Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen debuts in Downtown Plano

Plano Pils and the Okie Smash Burger at Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen
(Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

What better way to celebrate National Beer Day than with the debut of a new craft beer destination in North Texas. Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen is now open at 1001 14th St., Suite 500 in Historic Downtown Plano.

The spot is an offshoot of Odd Muse Brewing Co.'s original brewery in Farmers Branch, with the "Craft & Kitchen" naming chosen for a couple of key reasons. For one thing, the Plano locale features a full-service kitchen, upping the culinary game for the company's patrons. Then for another, with no on-site brewing operations, it just made sense to forego the "Brewing Co." tag in creating a clear identity for the satellite location.

Of course, the beer being served is all Odd Muse, with the pub's 23 taps (plus a side-pull) sourced from Farmer's Branch. Recipes will rotate just as they do at the brewery, though co-founder Bobby Diaz says to expect Plano to feature a few taps not currently pouring at headquarters. Right now, satellite exclusives include Plano Pils (a rye pilsner), Woodpecker Lips Scotch Ale, and 2025 Barrel-Aged The Hermit American Barleywine.

Shifting the focus to the food side of things, longtime industry vet Greyson Lane brings a wealth of culinary experience to the project, though his smash burger-based food truck venture The Drop D-FW influences things most at Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen. He's got a good bit of beer knowledge as well, for those who remember Bleshoux Brewing from area homebrew competitions of the past.

Given that, it should come as no surprise that the food menu is designed to pair well with a pint. In addition to burger options like Jam Session (bacon jam), the Okie (grilled onions) and the Mushroom Swiss (mushrooms grilled in the brewery's 500 Pesos Mexican Lager) the kitchen will serve up a selection of starters (poutine, pretzel bites, wings) and sandwiches (cheesesteak, hot chicken, Korean) as well.

On top of all that are additional amenities, which include free parking in an adjacent lot, outdoor patio seating, widescreen televisions behind the bar, and the beer-to-go fridge just off the lobby.

Then there's the convenience of the place, which exists as part of a walkable downtown district that's been in need of a stable brewery presence. Indeed, Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen literally replaces a Voodoo Brewing Co. taproom whose home base was in Pennsylvania, which means there's now a little bit more local flavor to be had in Downtown Plano.

As for when to visit, while an official grand opening celebration is slated for early May, Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen is already running a full schedule, being open seven days a week with operating hours beginning at 11 a.m.  

Black Fox closes brewery in Denton

Image credit: Black Fox Brewing Co.

Black Fox Brewing Co. has announced its closure in Denton.

Michael Velasco opened Black Fox in October 2023 after taking over a space previously occupied by Howling Mutt Brewing at 205 N. Cedar St., just steps away from the Downtown Denton Square.

The product portfolio at Black Fox leaned on a back-to-basics approach, with classic styles brought to the forefront. Black Fox Stout, a straightforward American stout, was the highlight, being a beer Velasco first introduced while taking part in the Homebrewers League at Barley & Board of Denton.

From a social media post:

"We want to take a moment to sincerely thank you for [your] continued support and patronage.  Serving this community as well as those from afar has been an incredible experience, and we are truly grateful for the relationships and interesting conversations we’ve experienced along the way.

Sadly, we have made the extremely difficult decision to shut the doors at our location on N Cedar St. effective immediately.

While this chapter is coming to an end, we want to share that this is not goodbye, rather simply, 'see you later'.

Keep following us on social media and stay tuned, you never know what’s next!"

Odd Muse expanding to Historic Downtown Plano

Image courtesy of Odd Muse Brewing Co.

Odd Muse Brewing Co. of Farmers Branch has announced the upcoming opening of Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen, a new satellite taproom and full-service kitchen concept set to launch in Historic Downtown Plano in Spring 2026.

Set to be located at 1001 14th St., Suite 500 (in a space formerly occupied by Voodoo Brewing Co. of Pennsylvania), Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen will bring the brewery’s acclaimed lineup of craft beer to one of the region’s most vibrant dining and entertainment districts.

According to a press release, the new spot features approximately 3,000 square feet of interior restaurant space and an additional 1,000 square feet of patio seating, creating an inviting indoor-outdoor destination for beer lovers and food enthusiasts alike.

Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen will offer up to 23 rotating taps of its award-winning beer, including flagship favorites, seasonal offerings, and limited-release specialties. The Plano taproom will also feature a full beer-to-go program, giving guests access to packaged releases available for off-premise enjoyment.

In addition, for the first time, Odd Muse is pairing its craft beer experience with a dedicated kitchen program. The food menu will spotlight elevated comfort favorites, including smash burgers, chicken sandwiches, wings, hand-cut fries and more, designed to complement the brewery’s diverse beer portfolio.

“Odd Muse has always been about creating welcoming spaces where community and creativity come together over great beer,” says Bobby Diaz, founder and managing member of Odd Muse. “Downtown Plano gives us an incredible opportunity to expand that experience into a new neighborhood, with a concept that stays true to our brand while offering something fresh through Craft & Kitchen.”

For Odd Muse, which originally debuted in 2019, the Plano expansion represents a strategic next step, leveraging the brewery’s established production facility in Farmers Branch while expanding its direct-to-consumer presence in a high-traffic, walkable market.

As for the timeline, renovations are currently underway at Odd Muse Craft & Kitchen, with an anticipated opening window between April 1 and April 15.

On eleven, and another spicy little number at On Rotation

Image credit: On Rotation Brewery & Kitchen.

I just happened to be going over some numbers related to On Rotation Brewery & Kitchen of Dallas when I got a message from owner Jacob Sloan about a few things they've got going on at the brewpub over the next few weeks.

At that moment, the number five was foremost on my mind, considering it's how many awards - five silver medals - the company's Jalapeño Saison has won at major competitions over the years. Not only that, it's a beer we've been drinking for at least twelve years, if you consider it was first poured at Brew Riot in 2014, which happened the year before On Rotation opened for business in early 2015.

Of course, this brings up the number eleven and On Rotation's upcoming Eleven-Year Anniversary Party on Saturday, March 7. The festivities will take place...you guessed it...eleven years to the day since On Rotation released their first beers commercially. And did you know being eleven makes them the oldest continuously operating brewpub in the City of Dallas?

As for event details, Sloan says it'll be an an all-day Stranger Things-themed affair featuring Stranger Things trivia at 5 p.m., and a Steve Harrington's "6 Little Nugget" Basket for $1.10 all day.

There will also be a few new beers (adding to 450+, the number of different beers On Rotation has released historically), one of which is Chaotic Evil, a Belgian dark strong ale. In fact, Chaotic Evil will be aligned with the brewpub's Dallas Dry Beer (a dry saison) to create "a never-before-seen take on a black & tan [they're] calling the Upside Down."

But, getting back to the thought process that got this whole thing started, those five Jalapeño Saison medals include four from the Texas Craft Brewers Cup (TCBC) and one from the Great American Beer Festival. Plus, Jalapeño Saison is only one of three beers (by my count) to have been honored four separate times at the TCBC.

With that, I keep coming back to one question. Given the history, recognition and longstanding commitment to excellence, isn't it about time we label Jalapeño Saison as iconic in the lexicon of original North Texas beers?

Discuss amongst yourselves (while making plans to attend the anniversary party).