There, they ate at the original Anchor Bar, where the claim to fame is the invention of the Buffalo chicken wing in the 1960s.
“It took me two bites, and I said these words: ‘Yes, these really are better,’” TJ said.
As longtime residents of Round Rock, the Mahoneys wanted to bring that tradition back home.
Four years later, the Mahoneys opened the Round Rock location of Anchor Bar in October 2021.
TJ, a former Marine, said getting to the grand opening of the Round Rock Anchor Bar was no small task. Supply chain issues and a need for lengthy repairs brought about by the February 2021 winter storm created numerous hurdles.
The menu offers sauces and dry rubs for both bone-in and boneless wings, which TJ said are never frozen. Anchor Bar also sells salads, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, appetizers and pizza.
The restaurant also sells around 30 beer varietals, from local brews to regional and national beers to imports.
The Mahoneys said it was important to open a restaurant that is friendly for people and dogs. To that end, Anchor Bar’s patio is called Anchor Bark, and the restaurant offers a separate dog menu that touts snacks, including Pup Patties, Fido Feasts and Pupsicles.
“We even have art on the walls that’s actually for dogs,” Erin said. “It’s tennis balls and squirrels and things that dogs would love to look at.”
Even though Anchor Bar is a franchise, Erin said it is still family-owned at the corporate level, and the Round Rock restaurant located in the La Frontera Village shopping center is very much a local operation.
“We might have brought an Anchor Bar here, which is a franchise, but we’re a mom-and-pop, really,” she said.
Customer favorites
Anchor Bar has an extensive menu, but three of the most popular items are:
- 10-piece bone-in wings tossed in medium-heat sauce ($17.49)
- Small pizza with Buffalo-style "cup and char" pepperoni ($13.49)
- Pizza Logs tossed in garlic parmesan served with marinara sauce ($11.74)
2702 Parker Drive, Ste. B, Round Rock.
512-494-6727
www.anchorbar.com
Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
