irish potatoes are sodden damp French Fries cut on the thick side.
The French Fry lover of the house left hers mostly untouched.
The Irish whiskey list was not bad …
but after leaving B D Riley’s more or less in disgust —
I went to Bar 2211 and got a much more interesting selection of Irish whiskeys
at prices substantially below those of B. D Riley’s.
(To be fair, you DO pay a premium for being on Sixth Street.)
I love Irish music and I love Irish food.
Maybe someday Austin will have a place that can serve up the good stuff.

So much fun.
I love going down to BD’s for Trivia on Wednesday nights. Best Guinness pours in Austin, hands down.

Oh BD’s you truly are the best of the best. I have loved you a long time. I have dropped plenty of dime in your joint and sucked down many a pint. And always, I have left with a smile on my face and a belly full of Guinness and Harp. Speaking of Guinness, they do a really good pour. I’ve never timed the 2 minute settle theory, but I will tell you my Guinness always has a good head and never an overspill!
BD’S holds true to every expectation of a pub. It has charm and lots of character coupled with delicious food and excellent staff. Speaking of food, I’ve only done the shepherds pie and the fish n chips here. Both are spot on and I gotta say I do believe the best I’ve had in Austin. If you’re gonna be hanging for a while I do recommend the shepherds pie. Makes for a great filler on the belly. You know what I’m talking about.
BD’S is a place where you can relax in a comfortably warm atmosphere and enjoy some delicious pints. You can make new friends, enjoy live music, be entertained by occasional cloggers, pig out on great food, or just chill. If you’re lucky, and are there on a nice day, you may get a seat by the street. Great for people watching while you’re enjoying your favorite pint of happy goodness sometimes chased by your favorite Irish Whiskey. Tully for me please!
The most special thing about this pub is that it was originally built in Ireland near Dublin. Every piece of it, with exception to the brick wall, is the actual pub shipped from Ireland and reconstructed here on 6^th st. A little piece of true Irish culture right here in the midst of all the mayhem on 6^th.
For me, BD’s is that one spot on 6^th street that is reminiscent of finding an Oasis in the middle of a desert. 6^th street can get crazy and kooky, and sleazy and greasy. But BD’s remains a constant place of sanity and humanity, and peaceful and cheerful-​ness that keeps the customers loyal and constantly returning. When you find yourself downtown, this is a must stop.
Slainte!