A visit to the new Bosque River Taphouse in Stephenville

A flight of beers paired with the Hothead Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sando
at Bosque River Taphouse (Photos © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

This weekend, time was spent catching up on new facilities setting up somewhat outside the orbit of the immediate Dallas-Fort Worth area. One of these, Bosque River Taphouse of Stephenville, originally opened in a temporary space in late 2023. The company has since upgraded to an expansive new spot at 320 S. Harbin Dr., just south of the campus of Tarleton State University.

Sean and Amanda Mosher form the duo behind the family-owned business, which completed the move to its new locale in May. The couple now operates the brewery and taproom in a 15,000 square foot building fronted by roughly 7,000 square feet of outdoor space and a sizable dedicated parking lot. 

On the inside, available area is divvied up between larger and smaller dining sections, the kitchen and the brewhouse, with the main dining room surrounded by more than a dozen wide-screen televisions. Then outside, more seating options occupy both covered and open-air patios, the latter finished with artificial turf and outfitted with ping-pong tables and a fire pit.

So, what about the consumables? Well, Bosque River's food menu features a full range of starters, sandwiches, burgers, flatbread pizzas and "Fried Faves" - like chicken fried chicken, chicken fried steak, and fried catfish. They also have "STX Style" southwestern specialties (tacos, nachos, quesadillas), "Heart Healthy" salads and a kids menu.

For beverages, in addition to wine, cocktails and a full bar, 16 taps pour house beers and a handful of guest offerings. Bosque River recipes include Top Goat Texas Bock (maybe their best beer), Don't Feed This to Your Cows Wheat Ale, Sunfisher IPA (the brewery's Citra-infused flagship) and States Up Texas Lager - the official lager of Tarleton State Athletics. Also rotating in are sour ales, blondes, a hefeweizen, Kölsch, light lager, seltzers and more.

As for the vibe, Bosque River Taphouse was built to be a family-friendly destination for all, with the goal of bringing people together while being an active part of the community, as opposed to just another place to eat. Of course, given the proximity to Tarleton State, university students are bound to become part of the brewery fam as well. Either way, Bosque River would seem to be an ideal hangout for Stephenville locals, whether they're looking to grab a beer and a bite while catching the game, or simply catching a break from their studies.

Bosque River Taphouse serves patrons six days a week, with hours beginning at 11 a.m. from Tuesday-Saturday, and 10 a.m. on Sunday.