Sandy Carson

Best Cool Down With a Cold One

Rabbit's Lounge

Baby, it's hot, hot, hot outside. And what better way to cool off than with a cold beer? There's no better way than sipping on the coldest beer in Austin. And for that, you have to head to Rabbit's Lounge. Owned by former Austin High QB Rosaleo "Rabbit" Gonzalez Duran, this East Sixth Street beer joint has been serving 'em up chilly-ass cold since 1969. Steeped in Austin history – Rabbit is a native Austinite who remembers well the lush gardens that stretched east on Seventh Street past Pleasant Valley, across the site that now houses a strip mall anchored by an H-E-B – and brimming with the down-home central-city friendliness that brings regulars back and entices drop-ins to stop by, Rabbit's is a truly original place. And if you like baseball – especially if you know what makes Cooperstown, N.Y., special – this place will quickly feel like home.