Meals are the stars at neighborhood pub

Trey Mathis and Joseph Farner want to raise the bar on bar food.

The owner and chef, respectively, of Backspin Texas Bar and Grill have stocked their menu with quintessential pub grub—made-to-share appetizers, burgers and sandwiches.

It is Farner's attention to detail—from the ingredients to plate presentation— that sets Backspin apart from other bars that serve food, Mathis said.

"We strive to be as fresh as possible," Farner said. "Nothing is precooked. Everything is [cooked] fresh as soon as your order is placed. We do a lot from scratch. These are my own recipes; everything I use is mine."

Backspin opened in 2009 and Mathis bought it in July 2010. The former bartender loves to cook and had wanted to run his own place.

When Mathis hired Farner, the two shared the same vision for Backspin.

"We wanted to do everything handmade," Mathis said. "Our outlook is that we want to be an above-par sports bar."

Backspin is developing a following as a lunch spot, he said. It stays busy during happy hours and on weekends.

Mathis hopes to open a second location of Backspin in the future and has been scouting locations. For now, he is happy running the bar and grill on Slaughter Lane, near where he lives.

"About 80 percent of the people that come in here are regulars, so we see the same faces [several times a week]," Mathis said. "When they come in, we already have their drink on the bar for them.

"We're like a family in this community. Because we have those regulars, they have their expectations set [high]."

Menu options

• Wedge salad—Crisp head lettuce, blue cheese dressing, tomatoes, bacon, blue cheese crumbles ($6.99)
• Backspin Burger—Sauteed onions, special sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickles ($10.99)
• The New York Dog—Sauerkraut and mustard ($5.79)
• Classic Club—Triple-decker on Texas toast featuring turkey, Black Forest ham, American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato ($8.99)

Drinks and Happy Hour

Backspin serves more than 40 types of beer in bottles and a variety of mixed drinks. The bar and grill has a happy hour with drink specials Monday through Friday from 4–7 p.m.

Beers on tap: Bud Light, Boulevard Single Wide I.P.A., Dos Equis Special Lager, Miller Light, Fireman's No. 4, Live Oak Pilz, Newscastle Brown Ale, Ranger IPA, Rhar and Sons Bucking Bock, Thirsty Planet Thirsty Goat Amber, Widmer Hefeweizen, Zeigenbock

Specials and surprises

Regulars at Backspin Texas Sports Bar and Grill keep tabs on the specials board to find off-menu favorites such as chicken fried steak, tacos, prime rib and French dip sandwiches, owner Trey Mathis said.

He added that the bar and grill has become known for Chef Joseph Farner's soups. They include: French onion, beer cheese, chili and Cajun corn chowder.

The bar and grill's Sunday brunch includes eggs Benedict, jalapeo cheddar drop biscuit sandwiches and migas.

Backspin also serves pizzas for late-night diners.

Back Spin Texas Sports Bar and Grill, 5000 W. Slaughter Lane, Ste. 206, 512-282-9206, www.backspinsportsbar.com, Hours: Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–2 a.m.