Coming soon

Casual Windsor Park eatery rises from the ashes after devastating fire

Construction is well underway at Hank's.

Photo courtesy of Hank's

Sometimes when one door closes, another door opens. When a fire forced South Lamar staple Henri’s Cheese and Wine Shop to close in early 2016, the loss of one of our favorite happy hour destinations was devastating.

Instead of rebooting the former business, owners Andy Means and Jessie Katz used the calamity as an opportunity to regroup, choosing to go forward with a new concept. The result is Hank’s, an all-day restaurant set to open February 2018 at 5811 Berkman Dr. in the Windsor Village shopping center.

The two restaurants may share the same namesake (Mean’s grandfather), but Hank’s won’t simply be a Henri’s redux. The new eatery, designed by Ben May Design and Claire Zinnecker Design, will be a much larger with space for larger groups and an ample dog-friendly patio. A coffee shop with a drive-thru will serve morning customers, while a full bar will add to the conviviality at night. The new digs also allows the couple to store an extensive wine collection and offer several beers on tap.

Although the menu has not been finalized (more details to come in January), it will be filled with everyday fare like burgers, sandwiches, and salads — plus house made pasta and pastries. The couple hope to inspire the same neighborhood devotion in Windsor Park as they did in South Austin. “We want the restaurant to have a laid back environment with guests who frequent often enough that people come to know each other by their nicknames,” said Katz.

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Burger Birthday

San Marcos bar famous for its burgers is throwing 30th birthday bash

The Taproom/Facebook

The Taproom is turning 30 at the end of this year.

The Taproom, a longtime San Marcos bar and eatery, is celebrating 30 years with a 90s birthday bash. A party on December 28 — three days before the actual anniversary on New Year's Eve — will have Central Texans partying like it's 1994. It's all going down at 129 E Hopkins St. from 11 am to 10 pm.

With so much to do, it's hard to know where to start, but the bar is a safe bet. The first 100 guests will get a commemorative 30th anniversary pint glass.

True to form, The Taproom will be serving up hourly drink specials that feature specific breweries or distilleries including Starbase Brewing, Saint Arnold’s Brewing, Meanwhile Brewing, Altstadt Brewing Company, New Belgium, Shiner, and Garrison Brothers Whiskey, according to a release. There will be some tastings and glass giveaways, too.

Plenty of food will keep the energy up for the all-day party, including "throwback retro menu items," says the release, plus birthday cake and a chance to win free burgers for a year. Hopeful burger-lovers can get started now by signing up for the Taproom newsletter, but they'll have to wait until the live drawing at 8 pm on December 28 to find out if they won.

On top of those base offerings there will also be a 90s photo booth, 90s R&B and hip hop courtesy of DJ Chief and TheDoomsdayDevice, flash tattoos, and a game of Wingo Wango Bingo Bango, in which guests can win prizes from breweries and Happy Clouds Smoke Shop.

Finally, The Taproom is welcoming two guests of honor: bartender and original Taproom owner David Dishman and the bar's first "regular" Kenneth Fitzgerald, who installed the draft lines that helped get business started.

The Taproom is now owned by Samantha Strahan and Sara Chavez, who purchased it in late 2021.

Just a couple of blocks from Texas State University, this bar became popular with college students. However, it's more than a college bar, especially thanks to its reputation for a great burger. On the other end of the building is The Porch, a sister space for live music that opened in 2013. The Porch is hosting an afterparty for late-night anniversary revelers.

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