The Porch at ETX Brewing Co.

After being open for barely over a year the owners of ETX Brewing Co. have taken a chance and bet big: investing capital and time into a new restaurant and taproom. Since opening in January 2017 the brewery has been a hit with the local craft beer community and has rewarded the community of Tyler with a place to enjoy frequently rotating craft brews with friends and family. After recently visiting the new restaurant, and spending some time with the owners, chef, and kitchen manager, we are thrilled to share our experience with you!

Brewpub | The Porch at ETX Brewing Co.
Where | 221 S Broadway Ave, Tyler, TX 
Menu | Pub style shareable food items, salads, burgers, sandwiches, kids menu, ice cream, craft beers, games, and live stage.
Atmosphere |Laid back with classic arcade games, pool table, shuffleboard, darts, live music on the stage all centered around their own craft brews
Hours | LUNCH: Wed-Friday 11-2pm
                     DINNER: Wed & Thurs 4-10pm 
                                      Fri 4-11pm Sat 12-12am
  (lunch will be offered starting Wed Mar. 28th) 


Craft beer fans have been delighted by the rotation of new beers and have remained loyal to Tyler’s newest brewery causing their taproom to often times be standing room only. After witnessing the effect the often unpredictable Texas weather on space in their taproom it quickly became apparent there was a need for more drinking room for their patrons. This winter they decided to pull the trigger and expand into the rest of the building. The idea was a simple one: Provide more room for everyone to enjoy craft beer and fresh foods.  The Porch at ETX Brewing Co. was created after many discussions between the owners, staff, family and friends.  

The Porch offers plenty of shareable portions of food but also has full meals if you are looking satisfy your hunger. Daily hand made fresh ingredients and a rotating menu make the Porch stand out from so many of the regular East Texas restaurants. Kitchen Manager Nate Rhyne made it clear that The Porch will be willing to adapt the menu as frequently as the often changing taps. Expect to see a menu that reflects the community as well as the time of the year.

The pilot brewing system has been upgraded to allow the brewers more options for new rotating seasonal brews, some of which will be exclusive to The Porch, to go along with the expanded tap wall (over 20 taps).

 A few items that are sure to be fan favorites are the Cheese Curds, House ground Burgers/Sliders, Fried Green Beans, and the New Orleans Bread Pudding for desert. Chef Aaron Price has a passion for food and that comes across in every dish.

We never could decide which was more delicious: The apple or blackberry crumble topped with cinnamon ice cream. I'm not a dessert man but this was amazing enough to have me wishing for more!

Along with the plentiful beer selections and delectable food will be classic games - pool table, Pac-man, Big Buck, Golden Tee, shuffle board , and darts.  

The newly built stage overlooks the concrete patio and Broadway through the newly designed garage door that will be complete with a mesh screen cover to keep out those Texas-sized mosquitos on summer nights.

Each table top piece is hand made and lacquered at the brewery providing a wonderful backdrop of fall colors to enjoy your Saturday afternoon Downtown Cherry Brown Ale or a plate of Wisconsin cheese curds.

The original brewery and taproom will stay the same for those that enjoy sitting at the bar and gazing into the beautiful stainless steel fermentation vessels. Owners Brian and Matt Gilstrap have kept the beers fresh and are full of new ideas. You never know you might see next!

In addition to being a great place to enjoy dinner and a beer The Porch is planning on being a lunch destination for those who work in the area. Along with their regular menu they will be offering quick grab and go foods like salads, wraps and sandwiches.  Saturday breakfast is also in the works for those who want to relax while downtown for the Rose City Farmers Market.

All in all we were super impressed by the beer, food and the massive expansion. ETX Brewing went from a place to grab a few beers to a place you and the whole crew can hang out for hours on end. 

The space is beautiful. 

You'll feel right at home the first time you walk through the doors and you'll also know you've found your new favorite hangout. 

Final Thoughts | We congratulate the entire ETX Brewing Co. family for their vision to expand and add so much to an already impressive lineup of locally brewed craft beer. We are sure the East Texas craft beer community will reward you for your dedication and creativity.

CHEERS!
Jeff, Joel and Jonathan

 

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

"Can I draw you a beer, Norm ?"

"No, I know what they look like. Just pour me one." 

-- Hilary Norm Peterson

Like many of you, I grew up watching the show Cheers. From a young age I longed for a place where I could go, relax on a barstool, and enjoy a cold beer “where everybody knows your name”. There have been a few times in my adult life when I thought I was close to finally having my own “Cheers” but more often than not the place either closed up shop or couldn’t ever put together all the pieces.

I needed a bartender that was knowledgeable about beer and that could carry on a conversation. I needed regulars who were there to listen to me when I had a bad day. I needed a place that felt like my home away from home; a place free from judgement and negativity. We have enough of that in our daily lives. A local pub is that safe place where for the short time you are there all is right in the world.

There was the one time I had a really unique bar a block down the street from my house in the historic Ginocchio hotel. No driving! A great happy hour! Housed in a beautiful historic building! But sadly it went out of business and my dreams of living next to my neighborhood pub were crushed.

Or how about the little East Texas sports bar that had $1 craft beer every day of the week? I’ll never forget the time three of us kept going back day after day until we almost drank an entire keg of Pineapple Sculpin ourselves. We rode that one hard while it lasted but from day one we knew that place was too good to be true. We enjoyed the free chips and salsa and the free pool on Wednesdays but alas the party came to an end eventually.

Over the past few years I’ve seen several promising craft beer friendly businesses open their doors in my town. I’d try and try to force it to feel right. I’d visit time and time again even though the previous visit was a total letdown. Horrible beer selections, pathetic food and terrible service were just a few of the things I would endure in the hope I might finally find my own Cheers.

A few months ago a promising new restaurant opened with 24 beers on tap. I was lucky enough to take my family to the soft opening and our server Kayden did a great job of taking care of us. I ordered a Karbach (pre sellout) F.U.N. Series 014: Roll in the Hay and it wasn’t long before one of the owners, Justin, walked over and introduced himself. Behind the bar was the familiar face of Ronnie who I had known from a couple of those other places I tried to make work over the years.

During that first week I returned 4 more times and each time had wonderful food, amazing service and fresh craft beer. With each visit I’d see new craft beers on tap and got to know the staff a little more than I did before. Over the past few months I’ve watched Rotolo’s become the premiere hangout of craft beer lovers in our area. Managers Felisha and Jess make sure we are treated as friends instead of just a customer. Dee is always there to make sure we are behaving ourselves.

Justin is one of the few businessmen around who works tirelessly to make sure his restaurant is one of the best in the area and that his craft beer selection is second to none. Do yourself a favor and check out their beer list right now. Instead of having to drive to Dallas or Austin for hard to find beers for the first time I am able to just go down to my local pub.

It is nice to walk in and not only have an whole staff that is glad to see you but also see an entire bar full of guests you see regularly. The Brew Krewe reward program has created a sort of Band of Brothers. For those making their way to 500 points there is a mutual respect that bonds us together.

Every Sunday you can find our trivia team, Talionic Justice, enjoying some friendly competition. Getting paid to have fun and drink great craft beer is something I’ll never get tired of! Even when we lose, which isn’t often, we enjoy the hell out of trivia night at Rotolo’s.





I don’t have the room to list them all but each member of the staff and all of the regulars know who you are. Thank you for welcoming me every time I walk through those doors. Thank you for always finding the perfect beer and for always bringing a smile to my face. It is because of you I have finally found my local pub. The place where I can go and all is right in the world. No one judges me when I drink a Blue Owl Professor Black for the millionth time. I only get moderately teased for all the times I order a side pasta salad with no cheese. I am accepted and made to feel as I am part of their Rotolo’s family. It is my hope that every person reading this has found or does find their own “Cheers”. It is so much fun when you are on this craft beer journey with others. The communal aspect of drinking beer is so important. The laughs I have shared at that bar are worth much more than the beers I have bought. Yes the food is great. Yes the beers are excellent. At the end of the day what brings me back (way more often than my wife probably would prefer) are the people. Without those smiling faces it would be just another restaurant with a great beer selection and while that would be a good place to visit it still wouldn’t be my “Cheers”. Between the crew and the regulars I have to say for me it really has become a place “where everybody knows your name.”

Sláinte

Joel Patrick Heflin