Govalle brewery and restaurant The Brewer’s Table has closed permanently, as confirmed by owner Jake Maddux. The 4715 East Fifth Street restaurant closed after ceasing to-go operations in May due to the difficulties of operating during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I wish I had some positive news but with everything accelerating with the pandemic,” Maddux told Eater, “I don’t see any way to reopen ever. PPP [Paycheck Protection Program] money was used, but without new money coming in, it’s impossible to make the equation work.”
However, Maddux will turn the space into a new concept involving food and drinks at some point “in some form or fashion, once/if Austin’s current climate improves with the pandemic response,” he said. Currently, licensing restrictions means that it will have to have some sort of restaurant component.
The Brewer’s Table was known for its beer, brewed by former Live Oak head brewer Drew Durish, and its high-end, beer-centric food. Dishes often incorporated byproducts of beer, and vice versa, with dishes like a toasted barley ice cream cone, mesquite hearth bread, and pork ribs that earned high praise from Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn.
The Brewer’s Table was announced in 2016 and opened in April 2018 with an all-star team: executive chef Zach Hunter (of Fixe), head brewer Drew Durish, and head baker Sandeep Gyawali (of Miche Bread). Situated in a trendy Quonset hut with a large patio, it was one of the most highly anticipated restaurants to open that year, receiving a nomination from Eater Austin for Best New Restaurant and winning Restaurant of the Year from Austin Monthly.
Hunter left the restaurant in April 2019 to work with Fox Restaurant Concepts (the parent company of restaurants like Flower Child and Culinary Dropout) in Phoenix, and current staffers took over the culinary helm. Durish left shortly thereafter in May 2019 and Brent Watson took over as head brewer.
The Brewer’s Table did offer food and beer to-go starting in March, but ended that in May. It joins a growing list of restaurants forced to shutter due to operational difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Update, July 9: This article has been updated to reflect that Durish left in May 2019 and Brent Watson took over as head brewer, and has added additional comment from Maddux regarding the future of the address.