A Swillin’ and Grillin’ Texas Pub

As a foodie, I’ll admit, one of the first things that enticed me to check out Jack Mac’s Swill & Grill in Plano (a suburb of Dallas) was the Ron Swanson pizza – what’s not to love about a meat-overloaded pie!? But what keeps me, and many others, coming back is the fact that the American pub and pizza joint consistently has one of the best selections of Texas beer on draft. When I hear about a new beer out in the market, it’s not long before I see a tweet of a tap handle from the pub with that brew’s name on it.

Owners Jack and Amy MacDonaldwouldn’t have it any other way. Since opening Jack Mac’s in July, they have been tirelessly committed to making their cozy pub a true Texas establishment – in fact, they are one of two local joints that I know of (the other being The Common Table in Uptown) that are now fully committed to only serving craft beer on draft. While imports and macrobrews are nowhere to be found, their 14 taps deliver a constantly evolving selection of local Texas beer. Jack has been a big proponent of going local since the beginning, and is working hard to change the hearts and minds of those who may not agree.

“I’ve been mulling it over since we opened,” Jack explained. “It’s just me and my wife – we went in our pocket to do this. So every decision we make has to be thought-out really well. For the local clientele that we’ve got that actually drink Bud Light, Coors Light, or Ultra, we’ve done tastings on a lot of the craft beers for the last six months. They’re amazed that it’s not what they’ve been drinking all along. So we’ve found some ones that they like already – I think that will help ease the pain. I’ve had people walk out because I don’t serve Budweiser, even as I’m saying, would you like to try something else? Hopefully I’ll get the support from the people that like what we do and it will balance out.”

Not only is local beer flowing from the taps, but Texas wines are also the only wines the pub stocks, and two bar shelves are devoted entirely to Texas-made spirits. Although loaded with local products, the restaurant’s ambiance was actually influenced by the family-friendly feel and comfortable atmosphere of the English pubs the couple frequented while living abroad in Cambridge. It was overseas that the couple realized a common trend among the places they visited – every region favored its local products over imports.

“The pubs over there were just so cool for a lot of reasons,” Jack said. “They were so friendly – you’d walk into them and, even if they’ve never met you, they’re inviting and they’re family-oriented. When you sit down at the bar, you start noticing that all they have are local products – for the most part, English beer. When we traveled around Europe and Asia, we were like, wait a minute, everyone is just doing local – why the hell aren’t we? Our local brewers are all very genuine and have a passion for what they do, and that in and of itself is contagious – it makes you want to be a part of it.”

While the draft beer is a big draw here, for Jack, “the beer is a bonus” as his true passion belongs to the kitchen. Having worked in kitchens since he was 12, Jack’s relentless pursuit of perfection often leads him to spend weeks tweaking dishes before they make it on the menu. Since he’s his own veritable R&D department, he spends lots of his time trying new things out and tasting the results – not a bad job if you ask me. The time and effort that goes into his thoughtful food is evident in every unbelievably creative and truly one-of-a-kind dish he serves. He’s even created his own spice line – Go 2 Spices – that’s available for sale at the restaurant. But all the effort is worth it, according to Jack, so that guests have the best possible experience.

“I haven’t had a day off in five months,” Jack said. “I want every guest that walks in to like what we do and to really feel a connection like a lot of my regular guests do. Places are the most successful when you feel a connection there – whether it’s the owner being on-site all the time, or whether you can see through to the kitchen and you know the guy that’s been back there for 20 years. It has to be comfortable every time you come in, and consistent, and that’s all we’re trying to create here.”

Jack and Amy are on the hunt for a second location in a new neighborhood, which means that more folks will soon have access to this cool joint. So whether you go for the biscuit and gravy pizza, or for a pint of FireWheel Brewing Company‘s house swill, you’ll be supporting a local pub that puts Texas products first – and that’s reason enough to check it out. Don’t forget to say hi to Jack!

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You have to love a pub that places great food and local brews on an equal playing field – as any good chef knows, they not only complement but also enhance one another. On many occasions, Jack likes to use local brews in his recipes to come up with creative and tasty new combinations. Jack was kind enough to share one of his phenomenal recipes with ACB – and I’ve been lucky enough to sample this dish myself at one of his delicious beer dinners, which he plans on doing quarterly if not bi-monthly. If you can make your version of these short ribs look (or taste) as good as the ones I ate, then you may have found your calling! Tackle these yourself, or head to the pub to try the original.

Midnight Ninja Short Ribs (courtesy of Jack Mac’s Swill & Grill)

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

3 lbs short ribs (salted and peppered)

32 oz Firewheel Brewing Company’s Midnight Ninja Black Ale (or a Black Ale in your market)

1 lb dried cherries

8 oz Grand Marnier

1 cup red table wine

16 oz diced tomato

Soak short ribs overnight in beer, salt, and pepper (to taste).

Soak dried cherries in Grand Marnier until rehydrated.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sear the short ribs in a hot sauté pan

Place in a vessel to bake, and sprinkle with more salt and pepper (to taste).

Top with dried cherries, red table wine, and diced tomato.

Cover pan with plastic wrap and then foil to keep in moisture.

Cook the ribs for 4 ½ hours.

Take the cherry mixture from the ribs and put half in a blender. Once blended, remove and mix the blended cherries back in with the whole cherries and top ribs.

Be sure to enjoy this dish with the beer you used to cook with, and you’ll have a flawless food and beer pairing!