Bastrop Brewhouse

601 Chestnut, Bastrop; 512/321-1144
Sun.-Fri., 11am-12mid; Sat., 11am-1am
www.bastropbrewhouse.com

Located in a warren of historic, ramshackle houses perched on the banks of the Colorado River, Bastrop Brewhouse is one of the town’s more interesting restaurants. Offering several hand-crafted ales, as well as many popular local microbrews, the beer selection is excellent. And as the area hosts a thriving Men­non­ite farming community, the Brewhouse has a reliable supply of organically raised produce and meats to work with directly. Friday night is Steak Night, when locally raised grass-fed beefsteak is offered; the menu also boasts barbecue pastured chicken and pastured pork ribs, Texas trout, and hamburgers made with 100% Bastrop-raised ground beef. Solid American comfort food is the general thrust, yet there is definite creativity at play. Consider one of the most popular appetizers: reuben egg rolls made with house-roasted corned beef, slaw, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese, served with a Russian dressing dipping sauce; or, the green chili mac and cheese, entirely house-made, topped with roasted chicken, tomatoes, sweet corn, and applewood-smoked bacon. Both, despite their departure from the norm, really work. There is genuine talent in this kitchen.

This article appears in November 15 • 2013.

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Kate Thornberry worked in renowned Austin restaurants for 30 years while pursuing a reasonably successful career in music. She began contributing to the Chronicle in 1988 and became a regular contributor to the food section in 2006.