By the Horns no longer brewing in Mansfield

Image © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

According to reports on the ground, By the Horns, the resident brewing operation at Del Toro BBQ in Mansfield, is now closed.

By the Horns originally emerged in January 2019 as part of a multi-concept development called The Backyard from Brain Storm Shelter. The brewhouse shared space with a taco purveyor for a little over a year, but both shut down in June 2020 due to COVID. The brewery's absence on the scene was then further extended once the parent company filed for bankruptcy.

The assets on site were eventually acquired by Local Favorite Restaurants, who brought By the Horns back to life in the spring of 2022 with a new food partner in the form of Del Toro BBQ. From there, the brewery essentially picked up where it left off in terms of everyday offerings, though house beers were re-branded with a farm and ranch theme to fit in better with the barbecue element.

While the brewery aspect has been discontinued, food service at Del Toro BBQ will continue business as usual.

By the Horns Brewing is back in Mansfield

All images Image © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D.

It's been nearly two years since difficulties with Covid-19 restrictions led to a decision to shut down the business, but the brew kettles are now back in action at By the Horns Brewing in Mansfield.

A social media post in June 2020 was the last word anyone heard before By the Horns went into hibernation. The brewery's future was further clouded once its parent company, Brain Storm Shelter, filed for bankruptcy protection to cover assets in other areas of the D-FW Metroplex.

Once the dust cleared, By the Horns had become the domain of Local Favorite Restaurants, a group whose portfolio includes El Fenix Mexican Restaurant, Snuffer's Restaurant & Bar, Village Burger Bar and more. At that point, Local Favorite's first order of business was to get the brewhouse back in order before hiring Nathan Crawford (formerly of Wild Acre Brewing Co. in Fort Worth) to head-up brewing operations going forward.

Local Favorite also attached a new food partner to the venture in the form of Del Toro BBQ. The latest entry in a crowded North Texas 'que market, Del Toro features a fairly standard range of BBQ offerings. Patrons can order prime brisket, ribs, jalapeno sausage and other smoked meats by the pound, or instead choose from a selection of salads, sandwiches or tacos.

As for the brewing side of things, five beers make up the everyday menu at By the Horns. Prior to the transition, brews were referred to by their style moniker (i.e., Hefeweizen, IPA, etc.), but a farm and ranch theme complimenting the 'que concept now enters into the naming of beers like Big Hoss IPA, Ranchhand Blonde Ale and Thresher Wheat.

There's also Te Amo Lager...you know, for the lager lovers, as well as Big Rig Stout, which is said to make an ideal pairing with Del Toro's Pork Belly Burnt Ends.

Other than that, the atmosphere remains much the same as it did when By the Horns first opened as part of The Backyard development in early 2019. Beers purchased at By the Horns can be enjoyed throughout the venue, which includes holdover Twisted Root Burger Co., as well as the newly-installed Taqueria La Ventana.

So...beer, BBQ, burgers and tacos? Sounds like quite a consumable quartet.

Second Rodeo concept coming from builder of By the Horns, Beard Science

Second Rodeo Brewing will exist along the western edge of Mule Alley in the
Fort Worth Stockyards (Stockyards Heritage Development Co., click image to enlarge).

Details are starting to emerge related to a third brewing operation being developed by Jason Boso, the man behind Twisted Root Burger Co. and Truck Yard.

Second Rodeo Brewing is currently under construction along Mule Alley in the Fort Worth Stockyards. According to a Proposed Tenant Plan posted by Stockyards Heritage Development Co. (dated July 16, 2019), Second Rodeo will occupy a 14,740 square foot space that backs up to Marine Creek. The project is described as a brewpub/music hall, with features to include seating under a retractable roof.

Current projections suggest a grand opening of the Mule Alley venue will occur in early 2020. As for Boso's other brewpub concepts, By the Horns Brewing Co. opened this past January in Mansfield, while Beard Science (expected to be a wild and sour beer house) is still being built at Truck Yard The Colony.

Grab a beer 'By the Horns' in Mansfield

By the Horns occupies a building with Tacos & Avocados in anchoring
The Backyard development in Mansfield (Photo: © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

In terms of operations bringing together so-called classic pairings of food and beer, North Texas boasts brewpubs built around pizza and beer, along with others that lean a little more Texan in being a one-stop shop for barbecue and beer. Now, though, area residents can add the combination of tacos and beer to their list of local options, thanks to the arrival of By the Horns Brewing in Mansfield.

Brought to you by Brain Storm Shelter, By the Horns opened in late January. In doing so, it joined entities like Twisted Root Burger Co., Tacos & Avocados and Truck Yard on the group's restaurant management roster. And, as it applies to Mansfield, three of those names come together to help form The Backyard, a concept by M.R. Development designed to give visitors the impression of hanging out in an extension of their own backyard.

It's an idea to be taken literally, considering By the Horns, Tacos & Avocados and Twisted Root front a development that features a well-appointed, open-air space out back that's both family-friendly and self-contained. What's more, the setup allows patrons to enjoy beverages throughout the complex, since a single liquor license governs the three commonly-owned restaurants.

Within the grounds, By the Horns shares a building with Tacos & Avocados, ergo the tacos and beer part of this whole equation. The food is focused on fresh Tex-Mex, with a By the Horns Beer-Braised Brisket Taco to be had for those looking for a beer-based infusion. And sides? Well, adventurous diners will surely want to get a taste of the Oaxacan Grasshopper Tostada topped with real, dried grasshoppers.

Tap handles at By the Horns take the shape of longhorn horns, while beer to-go
from the brewpub comes in 19.2-ounce crowlers (Photos: © Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

On the topic of beverages, while liquor and cocktails are also available, pours of the barley and hop-based variety are the work of head brewer Justin Meyers. His lineup has a tinge of German influence, thanks in part to time spent working with Paulaner, which up until last year had a stateside outpost called Paulaner on Bowery in New York City.

Now, it should be noted that the "German influence" aspect of Meyers' approach is just that...influence. German brewing traditions may date back over 400 years, but the Reinheitsgebot (a.k.a. the German Beer Purity Law) will not govern operations at By the Horns. That evidenced, at the very least, by the presence of an Agave IPA on the menu.

German standards do appear, however, in the form of a helles and a hefeweizen (both of which are quite popular judging by the amount of orders overheard at the bar). These beers slot in alongside an IPA, a pale and a brown ale on a tapwall expected to contain upwards of nine everyday offerings. Brews currently on tap are virtually spot on to style, which suggests recipes will go mostly by the book at By the Horns.

As for accessibility, By the Horns is now open seven days a week, with service starting at 11 a.m. House beers may be enjoyed on-site, or you can grab a few beers by the horns to-go by way of 19.2-ounce crowlers.

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By the Horns is the first brewing concept to be developed by Brain Storm Shelter. Another, called Beard Science, is set to be part of Truck Yard The Colony, currently under construction in Denton County.