It’s easy to drive on Highway M in the Town of Westport and not see Parched Eagle Brewpub. One, you don’t expect any restaurants/bars in the area, and two, it’s tucked away in a shopping strip near Skipper Bud’s.
After a day at the beach at Governor Nelson State Park, I stopped by the Parched Eagle from some refreshments. Like other brewpubs, it has its own beers–five “all-year beers” and nearly 20 seasonals–plus guest beers on tap. If you can’t decide, you can get the four-beer sampler for $6. Otherwise, pints are $5-$6.
Be sure to try the Parched Eagle Golden Ale. I’m impartial to Kolsch beers, and this one is a crowd-pleaser (or in the words of the owner, a “lawn-mowing beer”). It’s got a bit of sweetness to it, too.
Want really sweet? According to the owner, the current batch of Crane Ale, an APA, wasn’t brewed correctly, and consequently gained a strong malty (sweet) flavor, which he dubbed Texas Grapefruit. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. It’s such a unique taste, you should get some while it lasts.
Unfortunately, neither the Janethan (porter) or Verily (dubbel) were available during my visit, but I did have two other beers: The Hop-Bearer (IPA) for sure sported a strong hoppy bitterness, and the Grainne’s Special Bitter (seasonal) had a slight sour note to it.
I look forward to a return visit to try the Senor Smoke (Scotch ale), Dreamland (witbier) and the Weakling (trippel).
Parched Eagle Brewpub is open Wednesday-Sunday. It has lots of seating indoors (plus board games), and it serves a few sandwiches and snacks.
Also worth noting is that Bonefish has added a few cocktails to its list. I really enjoyed the watermelon tini ($8.20), which is fresh watermelon muddled with cucumber and simple syrup and mixed with vodka. The frozen watermelon cubes were a nice touch. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for something stronger, try the Kiwi Smash ($8.20), a unique mixture of mint, kiwi, tequila, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup.
When I received the press release announcing the opening of 
To change the focus of your taste buds, move onto the sweet hand pies ($6). You can’t go wrong with either the apple pi, which has super soft apples and a balanced blend of cinnamon and nutmeg, or the cherry s’more pi, a creative, dense concoction of brandied cherries and chocolate–yum!
