The noble neighborhood pub is being redefined nowadays. The pressure to compete with local breweries as well as appealing to a family-friendly crowd is a difficult proposition, at best. However, The Growler Bar in Pflugerville nails it in every way by not competing with the breweries, but rather working with them to get good beer on tap and appealing to the locals in the area.
I managed to make it there two nights in a row and even though the clientele was different each night, everybody seemed to be having a terrific time. On Friday night, the place was packed and about half of the people there seemed to have their children there. With cold brew coffee and root beer also on tap, they certainly know how to appeal to the non-beer drinking crowd. A food truck outside and a table selling breast cancer awareness t-shirts allowed you to not only have a few drinks, but support local business and contribute to a good cause.
Saturday night was a different crowd with mostly folks there to watch college football. With quite a few TV’s situated throughout the bar, there was a game that seemed to appeal to everybody. Our bartender knew my friend, and was asking about how things were going, which made us immediately feel comfortable at the bar. No food is served on premises, so we ordered some Mama Fu’s Chinese for delivery, which leaves your options endless.
As far as beer goes? The selection was beyond stellar with so many Texas offerings, including many that I’ve rarely, if ever, seen at local bars.My favorites at the bar were Austin Beerworks Montecore, Independence Cucumber Red Bud, and Lakewood Red Wine Barrel Till & Toil. At one point, we were fading toward the end of the night, so the fact that these guys had Cuvee Coffee’s Black & Blue on tap certainly helped bring us back to life to finish the night.
The bar does growler fills, as the name suggests. In fact, many patrons stopped in for a quick growler fill and left. With prices clearly labeled on the DigitalPour board, it’s no wonder why so many people make a pit stop before heading home.
Overall, The Growler Bar is a terrific place to go in the Pflugerville area. With limited options for craft beer on that side of town, this place has the market cornered with their stellar selection, knowledgeable staff, family-friendly atmosphere, and friendly people, why wouldn’t you want to go here?