Craft Beer News

New bar Cultura Taphouse shares its craft beer passion with Richardson

A.C. Cristales has a passion for craft beer.

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A new spot dedicated to craft beer is opening in Richardson. Called Cultura Taphouse, it's a craft beer bar opening across from the big CityLine center at 120 W. CityLine Dr. #600, a space in the Axis 110 apartment complex that was previously occupied by a Burgerim burger place.

According to owner A.C. Cristales, the bar is just a permit approval away from completion, and he's hoping to open in mid-February.

Cristales is a former assistant principal for Garland ISD with a passion for craft beer and a deep-rooted sense of community.

"Dallas-Fort Worth does have craft beer bars, but I wanted to bring it to this neighborhood," he says.

He also has a profound curiosity and drive; in addition to his career in education, he's a public speaker who travels for speaking engagements — an exposure that helped spark his interest further.

"As I visited places like Boston or Chicago, I would always go to breweries, and I love the culture — the way that, regardless of who you are, craft beer places always make you feel welcome. That's what I want to bring," he says.

He's also a connoisseur who loves variety. "I'm one of those guys who doesn't like drinking the same thing all the time," he says.

Cultura will have 30 beers on tap, plus beers to go, including cans and bottles from breweries in Texas and across the U.S. It's not a brewer, but merely a bar that specializes in craft beer. They'll also serve wine, and a limited menu of food via partnerships with local restaurants and food trucks.

"We'll have both local and national brands, hopefully that people never tried, and we'll rotate them to keep introducing new things," he says. "I want a variety, but don't want it to be overwhelming."

Cultura is a family project: He's opening with the support of his mother and his older brother Axel, who is his partner in the venture.

The name, Spanish for "culture," comes from their philosophy that culture can serve as a bridge to inclusiveness.

"Everything extends from your culture — your values, your beliefs, everybody's different, but we're all the same," he says.

openings craft-beer

Boots & Booze

New Deep Ellum venue vows to win hearts with food, fun, and wedding chapel

Photo by Kathy Tran

The Window at Boots & Booze will serve Deep Ellum early morning through late night.

A new all-day hangout will soon bring comfort food and cocktails, a dog-friendly courtyard, live music stage, and even a whimsical wedding chapel to Dallas' Deep Ellum. Boots & Booze, a new concept from Dallas-based Wush Hospitality Group, will debut its first phase on Friday, October 23 at 3014 Main St., across the street from Terry Black's Barbecue.

The first phase includes The Window, a walk-up kitchen; The Courtyard, an outdoor bar and gathering space; and its signature Shotgun Wedding Chapel.

“This is meant to be a place where you can grab breakfast or coffee before work, bring your dog for the afternoon, meet friends for a drink, catch live entertainment or celebrate something completely unexpected,” Sherry Hazrati, co-founder of Wush Hospitality Group, says in a release. “You don’t need a special occasion to come here. We want people to feel welcome the minute they walk in.”

The Window will serve coffee and breakfast starting at 6:30 am on weekdays, with brunch beginning at 11 am on weekends. The menu, developed by Hazrati and the group's culinary team, changes throughout the day.

Breakfast options include the Crispy Potato and Egg Sandwich and Quick Shift Meals. Lunch brings the Golden Honey Chicken Breast Sandwich, Double Onion Chopped Beef Sandwich, Main Street Philly, and Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese. Dinner offerings include Hearty Chicken, Crispy Potatoes, and After Hours Potatoes.

Weekend brunch features Hot Honey Chicken French Toast and shareable brunch boards, along with lighter and gluten-free options.

The beverage menu includes coffee drinks, sodas, cocktails, wine, and beer, including a gluten-free option. One signature drink is the Cold Fashioned, a frozen take on the Old Fashioned made with Still Austin Whiskey.

Guests can grab to-go meals or settle into The Courtyard, which has a bar, stage, and flexible seating for everything from game-day gatherings to live entertainment and community events.

The Shotgun Wedding Chapel is a "playful” element, says the press release, which is not to say it isn’t a functional wedding venue for couples eager to tie the knot. The team expects ceremonies and other pageantry year-round inside Shotgun.

Sherry Hazrati Boots & Booze Sherry Hazrati and her Wush Hospitality Group are behind Deep Ellum's new Boots & Booze venue.Photo by Kathy Tran

Hazrati says the goal is to make guests feel welcome and give them a reason to return.

“We want people to leave remembering how we made them feel and come back because they feel like they belong," she says.

Hazrati, who has more than 20 years of experience developing and consulting on entertainment spaces, is joined by Wush Hospitality Group COO Noor Jehangir, whose experience includes overseeing the openings of Hyde and The Pinky Ring at Las Vegas' Bellagio. Co-founder David Alex Owusu has a background in video production and technology and owns a production company.

The group plans to expand the concept with Boots & Booze Scratch Kitchen, a full-service restaurant led by executive chef José Luis Rodriguez Perez, former owner of Dallas restaurant Mixtitos Kitchen. Details and an opening date have not been announced.

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