Our Houston Breweries Spotlight Series take a deep look at all of the most iconic and upstart craft breweries across Greater Houston. Check out our Definitive Guide to Houston Breweries.
Grab a bite, take a stroll through the biergarten, and raise a pint at Karbach Brewing Company near Spring Branch.
The evolution of Karbach Brewing Company has been a quick stride from their humble opening in 2011 to the debut of their restaurant and beer garden complex that sits on Karbach Street today.
In a short several years, Karbach has become one of the biggest names on the Houston brewery scene and are well equipped to provide a polished experience to beer enthusiasts that flock to its doors just northwest of the Loop.
Whether you drop by for the live music, the restaurant menu, or the hoppy goodness on tap, you’re in for a robust brewery experience at Karbach Brewing that is seldom found around town.
A Cultivated Biergarten & Restaurant
Arriving at one of the multiple parking lots around the brewery, it’s hard not to notice the enormous fermenters that seem to grow out of the main entrance at the corner of Karbach and Dacoma Streets.
Windows around the building and inside the hallways allow visitors to peer into factory floors where Karbach produces its more than 100,000 barrels of brew annually.
Never too far from the factory, arriving guests have the option of heading through the front doors into the restaurant or moving around the corner to enter the expansive Biergarten out back.
If you’re there for grub, head inside to the hostess and be seated. Tables wrap the perimeter and fill the spaces on either side of the concrete bar that serves as centerpiece to the restaurant, complete with a string of many spouts along the tap wall.
Open daily, Karbach Brewing’s restaurant serves fare from shared plates (crab cakes, Korean fried chicken, poutine) to pizza and entrees (like the 10-ounce Hanger Steak, Pesto Risotto, or the Brewmaster Burger with Karbach bacon).
A small outdoor patio provides shaded seating and a quieter atmosphere, as well as a direct line that leads to the Biergarten out back.
Follow the series of bright blue picnic tables to the right and you’ll find yourself in an area perfect for those breezy summer nights with live music.
The stage for musicians sits to the left, facing a covered patio area with enough seating to accommodate plenty of toe-tapping fans.
To either side of the covered patio sits tap stations, ready to exchange a token for one of Karbach Brewing’s signature beers.
For those who want to grab a shirt, glass, or other piece of swag, make sure to stop by the small shop to the left of the stage.
Brews with More Hops than Easter
With taps in and outside of Karbach Brewery, you’re always a few steps from the more than 15 beer varieties on tap on any given night.
The Karbach tap list features ten mainstays available year-round, as well as seasonal, limited series, and special brews that make it on the menu.
Here’s what we recommend from our stop at Karbach Brewing:
- Love Street – A Kolsch-style blonde, this light and utterly refreshing brew is a popular summer staple and session ale.
- Weisse Versa Wheat – A blend of hefeweizen and Belgian white notes, this award-winning spicy and citrusy brew makes for a flavorful combination and easy repeat drinker.
- Hop Delusion with Mango – Part of the Hop Delusion series, this Imperial IPA twisted with mango offers huge citrus notes and an avalanche of hoppiness with an ABV close to 9%.
Coming Back to Karbach
Over the last few years, Karbach Brewing has grown well into its sprawling digs.
Throughout the year, local bands grace the stage in the biergarten, creating an impromptu dance floor between the bands and the covered patio.
Cookoffs, crawfish boils, and any other excuse to bring large groups of people together in the name of food dot the events calendar as well.
And for those willing to meet elsewhere, Karbach hosts a Brews Cruise every month that invites fans of the brewery to grab a bike and ride together in different neighborhoods around Houston with stops at popular bars.
Whether you find yourself at Karbach Brewery surrounded by people at one of these special events or just looking for a delicious burger on any given weeknight, there are no shortage of reasons to find yourself coming back to the well-refined confines of Karbach.
Tips for Visiting
If you’re drinking in the beer garden, admission is $11 for a 9-ounce glass with four tokens, or $15 for a pint and three tokens. Additional tokens can be purchased at tap stations.
Tours are available every day of the week and start in the biergarten. Weekday tours run at 3pm, 5pm, and 7pm; weekend tours run every hour on-the-hour Saturday (1pm to 7pm) and Sunday (1pm to 5pm).
Karbach Brewing Company
- Location: 2032 Karbach Street, Houston, TX 77092
- Phone: 713-680-2739
- Hours:
- Tuesday through Saturday: 11am to 9:30pm
- Sunday and Monday: 11am to 9pm
Looking for more great craft brewery options in Greater Houston? Check out our Definitive Guide to Houston Breweries inside the Loop and in neighboring communities like Conroe, Kay, Pearland, Galveston, and beyond.
