UPDATE: Sadly, as of Spring 2020 NXNW is now permanently closed
Update: As of February 3rd 2019, this site is now closed. Their original Stonelake venue remains open, which we hope to visit soon.
May 2018
NXNW is in a large complex slightly out of town in South Austin’s Slaughter Lane suburb, with shops and cinema. This is a stylish, modern brewpub with lots of chrome and glass, banquets and high stools decked out in their signature red, with plenty of outdoor and indoor seating. Featuring a core range and seasonals and a guest tap, they have 8-10 beers on draft at any given time, including a good range of IPAs, reds and dark beers. The Royal Guard Imperial Red was great, rich and chewy with a bitter finish, and their seasonal Chilli Coconut Porter was deicious. The IPAs were all to a decent standard too, the stand-out being their popular Zombie Dragon, the mango version of which is a rare but highly rewarding find – if you see it, snap it up!
Some of their beers are less remarkable than others, and the turnover on the taps isn’t very swift so you may find the exact same beers on weeks or even months later, not great for Untappd nerds but for the crowd the venue is aimed at, I doubt this will be a problem. Friendly staff will advise and let you sample before you buy. Flight pours are three 5oz for $7.50 but higher ABV beers incur an additional premium of $1.50 per pour, which does up the cost a bit for anyone like me who tends to favour the bold! 5oz pours can also be purchased individually, which is handy. When we ate there the burger was excellent – delivered bloody as hell, how I like it, and full half pound, which was reassuring as they aren’t cheap. NXNW has a clear focus on presenting itself as a family, community space and they have local community events, a play area for children and a children’s menu, as well as keeping their full outside area non-smoking. This may turn the hipsters off but for Slaughter Lane locals, it makes complete sense. On our second visit, during one of their free open house parties, a children’s entertainer was on hand, and dogs are welcome in the outside area. NXNW and the more adult-orientated Red’s Porch are under the same ownership, and have a total five venues around the greater Austin area. Red’s has a much wider craft beer selection, including some pretty high-end stuff, although prices aren’t cheap. All have a decent happy hour and make a good beery stop if you’re in the local area.
Craft Beer Amethyst 