Co-owner Debbie Glenn (center) and staff members Danielle Borgerding (left) and Maddy McDonald (right) serve patrons at The Red Brick Tavern.[/caption]

Tucked in the heart of downtown Conroe, The Red Brick Tavern bustles with live music performances, comfort food aficionados and craft beer enthusiasts.

The tavern opened in September 2012 at the former site of longtime community icon Talley's Domino Hall, which had operated in downtown Conroe since the 1930s and closed in 2000, owner Debbie Glenn said. When she purchased the property, Glenn said the only things left were the wooden rafters and the restaurant's namesake—the red brick walls.

Glenn and co-owner J. Ross Martin opened the tavern as a foodie destination within the downtown area, Glenn said. Since then the tavern has served a variety of house-created dishes, including Bacon Fried Oysters, a filet mignon pizza and a lamb shepherd's pie.

"We were just tired of driving all the way down to Washington Avenue for foodie food, so we decided we would offer good food here at The Red Brick Tavern," Glenn said. "We are kind of an upscale comfort food destination."

The tavern also features 12 craft beers on tap and displays the taps of many previously sold beers above the restaurant's rounded bar, which is intended to encourage camaraderie between customers, Glenn said.

Although the restaurant focuses on serving fresh and upscale comfort food, the tavern has also been heavily influenced by the live music industry, Glenn said. The tavern walls are decorated with photographs of well-known musicians, while the stage ceiling has an etching of an acoustic Gibson guitar owned by famed guitarist Les Paul. The restaurant hosts regular live music performances.

"[The Red Brick Tavern] was born out of the love for good music and good food," Glenn said. "It's as simple as that."

On Thursday evenings, for example, the tavern holds a weekly Songwriter Spotlight event hosted by Tres Womack of the Chubby Nuckle Choir, an Austin-based band.

Glenn, who is a vocalist herself, said the tavern does not settle on any one musical genre but typically hosts classic rock, blues, bluegrass and country performances. Glenn said the only criteria is the venue does not host cover bands or karaoke.

"We specialize in songwriters, pure and simple," Glen said. "When you have a songwriter they can tell you why they wrote the song and what was special and what the song means. That is really important from our perspective."

Glenn said she prioritizes proper treatment of featured musicians.

"We treat our songwriters really well. We are a place where they are going to be treated right," Glenn said.

119 Simonton St., Conroe, 936-539-2000, www.theredbricktavern.com, Hours: Mon.-Wed. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Thu.-Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight, Sun. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.