Front Porch Pub

I was headed out of downtown today, and thought I'd stop in for a burger and to see what beers they have on tap. Sure, it's not a "real" beer bar, but what the hell.

First of all--hot bartender. 24-ish, former college soccer player with soccer player legs. Nice.

Food seemed to be the regular pub grub, no surprise there. They had a small tap-wall with a lot of the Budweiser/Heineken types, but they had a decent selection of St. Arnold and Real Ale that made it worth the visit.

St. Arnold Stout: This is the first time I've had it on draft except at a brew tour. For some reason, it's a little richer, little smoother, little heavier, little nuttier. All around it's better on draft. The nut-brown taste was a surprise, but didn't take it out of the type.

Real Ale's Rio Blanco Pale Ale: This was also better on draft. Still crisp and light, it's got a good zip to it. Nice pale, and I'll have to get it more regularly.

Real Ale's Fireman's #4: This one was not as good as I remember it being in the bottle. It seemed a bit flat, a bit hollow. Seemed like it was a bit old, probably because it's not a terribly fast mover.

Real Ale Brewing Company's Rio Blanco Pale Ale

Nice. Pours a light amber with a very light, almost white, head. Pours nicely, looks right. No more consistency/distribution issues? Let's hope.

Grassy hops backed by a bready, slightly sweet malt. Still on track.

A little light in the body, but the hops have the right amount of punch. Well within the type, and a good beer. Not their best, but enough to keep me coming back to a Texas brewery.