Oak Highlands Brewery sticking to its roots in Richardson

Oak Highlands Brewery may have moved up the road to Richardson, but it’s still got strong roots in Lake Highlands.

In April, the brewers of ‘Lake Highlands Light’ announced they were leaving the original 15,269-square-foot building off Brockwood Road for a new spot in Richardson’s Lockwood District after 10 years in the neighborhood. In that decade, the old taproom had hosted Dallas City Council and Richardson ISD candidate forums, PTA fundraisers and neighborhood group gatherings.

The move was spurred by declining foot traffic, a tough economic climate and a rent increase, co-owner and Lake Highlands neighbor Brad Mall says.

“I want to say 25% in 2023 down, another 4% in 2024, so everybody in the beer industry is struggling,” he says. “Not just the small guys, the big guys are struggling bad. Being over in a warehouse district that’s not easy to find was hurting us a little bit, and our landlord raised our rent, so we just had to find a new place. This became available, and it’s retail oriented, it’s high traffic, high visibility.”

Its new brewery and taproom is located in a bustling commercial district that has become a hub for retail development in recent years. The location on Brockwood Road will remain open through the end of September, when Mall will bring its 20-tap wall to the new space, which currently has 12 on hand.

Even though the business has moved to Richardson, Mall says the neighborhood-inspired name will stay the same.

“I think that would have been a huge misstep to change our name,” Mall says. “We’ve changed a few beer names. We had a beer called Lake Highlands Light. Now it’s called Heights Park Light. But we’re sad to leave Lake Highlands. It was just time. We couldn’t make the rent payment, and we were seeing a steady decline in attendance at our taproom. And love our regulars, but they weren’t enough to keep us going.”

OHB’s Lockwood location, which previously housed Happy Hippy Brewing Co., was heavily remodeled beginning in May. A new hanging ceiling was added above the bar, the outdoor patio was transformed into a covered lawn area with synthetic turf, walls were repainted and TV screens added.

Richardson’s OHB also sports a large stage for live performances, which Mall says will become regular fixtures.

“Every Sunday, we’re gonna have an acoustic set,” Mall says. “This place lends itself to that with the stage and the sound system. We’re learning that some of the bands are a little loud, so we’ve got to modulate them and figure out what works best for this space. When the weather gets better, we’ll start having people out on the patio and incorporate more of our front yard area.”

In terms of brewing capacity, the Lockwood location sports a 10-barrel brewing system, as opposed to the 30-barrel system utilized on Brockwood. Mall says his brewers have assured him it will not affect output.

Barbecue has been a staple at OHB for years with pop-ups and special events. It will now feature on a permanent basis in Richardson with the full-time arrival of the Brix BBQ, an honorable mention in Texas Monthly’s 2025 50 Best BBQ Joints in Texas list. At OHB, neighbors can find staples like brisket, sausage or ribs, in addition to more experimental creations like generously-peppered smoked porchetta.

“One thing that’s different is we went from being open five days a week to being open seven days a week, and also being open earlier and later, having lunch,” he says. “Here, we hope that people will come to the food truck for lunch and get some of the best barbecue around, and also come back for dinner.”

While some things have changed — including the addition of a new business partner in Jacob Rea, whose background is primarily in personal investment and real estate — OHB’s bread and butter remains its locally brewed selection of craft beer.

The Freaky Deaky, a Belgian-style tripel with a high ABV and smooth finish, won Mall his first brewer’s award before OHB officially opened in 2015. It’s still their top seller, although seasonals like Oktoberfest and Guavagood, a fruit-infused Kolsch, normally give it a run for its money when they’re put on tap.

“The beer has never been an issue,” Rea says. “Always sustained, even through the dark times in the brewing world, when other breweries are falling off.”

Mall and Rea debuted the Lockwood location at the end of May with a grand opening celebration complete with live music, giveaways and commemorative glassware. Most of their regulars from Lake Highlands have followed them up U.S. 75, they say.

Foot traffic has picked up in Richardson, which Mall attributes to a more visible location in a busier area. Even though the Lake Highlands neighbor will remember the Brockwood location as fondly, he says his eyes are on the future.

“It’s a blessing and a curse,” Mall says. “I mean, it was our first home, and it’s got so many memories and so many great things, but at the same time, we’re all super excited for this location and what it can do.”

Oak Highlands Brewery, 500 Lockwood Road, 214.613.2114, oakhighlandsbrewery.com