I want to start off by saying I HATE to do a review like this. This is not what I want to write or recommend. I don’t want to rip a local business, much less a brewery. I want to recommend and support every local brewery. But I have to give my honest opinion about every brewery or this blog won’t have any credibility. And if I come across one that I just can not find much good about, I’m going to share my honest insights.
On this particular day we decided to check out Wild Acre Restaurant and Beer Garden. Sitting just south of I-30 on the east side of Ft Worth in the district once known as Hell’s Half Acre, which is where the name of the brewery was derived. As you enter the outdoor space, you’ll make your way through what seems like way too many kids play areas. The only way to the taproom is through the outdoor space, but once you enter you’ll find the bar with the menu behind. On the far wall is the to go fridge & the merchandise area, and on the far right wall you’ll find the bathrooms.
I’ll start out with the good. The taproom and the bathrooms are very nice, clean, and modern. There are tons of TVs if you’re looking for a spot to catch a game. They also have in house food that has a good reputation. However, we didn’t stay long enough to try any of the food. And unfortunately that’s where the good ends.
Wild Acre boasts the claim on their website to be the kid friendly restaurant of Ft Worth. They took that way way too far. There is at least 3 times as much square footage dedicated to the 4 separate kid activity areas than there is dedicated to the taproom and seating areas for the adult beverage consuming customers they are attempting to attract. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for making breweries kid friendly, it makes it much easier to hang out with the family and still consume your favorite craft beer. But this is closer to a Chuck E Cheese than a brewery. If you came to the brewery without your kids, or if you don’t have any, it borderline makes you feel uncomfortable to be there. There is such a thing as having too many kid activities and this is definitely that.Now we go to the craft beer, as that is why we’re all interested in Wild Acre. They were out of 5 beers they had listed on their website and on their chalkboard menu behind the bar. A craft brewery not having beer listed as available is just unfathomable to me. I understand that maybe you underestimate how much to brew, or you have an event the previous day and unexpectedly run out. But if it’s a signature brew, there’s really no excuse for being out. It’s also very easy to edit your website or erase the chalkboard menu behind the bar.
The first one I’m going to review is the hefeweizen. Hefeweizen’s are one of the first types of beer that drew me into the craft world. It’s a German wheat beer that’s traditionally made with a yeast known for its banana and clove notes. It usually has a very notable taste of banana with a very soft mouth feel. This did not. There was barely any taste you could pick up on. I didn’t catch the ABV and the beer isn’t even listed on their website, a common theme it appears. Incredibly disappointing for what is one of my favorite types of beer.
Next up we’ll talk about their two bocks. The Billy Jenkins Bock is their classic Bock at a 5.2% ABV and it’s supposed to be comparable to a Shiner Bock. Putting Shiner in the same sentence as this is a crime. A Bock is supposed to be a bold, malty German lager, and this was anything but. Not much taste and too sugary for what a Bock is supposed to be. Their Bock Bock, an 8.8% ABV, is their take on a doppelbock, which is supposed to be a bolder imperial Bock. While bolder in taste than the Billy Jenkins, this also was anything but bold. And again it was just too sugary for what a Bock is supposed to be. There is a difference between sweetness, which is a characteristic of malty beers, and sugary. Wild Acre has yet to figure that out.
Last up is their Rice Lager, which is not listed as an available beer on their website. Rice lagers are brewed with rice alongside the barley which gives a very light but crisp finish. This beer was actually surprisingly good considering the previous brews. It had a very clean, crisp finish with a little bit of sweetness from the rice. I wish they had a description on their website because it had a unique taste that I enjoyed.
Overall our visit to Wild Acre was very poor. Drinking beer in a facility with more children than adults was a very uncomfortable feeling that neither my wife nor I enjoyed. I can understand wanting to make a kid friendly place so both the parents and kids can have a good time, but this was taken too far. The beer was mediocre to bad to the point I didn’t even finish my flight. There are so many choices for breweries in downtown Ft Worth, so I just can not recommend anyone visit. I don’t think I really need to say this, but they’re getting 1 🍺. Don’t forget to drink local, but not here.
