WILDSIDE -- NEW BRAUNFELS, TX…read more
This one was completely on a whim!
We were heading up from San Antonio to catch Joshua Nieto and Bryan Torresdey's comedy show at Vicky's Hinterhof, and we got into New Braunfels early enough to do a little pregaming. We really don't have a go-to spot in NB, and running over to Gruene was going to cut into valuable pregame time.
The mission was simple: find a cool spot, grab a couple of good cocktails, and get ourselves properly warmed up for the night.
Well...we found it.
Wildside might be the poshest dive bar I've been to in Texas. And I mean that as a HUGE compliment.
It has that laid-back, divey lounge feel without feeling like somebody forgot to care about the place. Good music, cool atmosphere, friendly people behind the bar and cocktails that aren't going to beat the hell out of your wallet.
The bartenders were fantastic and made the whole pregame experience a blast. They know they're not sitting on some massive, high-end inventory of obscure spirits like a dedicated craft cocktail bar and you know what? They don't pretend to be.
What they DO have is confidence behind the bar.
Give them what they've got, tell them what you like, and they'll put together a damn good cocktail. I appreciate that. There's something to be said about a bartender who knows their bottles, knows their limitations, and still says, "Yeah, I can make you something good."
That's my kind of divey lounge bar.
And apparently Wednesdays are comedy nights, too. Who knows...you might even catch Fluffy dropping in for a cameo!
We were having such a good time with the music, cocktails and overall vibe that after the comedy show at Vicky's, there really wasn't much discussion about where we were going next.
BACK TO WILDSIDE.
And that probably tells you everything you need to know.
We went there to pregame...and liked the place so damn much we came back and closed the bar down.
So next time you're swinging sticks in New Braunfels and want a place that's unpretentious, affordable, lively and knows how to pour you a proper drink, give Wildside a shot.
Sometimes the best bars aren't the ones you plan on finding.
Sometimes you just end up on the Wildside.
Texas Mozzer