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Not surprising from someone with more than 12 years of experience in the beverage industry . McMasters is the owner of Antebellum Ale House , a food and beverage establishment that opened in December of 2014 . Antebellum is open 365 days a year because according to McMasters , “ It ’ s good for the customers to know that we ’ re always open .”
After a visit to Austin ’ s Rainey Street area , McMasters knew that she wanted to own her own place and she wanted it to be in an old house . Her inspiration was the Lustre Pearl in Austin . “ My mom found the house . We knew we were looking for a house . Once we walked in with the realtors I knew this was it ,” she said . They left some of the uniqueness of the house including the seven exterior doors . McMasters said they know it was a boarding house at one time and each of the seven rooms had its own exterior door . They surmise that it was used for railroad workers because of the location ’ s proximity to the old depot , which now serves as the home of the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce . McMaster ’ s parents own American Barns , a local construction company that builds custom horse barns . They helped remodel the house to become a bar and
restaurant with a large outdoor patio space . McMasters ’ business partner is her mother Kelli Kinney . And they keep it all in the family as her brother Austin Kinney is one of the bartenders . Her mom came up with many of the recipes for the food items served while McMasters is the beverage specialist . She likes beer and said her favorite type is IPA , which stands for Indian Pale Ale . She said , “ I like the hops and the bitter taste in it .” Antebellum offers 45 beverages on tap , 43 of which are beers . Most are from Texas breweries that she contacts directly , like ones operating in Fort Worth or Dallas , or brewery owners or distributors contact her directly . The types of beers offered are constantly rotating .
The food is more wholesome and upscale than you would expect in a pub atmosphere . For example , they make their own hummus , using only fresh ingredients and high-quality meats in all their recipes . “ Everything is made fresh in house . Our most popular items are the flatbread pizzas and the chicken salad ,” she said . They even host a potluck on Thanksgiving and Christmas providing the main protein like the turkey for Thanksgiving while the guests all bring side dishes . “ We had a good turnout for Thanksgiving and Christmas . There ’ s a lot of people who don ’ t have family or that do have family and when they are done they come here and watch football or whatever ,” she said .
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