Pinthouse Pizza opened its doors on Monday, the first Alamo City outpost from Austin’s Pinthouse Brewing. The brand is best known for its shockingly popular Electric Jellyfish Hazy IPA, and there’s plenty of that on tap in the new 10,800-square-foot facility.
It’s hard to overstate the scope of Pinthouse’s latest creation. There are at least three distinct seating areas: a large beer hall with large picnic tables, an airy atrium featuring a ceiling lined with windows, and a front dining room with several high-top tables. Most of the new brewpub’s nooks and crannies are adorned with a boatload of nautical artwork and tchotchkes. The whole interior has a polished finish, crafted in partnership with design firm Kim Lewis Design and architect OPA Design Studio.
Oh, and they brew on-site in a facility capable of bubbling up an additional 3,500 barrels per year on top of the Austin flagship brewery, which cranks out well over 20,000 barrels annually. That’s a lot more Electric Jellyfish to help quench the seemingly bottomless thirst for that frequent sell-out, not to mention the brewery’s other popular hop-forward suds such as Magical Pils and Burro’s Breakfast Mexican Lager.
“Opening in San Antonio is a huge milestone for our team and something we’ve dreamed about for years,” Pinthouse retail president Kyle Detrick said in a media release. “After 13 years of growth in Austin, we’ve seen so many friends from San Antonio make the trip for our beer and pizza, so bringing the full Pinthouse experience here felt like the natural next step. We can’t wait to welcome the community to enjoy fresh beer brewed on-site, our signature pizzas, and a lively space where people can gather over great food and great beer.”
They didn’t skimp on the details that help make a good first impression. Bag hooks at what seems like ever seat. Oodles of outlets to charge phones. Retro arcade games that don’t require a roll of quarters to play. A shiny new shuffleboard table.
There are plenty of TVs to keep an eye on the game, too, but they aren’t obnoxiously large (or loud).
Pinthouse is just as nerdy about its pizza as it is its beer. The dough, said brand culinary director Philipp Norsetter, is mixed at a 62% rate of hydration and fermented for 48 hours. The resulting crusts are crisp where they’re supposed to be but retain a tender chew and extremely airy crumb.
That dough turn into what Pinthouse calls Austin-style pies such as the Ooh La La (pepperoni, cheese, arugula, spicy honey and Peppadew peppers) and the Texas Chicken Ranch (candied jalapeños and jalapeño ranch), all available in small and large sizes. The menu is rounded out by starters such as the Beer Mates cheesy garlic breadsticks, jumbo soft pretzels and beer queso; salad options; and sandwiches, including the Italian Grinder packed with cold-cuts, cheese, shredded lettuce and hot pepper relish.
Pinthouse Pizza, 5534 N. Loop 1604 W., 210-305-4300, pinthouse.com. Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m Friday and Saturday.