Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden in Austin, Texas

Located in the heart of Austin's Rainey Street Historic District is Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden — Located in the heart of Austin’s Rainey Street Historic District is Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden

Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden is one of the best places in Austin for house-made sausages, comfort food, and local craft beers.

The restaurant is popular for its traditional, exotic, and vegetarian sausage selection. They also offer one of the best selections of craft beers in Texas, with over 100 beers on draft.

Banger’s restaurant and beer garden opened in 2012 in Austin’s Rainey Street Historic District. The district is home to many historic bungalows and homes, many of which have been converted into restaurants and bars, including Banger’s.

Since I love beer gardens, craft beer, and smoked foods, I went to Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden to try it out.

Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Beer Garden

The highlight of my visit to Banger’s was the expansive, open-air beer garden. There is something special about drinking beer in a beer garden, whether in Munich or Austin.

The beer garden featured long communal tables, perfect for socializing or large groups. The beer garden was also dog-friendly for those who want to bring their pup along.

If you are looking for a quiet meal, the beer garden or beer hall might not be for you. Some days, there is live music, so the atmosphere can be lively and boisterous.

Be sure to check the Banger’s event schedule for upcoming live music or other events.

Smokehouse

If you have the time, peek at the smokehouse in the back of the beer garden. Inside the building are large smokers.

In these smokers, sausages and other meats are slow-cooked for hours until smoky and tender. If you are lucky, you can catch the chefs as they are working in the smokehouse.

Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden Menu

The menu at Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden in Austin, Texas — The menu at Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden

The menu at Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden had everything you would want to eat while drinking beer.

You had an assortment of appetizers and sides, perfect for sharing. There was everything from pickles to pretzels to poutine.

The menu’s main focus was the house-made sausages, ranging from the traditional brat to the exotic duck sausage.

There was also a vegetarian-friendly option made with a tomato-based sausage.

Those looking for something without a bun might want to try the currywurst or Chinese BBQ Sausage.

If you want something different, order the Schweinebraten. This German dish featured smoked pork shoulder cooked for 10 hours over post oak.

Other than food, there was a vast selection of craft beers. There were over 100 beers on draft, ranging from local Austin beers to harder-to-find brews.

If you are looking for craft beer, this is your spot.

Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden happy hour ran from 3:00 to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The happy hour menu included $5 brats and $5 pints.

Jalapeño Cheddar Brat

I love spicy foods. And I love cheese. So, the Jalapeño Cheddar Brat ($10.00) stuffed with jalapeños and cheddar cheese wasn’t a difficult choice. More jalapeños and a grain of mustard topped this brat off.

When I took my first bite, I found the skin of the brat to be snappy but a little hard to bite through. I would have preferred the brat to be crispier.

The inside of the brat was moist and almost creamy in texture. It was so juicy that the meat and cheese oils flowed out when I bit into the brat.

I could taste smoke, but it wasn’t so strong that it overpowered the meat’s rich, salty, and spicy flavors.

Topping this brat were jalapeños and a grain mustard. The roasted jalapeños were spicy and smoky. The peppers added more heat, more so than the sausage. They also added a tender texture to each bite.

You can’t have a sausage without some mustard. In this case, a whole grain horseradish mustard.

The horseradish added even more heat to this brat with its classic strong and spicy flavor. You should keep your beer nearby if you can’t handle the heat.

The final component of this dish, the bun, was simple but did the job. The bun, toasted outside while light and fluffy on the inside, was held together to the last bite.

Boudin Balls

Next up was the Boudin Balls ($9.00), a deep-fried goodie stuffed with boudin sausage.

Each order came with three boudin balls, pickles, and grain mustard on the side. When I ordered, I had no idea what boudin balls were. But I’m glad I ordered them.

Boudin is a pork sausage made with rice and seasonings, such as Cajun seasoning. To make boudin balls, take the sausage, roll it into a ball, toss it in breadcrumbs, and deep fry it.

If you love comfort food, you’ll want to order this.

Each ball was golden brown on the outside after being deep-fried to perfection. When I took a bite of each ball, I could hear the crunch of the crispy breading.

What surprised me the most had to be the boudin sausage hidden under the breading. The texture was different from what I was expecting.

Its shredded texture reminded me of pulled pork but with a spicy, smoky Cajun twist.

Mixed in with the sausage was rice, adding flavor and texture to each bite. I enjoyed the textural contrast between the crunchy breading and the moist, savory filling.

Served on the side were crunchy, salty pickles and a thick stone ground mustard. The pickles and a dip in the mustard helped cut through the richness of the deep-fried boudin balls.

My only complaint? Three boudin balls weren’t enough. Four would have been more appropriate for the price.

Poutine

Last up was the Poutine ($7.50 for small, $12.50 for large). For those who don’t know, poutine is a Canadian dish made of french fries, cheese curds, and gravy.

At Banger’s, they made their poutine with salt & pepper fries, hand-stretched cheese curds, and house-made veal gravy.

The French fries are the most essential component of any poutine. They must be crispy on the outside while soft on the inside. They must also withstand the gravy and cheese piled on top without becoming soggy.

The fresh-cut salt & pepper fries did not disappoint. The potatoes were golden brown and crispy on the outside while tender and moist on the inside.

The smaller bits, which were crispy and crunchy, were my favorite. The combination of textures between the crispy and tender pieces elevated this simple dish.

Drizzled over the top was a rich veal gravy. There was enough gravy to cover the fries without making them soggy. But the gravy was quite salty, so give everything on the plate a good mix to balance the flavors.

The final component, the hand-stretched cheese curds, brought the entire dish together. You can’t have poutine without cheese curds.

The lightly melted cheese, which reminded me of fresh mozzarella, had a dense, chewy texture and mild flavor. While simple, the combination of cheese curds, gravy, and French fries made a delicious dish.

Service at Banger’s Sausage House & Beer

The service at Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden was great for a busy afternoon.

With that said, be patient if it is busy. I watched my server jump from table to table as fast as possible. He was doing a great job but could only move so fast.

But I had no complaints since I enjoyed a cold beer on a beautiful day in Austin.

I also appreciated how my friendly server gave me his honest opinions on what to order. What he suggested turned out to be great choices.

The food and drinks arrived quickly, so I had no complaints about the service.

Conclusion

There were many things to love about Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden.

First, the location is in Austin’s Rainey Street Historic District. Second, the food includes handcrafted sausages and Southern comfort favorites. Finally, if you love beer, this is your spot with over 100 craft beers on tap.

And I can’t forget about the beer garden, the perfect spot in town to enjoy a cold one.

If you are looking for good beer, great food, and good times, then Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden is the spot for you.