How to visit 19 DFW Breweries by Rail

*Updated 4-19-18

If I told you is was possible to visit 19 Breweries in DFW for only 10$ would you believe me?  YES its true!!!  We all have driven in awful Dallas traffic and wanted to start drinking already.  Are there alternatives to this nightmare for those of us that just want to visit breweries/beer stops without the headache of city traffic?  Sure, you can take UBER and pay a hefty price for getting around the metro plex or go with a group of friends.  

Another alternative that I have recently discovered: using FREE Parking at a DART rail stop, spending 5-10$ for an all day pass of exploring DFW breweries without having to use the bus! The most amazing part about this was not worrying about driving and knowing that the train does not stop and sticks to a schedule.  Here's a few facts about DART rail. 


Rail Transportation in DFW 

- 93 Mile light rail system
- 7 different lines (Red, Blue, Green, Orange, TRE, Dallas Street Car (free), M-Line Trolley (free)
- 5$ Local Day Pass for ALL dart buses and trains (East of DFW Airport)
-10$ Regional Day Pass for ALL dart buses and trains in DFW (including TRE service to Ft. Worth and DCTA to Denton).
-Train departs every 20 mins (Mon-Fri peak hours) 30-45 mins (Sat-Sun) and after 9 PM weekly.

My adventure started on a Wed Morning, I opened up my google or apple maps and selected the transit feature.  After a few searches and typing in "breweries" I discovered nearly every brewery in DFW is accessible by the DART transportation system if you don't mind taking the Rail and Bus.  I opted out of using the bus because of time.  DART rail operates every 20 mins at a stop (except weekends and after 9 pm) and you can conveniently download the "GoPASS" app on your phone to purchase tickets and plan out your route.   

I have picked out breweries that are less then 0.5 miles walking distance of a DART light rail stop.  In  a 6 hr day I was able to visit 5 different breweries and had time to travel back to my destination before 6 pm.  DART Rail hours vary but is enough time to visit breweries, see the sights, and arrive back to your destination before midnight.

*Breweries at least half a mile from Rail*

GREEN LINE - 3 Nations, Old Town Brewing, Armadillo Ale Works (May 2018) , Denton County Brewing Co., Deep Ellum, Community, Texas Ale Project

BLUE LINE- Four Corners, Malai Kitchen, Oak Highlands, Intrinsic Brewing, Bankhead.

RED LINE & ORANGE LINE- Gordon Biersch (closed Oct 2017) , Four Bullets Brewery 

(TRE)- Noble Rey, Bishop Cider, Collective, Hopfusion, Rahr. 

An even easier option for those of us that live in East TX is using Amtrak.  Amtrak has stations in Marshall, Longview, and Mineola that directly connects to Union Station in downtown Dallas. From there you can connect to any of the DART rail lines and start exploring DFW. Whichever route you choose to explore Breweries and Taprooms, we from ETBrews want you to be safe, drink responsibly and enjoy yourself.  Happy Exploring!


-The Happy Chappy (Jeff)- 

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing"

15 Restaurants for Craft Beer in East Texas

Craft beer from a local restaurant is a joy that can be experienced by all! If you don’t know which restaurants to go to, we got you covered fam. 

But all restaurants have craft beer right? Wrong! There are restaurants in East Texas that are happy to serve the average beers that are often preferred by the distributors.  

Okay, so what constitutes as a craft beer restaurant?  It is a restaurant that is owned by people that care about both supporting smaller breweries and rewarding loyal customers with fresh rotating craft beer!

Try a craft beer at one of these area restaurants and enjoy a great meal to! (in no particular order)

1. Rotolo's | Longview and Tyler

With two different locations in East Texas, Rotolo's has committed to bringing the freshest craft beer by focusing on local breweries and the taps are constantly changing. The newest store in Longview has a rewards loyalty program known as "Brew Crewe".  You can go to Longviews Untapped page for an updated list of their beers.  Rotolo's in Tyler has Trivia night on Wed, and will often host events supporting local breweries.

2. BJ's Restaurants | Longview and Tyler



BJ's is a corporate restaurant that does several things very well.  Bringing craft beer to the masses!  Each state has its own brewery that produces the brews for their restaurants across the state.  BJ's hosts several beer pairing dinners through the year that we highly recommend going to.  They also recently won 2 awards at the Great American Brew Fest in Denver for their quality beers.  Oh and did we mention the delcious pizza? 

3. Rose City Draft House | Tyler 


 
Cleverly named, Rose City Draft House was a breath of fresh air when it came upon the Craft beer scene a few years ago.  With 57 craft beers on tap, this draft house is the craft beer oasis in the area.  From Trivia nights, pint nights, brewery nights, and BYOP (pizzas) nights, Rose City has set a golden standard for a place of community and fellowship among a pint of beer.  Cheers!

5. Fosters Place | Pickton



Fosters Place is a hidden gem that is truly worth seeing.  It is known for the BEST craft beer selection in the entire area!  Art Foster is able to get many beers that the East Texas markets cannot get by personally driving to Dallas himself and bringing back hard to find brews.  Fosters is also open on Sundays for those traveling back from DFW to East Texas.   It is well worth the detour if you don't mind seeing the country side!  You will rewarded with the best beer around and excellent pub style food.

6. Pint and Barrel Draft House | Palestine 






Located in the Old Palestine area, Pint and Barrel is a family run restaurant that was opened by an employee of Saint Arnold Brewing Co. The Pub has a great selection of craft beer to choose from and the food selection is priced just right.  When passing by Palestine, stop in for a pint and enjoy the friendly atmosphere!

7. Charlies Backyard Bar and Grill | Marshall


 




 Located in a historic 1850's New Orleans Style Plantation home, Charlie's is the pride of Marshall.  Known primarily as an outside concert venue, Charlie's is also known for their craft beer selection on tap.  All 10 taps are craft beer, with 8 being from Texas!  We are excited to celebrate with them in welcoming Great Raft Brewing into East Texas markets! Charlie's will be one of the first places to get the Shreveport brewery.

8. Juls | Tyler

The "Pride of Tyler" is commonly referred to as the place for "anyone at anytime".  Jul's opened in 2014 with the vision of a "multi dimensional" restaurant with fine and casual dining while providing an "Austin influenced" atmosphere for their customers.  It is the only restaurant that boasts only Texas craft breweries on tap (20).  They were the first restaurant to get True Vine on tap, and are often the first ones to get rare rotating beers.  Stop in and enjoy fine food, fresh beer and good folks!

9. Auntie Skinner's  | Jefferson



Along the banks of the Caddo Lake you can find the old port town of Jefferson which is home to some of the most historical buildings in Texas.  Auntie Skinner's was opened in 1983 in the old international building that was built in 1866.  The owners have kept the building true to it's character and  carry some of the better craft beers in the area long before it was trendy to do so.  Auntie Skinners is a staple in East Texas, and if you haven't been before you may want to visit Jefferson during Mardi Gras. As the cajuns say, "LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER!" 

10. Maklemores Ale House | Nacogdoches 







Located deep in the heart of the "Piney Woods", Maklemore's was opened in 2014 to offer a relaxing hangout spot for patrons of all ages seeking the newest artisan craft ale.  The extensive craft beer selection and bottle cooler is enough to make any grown man weep.  You can find the list of the regular bottles on their Beer Menu List.  Stop by on Thur. or Sun for Pint night or even catch a few college kids playing guitar.  All around, Maklemore's is the place to go!

11. Stanleys BBQ | Tyler



Do you enjoy the smells of BBQ wafting through the air?  What about enjoying a Texas craft beer while watching a band play on a patio in the summer night?  Good beer and even better BBQ, Stanley's has been in East Texas staple since 1960 and has been serving up delicious pork and ribs. The owners have recently added a full stock bar with a wide variety of craft beers to go along with 70 different whiskeys to warm you up in the winter months.  Come out to Stanley's, order the famous "Mother Clucker" and wash it down with a good 'ol fashioned Texas Craft Beer!

12. Duke's Burgers & Sports Co. | Canton






Van Zandt County might be considered the edge of the East Texas Pine Curtain, but it's also the crossroads for good burgers and craft beer.  Duke's is one of the last places to stop on I-20 before you drive into DFW and they certainly get our attention with their fantastic craft beer selection!  Dukes focuses on making burgers with fresh meat from local farmers and getting the latest craft brews.  This is the closest you can get to getting some of the harder to get craft beers without having to drive into DFW.  Stop by next time you need a pit stop and enjoy your fav. sporting event while drinking some craft!

13. Pecan Point Brewing  | Texarkana 






Pecan Point Gastropub & Brewery is the best of two worlds.  You can go in for a in-house made craft beer and also gaze at their menu of guest beers on tap as well.  From the house made infused spirits to the gastropub style food, this place certainly does mean it when they say, "Eat Local, Drink Local".  Stop by the next time your passing through Texarkana to view the beautiful historical building downtown and grab a Peachweizen brew to enjoy!

14. Lone Star Ice House | Longview







This honky tonk sports bar is connected to the Electric Cowboy dance hall, where you can catch a show or two of some authentic Texas Red Dirt music while enjoying a Texas craft beer.  There are 24 beers taps as well as several other craft beers in bottles. The next night out on the town, grab your cowboy hat and boots and stop in for a cold one! (ps: Frosted mugs are for light beer drinkers!)

15. Roast Social Kitchen | Tyler





After a successful venture with Stanley's BBQ, the owners wanted to open a "farm to table" restaurant that focuses on fresh local food, house made infused spirits (barrel aged), fine wines (on tap... a first in East Texas!), and of course, craft beer! From the fresh pizza to the good folks behind the counter, you don't want miss out on this experience. It truly is a "social kitchen" with delectable pizza and even better beer!

 -The Honorable Mentions- 
Longview |  Bootlegger Grill, Lil Thai House, Fuzzy's Taco
Tyler | Old Chicago's, Torchy's, Twisted Root, Republic Icehouse
Nacogdoches | The Liberty Bell  Greenville | Ashen Rose
Marshall | OS2, Pazzeria  Jefferson | McGarity's Saloon





The Happy Chappy (Jeff)

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing"

Beer Adventures for the Vagabonds: How to Make a Map

Traveling has been a hobby and a passion of mine for many years. Much of my free time and cash have gone to exploring 49 States and 9 Countries. I have made quite the habit of documenting my travels from Xanga, Myspace, Blogger, and now Facebook. I make an effort to stop at every brewery in my path when I am traveling. As I made stops, I wrote them down and pinned them on my “Brewery map” on my wall. Recently this year I discovered a new way to remember, and share, my brewery adventures. I ran across a blog post by the “Roaming Pint” explaining how to create a map digitally using google maps. To my surprise, after creating the map I realized I have been to over 100 breweries. This is a link to my map; you can also go to our webpage, “Beer Adventures” and see a few of our brewery maps.

How to Make a Map

Remov

• Go to google.com/maps
• Log in to your account
• Click on “Menu” in the top left corner of the screen
• Click on “Your Places”
  
  
  
  
  

-Click on “Maps” then at the bottom of the screen click on “Create Map”

-Click on “Untitled Map” to changed the name 0f your brewery 

• Left
• Center
• Right

Rem

Now you’re ready to Add Breweries! In the search bar enter a brewery’s name and click on it! Have Fun!

• Left
• Center
• Right

• A smaller screen with the brewery profile will come up.
• Click “Add to Map” to add it to the list and you will see them on the left hand side of your screen.
• A few other features are fun to play with: You can change the icon from a pin, to a pint, or even a number.

Now you have officially started your own Brewery Map to share with your friends! You can easily repost it to Facebook, or send it to your friends and they can share the fun with you!

Create your own beer map and repost below in the comment section of the link. Let the fun begin! Cheers friends.

The Happy Chappy (Jeff)

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing" - Socrates