Over the last few years, there has been a lot of growth in the number of breweries in the Houston area. Unfortunately for this Friendswood dweller, the majority of that growth has not touched the Southeast side of town. Brian Allen and Kris Szecsy took notice of this and intentionally found a location for their brewery on the Pearland/Friendswood border to attempt to fill this void. Their brewery, BAKFISH, opened on March 14th, and they are already making huge strides in connecting with the local community.

Founders Brian Allen and Kris Szecsy

The name “BAKFISH” combines the initials of the partners’ first names with a bit of history into Kris’s past career as a marine biologist. Brian has a background in business development, allowing him to be the more commercially minded partner. Kris was a chemist in the oil and gas industry, and he is using that knowledge in the brewing process.

BAKFISH is currently brewing on a 30-barrel system, with plenty of space to grow in the future. For now, they plan to dial in their “core five” beers to ensure that they are always consistent and available in the tap room. BAKFISH currently has 4 out of 5 of their core beers on tap: Wit, IPA, DIPA and Porter. They expect to have their last piece of the puzzle, their Golden Ale, on tap soon. In addition to the core five, they are looking at ways to test the market to see how receptive the area is to more experimental beers. As Kris said during our interview: “The brewpub atmosphere allows us to keep playing.” A quick review of the four beers that I tried when visiting is below:

The Wit was so good that we accidentally drank it before we remembered to take a picture!

I Tell You Wit, 5%:

Cloudy as expected with a wispy head. Aroma is orange with chamomile, although I’m not sure if I would have picked that up unless I knew to look for it from the conversation with Kris. Flavor profile is reminiscent of Blue Moon, as the citrus notes from the wheat and the bitter orange peel blend seamlessly. The mouthfeel is full, but it fades quickly and finishes dry.

Circle Hook IPA, 6.5%:

Poured darker than the DIPA, causing the two to accidentally be mixed up when sorting out the flight at the table. Flavor is full of a mix of pine and caramels, with a quick bitter bite and a toasted malt finish.

Defying Gravity DIPA, 8.5%:

Pours a dark straw color and a little cloudy. Lots of pine flavor up front, with a nice mango, tropical midpoint, and a resiny finish. The alcohol was masked by the nice blending of the key flavors.

Goat Roper Porter, 6%:

Very strong aroma of dark roasted coffee upfront. Coffee flavor comes through on the taste, along with mellow chocolate notes. Overall, a relatively light-bodied beer which makes it very easy to drink, even in the Houston heat.

BAKFISH already seems to be fairly successful in connecting in with the local community, by both connecting with other area breweries to share knowledge, and by looking to assist local organizations. Coming up soon, BAKFISH will host events to help support local organizations such as the Friendswood Animal Advocates and Hunt with Heart. More information about both events is provided below, and you can always check out the brewery’s Facebook and Twitter pages for more up-to-date details.

I would highly recommend checking out BAKFISH if you live in the area, or if you are up for taking a short drive out to the suburbs. BAKFISH offers a kid-friendly and dog-friendly area, as well as a private space available for rent. They offer snacks at the brewery, and they also allow you to bring your own food or have it delivered.

Taproom hours:

Monday through Thursday: 3PM-9PM

Friday: 3PM-10PM

Saturday: noon-10PM

Sunday: noon-9PM

Location: 1231 Broadway St, Pearland, TX 77581

Upcoming events:

May 14^th from 5:30PM-9:00PM – Ales for Tails Event supporting the Friendswood Animal Advocates

May 16^th, Leukemia & Lymphoma Man & Woman of the Year Golf Tournament (BAKFISH is sponsoring a hole)

June 17^th, starting at 6:00PM – Washer tournament at the brewery supporting the Hunt With Heart organization

Katie Frink

BAKFISH Brewing Company