An Iconic, Divey New York Cocktail Bar Makes Its Debut on Austin’s Sixth Street
New York-born cocktail bar Mother’s Ruin opened its first Texas outpost in Austin’s Sixth Street neighborhood on Friday, March 7.
“We don’t want people to check their phone to see if we’re open. We want them to know they can come to our bar and get food until late night, and that’s something we like to hang our hat on.”
The bar’s founders Richard Knapp and TJ Lynch pride themselves on creating a watering hole that straddles the line of cocktail lounge and dive bar. Named after the mid-eighteenth century nickname for gin, Mother’s Ruin in Austin has a laidback atmosphere, a dependable schedule (it’s open daily year-round from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.), and a kitchen that stays open late until last call. The menu strives to be a step-up from stereotypical bar food, with Cholula-honey wings, Thai Brussels sprouts, a smash burger, and a French onion soup grilled cheese. Brunch will soon follow, with dishes like its Cholula honey-fried chicken and waffles.
As for the drinks, Mother’s Ruin offers the standards — beer, wine, and shots, plus an ever-changing list of cocktails, including mezcal negronis and specials like a frozen paloma made with five-chili molasses. “We want everybody to have a great time,” Knapp says. “We’re trying to bring something right down the middle that’s not a dive bar but not a cocktail temple either.”
“It’s a party,” the founders say, that focuses less on what’s fancy and more on the moody lighting and comfortable, approachable decor. “We want to be that place that people can count on,” Lynch adds. “We don’t want people to check their phone to see if we’re open. We want them to know they can come to our bar and get food until late night, and that’s something we like to hang our hat on.”
This is Mother’s Ruins’ fourth location. It opened in New York in 2011 and expanded to Nashville in 2019 and Chicago in 2022.
Mother’s Ruin is located at 1401 East 6th Street in Austin. It’s open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
