When Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden opened its doors in July 2012, it instantly became a hub for Austin’s hopheads thanks to an initial tap list of more than 100 craft brews and an easygoing menu of sausage and comfort food. Now the Rainey Street hot spot has morphed into a genuine beertopia thanks to a massive new expansion.
The ambitious project opened November 9, taking over the adjacent lot with a new building that includes a basement private event space and over 5,000 square feet of outdoor porches.
“We’ve been proud to offer one of the Lone Star State’s widest and most innovative offerings of hand-crafted sausages and craft beers,” said Siegel in a release. “This expansion is the next evolution of that. We have made the necessary investments in our facilities so we can do all the things we are currently doing even better, along with expanding our product offerings.”
Perhaps of most interest to craft beer lovers, an outdoor beer bar has been added featuring 101 brews, bringing the total number of taps on the compound to a whopping 207. That gives Banger’s one of the largest draft selections in the state.
The growth also includes a smokehouse that the owners say will operate as Texas’ first whole hog barbecue. The eatery within an eatery features a 10-foot fireplace that will allow for both roasting and grilling along with dedicated smoking equipment.
Debuting later in November, the facility will allow Banger’s to more frequently offer its popular monthly pig roasts. Once open, guests can get their pork fix four days a week.
The addition is the culmination of a multi-year process. In a 2017 release, owner Ben Siegel said it took three years to finalize the spaces with help from Maker Architects, Lilianne Steckel Interior Design, and In Good Taste Design. The project finally broke ground in March 2017.
A lot of the team’s hard work was behind the scenes, however. Joining the front-facing components will be a room devoted to the pickling and fermentation of vegetables and a full meat processing facility that includes room for whole animal butchery and a separate area for curing. Both will allow Banger’s to increase its culinary offerings.
Although the project has experienced a few delays (it was originally slated to debut in time for SXSW 2018), Siegel still seems mighty proud at what was accomplished. “What we are building is truly one of a kind and world class,” he said. “There’s just nothing like it anywhere, and we can’t wait to share it with our customers!”
More outdoor dining space serves the new outdoor bar.
