Photos by Nick RamaFood & Drink
Eat Local: Southern Oak Brewing opening October 7
Southern Oak Brewing is opening on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at 308 Market St in Tomball, Texas.
THE STORY
Old Town Tomball is getting its brewery back, and if you ask me, it’s in the best hands possible.
If you remember Fire Ant Brewpub, you know the feeling. It was Old Town’s first brewpub, a gathering place for eight years of birthdays, weekend outings, and casual nights out with friends. When it poured its final beer back in May, it left a hole on Market Street that nobody quite knew how to fill.
Enter two Tomball families who decided to do something special together. Kendra and Josh Schwaiger are the folks behind Paradigm Brewing Company (opened back in December 2021), with more than 20 years of combined experience across beer, sales, and hospitality. Josh came up through the beverage world, with time at Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Karbach Brewing.
And then there’s Tatia and Doug George, the husband-and-wife team behind Graze at 208 N Elm, Old Town’s beloved upscale spot. Doug is the real deal in the kitchen, with 37 years as a corporate chef with ClubCorp, including a stint as personal chef to the Dedman family, and training at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, Greystone, and Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.
The brewer and the chef were already running a brewery and a restaurant just seven minutes apart on opposite ends of town. Now they’re joining forces under one roof at 308 Market St. Grand opening: Wednesday, October 7, 2026, doors open at 11am.
We asked Josh why the two families decided to join forces and why this space.
Josh: “We have been friends for some time now and have always talked about partnering. When the opportunity came up, we jumped on it.”
THE NAME
I love a name that works on two levels. Southern Oak nods to the tree, sure; but look at a map, and you’ll see South Oak Street runs right through Old Town, practically within sight of the front door.
Tatia: “We had a lot of ideas and put them all out there, and this was the one we all liked. We started with the street names around us – Oak Street – and Southern Oak just clicked. That was it!”
THE VIBE
Picture this: the old Fire Ant space in the 300 block of Market Street, plus the adjoining 310 storefront, with that patio and balcony that most Old Town spots would kill for. Behind the bar, a wall of 28 taps waiting to be filled. Their tagline says it all: “Southern roots. Crafted together.”
The website calls it a “great brewery and high-end restaurant,” and that’s the vibe they’re going for: a place where you come for a pint and stay for dinner, or the other way around.
THE INSPIRATION
Here’s what I love about this concept: it’s not a brewery that happens to serve food, and it’s not a restaurant that happens to pour craft beer. The four owners have said from the start that the kitchen gets just as much love as the taps. Great food and great beer, one experience.
It makes perfect sense when you think about it. You’ve got a brewing family and a restaurant family, each already beloved in Tomball, putting their strengths together instead of going it alone.
Here’s how Josh puts the vision into words: “We wanted something that wasn’t just typical bar food, a higher-end offering where the chef really felt in the process.”
THE GOODS
Full disclosure: there’s no menu out yet. The brewery’s own menu page says, “More info coming soon!” But with Doug George leading the food side and Graze’s track record, I’m expecting the kitchen to aim well above your standard bar food. This is the guy who spent 37 years in professional kitchens, after all.
We have an official sneak peek of the soft opening preview night menu. Subject to change…
We asked Josh what he thinks the signature dishes will be – the ones people will keep coming back for.
Josh: “If I had to guess, I would say the wings and the egg rolls because they are pretty unique to us — but I wouldn’t sleep on the shepherd’s pie or the bison burger.”
THE OWNERS’ FAVORITE MEALS
Hello Woodlands asked each of the owners to walk through their perfect Southern Oak meal, start to finish. Here’s what they said.
Chef Doug
- Appetizer: Ahi Tuna Tostones
- Beer: Southern Oak London Ale
- Entrée: Tandoori Chicken Quesadilla
- Dessert: White & Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding
Tatia
- Appetizer: Elote Corn Dip
- Entrée: Ancho Cocoa Tacos
- Beer: Southern Oak Italian Pils
- Dessert: Stout Brownies
Josh
- Appetizer: PB&J Wings, Deviled Eggs, and Reuben Egg Rolls. “My wife and I love shareable dishes, and it’s not uncommon for us to order multiple appetizers when we try a place out. “
- Entrée: Bison Burger
- Beer: West Coast Brew
- Dessert: “We don’t do desserts often, but if there is a key lime pie, I’m all over it.”
THE BAR
Southern Oak will brew right there on Market Street under a Texas brewpub license. Yep, it’s real, house-made beer, not just somebody else’s kegs. And they’ve announced 28 taps, “from crisp and refreshing to bold and full-flavored,” with guest beers pouring alongside their own.
They’re thinking about everybody, too: wine, champagne, cider, seltzer, and non-alcoholic options will all be on hand. One thing to know – their permit covers beer and wine up to 17% ABV, not spirits, so don’t go expecting a cocktail program.
Fun detail: back in August they ran a public poll asking folks what to pour, so the tap list was still coming together just weeks before opening.
COMMUNITY
This is what it’s all about for me. Southern Oak is locally owned through and through, just two Tomball families with deep roots in the community’s beer and food scenes. Since Fire Ant closed, Old Town Tomball has had plenty of places to grab a drink, but nowhere the beer is actually made on the block it’s sold on. That matters.
And think about what a busy brewery-restaurant means for downtown: more folks coming for lunch, dinner, and evenings out, all within walking distance of the boutiques and locally owned shops that make Old Town Tomball special.
WRAPPING IT ALL UP
Southern Oak Brewing opens Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 308 Market St in Downtown Tomball. It’s a brand new chapter for a familiar address, and honestly, Hello Woodlands can’t wait to see what happens when Tomball’s brewer and chef start working side by side.
5 Words to describe Southern Oak Brewing:
Josh: “Elegant pub with a chef-driven menu, thoughtful and well-executed beer offerings that pair well with the fare.”
Location: Southern Oak Brewing, 308 Market St, Tomball, TX 77375
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm, Sunday 11am-7pm, closed Monday
Website: southernoakbrewing.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DJyKM8aag/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernoakbrewing
Nick Rama is a food writer, contributor to Hello Woodlands for the past 8 years, and shares his restaurant experiences on Nick’s Local Eats social media group on Facebook and Instagram. Nick enjoys helping small business owners, by highlighting them and supporting his community by fundraising for food banks, animal shelters and plans tasting events with locally owned mom and pop restaurants.
