Another well known and long standing brewery in the DFW craft beer world sits just off of US-75 in Richardson. Oak Highlands Brewery has been serving unique brews for about 10 years, but just recently moved into the building they’re in now, and while I loved the old place, I think this is a step up.
Despite the large building with parking all the way around it, every time we stop by, there’s hardly ever an open spot. Walk in the front door and you’ll enter a huge, open space with tall ceilings and a ton of seating. Immediately to the right is a room with extra seating that can be rented out for parties. To the left is a decent size stage, and there’s usually a local band playing on the weekends. On the far back wall is the bar with menu and to-go fridge behind, and merch to the right. As you make your way towards the bar, you’ll pass big windows displaying the brewing area, which we love. Back to the left are some very nice bathrooms, and another entry. You can also use this door to head out to a patio that wraps around about half of the building. They have a permanent BBQ food truck, which is a must with as many customers that frequent here. There’s not much to the decor besides some signs here and there, it’s got a little bit of a warehouse style to it. There’s TV’s hanging so catching a game is always a option, and the pool table and shuffleboard are nice additions. They definitely would benefit from some sound dampening devices however, because it can get too loud if it’s busy enough. But it’s a very relaxed space for the most part.
One style that has become one of my go-to selections is the English brown ale. The Tejano Pecano is a 6.2% ABV brown ale aged on pecans. Pecan is one of my favorite flavor additions, but this disappointed. The nutty pecan flavor is barely present. The brown ale is decent, but not nearly sweet enough for the English style. Overall a very disappointing brew.
My wife loves spicy beers, so I already knew she would gravitate towards Jala-Bueno, a 5.8% ABV Kolsch. It’s a German style Kolsch made with jalapenos and other chilis. A Kolsch is a unique style of beer with characteristics of both ales and lagers. It usually has a little bit of fruitiness, and drinks clean and dry. This is a really good spicy brew. It definitely has a kick to it, and I’m not much on spicy, but I was able to enjoy the entire taster. It’s a really well done beer.
My favorite of the day was an oldie but a goodie, the DF-Dub, a 7.1% ABV dunkelweizen beer. The German style Dunkelweizen is a cross between a dunkel and a hefeweizen. The dunkel brings the toast and caramel notes, while the hef brings the banana and vanilla flavors. It’s a beautiful mesh between the two styles, making a fantastic dunkelweizen. You’re not overwhelmed by flavors, and it’s got a little heftyness like you’d expect from a dark wheat beer. It’s been around for a long time, but it’s still really great.
We’ve always had a good time at Oak Highlands Brewery. Most of their beers are great, but like all breweries, there are some misses. The new building is huge, and the layout is great. I usually like the warehouse style of decor for a brewery, but the building is too finished inside to fully pull it off. They’re old place had the same warehouse feel, but it wasn’t as finished, so it worked better. Having a permanent food truck is a big plus as well. Based on all of those factors and the brews we tried on this visit, were giving Oak Highlands Brewery 8 🍺. Definitely a worthy place to stop any time you’re in the area. And Always Drink Local!
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