Bottom Line: Weathered Souls Brewing Co. has a new, scratch menu and it offers a couple of tasty items that bring the heat.
Weathered Souls Brewing Co. is a particular favorite brewery of mine here in San Antonio, and I stop by on a semi-regular basis to check out what they have on tap (you can see the results of my recent tasting visit here). I noticed that they put up a post on social media not long ago indicating that they had re-opened their kitchen (they have been relying on food trucks in the interim), so I decided to stop by and see what they had cooking. Over the course of two visits (and several beers), I sampled two items from their new menu, and both of those delivered a nice kick.
The first time around, I just wanted a small nosh to go with the flight I ordered, and their jalapeno poppers fit the bill. Those consist of jalapeno pepper halves which are roasted with gouda cream cheese and then topped with green onions, bacon, and what I believe is a barbeque sauce (the menu does not specify). What I really liked about these is that they are roasted and not fried. The battered and deep-fried version of this appetizer is all too common and not particularly original, and the Weathered Souls offering delivers a nice twist.
The order consisted of six halves of decent-sized chilis, and they delivered that good, roast pepper taste balanced by the creaminess of the cheese. The gouda cream cheese is an interesting choice and really worked well with the peppers. The bacon brings a nice salty kick while the barbeque sauce brings some sweet and smoke with a bit of tang. The green onions were not too plentiful, nor did they need to be, and they offered a slight pungent counterbalance to the other flavors.
Warning that these peppers are hot temperature-wise when they arrive, so proceed with caution. But once they cool down enough to take a bite, a spicy heat follows with a nice kick. I would put them at the Medium level at least on my scale, and they deliver a burn that lingers. Some might want something like a Ranch dipping sauce to go with them, but I preferred them as is. And to cool down my mouth, I had the wonderful beers Weathered Souls brews up at the ready.
On my second visit, I decided to try the Spicy Sliders, and like the poppers, these do not disappoint. They consist of two beef patties topped with cheese and a pickle chutney along with a spicy barbeque sauce (I’m going to guess that is the same sauce they drizzled over the poppers). They are served with a bag of chips or you can substitute an order of their spicy Brussel Sprouts for four bucks more.
These are good, meaty sliders that are well-seasoned and cooked just right with high-quality beef. There is nice creaminess from the cheese, and the sauce has a good tang with some sweetness and a touch of smoke. The chutney does not deliver as much of pickle taste as you might expect, but it adds a bit of tang and some other hints of flavor. The buns are fresh (likely from a local bakery) and nicely toasted. These are definitely some first-rate sliders and they are rather substantial so that two of them are quite filling (but I probably still could have scarfed down a third one).
Heat-wise, these deliver as well. I would put them right at Medium on my scale, and they bring a burn with them that lingers for a while. If you get the poppers and sliders together, be sure to have a beer close by to temper the heat. And since they have plenty on tap, that should not be a problem. (The refreshing Outta Pocket Shandy goes particularly well with the sliders.)
The kitchen is only open Thursday through Sunday, so plan your trip accordingly if you want to try out their new menu. The hours are 12 PM to 9 PM Thursday, 11 AM to 8 PM Saturday, and 11:30 AM to 7 PM Sunday. The brewery itself is open Monday through Wednesday as well, but you will have to hope for a food truck those days. Their beer itself is worth the trip alone, but if you can make it on a day when the Scratch Kitchen is open, all the better.
You can read more about Weathered Souls Brewing Co. at my site CraftBeersandMore.com.