The philosopher Plato said, “He was a wise man who invented beer.” If that’s indeed the case, the masterminds from White Rock Ale House are twice as wise as they once were with the opening of White Rock Brewing Co. in West Dallas, an extension and sister location to White Rock Ale House in East Dallas.

We took a trip to see what the new location had to offer on a recent Friday and brought a four-legged friend along to sit on the dog-friendly patio. We ordered some of the establishment's championship beers and snacks to see what it was all about.

We started with the Tater Kegs, which were giant tater tots stuffed with bacon, cheddar and chives and served alongside a creamy jalapeño ranch. They had a nice crunch before the soft center and were a great starter to lay the groundwork for the beer we ordered.

Though there were some other offerings such as ahi tuna nachos made with sushi grade tuna, and some crisp Brussels sprouts sautéed in bacon, honey, sriracha and lemon sauce, we decided to go with the happy-hour special and ordered a pizza. Happy hour runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and includes a variety of pizzas each day of the week, which are mostly priced at $10. On Mondays happy hour includes half off all salads and wine.

The savory onion burger pizza comes with a bacon jam, ground beef, caramelized onions and mozzarella. The pizza had a crisp crust and was full of flavor. It paired well with the other beers that we ordered to go with it and didn’t overwhelm our taste buds with any particular flavor. The food was an overall great experience, but the beer is why you go to a taproom.

The first beer that we tried was the 2021 Gold Medal winner, Dreamsicle Kayak, a fruited honey wheat. It took us right back to our childhood with the memory of the orange creamsicle push-pops that melted all over your hand if you didn’t eat them quickly enough. It wasn’t overly sweet, though, and was a refreshing sip to start our afternoon off. Service was quick and attentive, and we hardly got to the bottom of our glass before we were offered another.
Another beer we got to try was the Urban Parakeet, which won the 2022 Texas Craft Brewers Cup Gold Medal for an American IPA. The head Brewer, Blake Morrison, is quickly building an award-winning resume for his beer, having medaled at the U.S. Open Beer Championship every year since 2019.

We had a chance to talk to the general manager, Eric Zachary, who pointed us toward the Big Thicket Blonde Ale, which won the silver medal at the World Beer Cup in Nashville in May.

“We are one of only two Dallas-area breweries to even place at the World Beer Cup, and we got second for our Big Thicket,” Zachary said. “It’s a really big deal because you are competing against breweries from all over the world, some of which have decades of history behind them, and our beer was ranked up there with the best. We’re proud of that accomplishment and look forward to more as our brewery really gets going.”

The brewery will be able to produce 9,000 barrels once it's fully operational later this summer. That's nearly 20 times the 500-barrel clip at which it currently runs. Meanwhile, more than a dozen local beers are on tap, and there's a full bar as well.

“With even more space to brew, we’re excited and expect big things for our brews moving forward," Zachary said. "We have a good space, with good people, and there’s always something happening, whether that’s our live music on Saturdays, trivia Tuesdays or the weekly happy hours."

White Rock Brewing Co. is a fun addition to the Dallas craft scene and has something for everyone. We will certainly be back and look forward to the future award-winning brews created here.

White Rock Brewing Co., 2477 N. Beckley Ave. Sunday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.