Maybe I’m not truly the last person in town to visit Karbach Brewing Co.’s new restaurant, but sometimes it sure has felt like it. The restaurant, which opened inside the brewery (located off Hempstead Highway) in early June, has had terrific word-of-mouth.

Houston has enjoyed a surfeit of notable restaurant openings this summer (usually a quiet time), and Karbach was one of the few fresh eateries not yet checked off my list. So when members of the brewery’s staff invited us to their first grand tasting event last night (Monday), I was eager to see what all the fuss was about.

The restaurant inside Karbach serves several classic beer accompaniments, such as charcuterie and cheese plates, huge pretzels and a burger. But then, wham! like a funky saison, Karbach comes out of nowhere with un-brewery-like items such as malted ricotta gnocchi, Hopadillo IPA poutine and shrimp and grits with crispy okra. Yes, this is an actual restaurant serving lunch and dinner — not just a small kitchen heating up pizzas for hungry beer knurds. So even if you’re not a beer lover, you’ll have a great meal here.

The Grand Tasting event we attended last night allowed guests to tour the brewery and try several of the menu items at different stations throughout the facility, with each menu item paired with a Karbach beer. Guests were also given the chance to try specialty tappings and casks, like the Hop Delusional aged in tequila barrels (photo above) and the BBH (Bourbon Barrel Hellfighter) with coffee.

Proving that beer is versatile in the kitchen, members of the Karbach team described each pairing to guests, noting that some of the menu items were actually prepared using one of their beers as an ingredient. The crispy rock shrimp, for example, uses their Weisse Versa in the batter, and the shrimp and grits features a Sympathy for the Lager broth. Other notable dishes included the Korean fried chicken (crispy chile-glazed chicken, housemade kimchi, togarashi and scallions, photo above) and the 44 Farms slider served on an egg bun with sharp cheddar and aioli.

Karbach’s restaurant and patio opens everyday at 11 am and closes at 10 pm (except for Monday and Sunday when closing time is at 9 pm).

To view more photos from Karbach’s Grand Tasting, click here.