The Friendly Bar Bistro
Friday, September 3, 2010

The Friendly Bar Bistro – 106 North Nugent, Johnson city, Texas 78636. (830) 868-2182. 

The Friendly Bar Bistro – 106 North Nugent, Johnson city, Texas 78636. (830) 868-2182. 

Now here’s a really unique wine bar!  It started back in 1897 as the Palace Saloon, morphed into Friendly’s Bar at some point, the hangout of the real cowboys working the ranches around Johnson City, Texas - LBJ country.  In the summer of 2006 the bar was sold to Wimberley residents Tom and Cindy Talcott who set about removing the patina of tobacco smoke and turned Friendly’s bar into a wine bar! 

It really works.  They’ve left the great old mirror-backed bar (added more sitting-friendly stools, though), and transformed the rest of the space into intimate vignettes perfect for wine and conversation.  There's a nifty back patio with pool table and dart board, also remnants of the bar days, but hey, wine drinkers (including myself) also like pool and darts! Friendly Bar Bistro is a vital part of the revitalization of the old downtown area in Johnson City.  Long overdue for this charming and historic downtown.  Boutiques and antique shops on the main street (Hwy 290) and two nifty art galleries right across from the Friendly Bar Bistro.  The bistro itself has a gallery wall featuring up and coming Hill Country artists.  Showing changes monthly.  Don’t miss downtown Johnson City during the Christmas season.  Most elaborate and beautiful lighting of an entire downtown in the whole of the Hill Country.  The old Blanco County Courthouse on the square is literally covered in lights.  Thousands of sightseers converge on Johnson City during the holidays to walk the quiet streets and see the lights.

Tom has a great little wine list featuring lots of Texas wines and a good selection of varietals, including my favorites from nearby Texas Hills Vineyard.  Hip hip hooray!  In a nod to the Friendly Bar Bistro’s former life, there’s a great selection of beers, including the awarding winning brews from Real Ale Brewing Company down the road in Blanco. Music on Friday and Saturday nights.  Beginning in January, each Sunday evening starting at 6:00 pm,  “The Pickers”, a group of about 20 hill country musicians, will gather on the Friendly’s back patio and play their hearts out. Great listening like this isn’t available on every street corner!  

Friendly Bar Bistro is now offering Bistro Cuisine preapred by Chef Gary Madrid.  Great selection of tapas-style finger foods that run the gamut of flavors from Crostini, which is an assortment of 6 indivdual open-faced sandwiches to Acetunis de Espana, a selection of stuffed queen-sized olives, arthickoe hearts and marinated mushrooms served with organic Tuscan bread to Triple Treat Skewers-bacon-wrapped scallops, beef tenderloin and teriyaki chicken broiled to perfection and servered over steamed wild rice, plus many more selections.  Something to please every palate and provide the perfect pairing to your favorite wine.  Available every evening they're open, beginning at 5pm.

If you’re on your to Fredericksburg on Friday afternoon and need a little respite from the road, pull in to Friendly Bar Bistro and jump-start your weekend in this great little treasure.  Tell Tom I said hello.  See website for wine tastings.  www.friendlybarbistro.com

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