LOCAL BUSINESS
Back in 1994, Bill Clinton was president, the internet browser Netscape was launched and the TV show Friends debuted. The Dallas Cowboys won the Super Bowl, a dozen eggs cost 87 cents and a gallon of gas was $1.11.
In the 30 years since, President Clinton moved on from his political aspirations, Netscape went under, the Friends all moved to the suburbs and the rest seems so distant they might as well exist in the realm of dreams.
And yet the Taproom — which opened its doors Dec. 31, 1994 — is still standing.
“It feels amazing and humbling to be a part of The Taproom story,” Samantha Strahan, one of the owners of The Taproom said. “I’m glad that the restaurant holds a special place in so many people’s hearts and minds.”
Strahan along with fellow business owner Sara Chavez bought and opened The Taproom and The Porch in November 2021, after purchasing them from Travis Kelsey and Kevin Shea, who ran the combined restaurant and bar space establishments since 1998. Shea and Kelsey worked with Chavez and Strahan during the COVID-19 shutdown, finalizing the deal while focusing on remaining true to the heart of The Taproom.
“It’s a fine line to walking, making updates and keeping the business evolving, while holding on to what people love most about it,” Strahan said. “Hopefully we’ve risen to the challenge since we bought it in 2021. I really see us as stewards of Taproom and hope to see it survive long after our tenure.”
The legacy into which Strahan and Chavez stepped with The Taproom is one they’re dedicated to protecting. The interior hasn’t changed much in thirty years. The walls and tables glow with the well-worn patina of a thousand late-night wipe downs. The ceiling still sports a scattering of playing cards, some of them signed. Above the bar, a collection of odds and ends conjure the nostalgia of Gen X Youth – everything from the “Major Award” leg lamp from A Christmas Story to an Easter Island head and a cardboard standee of The Rock.
Strahan is now a keeper of Taproom stories, adding their chapter to the collection of existing lore.
“So much Taproom lore,” she said. “I’ve heard it’s haunted. Countless people have told me they met their spouses here. We found a message in a bottle when pulling some floor up… like a drunk text message from the early 2000s. Everyone has a good story about a great night here (and most aren’t fit to print!).”
One bit of lore employees actively embrace involves making whiskey offerings to the Taproom Gods.
“Sometimes you’ll see shots of booze up with all the knicknacks, which have been collected over time and many donated souvenirs by regulars,” she said.
Though keeping true to the heart of the bar is important to Strahan and Chavez, they also understood that in order to stay alive, Taproom would have to grow. Strahan and Chavez revamped the menu, saving some favorites — like The 666 and The Works Burgers — while introducing new items, too. For example, the menu now includes fried catfish and fried gator baskets, The Fat Mac Burger (it has macaroni and cheese on it!) and The Texas Philly, featuring house sliced ribeye steaks topped with jalapenos, onions, mushrooms and swiss.
At the same time, they took what was working and refined it. They added to their list of wings, sauces and dressings, then incorporated these big sellers into Bingo Bango Wingo Wango, their Wednesday night bingo game which has become popular among locals and Texas State students alike.
Another Taproom rite of passage Chavez and Strahan preserved and refined is the Around the World Club. With this challenge, participants can become a World Traveler by finishing 22-ounce pints of all 36 featured imported and local beers on the beer wall. Upon completion, World Travelers get their name and a quote on the Taproom Wall of Fame.
Other crowd-drawing additions include Sudsday every Sunday, with a special brunch menu and $4 draft pints, and Trivia on Tap every Tuesday.
Though change can be hard on everyone, Taproom has weathered well. Even in the cold doldrums between semesters and in the down time of summer, a crowd can be found enjoying the comfortable familiarity of a place where — like Cheers — everybody knows your name. This is in large part to bartender Kristin Alphin, who welcomes regulars and newcomers alike with a smile. Even out of state guests find a home away from home in the Taproom.
“The Taproom welcomed me to Texas with great food, service and friends,” Jim Steinhoff of Pittsburgh, said. Steinhoff, who was visiting Texas for the first time, came to the Taproom last weekend for a friend’s graduation. “I felt like I was at home there,” he said.
These elements combine in a special kind of synergy, one that is not easy to find or duplicate. For these reasons, Taproom was recognized as a Legacy Business by the city of San Marcos, for remaining in continuous operation for 30 years downtown.
To celebrate, The Taproom is hosting an “I Love The 90s” anniversary party on Dec. 28. This all-day event will include 90s music, craft beer and whiskey tastings, glass giveaways, contests, bingo and more. There will be a sweepstakes drawing to win free burgers for a year, guest bartenders, a 90s photo booth with prizes for best 90s outfits and a 90s R&B/ hiphop set with Chief and the Doomsday Device. For more information, visit the Taproom website at taproomsanmarcos.com.
The famous Taproom moose whose name is — wait for it — Moose. Daily Record photo by Jason Cook
One week before the holidays, one of the quietest times on the Square, yet Taproom still draws a crowd for its weekly bingo game. Daily Record photos by Jason Cook
