After much local anticipation, the day has arrived for White Rock Alehouse & Brewery, a new brewpub bringing craft beers and great food to the Dallas community of Lakewood and beyond.
Founders Dave Kirk and Greg Nixon are friends and entrepreneurs with a love of the craft beer movement who created their concept to fill a gap in the market.
They’ve witnessed the craft beer world evolving around the country and in Dallas, too, with breweries opening locally—but with few options in the stretch between East Dallas and Garland.
“We are both East Dallas residents, and we’ve always loved the White Rock Lake area,” says Kirk. “We saw a need for a destination that focused on craft beer, craft cocktails, and a smart menu, all backed by the White Rock name that many of us revere.”
With White Rock Alehouse & Brewery, they intend to serve the best craft beer with a goal of eventually brewing their own. They’ll feature top local beers on tap, but their focus will be on great beer, whether that’s from Dallas or from cities across the U.S.
Their license is for a brewpub, which allows them to make beer to be consumed on-site. Head brewer is Blake Morrison, a home brewer-turned-pro who helped formulate several of the beers for Cedar Creek Brewery including the popular Dankosaurus IPA, and who created the lineup of beers at Whistle Post Brewing in Pilot Point. He’s a local boy, too: Like Greg and Dave, he’s a resident of Lake Highlands.
They’re currently brewing test batches as they finalize their lineup. Some of their offerings will be seasonal in nature, IE wheat beers during the summer, and stouts and porters during colder months.
Food will occupy a major role, with everything designed to pair well with beer and to serve patrons of the lake and trail nearby. The menu is American in theme, but with elevated, creative twists, and a commitment to have the food be as good as the beer. They’ll be open for dinner, brunch, and happy hour (lunch hours added in the near future), and will also sell growlers for beer to-go.
White Rock Alehouse & Brewery is located at the high-profile intersection of Gaston and Garland Roads, one of the major crossroads of East Dallas. Their building sits on an ideal spot overlooking the trailhead—views of which can be enjoyed from their 4,000-square-foot patio and beer garden. It’ll be a family-friendly space while catering to a primarily adult audience. Their affair with the lake even extends to the décor, incorporating elements of running, bicycling, and boating.
“The lake provides a lot of inspiration for the location and for a lot of what we’re doing,” Kirk says.
