The Pour House has come a long way. Back when it first opened, in 1995 in Sundance Square, it was a meat-market sports bar that, in addition to cover bands and multiple TVs, also had some pretty decent pub grub. In 2009 owner Eric Tschetter relocated to the burgeoning West 7th Street corridor, trading his former location’s, uh, unique charm (treacherous staircase and all) for roominess and new furniture. Whether because of competition — the even newer Reservoir Bar Patio & Kitchen has quickly cornered the neighborhood’s meat-market market — or Tschetter’s long-range thinking, The Pour House has recently undergone a re-branding. In the spirit of Zio Carlo Magnolia Brew Pub on the Near Southside and the former incarnation of The Flying Saucer downtown, The Pour House is now arguably a gastropub: craft beer paired with inventive cuisine.
The first thing you’ll notice once inside is the wall of craft taps. Just about any brewery you can think of — from Rahr & Sons and Lakewood to Chimay — is represented. During happy hour (until 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays), all drafts are only $4.
A good start was the appetizer of pickles and ’peños: a sizable helping of lightly battered and fried dill pickles and jalapeños served with ranch dressing. The ’peños — not too spicy, not greasy — were preferable to the super-salty pickles.
The sriracha chicken sandwich — a slab of boneless fried chicken dipped in the spicy Thai chile sauce, covered with Monterrey Jack cheese, and served on a bun with all the fixin’s — was excellent. Basically, the dish was a fun twist on hot wings, with the sriracha standing in for the buffalo sauce and the Jack for the blue cheese.
The beer-battered fish ’n’ chips were also phenomenally good. With a delightfully crispy, stout-infused, deep-fried outer layer, the four giant white pieces were presented on parchment paper (an appropriately British touch) and accompanied by fairly standard fries and ramekins of malt vinegar and house-made tartar sauce. There was something magical about the crunch and creaminess in every bite. A quibble: The tartar was Miracle Whip-based, not made with mayonnaise.
Eric’s Cheeseburger Salad was exactly what it sounds like: a heap of mixed greens and optional bacon beneath a whopping cheeseburger patty. Served medium well, the beef was delicious. You won’t even miss the bun. (If you’re not a fan of American cheese, which tends to get a little plastic-y when melted, ask for something else.)
The only disappointment of the meal was the buffalo chicken quesadillas. The grilled chunks of bird and the spicy sauce were tasty, but the chipotle flour tortilla wrapping was somewhat bland, doughy, and chewy in the most unpleasant sense of that word.
Along with upscale pub fare, The Pour House also offers beer tastings, beer education, and various specials on all alcoholic beverages, not just beer. The Pour House also is now officially nonsmoking, though feel free to light up in the adjacent PH bar, The Garage.
No one’s saying that The Pour House is the second coming of Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine — or even Magnolia Motor Lounge or Rodeo Goat — but for good beer and even better eats, you could do a lot worse than to check in on Eric Tschetter and company.
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The Pour House
2725 W 7th St, Ste 101, FW. 817-335-2575. 11am-2am daily. All major credit cards accepted.
Pickles and ’peños………………… $6.99
Buffalo chicken quesadillas……. $9.99
Beer-battered fish and chips… $10.99
Eric’s Cheeseburger Salad……. $10.99
Sriracha chicken sandwich……. $9.49
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Do they still charge a cover if you’re trying to just eat dinner there? Last time some friends and I tried to get dinner (a few months ago) we had to basically argue with the doorman about how we weren’t going to pay to get in AND pay to eat. Unless they change that I won’t be back.
Hi, Matt-
I actually had to call the PH management on this one. Fridays and Saturdays there is generally a cover charge after 9 PM IF there is a band. On nights when there’s no band, or on nights where there is a band but before 9PM (or whatever time is designated on the website – double check), no cover to eat dinner.