This week, I paid a visit to the Big Red Cock on Shepherd. It was happy hour, snacks were half off and they were knocking $2 off all drafts so a little happy hour-ing somehow morphed into a sort of dinner/me completely stuffing myself. I “tried” the charred brisket chile con queso, the mini beer brat corn dogs and warm cheddar biscuits and bacon jam — all of which were delish. Over my snacky-feast, I got to know a little bit about manager Josh and his gastropub.
Where are you from? Originally, I’m from Massachusetts, but I’ve lived in Texas pretty much my whole life. I went to high school in Dallas and then went to Baylor.
How long have you been at BRC? I’ve been here since November of 2010, so almost two years. I started bartending and sort of worked my way up to ordering the beer and changed the taps around a bit, and then became a manager. I wanted us to have a better beer profile. It was good before, but I wanted to step it up a bit. At first, we just had American on tap and now we have beer from all over the world.
What are some other jobs you’ve had? I waited tables and bartended back in Waco…RTF was my major so I did some stuff for Baylor, and I was in a movie when I was five, back when I was an aspiring actor. The movie was True Stories by David Byrne. I made $75 and spent it on Transformers.
How would you describe the bar’s aesthetic? This place has a cool vibe. It’s not too much, it’s not too little. The wallpaper, people love to touch the wallpaper. And the bathrooms — we just had Channel 11 in here doing a story on our bathrooms. But I think this place has a pub feel. It’s neighborhoody but still a little upscale. You can come in all dressed up or in shorts and a T-shirt. It’s a cool restaurant with a good beer selection. We’re friendly. People get to know us and come back.
Is there beer on tap right now or a menu item you just can’t get enough of? Beerwise, I really like the Sierra Nevada Hoptimum. It’s a great IPA. But the most interesting beer we have right now is Lazy Magnolia Jefferson Stout — a sweet potato cream stout from Mississippi. As far as food goes, I’d say the jalapeño-potato chip chicken-fried steak. It’s so good.
Fill in the blank: To work at BRC, you have to be able to ______. Interact well with customers and really know beer.
At the end of my shift, I usually pour myself a ______. Victory. It’s a nice, easy, light and refreshing pilsner.
You get three songs on the proverbial jukebox. What do you play? Sail by AWOLNATION, anything by Pearl Jam and some Zeppelin.
Wildcard: What do you think will be the next popular catchphrase? It’s not so much a catchphrase, but a friend and I really like clasual…you know, classy but casual. It’s better than “chillaxin.”
BRC is located at 519 Shepherd, just south of Washington. Happy Hour is from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, when you can get some awesome snacks for half off. They also knock $2 off all draft beers and wine by the glass. They serve brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays ($10 sangria pitchers!) and Sundays ($10 mimosa pitchers!). Tuesday is Industry Night, when after 9 p.m. they offer $2 sliders and brisket tacos and all drafts are only $3. Swing by and say hi to Josh! For more info or to get the scoop on upcoming events, visit their Facebook or follow them @BRCgastropub.
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This article appears in May 31 – Jun 6, 2012.