“We always thought New Braunfels needed something like they have over there,” Bizer said.
That’s why Bizer and Porter opened up Favorite Neighbor in July, a wine bar that offers not only tastings but also a sense of community and trying new things.
“We kind of did this on a whim,” Porter said. “But so far, it’s been pretty fun."
Located inside a converted gas station at 494 N. Union Ave., Porter said she wanted to capture a rustic, minimal feel for the bar prior to opening.
Featuring a classic bar top, indoor and outdoor access, Porter said Favorite Neighbor follows the European model of not needing a full build-out and fancy interior.
‘We’ve had to get really creative, but in the end, the simplicity has helped us,” Bizer said.
Favorite Neighbor sources wine primarily from vineyards in western Europe, focusing on flavors from Italy, Portugal and Spain, Porter said.
“The main focus is bringing that European touch to New Braunfels,” Porter said.
The wine bar also offers domestic wines from Washington, California and the Texas Hill Country for patrons to sample.
“It’s all just very flavorful, light and homely,” he said. “We’re trying to source most of our ingredients locally, like using locally grown vegetables.”
The menu offers garlic shrimp ($16), sweet potato salmon croquettes ($15) and other items which are added every month as the menu changes, Bizer said.
In the future, Bizer said they want to keep things steady and continue outreach into the local community with more events.
“We want this to become a place that people can go two, three times a week rather than just once in a blue moon,” Bizer said.
Favorite Neighbor currently hosts brunches, holiday events and tastings, with more to come.
“In the beginning, this was simply going to be just a chill wine bar, but now it's so much more,” Bizer said.
- 494 N. Union Ave, New Braunfels
- www.thefavoriteneighbor.com
