Uncle Buck's brewpub in Grapevine serving house-made beer for first time in 2 years

After two years with dry mash tuns, Uncle Buck's Brewery and Steakhouse in Grapevine has fired up the brewhouse.

The restaurant, which is located adjacent to the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, recently revamped its space and menus, and decided to bring house-brewed beer back into the mix.

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According to blog Beer in Big D, Uncle Buck's forwent brewing after its previous brewer left. But once general manager Jeff Landress joined the company in May 2015, "I made it a priority to find a brewmaster and get this thing up and going again," he said.

To help, the Uncle Buck's hired -- or more accurately rehired -- brewer Raymond Plasek, who previously worked there from 2000 to 2009. After leaving, Plasek held positions at Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant in Dallas and Revolver Brewing in Granbury, but his decision to return came with the desire to have more freedom behind the brew kettle.

"I could come back and do some of my beers instead of brewing somebody else's beer," Plasek says. "That way no one can tell you what to brew, how to do it, when to do it."

Despite his enthusiasm, it took several months to get the equipment, which Plasek called "the Cadillac of its time," in working order since it hadn't been used in years. The glycol system needed reworking and the tanks some TLC. Plasek began brewing in late-April and now has 10 house staples in addition to two taps for rotating seasonal beers.

The starting lineup includes a kolsch, amber ale, red ale, hefeweizen, pale ale, wee heavy Scottish ale, India pale ale, brown ale, English-style bitter, and oatmeal stout. Technically, that last one will be a rotator also. Plasek plans to feature a several stout variations to "give stout lovers a different take" on the style. Expect to see chocolate stouts, coffee stouts and the like in the future.

And because Uncle Buck's is a brewpub, the restaurant will offer growlers of beer to-go in addition to pints for onsite consumption.

Uncle Buck's is hosting a relaunch party on Friday, Aug. 5 beginning at 6 p.m., which features samples of the new beers and food items on its menu, and live music. The restaurant suggests a $10 donation to benefit the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. For more information, visit Uncle Buck's Brewery and Steakhouse on Facebook.