USA, TX: Local Group Brewing set to open in Houston on February 28

Local Group Brewing is set to open at 1504 Chapman in Houston’s Near Northside on Feb. 28, according to a release on February 14.

The idea for the neighborhood brewpub, from owners Michael Steeves, Todd Donewar and James "Huggy Bear" Wolfe, is two-fold. “You could call us a brewery that has its own restaurant, or a restaurant that brews its own beer," said Steeves. "We’re looking to expand the brewpub experience; elevate it. Nothing takes a backseat here."

A 2,700 square-foot brewhouse, helmed by Wolfe who is formerly of Southern Star Brewing Co. and No Label Brewing Company, will debut with an abbreviated menu of small-batch beers. Options will include Li’l Star stout; New England imperial India pale ale Double Vertigo; American sparkling ale Sparkle Motion; and a hefeweizen called Chef’s Hefe.

“I want to make the beer that people drink. I also want to make great beer that we’re proud of. We want to create, experiment and push the edges of what beer can be,” Huggy Bear said. “The landscape is changing. I think people are more open to experimentation.”

Coming soon are a horchata-inspired Horchatanita; fruited kettle sour Athena’s Elixir; two additional imperial India pales and several non-beer options including Texas wines, cold-brew coffee, ciders and sodas.

The kitchen will serve American comfort food including a a Texas Angus beef burger and a sandwich made with crispy chicken that’s been brined with house-made pickle juice and house-brewed beer.

The roster of dishes will also include duck confit poutine with black pepper gravy, house-cured and smoked Berkshire “bacon steak,” a sausage-stuffed pretzel, an everything pretzel served with beer queso and spicy mustard and croissant-based banana foster bread pudding.

“From sourcing the highest quality ingredients, to how we treat them in house, to how they are composed and served, we’ve focused a lot of effort into showing guests something special, different than the typical brewpub culinary experience,” executive chef Jeff Samoska said. “We’re committed to creating high-quality, fresh products in-house, and we have a mindset of constant evolution—we always want to be trying new things and ideas, being playful and adventurous in the kitchen. I think this will keep things exciting for guests.”

Local Group Brewing will be open Tuesday through Thursday from 3 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

16 February, 2020