Live Oak Brewing Company — Restaurant in Austin

I went to check this place out because I was entitled to a free beer through the "Barks for Beers" charity campaign. (Good on them for participating!) On a Tuesday night, it was quiet. The bartender gave me excellent service.

I had the Big Bark Amber Lager, which was quite good. It can be hard to find an amber (much less a red or a brown), so I appreciated this. I also had a Pre-War Pils, which was fine, but nothing to write home about.

I was hoping to eat, so I was disappointed that the food trucks were closed on Tuesdays. They do offer potato chips.

One big negative for me is that the beers are weak. As I recall, they had only one beer over 5.7% alcohol, and that was a monster 9% smoked doppelbock. Most were between 3% and 5%. (The website says they have a handful of stronger seasonal beers.)

The other big negative is that it's way in the middle of nowhere. I always take an Uber when I expect to drink, and this was a rather expensive trip, even from South Austin.

TL:DR: It's fine, but nothing special. I guess I'd go back if I could tag along with a friend who was going anyway, but on the whole, I'm not in a...

Great beer, but the customer service was very unsettling. When I initially walked in for a to-go pack, the employee was very short and rude when I asked about the to-go beer options. Whenever I asked for a stamp on my Austin Ale Trail passport, he was reluctant to say yes to stamp it, and whenever he did stamp it, he did it aggressively and stamped my finger when I was trying to hold it open for him. I did not say anything and left. This was one of the last few locations to complete on my passport, and I would say it was by far the most unpleasant experience I’ve had at a brewery. I’ve been around all kinds of people, but the anger and rudeness this employee exhibited was outright wrong. I do not expect to be treated any better than anyone else, but I hope for the respect I would give you, especially when purchasing your products. I understand this was one employee and did NOT reflect the brewery as a whole, but I would instead not go back to avoid coming in contact with this...

Brewery: Live Oak City: Austin TX Brewed on premise: Yes Number of house beer taps: 10 Number of bottles/cans: 0 Guest Beer: No Bar seating: 0 Table seating: Yes Patio: Yes Beer garden: Yes Food: Yes Food Trucks: Special Events Dogs Allowed: Yes Televisions: 0 Beer to go: Yes Liquor: No Wine: No Tony: Yes Why would I come back: Stated in 1997, Live Oak is one of the Texas Craft Beer Pioneers. Located near the airport, they feature a modern brewhouse, a great patio in the shade and an actual bier garden, with tables nestled among the trees. Big indoor space with beautiful wood community tables and a large live edge bar. Specialized in traditional Old World and German styles including pilsner, smoked polish beer and even a cold IPA (hoppy lager). There's even a disc golf course. Beers have won multiple awards, and are worth stopping by before you head to the...