Hiya,

Bringing my boy home to meet the parents and show him around the big D.

Which ones should I take him to? the ones to avoid? should we do a tour?

Where do you live?

the parents live in North Dallas, in the burbs, Plano to be exact

Four corners
Maple branch
Martin house

I know you said brewery, but Lockwood distillery is fun and good.

Lakewood, Vector annd Oak Highlands are good they are off 635 area coming from Plano.

Four bullets is also good and much closer.

Go to Fort Worth and lots of fun ones like Martin House.

It's not the biggest, but my favorite is Four Bullets in Richardson, especially if the weather is nice. Solid beers and a patio with plenty of picnic tables.

Kashchei said:

---

It's not the biggest, but my favorite is Four Bullets in Richardson, especially if the weather is nice. Solid beers and a patio with plenty of picnic tables.

---

I really enjoy Siren Rock in Rockwall. Lots of different styles and flavors. Great tap room and indoor/outdoor areas. Walking distance to a number of different restaurants in a neat small town downtown area (courthouse and square).

https://www.sirenrock.com/

Lakewood is great too but their taproom is kinda small and there isn't anything around there. If Bourbon Barrell Temptress is on tap it's awesome.

https://lakewoodbrewing.com/

Agree with Four Bullets.

Tupps Brewery and Franconia (limited hours) up in McKinney.

Fort Worth:

• Maple Branch
• Hopfusion
• Martin House

Dallas:

• Peticolas
• Lakewood
• Four Corners
• Oakhighlands

Way North (but worth the trip):

• 903 Brewers

mosdef

Others that haven't been mentioned in Dallas:

Manhattan Project
Deep Ellum Brewing Company
Community

mosdefn14 said:

---

If you're coming all the way to Fort Worth I'd skip Martin House in favor of Wild Acre. Martin House will have you standing around in an unshaded parking lot in an industrial park.

Wild Acre has a very nice outdoor area. Bonus points for being across the street from Trinity River Distillery.

Heck, down the road is TX Whisky distillery, which is a real nice spot.

---

All this. Panther Island is also quite good. HopFusion on the near southside is great, and Rahr - which is now a big company - still is great.

Anyone been to the new Community location? Looks huge with a big outdoor area and I also saw where they now have a kitchen. Reviews?

i think it depends on what you are going for. atmosphere, beer types, indoor, patio.

For well rounded place i would recommend Manhattan Project.

but if I'm going for beer I am going to - these are very heavy on the IPA's but they have numerous other types as well:

Turning Point
Odd Muse
Celestial

https://www.beerinbigd.com/p/ntx-brewery-map.html

ETA to add stuff to avoid:
Bitter sisters - not good
Rollertown - Meh and far away
Tupps - if you don't care for IPA or stouts i would avoid this place.
Union bear - not good - more like a gastropub that makes their beer

Tupps up north
Community and/or Peticolas near downtown
Celestial is close to Love Field
Three Nations in Carrollton


If you're willing to make the hike, Turning Point in Bedford just south of 183 makes fantastic news

Has Rahr flattened out? It's been a decade since I lived in DFW but they had such a first mover advantage on the West side I'm surprised to see them not be mentioned much in the Texas beer scene.

I'm in Houston and can't get any of their beers. I used to be able to get them by doing a little searching but last time I checked Total Wine couldn't even order me a case.

I know Fritz and Erin got divorced but assumed the brewery would still chug along.

The only thing Rahr had going for them was first mover like you said.

Compared to other beers that are being put out locally, Rahr doesn't come close to quality and selection at this point.

Thank you OP for starting this thread. I appreciate all the info.

Yeah, good idea for a thread. We used to love going down to St Arnold's when I was in college. It was a bummer when I first moved here 15+ years ago and there were almost no breweries. Rahr and Franconia were probably the only choices. Lots of great options now. Lakewood might be my fave.

Several have mentioned Turning Point - I need to get there as I've heard so many good things.

Also concur with Manhatten Project - one of the best in DFW IMHO.

Rahr also lost a head brewer a few years ago. I think he went to Deep Ellum, and just recently moved to LA to help start a new one.

I'm not sure that Rahr really has a signature beer, like Velvet Hammer or Temptress. They really had some good early buzz with the Bourbon Barrel Winter Warmer, but they just stood out less and less the more crowded the market got. I do enjoy their Paleta de Mango and Adios Pantalones as good summer beers but they are far from a top 10 local brewer these days

3nations is great for this option because it is in downtown Carrolton. You can take a cane rosso pizza to go and eat it at 3nations. However, if there is live music it is loud as hell inside.

Odd muse - mostly ipas and known for their hazies. But I still a cool smaller place.

My in-laws live in Plano and we have been wanting to try Beerhead bar which has a nice tap list as well