Spots That Rock - Cork & Barrel Craft Kitchen + Microbrewery

Highlighting the local chefs, restaurants, and businesses that rock
There’s a reason why pubs are such a pillar of Irish culture: they provide a space to gather and a home away from home. After visiting pubs around the world, the co-owners of Cork & Barrel Craft Kitchen + Microbrewery brought the best of what they learned back home to Round Rock, and we’re sure glad they did. The craft kitchen and microbrewery is a family-friendly place to have fun and getaway, just as the Irish intended.
Surprising and Delighting
Before calling Round Rock home, General Manager and Executive Chef of Cork & Barrel, Rob Snow, attended culinary school and got his start in the industry in Las Vegas. Snow spent over a decade bringing his culinary innovation to Round Rock at his former restaurant, Greenhouse Craft Food, and was eventually brought on by Cork & Barrel. With passion that has captured the hearts of Round Rock diners, Chef Snow has curated a menu that keeps diners coming back to Cork & Barrel for more.
A Piece of Ireland in Round Rock
The authentic Irish pub space was inspired by Belfast, the hometown to one of the owners and where the Titanic was famously built. To pay homage to the Titanic, the pizza oven was designed to mimic the boiler room in the renowned ocean liner. When you look inside, “you’ll see the coals burning hot inside of this boiler looking pizza oven.”
“One of the really cool things that the owners did when they built this place was actually ship things over from Europe,” Snow notes. The doorway that leads into the pub as well as the stained glass found above the fireplace are hundreds of years old and bring in “warmth and the feeling of history of Belfast and of Ireland.” These thoughtful touches and more are what make Cork & Barrel a truly special place in Round Rock.
Where There’s No Shortage of Spaces
Cork & Barrel has an expansive property that offers visitors a variety of spaces to revel in. From a modern industrial bar space with an open kitchen to the unmistakable Irish pub space and a sweeping backyard with a play area for the kiddos, you and your group are sure to find the perfect place to enjoy each other’s company. “Expect a really fun atmosphere. A lot of things are going on at one time, which kind of adds to the excitement of being out. When the weather’s nice, the backyard is insanely cool,” remarks Snow.
With live music events and a variety of game day watch parties throughout the year, you’ll always have a reason to enjoy the Cork & Barrel backyard.
A Year Round Microbrewery
It wouldn’t be a true pub without a fantastic selection of beer, would it? As you walk into Cork & Barrel, you’ll be greeted by their microbrewery which is at work year round. Snow explains, “all the time, we’ll either have four or five beers that we’ve made here.” In true Cork & Barrel fashion, the team likes to be creative with what they bring to customers and add their own unique flair to it all. For example, their stout isn’t “a straight version of a stout, it’s a really nice vanilla stout” and their wheat beer is “a blueberry wheat beer,” both of which can only be found in house. If beer isn’t your thing, don’t worry, Cork & Barrel has a variety of signature cocktails to tend to every palate.
Texas Flavors with Irish Craic
The goal of Cork & Barrel is to bring together the architecture and feel of traditional Irish pubs with true Texas hospitality and great cuisine for an experience unlike any other in Round Rock. What’s great about the flavors Cork & Barrel brings to visitors is that you often can’t find them like this anywhere else. Joining classic pub fare such as a giant garlic pretzel is the
Cork & Barrel take on a Reuben.
As Snow describes, “instead of sauerkraut, we use kimchi and we make really cool marble rye bread with that. If you haven't had it, you should try it. It sounds weird, kimchi with corned beef and Swiss, but it comes together in the most amazing way.”
Menu Items and Celebrations From Scratch
The culinary team at Cork & Barrel prides itself on making every menu item from scratch and putting their personal spin on it, from vinaigrettes to the selection of craft beers. But passionate innovation for customers doesn't stop there, Snow explains “we’re always doing something fun and new. We’ll do Corktoberfest, which is our take on an Oktoberfest party, so there’s a lot of fun stuff happening.” And be sure to stay up-to-date on the specialty pairing dinners that will prove an exciting new way to experience the Cork & Barrel menus.
The next time you’re looking for the perfect place that everyone in your group will enjoy, Cork & Barrel looks forward to serving you. As the Irish say, Sláinte!