Essential Austin Barbecue Truck Micklethwait Is Opening a New Beer Bar

Essential Central East Austin barbecue truck Micklethwait Craft Meats is opening a new next-door beer bar. Saddle Up will be found at the same tuck address — 1309 Rosewood Avenue — starting on Thursday, November 18.

The new bar, from owner and pitmaster Tom Micklethwait, will embody a whole casual Texas icehouse vibe. On deck will be craft beers, coffee, espresso drinks, and rotating frozen cocktails. Food-wise, there will be cured meats (city ham, pastrami, bacon, summer sausage), grab-and-go sandwiches, house-made soft serve, and baked goods. Plus there’s access to both Micklethwait and its sibling truck Taco Bronco (which is currently temporarily closed).

Saddle’s bungalow building will include a walk-up window, indoor dining areas, and a retail market. The beer garden consists of 10,000-square-feet of shaded seating.

Saddle Up is actually semi-reminiscent of the physical restaurant version of Micklethwait that he opened in Smithville in 2018 and closed in February 2020. In the meantime, he opened the taco truck Taco Bronco in January 2020. Micklethwait opened the original namesake barbecue truck in 2012. There was also his nearly-year-old sandwich truck Romanouskas Delicatessen from 2015 to 2016.

Once it opens, Saddle Up’s hours will be from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Related, Micklethwait is open at 11 a.m. until everything is sold out Thursday through Sunday.

• Saddle Up [Instagram]
• All Coverage of Micklethwait Craft Meats [EATX]