Photography by Kathy Tran

The brewing industry saw an overall revenue decline of 2.5% last year after a decade of growth and prosperity, especially among small local breweries. Our beloved neighborhood watering hole, Small Brewpub, closed at the end of 2019, and we are still craving that Black Pepper Pils. Luckily, we still have a lot of great breweries close by to choose from.

At this point, Oak Cliff technically only has one brewery, Oak Cliff Brewing Co., but West Dallas has a couple. And if you’re down to cross the bridge, close-by breweries in the Design District (AKA the Beer District) include Texas Ale Project, Community Beer, Peticolas, Pegasus Brewing and Cidercade. 

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Here are our favorite things about breweries on this side of the Trinity River.

Ash & Ember 

 This new brewery hit the scene last summer. While it has been a difficult start, this brewery in Cedar Hill has made quite the impact in its community. One of the co-owners and brewers, Tim Martin, lives in Oak Cliff.   

It’s a quaint building tucked into a small Cedar Hill neighborhood right off of U.S. Highway 67. Interior elements were built by hand, a testament to the love and care that the team puts into its craft. 

The whole idea behind this venture, according to co-owner Brian Krajcirovic, is to recreate classic styles and to become an integral part of the Cedar Hill community. Krajcirovic says the taproom is family friendly, and he wants people to feel welcome.

The beer is currently being brewed on a small five-barrel system, but lots of styles are being churned out. The High Pointe Porter is a delicious English-style porter that once won first place at the Brew Riot homebrew competition, before they started this venture. In the taproom, this brew is only served from a beer engine, which naturally carbonates and slowly draws the beer up through the tap, producing the creamiest porter. 

Oak Cliff Brewing Co.

Established in 2018 by homebrewer Joel Denton, a third-generation Oak Cliffer, this has become a local staple for many in our neighborhood. Before COVID became a household name, we frequented this family and dog-friendly establishment every Friday. Its taproom is large and inviting, with windows looking into the brewhouse where the magic happens. If you’re lucky enough, head brewer Walker Smith’s dog Walt may just invite you in himself. 

The beer selection is as diverse as its clientele. Ranging from malty (Black Lager, Denton’s first homebrew recipe) to yeasty (Hefeweizen, its popular take on the classic German wheat) to hoppy (Lee Hazy Oswald, a balanced yet juicy hazy IPA) to big and bold (Sombre, a 13% abv Imperial Stout that will knock you off your feet if you’re not careful), anyone can find a beer to drink here. The Paleta Weisse series has also been a fun treat, taking a typical weisse (wheat) base and adding traditional paleta flavors like mango, pineapple/jalapeno, cucumber/lime and vanilla/tangerine.

While last year was a challenge, Denton found opportunities as well. Stay-at-home orders brought on the need for curbside pickup, where colorful 32-ounce crowlers (think big cans) were flying off the tap walls. These can still be ordered online and picked up at the brewery. There is also a creek-side biergarten.

Steam Theory Brewing Co.

Steam Theory Brewing Co.has a large space that offers classic beer styles with funky names, food offerings, including well-regarded pizza and a full bar. So, if not a fan of beer, there are also liquor and wine options. Here, beer is brewed using steam as a primary heat source. This is a classic method not often used, as it requires more control and patience but allows for a gentler heating process.

Beers here range from super light and crisp, like La Tortuga Mexican Lager, to super malty, like Peanut Envy, an ode to the chocolate peanut butter cup, to super hoppy, like Juice Caboose, a hazy IPA. That’s a style that head brewer Kirk Roberts vowed never to make, but succumbed to the beer gods and hopped on the train. Co-owner Chuck Homala says they take quality seriously but also like to have fun, which you can see in their beer names.  

One thing to love about Steam Theory is that it delivers beer in our neighborhood. During quarantine, there was nothing like opening the door to find freshly packaged crowlers filled with delicious beer. It’s like having a modern-day milk delivery, but beer.

Manhattan Project Beer Co.

A team of engineers and beer nerds took their love of science and beer and created some of the best beer found in Dallas. The space first started as a typical warehouse production brewery with a simple sign outside. Directly north of Interstate 30 it’s now an unassuming but beautiful brewery/taproom. 

While the Belgian-inspired brown ale Inception may have sparked the creative engines for owners Misty and Karl Sanford (their wedding beer actually), Half-Life is the beer that filled the fridge. Their flagship hazy IPA is the gold standard for style and when fresh, one’s nose is hit with tropical fruits. The bitterness is minimal, leaving you with a quenchable six pack that should always be in the fridge. Other greats are Particles Collide, another juice bomb hazy IPA, Fission a pseudo rosé ale brewed with raspberries, and Plutonium-239, a coconut porter.

While you may go there for beer, it would be a miss if you didn’t try the onsite food. The small menu and kitchen are focused on minimal ingredients and high quality. Many patrons go there just for the fries. Yes, they’re that good. Twice fried and dipped in garlic aioli? Yes, please. The fried chicken is also some of the best in the city. Rice flour gives this bird a crispy exterior and juicy interior. And coffee is served too. Enjoy a delicious cortado on the beautiful new patio while on a conference call using the free Wi-Fi.Â