Stopped in for a cocktail, and happened to watch Justin meticulously clean every square inch of that place. It’s clear he really cares about the customer experience. I hope the owners appreciate him!

I lead tours on rainy with LA epic club crawls(come join :) ) we had Katheryn as a bartender she’s incredibly attentive, made amazing drinks, set the vibe, and made our time for the Bach group feel special. This is always my fav bar to bring guests on rainy the DJ played amazing music and was a great guy! Door men were funny and great at the door would 100% recommend this bar if you guys want a real Rainy experience!

ATX native and I walked in here last on a Thursday night after a twelve year hiatus from Rainey. Had no reason to leave. The bartender (Jake) was incredibly welcoming and the cocktails were on point. Makes me feel like I was in the old Rainey with the house atmosphere and welcoming folks. Will certainly be back.

Well, if cocktails count as food, and local knowledge counts as service, this place is a 10!!!! Kat at the bar was absolutely perfect, and Jake was so warm and welcoming and personable! He gave some great suggestions for where to go and what to do while in town! He's the real gem of this place!! Be sure to stop by when you visit Rainey St.!!

Robert Hak

This became my go to place during a week long business trip. Definitely check out the live music on Tuesdays and the overall chill vibe. Staff were friendly and recognized me the second night I came in. Wrap around patios and plenty of seating make for a great night.

Stacey Arnold

Amazing staff, amazing music, and creative drinks! While it might be too late in the season, the wild turkey gravy back is a must have

Logan

My partner and I had an amazing time here, Patrick provided great service, great conversation, great drink recommendations and perfect explanations of how the drinks would taste, the atmosphere and patio were very comfortable and welcoming. I will definitely be coming back and highly recommend this place to anyone nearby.

Noah Earley

Patrick and the rest of the crew at Half-Step made our Christmas Eve wonderful! He made some amazing bartenders choice drinks for me (highly rec the Ginger No. 3), and the seasonal drinks were loved by my fiance (the strudel was insanely good). Highly recommend checking this place out if you find yourself on Rainey street!!!!!!!!

Lamonte Williams

JD at Half Step is the definition of mastery in motion. His presence behind the bar is calm, confident, and intentional — you feel like you’re in good hands from the moment he asks what you’d like. He reads people effortlessly and builds drinks that feel personal, not just mixed. The balance and flavor in every cocktail he makes show skill, but it’s the hospitality that makes the experience memorable. JD doesn’t just make drinks — he curates a moment. If you’re in Austin and appreciate craft done right, he’s someone you hope is behind the bar.

Lucas Boyd

Honestly, the best bar in Austin in my opinion. It has such old charm and character with live music, world class cocktails and tremendous people watching. This bar is a must go!

Ged Pearson

Bri is literally the best! You know when you can’t decide what to drink but you tell the bartender what kind of vibe you’re looking for? Bri understood the assignment! She is seriously the best bartender I’ve ever come across. A hidden gem at this amazing spot on Rainey St. You can’t go to Rainey without stopping in to Half Step to see Bri!

Courtney

We stopped here for happy hour and loved it! the bartender was great and full of energy, he was so nice. My drink was amazing, I can't remember the name but it has vodka and ginger beer. It has such a great outdoor space! I would total go back. I hated to leave!

JETS

Cute place on Rainey with awesome live music and outdoor seating in the front and back. Indoor seating is cozy and intimate. Staff was amazing and will make anything you wish.

HumanFairy

Came here during Christmas time and it’s the cutest place. Their Irish whiskey coffee is soooo good! The bartender was so sweet and they have a soft bar, I’ve never experienced that before ever in life. 10/10 recommend. They have cute shot options

Scott Mac

The cocktails were excellent, friendly staff, good service, good vibes. Happy hour specials unbeatable. My favorite place on Rainey st.

+1

Michael Stephens

Excellent craft cocktails! You know it's a serious bar when they have a shelf of fresh squeezed juices. An awesome mixologist (Patrick) behind the bar helps too!

+3

Megan Kleckner

The ice! I can tell a good cocktail bar by the ice. They had several kinds of special ice, it was a good sign. Cocktails were well balanced and delicious. I had the troublemaker with gin. Not too sweet, perfect balance for a refreshing cocktail. 🍹 🍷🍸

Andrew Dabydeen

Came here a few times during my stay in Austin. Great bar that has live music depending on the evening! Prices are fair and they have a good selection of drinks to choose from. Also located right by all the food trucks so it’s a great spot to grab a bite to eat while enjoying the outdoor seating area.

A Porat

Great bar with amazing craft cocktails. I’m always impressed how the staff prepares the cocktails at the bar. They have 2 food trucks on location, one truck for spicy chicken and one truck for mini donuts. Their happy hours menu is also worth checking out. Really good drinks in affordable prices.

We loved our time there, the decorations were according to the occasion of Valentines day as we went on Feb 15th. A lot of photo booths and lights for photo ops. Drinks were great and strong enough. Nice young and hip crowd, nice experience and will go again. We ordered margarita, cucumber tini, valentines special raspberry cupid and everything was great

Good service, drinks were okay. I liked that it was happy hour and a decent selection was half off. The music was so loud at 5 pm and hardly anyone was there. I didn’t understand why there were bouncers there but maybe this is a young person club spot and I’m just old. Never the less, staff was friendly and kind.

Diem Allis

This is a bar on Rainey Street. It has a chill vibe. There’s plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The drinks were pretty good and the bartenders were friendly. It’s great for people watching or just relaxing. There are lots of bachelor and bachelorette parties around here too.

Tai Paulo

If you’re looking for a great bar with amazing drinks, The Halft Step is the place to be.

+1

Daniel Perez

This is a pretty cool spot to grab some killer cocktails! They have a few beers on tap, but their main attraction is their cocktails. The bartenders here are very knowledgeable, and the presentation is stellar. It's worth noting that it's a bit pricier than most places on the street, but it's worth it. Be prepared to wait in line if it's a weekend as this place gets real busy. They have a bit of indoor seating and often have a band playing inside, but they also have a large seating area outside. Definitely worth checking out!

+6

Lucille is a nice vibe in Rainey street. At first it will look like a normal small bar but the moment you enter you will see that it is huge as they have a lot of open air space at the back side. When we went there was a private party going on at one of the sections and the vibe was super lit. Drinks are ok and there is no service at the table. Service and drinks aren’t great but vibe is amazing.

We stopped by Lucille on the night of July 4th with some friends. It was pretty empty around 10:30 PM. The DJ was alright--he played some good tracks but didn't really mix or transition between songs much. The bartenders were pretty relaxed and even hyped up our friend when he started breaking out some crazy dance moves. The bar itself feels really dated and could definitely use a refresh though. Lucille Special Tea ($13.85): This is made with Deep Eddy sweet tea vodka, citrus juices, and soda. Unfortunately, it didn't taste cohesive or fresh. The tea even tasted slightly warm, which made me think the bartender didn't shake it properly.

Great atmosphere for a group. Plenty of space. Multiple bars. Drinks are pricey, bar tenders are inconsistent with their mixing, but very friendly. Go to spot on a warm night. Had a poop smell to the place.

Cute ambience and nice bartenders but on our way out, it was clear we were celebrating a bachelorette and one of the guys at the gate says to our BRIDE “wanna know why divorce is so expensive? Because it’s worth it.” Talk about distasteful. Ruined our experience. If you’re a bride to be, skip this one. Bitter divorcées can’t wish others a happy marriage.

Victor Zambrano

Arrived with a group of six, the ambience was great. We were dancing and groovin to amazing Live music from a very talented band, we were having a great time, all of us had different drinks. 2 friends ordered a couple of Green Tea Shots, white bartender with a cap/beard nicely prepared the drinks (poured up to 4 different things in it and mixed it), a third person in my group tried the shot and liked it so she ordered one, but the white guy was busy, so this blonde-tall woman came to the scene and just poured liquor from an unlabeled bottle and served it as finished, my friend politely asked for the drink to be prepared the same way as the one given initially to the other people in the party, the woman in the bar acted upset and offended by the request, said to my friend she wasn’t a bartender and shouldn’t be correcting her as she prepared the drink as it goes, my friend explained her coworker prepared a totally different thing and asked her to please ask the other guy to make the drink, but woman refused and insisted it should be accepted. My friend told her she didn’t want any trouble and to be in a pointless argument over a drink and asked for her money back. Blonde woman with a very rude tone and entitled behavior said “I’ll give you the money back, but you have to leave immediately” while moving her hands across my friend’s face and showing her the door repeatedly, she returned the money and again… for the 3rd time, almost yelling said: … “you have to leave” and dramatically left the bar and walked to the back, clearly to ask security to remove her, my friend was upset, but didn’t yell at any moment and kept it cool, took the money and set aside, she was eventually booted from the place, so we all had to shug our drinks and left. Bar blonde-woman behavior seemed narcissistic and racially motivated on top of that. She didn’t want to accept she didn’t know what she was doing and got pissed about a Latin woman simply asking for what she actually ordered. It was in her mind the customer should just take whatever she decided to improvise, since she didn’t have an idea how a green tea shot is prepared and seemed to not want to ask/research 1st, she rathered to have a group of 6 people just leave because she was being immature and having a tantrum. Great moment ruined. Unsure if this happens often… but I felt it needed to be said.

Katya Krauchuk

I’ve never had such an unprofessional experience with a bartender. The guy with the long curly hair clearly thinks he’s way too cool for his actual job. When my boyfriend simply gestured to get his attention, the bartender mocked him by doing the same gesture back and saying that we “can’t call him over like that.” I’m sorry, but you’re working behind the bar your job is literally customer service. Instead of acting superior and disrespectful, maybe try doing the job you’re paid for. The attitude was completely unnecessary and ruined the experience for us. Definitely won’t be coming back.