Pour House on Burnet.....anyone been yet?

[nortronz]

Since this place is right by my house I really want to like it....
I thoroughly enjoyed Brentwood Tavern since I could roll up with the family, drink some beers, let the kids play, see some live music, and mosey on back to the house. I found some reviews of it on Yelp, but they seemed suspect and with quotes like this "The lack of play scape and live music is also a plus. With a jukebox like theirs, you don't need live music.The one downside was the number of children wandering around the patio. Hopefully, the word will get out that this is a pub and not a Chuck E Cheese." It doesn't look like I will get there anytime soon.

I actually found the reviews quite a humorous read.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/pour-house-pu...

I will hit it when the kids are not around. Let me know if you get there before I do:

Zac

[TAF]

Nothing hipster about the Pour House. It's a good nighborhood beer bar with decent pub grub, brought to you by the same crew who own and manage Barflys, The Hideout (north), Mugshotz, and Benders. Better beer, and certainly better food, than most beer joints on Burnet Road. If you don't like it, plenty of hipsters to be found at the Poodle Dog and La La's.

[chispa_c]

If you're a smoker, you'll love this place. I went with a group of people and I didn't think it was all that great. The food was decent but the service was horrible. The waitresses there act like they could care less.

I"m not a smoker and I like good service. I wouldn't recommend this place.

[singlemalt]

I posted on the original inquiry. Interesting how so many postings disappeared and I wonder why. But, my comments were the same as several others, namely, very poor service and surly bartenders. Not good vibes coming from this place in general.

[amysuehere]

I think I've mentioned it, but I've been there once and was unimpressed with the food and I got an odd vibe too. Kinda felt like I'd walked into a Stephen King novel. Just odd people all around us (but they may have thought the same thing about us; right?)

[chispa_c]

It's kind of like a new version of the Draught House. That's not a compliment either.

[rudeboy]

Well, there' definitely something weird about the service there. I can't really put my finger on it, but if I had to guess, I'd think that the servers were drugged or something. I'm totally serious.....It is almost like they are transformed into totally competent servants, but only meat puppets that couldn't care less if you lived or died. They look at you with a vacant stare. But you will get your food and drinks. Heaven help you if you bring a child to this place.

[chispa_c]

I have to admit that I know exactly what you are saying. Our waitress (finally) took our order but she walked away before getting my bf's order. 5 of us just looked at each other kind of surprised. Since we couldn't get her attention or the attention of the other waitress I got up, walked inside to the bar where our waitress was placing our order at the register and said, 'you forgot to take one person's order'. She turned and just stared at me. There was a strange pause and finally I said, 'here's what he wants, can you take this order?' Again she just gave me a look like I was truly annoying her. I thanked her a turned around. Never an apology from her for the oversight, never a smile, nothing.

[chrisdds98]

wow, thats impressive. I'm going to have to go just to see such bad service in action :)

[tokyomonamour]

That's amazing. I spent a good portion of my working years as a waiter, so I can sympathize with many things. This I cannot. I have never stiffed a waiter before, but if anyone deserved it, this one does. I think I'd be even excited to stiff her with a big fat note about why she isn't getting squat. (Not that she'd care apparently.)

[chispa_c]

for the record, we still tipped her but it was only 15%.

[ieathereforeiam]

I'm cracking up reading your discussion about inconsistent service at a hipster dive bar.

I frequent the joint largely because I get no special treatment. I order a beer and they give it to me then i pay for it and go sit down.

then I go home and blog about it.

[tom in austin]

Whoa, what sort of special treatment are you used to receiving at the places you go?

Most places I go follow the model you're presenting: I exchange money for food and services (the preparation of the food, getting the food brought to my table and/or handed to me over a counter, the cleaning of the dishes, etc.) I've never thought of that as special treatment before.

Is there somewhere you don't like to go because they give you really special treatment? What is this treatment like? Where is this place? I might like to try it!

[ieathereforeiam]

Most places I go I get special treatment. must just be my natural charisma. + tips and regularity of patronage.

[chispa_c]

No way I'd ever refer to Pour House as 'hipster' in any way shape or form. Dive yes, hipster no.

I like waitstaff to take a full order, be attentive and appreciate the business. That's no different than what I do in my own profession. I try to meet or surpass expectations, pay attention to details and totally appreciate having my job. I certainly don't think that is special, it's just a good way to do business.

I don't like restaurants where I have to breathe in other people's cigarette smoke while being ignored by the waitstaff.

Pour House is still in business so I guess there are a bunch of other 'hipsters' like yourself that enjoy that type of atmosphere. Enjoy!

[rudeboy]

I think the only category you can put the Pour House into is "Wannabe Hipster but Too Bad their in a Neighborhood Where People have Kids and the Patrons are mainly People Who are Just a Little Too Old to be in the Club" category. That category doesn't often exist in nature, so it should be cherished. They have good burgers, which keeps me coming back. And if you enjoy the Meat Puppets for what they are, and like to let your kids roam free without worrying about it, and you like to have $3 skinny cocktails and get kind of wasted but not really, and like listening to the same cool songs over and over, the place is OK.

[ieathereforeiam]

and i really didn't mean hipster in a derisive way. just meant not folks who bring their kids to bars.

[tom in austin]

Does special treatment entail something awesome? Like free dessert? Priority seating? A backrub?

[ieathereforeiam]

yes, yes and sometimes.

[drc386]

I would strongly not recommend going to this pub. Last night, after the restaurant was closed, we ordered pizza outside on the patio. Instead of telling us that this was against their policy, a waiter yelled at me, ripped the pizza out of my mouth and hand, and threw it on the floor. The manager supported the waiter's behavior.

I think that you should consider the policy and behavior of the manager and employees before going to this pub. The waiter and manager were very disrespectful, and frankly, upsetting. Please don't spend your money at such a place.

[addlepated]

If it was against their policy, how'd you get the pizza?

[f2048]

If we're talking about considering policy, I suggest you consider the fact that most places that serve food have a policy of not allowing customers to have pizza delivered there.

[addlepated]

Oh, I get it - they ordered pizza from somewhere else! I really couldn't figure out what I was missing, here.

[dinaofdoom]

i don't know of any restaurants that allow you to bring food in from elsewhere, even if the kitchen is closed.

[TroyTempest]

it doesn't matter what the policy was. you politely inform the customer of the policy, not yell and throw their pizza on the floor.

[dinaofdoom]

i agree, but i also have to wonder about this post, considering it's the person's first.

[TroyTempest]

yeah, true. I'd hope the poster is on the level, as most of us seem to be.

[nw_austin_gourmand]

Hey - Pour House Pub has been open for a couple of months now and I haven't seen any updates recently. How's the DRAUGHT beer selection? Is this a worthy alternative for the Draught Horse or Flying Saucer? Is it more of a restaurant or a drinking establishment?

[rudeboy]

They don't have nearly the selection that Draught House or Flying Saucer, but a decent selection nonetheless. The do have a full bar, which could make a difference if you are with someone that wants cocktails.

The menu is of moderate size - can't find it online. They have full service, with waitpeople and all. It should be noted that there are only a few tables inside...I wouldn't go when the weather is bad unless you are just drinking. There's also a few TVs inside to watch games.

The burger was really good on two occasions.

[amysuehere]

Not open for lunch, apparently. I was there Friday and it was closed.

[the captain]

What are their hours? I stopped by at lunch and it was like a ghost town so I figured they were either closed on Monday or not open for lunch. I walked around all of the doors and did not see any hours of operation. Looking for a new place for our car club to meet since the Hangtown Grill at Burnet/2222 just closed. This place was recommended and I would like to check it out.

[rudeboy]

Wow, lot's of posts were deleted here...Anyhow, I went on Friday with my wife and 1.5 yo daughter.

The service was extreeemely slooowww.....but it was their second night, so it didn't matter to me. It took forever to get a drink, and I'm not sure why (it wasnt' terribly busy).

Yeah, we could smell the new paint and stain, and we stuck to the picnic tables. My hamburger was really good (good bun, toasted....meat cooked to order - definite step up from other options in the area). Drinks were cheap for HH. Seems like the place is set up for drinking" the bar has been extended to span the breadth of the building (inside).

Outside, the playscape has been removed and replaced with a beanbag game within a sand pit; you toss beanbags onto a platform (for some points) or into a hole on the platform (for more).

No one was playing the game, because the kids from the neighborhood, whose parents were drinking, took over the big sandpit.......scooping it up and playing even more fervently than they did in the former playscape. Some little ones, a la Lord of the Flies, constructed a huge mound of sand in the middle of the beanbag game. I thought that was funny.

Kids will be present until 9 or 10 PM, and then they will be in bed after that. Plan accordingly......

Good selection of beers and good prices - food seems promising. Watch out for the shills posting about this place.....they abound.

[TroyTempest]

Well, I knew my post was going to be deleted, wonder how many others were.
Anyway, about the beer selection, you said it is good. About how many beers on draft, do you figure?
Have you had a burger At Billy's? How does it compare to that?

[rudeboy]

Troy - they did not have a list of their beers on tap, but I thought that the waitperson said "over 20." The person just started listing the imports and I selected the first one that I wanted.

The burger that I had that day was better than the last several that I had at Billy's. The bun was really good, and it was toasted. The patty had a char, being cooked over a gas grill.

About the same deal, though - burgers are 7-8 dollars....you get your choice of fries, onion rings, or chips. My fries were good. I tried an o-ring and it tasted a little weird to me.

PS - there were probably 7-8 replies, all having something to do with the relative benefit/disbenefit of kids in general.

[TroyTempest]

Thanks Rudeboy,
that's good to know. I used to live in the neighborhood, and still get by there every now and then. Occasionally Billy's and Draught House get too crowded, so its good to have another option in the area. I haven't had a burger from Billy's in over a year.
I should of known my little aside would stir the pot. Oh well.

[ieathereforeiam]

the chicken wings were decent too.

[ieathereforeiam]

went the other day. it has potential. It has definitely moved away from the family thing. I believe it is the same owner as Barfly. So yeah, they put some thought into the jukebox.