Lala's.

If you live in Austin and you haven't been to Lala's, you're missing a tiny pocket of your soul.

Lala's, as far as I can tell, has been around since the middle ages. It's a divey little bar on Justin Ln., just off Burnet. It shares its building with a hispanic-leaning hairsyling place, and is right next to a washeteria, and its decor is strictly Christmas, year-round. It's small, has a single pool table, a foosball table, a jukebox with nothing but oldies rock, big band and motown music, a few liquors and one beer on tap - Ziegen Bock. It's dark, smokey, and simple - all the things I want in my dive bar. You don't have to deal with the college crowd and you don't have obnoxious, loud drunks. Everyone pretty much knows the score.

They have a decent burger, and the pitchers of Ziegen are $9. It's not the cheapest in town, but it ain't bad, either. Get a group of friends together, split the cost of the pitchers, and you have a night out that will never break the bank.