The Growler Bar and Kitchen — Restaurant in Pflugerville

Came here because of the hubbub surrounding this place as THE beer bar in Pf-ville and cannot for the life of me understand such a high-star rating, unless I'm not drinking the same KoolAid as everyone else?

First off, I am not really sure how or why this place had more kids than a Chuckie Cheese on a Sunday because they don't serve food (unless you count the popcorn machine as food?). I never understand the need for adults to bring their offspring to a bar setting. Personally, it was really rough trying to enjoy my beer when there were running, screaming, stomping and just plain unruly kids overrunning the place. If I had known this was the demographic here, I would have never come.

Second, I was a little disappointed with their beer selection. I had heard that it was amazing from so many other people, but on the Sunday evening I went, I was hard-pressed to find something fitting anywhere near an "amazing" description.

I ended up doing a flight and it is an interesting pricing tier they have for this. For the little tasters of the beer I got, my flight was a bit on the pricey side. You might get better value with a full pint, but even those were a bit more than what I would pay for the beers on tap.

Also, the staff seemed a bit distant and like they were there to serve their needs rather than the customers. Almost an air of the "disenfranchised youth" personas you might find at Starbucks, but they were well past the age where that is even remotely ironic or amusing. They couldn't even really tell me anything about the beers they were serving. One even said, "Umm, the descriptions are on the screens." Honestly, I think I would have had a better experience if they just automated the entire system where you order from the same ipad you pay at.

Needless to say, between the distance from me, the kiddies galore, the selection, and service...or lack there of, there is nothing to bring me back here with so many other quality beer...

The Growler Bar and Kitchen is a hidden gem. If you love beer and pizza you NEED to get over there soon!

The GB&K is not easy to see from 685. As you head south it on the right side, up on a hill and really not visible from the road. Use Waze or Google Maps to find it the first time.

The first time we went there, we went for the beer not knowing they had a kitchen. I did see a menu, but some of the kitchens in places like it are really nothing to brag about. So in the hour we were there we watched about 100 pizzas walk out the door (No, this is not an exaggeration). I mean people were ordering 2 or 3 pies each time and it seemed like the take out business was booming. We decided to try their Chicken BBQ pizza and quickly realized why...it is darn good. We have gone through about half of their pizzas on the menu and tried their wings too which are good.

Of course the beers and other beverage they have on tap are why we love the place. There are over 60 choices ALL the time. I am a big stout drinker and even in the summer they have multiple choice from me. They have ALL types of beers from sours, to IPA, porters and European choices. Local favorites, other beers from Texas and then everywhere else.

My wife tends to not like beers but she will get a flight of some of their ciders, or less potent choices which are sweeter.

The have a small inside area to eat and drink including a bar counter. Outside they have bistro and picnic tables with cover and umbrella to block the melting summer sun.

Service is excellent both at the bar and in the kitchen. So worth a stop if...

The Growler Bar is very unique in many awesome ways. Here is why, great selection of drinks (~45 rotating beers on tap, 6 wines on tap, two komuchas on tap, three cold brew coffees on tap and the ROOTBEER on tap is almost a religious experience), free popcorn, free video games (three consoles and two have 6 games each), board games and local food trucks. But for me the biggest deal is it's FAMILY FRIENDLY. This place is what I would think a neighborhood pub in the UK would be like. We meet friends and family there at least once a week and spend some great quality time talking, socializing and playing board games like Battleship, cards and Monopoly. Have not heard a curse word yet, everyone is friendly, the staff is great and knows their beers; my wife often goes off what they recommend. There are beer types there that I never have heard of, if you like beer, then you have to try all the kinds (IPA, Mead, Siason, Barleywine, Scottish Ale, etc) but for me, my vise is the Cuvee Cold Brew Nitro Coffee and the Buddha's Brew Komucha. If you want to get a good initial feel for the place, go early on a Sat or Sun (like in the afternoon) or before 6:30pm on a Mon-Wed. The owner is very customer driven and you can tell that they love what they do and know what they do. Keep an eye out of their "Tap Takeovers" where a brewery is there for an evening and has a lot of their...