Kings of Beer

The best breweries in Dallas-Fort Worth elevate the craft of beer

With the return of our Tastemaker Awards, we get to honor the top talent in the Dallas food and beverage industry, leading up to our grand tasting event on May 14 at the Empire Room.

One of the most dynamic categories has to be craft beer. Since Deep Ellum Brewing Co. debuted in 2010, we've seen dozens of breweries and brewpubs open around Dallas-Fort Worth, all contributing to a new awareness and appreciation of fine, locally made beer.

The 10 finalists below for Brewery of the Year represent some of our brightest and newest contenders. Out of these 10, a winner will be announced at our party, along with the champions in the other eight categories, some of which we've covered so far: Bartender of the Year, Bar of the Year, Best Burger and Rising Star Chef of the Year. And be sure to weigh in on our Best New Restaurant tournament, where your vote decides who takes the title.

Meet the contestants for Brewery of the Year:

Audacity
Denton brewery comes from brewer Doug Smith and University of North Texas grad Scott Lindsey. They hatched the idea to start a brewery while both were living in Colorado, where Smith worked at Fort Collins Brewery. Audacity sells beer for consumption onsite, with selections such as IPA, English brown porter, amber ale, Berliner weisse, Munich lager and Texas pale ale, with new selections rotated in incorporating local ingredients like prickly pear and agave.

Collective Brewing Project
Ryan Deyo and Mike Goldfuss founded this brewery and taproom in Fort Worth's Southside in 2014. They serve beer, snacks, growler and crowler fills to go. Their beer is also served at local bars such as Lark on the Park and Luck at Trinity Groves. Their brews are especially creative with options such as apricot IPA, rye porter with hints of chocolate and coffee, and a series of cutting-edge sours they call Funkytown. Every week they brew up a limited-edition infused beer such as saison with green tea.

Community Brewing
Community Beer Company opened in the Design District in January 2013, featuring the brewing chops of Jamie Fulton, former award-winning proprietor of Fort Worth's Covey Restaurant and Brewery. Their prodigious releases, wide-scale availability on the retail side, hugely popular brewery tours and even occasional special edition beers such as their Ascension coffee porter make them one of the area's most polished and successful outfits.

Franconia
The second-oldest brewery in North Texas, Franconia was a pioneer when it opened in McKinney in 2008, long preceding the current craft beer explosion. Brewmaster Dennis Wehrmann was born in Germany and came from a brewing family. Franconia's brews — including lager, Bavarian wheat and dunkel — hew to the European tradition of beer; its Maibock is a popular seasonal specialty.

Grapevine Craft Brewery
Grapevine is the little brewery that could. Owner Gary Humble, the epitome of perseverance, devoted two years to getting his brewery — with retail space, taproom and eventual beer garden — underway. And yet he still managed to juggle releasing his beers widely in cans and winning gold medals for his Sir Williams English brown ale.

Lakewood
Part of the first wave of Dallas-based breweries, Lakewood Brewing Company makes fine brews, which are widely circulated, on tap and in bottles and cans, to the exacting standards of founder and native of Belgium Wim Bens. The brewery, which recently expanded, is a destination for its tours and a foodie favorite thanks to its Temptress, a high-ABV Imperial Milk Stout that also serves as the base for special-flavor editions.

Peticolas
One of the original local breweries when it opened in January 2012, Peticolas wasted no time winning awards or the respect of serious beer drinkers. Its lineup is heavy on IPAs with a slightly bitter, European-style flavor profile. And its Velvet Hammer, a ruby-brown ale that's both floral and sweet, is one of the area's most celebrated beers.

Rabbit Hole
Brewery in Justin (by the Texas Motor Speedway) is at a crossroads of the Mid-Cities, equally accessible from Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton. Its Saturday afternoon tours are a leisurely destination, and the brewery has already made waves for its Mike Modano's 561 Kolsch-style beer and Rapture Fusion brown ale.

Revolver
Granbury brewery from father and son Ron and Rhett Keisler, along with brewer Grant Wood, has carved out a reputation for doing things right since it opened in fall 2012. Its beers are approachable yet well-made, and a visit to its facilities for Saturday tours make for a pleasant excursion. Its Blood & Honey, a wheat beer flavored with blood orange, orange zest and local honey, is a big local favorite.

Texas Ale Project
"TAP" is a family project located in the Design District whose beer is already available in more than 40 bars and restaurants around Dallas. Their four staples include Naked Truth American Wheat, Somethin' Shady Porter, 50 FT Jackrabbit IPA and Fire Ant Funeral, a hoppy American-style red amber ale that has already won a cult of devotees.

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Buy tickets now to the Tastemaker Awards on May 14.

Collective Brewing Project in Fort Worth.

Courtesy photo

Collective Brewing Project in Fort Worth.

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Roundup of Restaurant News

Surprising string of closures surfaces in this Dallas restaurant news

Mom's Cafe

Farewell Mom's Cafe

This roundup of dining news around Dallas has more than the usual number of closures, from chains to small indie spots — and that's not even counting Dick's Last Resort, which closed after 40 years. But there are openings and comebacks, not to mention new menus for the season, and maybe even better, new cocktails, too.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill, a small Middle Eastern restaurant chain from Chicago which made its debut in Dallas market with a location in Frisco in 2022, has unfortunately closed. The chain is still opening locations in more receptive places like California, but is officially out of Texas.

Mom’s Cafe, a modest restaurant at 602 Main St. in Allen that was revered for its basic, reasonably-priced fare, closed in November after 10 years. The restaurant changed ownership in 2024 and the beloved founder known as "Grandma" recently passed away.

Natuur, the smoothie and bowls concept from Denver, closed its Dallas location at 1902 Henderson Ave. They opened in 2022 with great smoothies and smoothie bowls in blends such as açaí or super green, to which you could add fruits, toppings, and granola; plus sourdough toasts, salads, hot bowls such as oatmeal and tomato basil soup, and cold brew coffee. They also had a location in Austin, which recently closed as well.

Theo's Drive-In, an iconic favorite in Grand Prairie, closed on November 30, after decades of serving late-night burgers, curly fries, and memories. The restaurant was founded in 1956 by Theo Chokas, then subsequently taken over by his nephew Theo. It wasn't until 2013 that they finally accepted credit cards. With its classic red roadside sign, it was a longtime staple on East Main Street, serving as a hangout after games, dates, and long nights with burgers, hot dogs, floats, and more.

Jack in the Box at 6308 Gaston Ave. has mounted a comeback with a retro-inspired renovation. It's one of the original locations in Dallas which opened in 1969, and has been rebuilt with retro visuals and nostalgic touches such as an old-school speaker box, vintage signage, and a recreated classic menu board. The throwback is not a chain-wide initiative, but is only taking place at this location, which is owned by franchisee Chris Aslam, who operates 27 Jack in the Box locations in Dallas and more throughout the system.

Jack in the Box on Gaston AveJITB

Naturals Rolls & Ice Cream is now open in Frisco at 5266 Independence Pkwy #105, serving rolled ice cream — the third place to open doing rolled ice cream place to open in the last year, following Maya Creamery in Las Colinas, and Cream and Crepes at the Shops at Park Lane, in a trend that weirdly seems to be making a comeback. In addition to rolled ice cream, the oddly-plural Naturals also serves shakes, juices, bubble waffles, and Indian desserts.

Hugs Cafe, a nonprofit that employs adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will open in East Dallas on December 8 at 2918 Live Oak St. Hugs creates opportunities for adults with IDD to gain independence, confidence, and purpose through work. They'll be open for breakfast and lunch with dishes such as the Chickie Hug, Cheddar Biscuit Sandwich, salads, soups, and specials.

Kimiya Japanese Cuisine McKinney is a new All-You-Can-Eat restaurant which just opened in McKinney in a former Denny's (and before that, a TGI Friday's) at 1615 N Central Expy. The AYCE option features sushi, sushi rolls, appetizers like edamame and crab puffs, and is $24 at lunch, when it's limited to 90 minutes. In addition to AYCE, they have a huge a la carte menu with sushi rolls, teriyaki, tempura, hibachi lunch, ramen, kalbi, bento boxes, fried rice, udon noodles, and more.

Yemandi Yemeni Cuisine, a unique Middle Eastern restaurant at 888 S. Greenville Ave. #210 in Richardson, opened in May but only just celebrated a ribbon-cutting. The restaurant, which specializes in dishes from Yemen, the small coastal country south of Saudi Arabia, has enjoyed a whirlwind existence since it was featured in a TikTok video that showed its unique Sunnah-style dining option, available in a few secluded booths where you sit on the floor while you eat. The menu features familiar Middle Eastern staples such as hummus, but also less familiar dishes like hummus with liver.

Café Momentum, the non-profit and culinary training facility, has unveiled a new seasonal menu created by chef de cuisine Aaron Collins in collaboration with Café Momentum’s youth interns. Dishes include fried oysters with Cajun spice with caviar ranch; delicata squash with tahini, pomegranate molasses, & toasted pecans; mushroom bisque; cider-brined pork tenderloin with spaetzle & apple-cabbage slaw; halibut with sweet potato, cauliflower, & Brussels sprouts; coffee-rubbed 44 Farms NY strip with broccolini & potato gratin; butternut squash rigatoni with kale & pancetta; Moroccan chickpea and vegetable stew with couscous; fennel zucchini salad with candied pecans; bourbon pecan pie; and chai-spiced sweet potato cake.

White Rock Brewing Co. which is located in Oak Cliff, is serving holiday-themed cocktails through December that include a Cranberry Margarita and a Peppermint Espresso Martini. They're also making seasonal beers brewed with Noble Coffee including the Imperial Coffee Stout and Pumpkin Spice Ale.

Nothing Bundt Cakes has two holiday flavors for December: Coconut Cream Snowflake, a coconut cake filled with vanilla pudding, topped with coconut, available in personal-sized Bundtlets from December 1-14; and Peppermint Chocolate Chip chocolate cake with chocolate chips and peppermint pieces, available in all sizes December 8-January 4.

Dave’s Hot Chicken, the chain from California, has launched a new core menu offering: Saucy Bites, featuring Dave's Chicken Bites tossed in one of three sauces: Spicy Buffalo, Spicy BBQ, or Mike’s Hot Honey. They're also debuting a Ranch dip and a spicy version called the Reaper Ranch.

Snooze, the buzzy brunch chain, has unveil a new lineup of holiday specials as follows: Sticky toffee buttermilk pancakes topped with pecan sticky toffee sauce, espresso-date mascarpone and candied orange zest; spiked peppermint hot chocolate with blanco tequila, coffee liqueur, and peppermint syrup; gingerbread latte with espresso, milk, gingerbread syrup, and a ginger snap cookie; caramel haze hot chocolate with hazelnut and caramel syrup; peppermint hot chocolate, and peppermint mocha hot with crushed peppermint.

Toastique, the toast-loving chain with a location in Addison, has an amazing smoothie of the season: a spiced pumpkin smoothie with pumpkin, banana, almond milk, maple syrup, and pumpkin spice.

Jinya Ramen Bar has new winter chef’s specials by chef Kazuya Takebe: Tokyo Yatai Classic, a clear chicken broth with pork chashu, seasoned egg, spinach, green onion, chopped, onion and a slice of naruto Japanese fish cake, with thin noodles nori; and Crispy Chicken Wings in Asian sweet-sour sauce. Guests who order the Tokyo Yatai Classic will receive one of three limited-edition ramen spoons featuring Demon Slayer characters Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, or Inosuke Hashibara.

North Italia is offering a Holiday Lunch Prix Fixe where you can order a small plate and entrée duo for $25. The menu is available from 11 am-4 pm daily, featuring standouts from North’s latest seasonal menu like the Sunday Night Lasagna and Arancini along with exclusive dishes like the Chicken Parmigiana Verde, Bruschetta Duo, and Brussels Sprout & Medjool Pizza. It's available through December 23.

Chili’s is bringing back a top-selling Margarita of the Month for December: the Merry Maker Marg for $6, with Lunazul Blanco Tequila, Cointreau, Monin Blackberry, strawberry puree, and house-made sour, served with a reusable Santa ‘stache straw.

Fish City Grill and Half Shells have rolled out a wave of new menu items upgraded oyster nachos with housemade chips, chargrilled oysters, moked troup dip, the omega bowl with salmon, Havarti-cheddar mac & cheese, Mediterranean sea bass, and Texas redfish.

Perch Bistro & Bar is launching 12 holiday cocktails which they'll serve from December 1-12. They include frozen spiced cranberry paloma, pomegranate spritz, gingersnap martini, spiced cranberry whisky sour, banana bread old fashioned, and a stuffing martini.

Bellagreen American Bistro, the Texas-based healthy chain, has launched a new winter seasonal menu that will run through February in all Houston and Dallas locations. It's built around the Golden Glow diet, featuring nutrient-dense ingredients like turmeric, ginger, sweet potatoes, kale, berries, and green tea. Highlights include chicken soup; golden grain & arugula salad (with butternut wild rice pilaf, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, and goat cheese); roasted veggie quinoa-kale bowl with sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and tahini-sriracha sauce; seared salmon over turmeric cauliflower rice; peppermint cheesecake; and German chocolate cheesecake.

White Rhino Coffee, the DFW coffeehouse chain, has three new seasonal beverages: Chumpkin, a blend of spiced chai and pumpkin with steamed milk which can be made "dirty" by adding espresso or matcha; Gingerbread Latte with espresso, milk, and gingerbread spice; and Banana Bread Latte with oat milk, banana purée, cinnamon, and choice of espresso or matcha.

Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, the Italian Ice concept, is teaming up with Andes mint with holiday specials spotlighting Andes' chocolate-mint flavor in two new frozen treats: Mint Fudge Sundae features Rita’s Vanilla and Chocolate Twist Frozen Custard topped with Andes Mints, hot fudge, and whipped cream; Mint Cookie Crunch Concrete features Vanilla Frozen Custard blended with Andes Mints and Oreo cookie pieces. Available through January 11.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop is ringing in the holiday season with a festive limited-time cocktail: the Jingle Berry ‘Rita, available through December 31. It blends Fuzzy’s Frozen House Margarita with blackberry syrup, Ole Smoky Blackberry Moonshine, and a Black Cherry White Claw dunk, bringing a burst of berry-forward cheer to every sip.

Mister Charles, the acclaimed restaurant on Knox Street from Duro Hospitality, made the list in OpenTable's prestigious Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2025 — the only restaurant in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to earn a spot on this coveted list and one of only 10 in the entire state of Texas.

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