Montrose is Getting a New Brew Pub With Serious Patio and Pizza Power — Southern Yankee Crafthouse Brings Family Vibes

A Houston nano-brewery is making a big leap and is branching out to open a second location in Montrose. Southern Yankee Beer Company is located off of FM 1960 — and now it’s adding Southern Yankee Crafthouse at 1312 W. Alabama Street.

This new Southern Yankee is taking over the old Good Dog building, a prime Montrose space, with plans for a summer opening. The entire operation is a true family affair with operating manager Alex Porter working alongside his parents and sister Sydney, who is the head brewer. It’s all about fresh brews and wood-fired pizzas — and fitting into a city that welcomes one and all.

The Porters are a former military family who have been all over, with a lot of time spent up north. Their brewery’s Southern Yankee name — while technically an oxymoron — strikes at the root of what America’s most diverse city can mean to those who recently, or not so recently, have come to call it home.

“The idea being to just signal that we welcome all kinds from all backgrounds,” Alex Porter tells PaperCity. “It’s amazing how many people like us that come from the North, now they’re in the South. We’ll sometimes get people who just walk in and say, ‘Hey, I just need that shirt.’ “

Now, you will be able to get it — and much more — in a new Montrose location.

Transforming the old Good Dog space into a Crafthouse brings quite a few noticeable structural changes. Houston’s Construction Concepts is completely renovating the building. The inside will be opened up with load-bearing walls getting knocked down and replaced by beams. In the newly freed up space, there will be an expanded bar put in place that will feature full bar service and a cocktail menu.

Southern Yankee also plans to capitalize on the building’s largely untapped outdoor space. The Porters are having the patio extended by about 25 percent and are adding a large gabled roof with lighting and fans. Part of the idea is creating a space for year-round live entertainment. The backyard also has been cleaned up and there will be comfortable seating out back. All the better for sipping on a brew and chowing down on some wings on the lawn.

“At the Crafthouse we’re gonna have everything we have at the brewery plus,” Alex Porter says.

This is especially true when it comes to the food menu. At the brewery on FM 1960, the Porters whip up wood-fired pizza and wings from their food truck. But Southern Yankee Crafthouse will boast a full kitchen,  allowing the menu to be expanded. Food options will still revolve around wood-fired cooking and pizza and wings will still be at the core of the menu. But at Southern Yankee Crafthouse, there also will be cast-iron skillet dishes.

“We’re really excited to explore because it’s a great presentation and it’s a great way of cooking,” Alex Porter says. “It’s very flavorful and it’s like when you get a sizzling plate of fajitas, it’s just part of the experience.”

With so much focus on the food, Southern Yankee is on the lookout for an executive chef as well.

Plans call for Southern Yankee Crafthouse to open around June or July. Get ready for some brews in Montrose.