Dallas Beer Kitchen opened its doors just a few weeks ago down on Greenville. The blogging duo of Joe Scribner and Bryan Kaeser have settled back from their “Best Damn Things” blog to fulfill their lifelong dream of opening a comfort food, craft beer den, and they’ve outfitted the place with some serious brews. The place has a speakeasy swiftness with thin wooden stools, painted brick, and plenty of air between the seats. Behind the bar is mahogany, textured slate and a tattooed bartender with a warming smile. It’s sparsely decorated with old photographs and minimal accents. There’s food, too, (like movie theater popcorn and grilled chicken wings) but we skipped the solids and went straight for the liquids. Jesse approached our table after fitting the men along the bar with proper drinks, and we asked him to prepare two flights of his choices. He did not disappoint and offered us a rundown of each choice. Here we go.
From light to heavy, our first flight was an excellent preparation by Jesse.
Lakewood’s Zomer Pils
- spice and attitude. It was a refreshing pilsner befitting its style.
Greenflash’s Red Rye IPA
- notes grapefruit, was tenderly hopped, and tasted like fall.
The Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA
- hints of chocolate with a rugged boldness. It reminded us of a man with gristle on his cheeks, sitting on boulders smoldering in the heat. That rhymes.
The Ballast Point Victory at Sea
- very chocolate-y note, lots of coffee in taste along with roasted nuts. It’s a tribute to the beauty and depth of the porter and it was my favorite of this flight.
Our second flight had some disappointments. But overall, still a winner.
The Ommegang Belgian Pale Ale
- a cedar spice on the nose with wheat and nutmeg. This also reminded us of fall. It was delicious.
La Socarrada
- a spiced Spanish ale that was, as my companion stated, “The weirdest beer I’ve ever tasted.” I was inclined to disagree, but it was the most interesting of the night. It had attitude and sophistication, and expressed itself like a spring bouquet in the mouth. Yum.
The Community Mosaic IPA
- also delicious with well-balanced hops and some mild fruit flavor.
Lastly came the Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. This was a fail for both of us. Being stout lovers, this just felt watered down and thus lost the richness of what makes a stout a stout. Somebody needs to feed this poor guy.
Dallas Beer Kitchen has flexed some inspiring beer muscles with its menu. You could spend weeks running through their bottle list and 30 drafts. The place is relaxed, spacious and plays great music. I didn’t try any of the food, but there is a pop tart on the menu, and I’m sad I don’t have one now. This places is a wonderful addition to Greenville offering a friendly atmosphere and craft brews for all tastes. Go and get lubricated.
