Taking in Cowtown's Southlake satellite taproom

Cowtown Southlake is located at 1512 E. Southlake Blvd, Suite 10. All images © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

Cowtown Brewing Co. has a good little thing going with its satellite taproom in Southlake. Open since late December, the spot sets up in a cozy and comfortable former Ginger Man space in Southlake Town Square. Essentially move-in ready, the site allowed the Fort Worth firm to basically turn the key on a new taproom location.

In terms of operations, it's all about beer and food service in Southlake, as no brewing equipment is installed onsite. Even so, there's plenty of Cowtown beer being brought in from Fort Worth. Upwards of 20 company beers are on tap at Southlake, with the lineup on par with what's being poured at the Belknap brewpub. The powers that be also haven't slacked off on the beer-to-go offerings, stocking a fridge with nearly as many drink-at-home options.

Now, Southlake isn't a full-bore craft barbecue joint like Fort Worth either, but you won't be going hungry by a longshot. Southlake's pub-like menu features shareables (nachos, sliders, brat bites), flatbread pizzas and handhelds (sandwiches and sausages), plus you can still get your smoked protein fix with Cowtown's classic BBQ Meat Sandwich.

As for the ambiance, Cowtown's Southlake surroundings follow the original Ginger Man blueprint, albeit with the walls now adorned in Cowtown regalia. Tables and chairs flank the bar on the ground floor inside, with additional second-level seating up top. The attached patio remains intact as well, for those who prefer to enjoy their beer and bites in the great outdoors.

Of course, the point of the place is to help expand Cowtown's reach beyond the brewpub's hometown borders. For those of us living in the far northeastern segment of the Metroplex, the drive to grab a taste of Cowtown gets cut down by about a third. So, on that point, at least for yours truly it's mission accomplished.

Most importantly, though, what makes a visit to Cowtown 2.0 all the better is the fact that there's no drop-off in quality and selection when it comes to the consumables.