Greetings, Earthlings! Southern Oak Brewing opened Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 308 Market St. in Old Town Tomball, Texas, putting a brewpub back in the former Fire Ant space with 28 taps and a chef-driven kitchen. Fire Ant closed May 17 after eight years when owners Bruce and Sylvia Kissinger retired, Hoodline reports.
The grand opening started at 11 a.m., per The Tomball Times and Hello Woodlands. Southern Oak also takes in the adjoining 310 storefront, which gives it a patio and balcony.
The crew behind Southern Oak Brewing
Two Tomball families teamed up. Kendra and Josh Schwaiger co-own Paradigm Brewing Company, which opened in December 2021, and Tatia and Doug George own Graze at 208 N. Elm. Hello Woodlands reports Doug spent 37 years as a corporate chef with ClubCorp, including time as personal chef to the Dedman family. Josh came up through the beverage business, with stints at Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Karbach Brewing.
“We have been friends for some time now and have always talked about partnering. When the opportunity came up, we jumped on it,” Josh Schwaiger told Hello Woodlands. The name comes from nearby South Oak Street, Tatia George said: “Southern Oak just clicked.”
A familiar landing pad
The Tomball Times says Fire Ant opened at 308 Market in 2018, billed as Old Town Tomball’s first brewpub, with its tanks visible through glass from the seating area and a balcony over Market Street. Southern Oak inherits a room already built for brewing and a working kitchen.
What’s on the tap wall and the menu
The brewery’s website promises a tap lineup running “from crisp and refreshing to bold and full-flavored.” Southern Oak brews on site under a Texas brewpub license and pours guest beer, wine, champagne, cider, seltzer and non-alcoholic options. Its permit covers beer and wine up to 17% ABV, so no cocktails. House beers the owners named to Hello Woodlands:
- Southern Oak London Ale
- Southern Oak Italian Pils
- West Coast Brew
Josh Schwaiger said he wanted “something that wasn’t just typical bar food.” His guess for signature dishes: “the wings and the egg rolls,” though he added, “I wouldn’t sleep on the shepherd’s pie or the bison burger.” Asked by Hello Woodlands for his perfect Southern Oak meal, Chef Doug picked ahi tuna tostones and the London Ale. Hello Woodlands calls its preview menu “subject to change.”
Visitor coordinates: Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m., closed Monday, per Hello Woodlands and The Tomball Times. More at southernoakbrewing.com. Bureau sensors read Old Town Tomball’s brewpub signal as restored.
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