Considering A Dram House Case Against Brick House Tavern and Tap? Here's What You Need To Know
My firm has handled more dram shop cases than any other in Texas. With 30 years of experience behind me, I have seen countless examples of bars that fail to follow alcohol service regulations and the tragic consequences that can result. This issue is more rampant that people realize, and one of my goals is to bring it to the public's attention. One way I do this is by reviewing Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission complaint records and posting about my findings. If you think you may have a dram shop (liquor liability) claim and want to know how to proceed, please call me at (855) 326-0000.
Based out of Houston, Brick House Tavern and Tap is a chain of sports bars owned by Landry's Inc. With 21 locations across 10 states, the brand has made a name for itself with its creative menu and wide variety of craft beers on tap. However, through the years, it has also attracted a significant amount of attention from the TABC for allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2015 and 2019, agents conducted no fewer than nine investigations into its Texas locations' liquor law practices.
In my experience, it is uncommon for a bar without a history of run-ins with the TABC to end up on the hook for contributing to a wrongful death or injury. Virtually every bar I have ever sued was already on the authorities' radar. That's why I pay close attention to bars with several recent complaints against them. The more investigations a bar has had, the greater my concern is that it could one day cause an accident.
Note: Investigations are not proof of wrongdoing. However, if authorities investigate and fail to find evidence, it doesn't necessarily mean an establishment is innocent, either. The purpose of this article is simply to relay publicly-available information about incidents where the TABC has investigated Brick House Tavern and Tap for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Brick House Tavern and Tap Between
Austin - 11680 Research Boulevard 'A'
Allegations:
Law enforcement lodged a complaint on 04/26/2017, alleging that a staff member was intoxicated on the job.
The TABC launched an investigation into the claim and found sufficient evidence to issue a citation. On 11/21/2017, agents finished their work on this case.
On 11/21/2017, a concerned citizen contacted the TABC alleging three violations at this location. The first claim was that a breach of the peace (typically a fight) took place. The other two allegations were that the bar permitted a staff member to sell drugs on the premises and sold alcohol to an intoxicated patron.
Authorities looked into the matter, but they were unable to find any proof to corroborate the claims. Unable to take any action, they closed the case on 01/17/2018.
Grapevine - 700 W State Highway 114
Allegations:
A member of the Grapevine community reached out to TABC on 01/29/2019, claiming that this location sold alcohol to an intoxicated patron.
For most liquor law violations, the TABC requires either video footage of the incident or eyewitness testimony from one of its agents before it can take legal action. In this particular instance, authorities had neither. On 03/20/2019, after an almost two-month investigation, the case came to a close.
A second investigation of this location took place on 06/03/2019, after TABC received a citizen complaint again charging the bar with selling alcohol to a drunk customer.
As in the previous investigation, authorities had no video evidence of the incident and were thus unable to take any action. On 07/30/2019, TABC decided to shut this case.
Houston - 17111 Tomball Parkway
Allegations:
A citizen complaint, filed on 12/10/2018, alleged that staff delivered an alcoholic beverage to a drunk person.
The TABC followed up with an investigation shortly thereafter. After almost four months of inquiry, agents failed to produce any proof capable of corroborating the claim. Consequently, the case concluded on 03/23/2019 without any further action.
Sugar Land - 19740 Southwest Fwy
Allegations:
On 08/14/2018, TABC received a law enforcement complaint alleging that bar staff sold alcohol to a patron who was already over the limit.
Authorities looked into the matter, but after over a month of investigation, they were unable to locate any evidence of wrongdoing. As a result, they chose to close the case on 09/24/2018.
San Antonio - 1011 N Loop 1604 W
Allegations:
On 02/19/2015, a member of staff at this location contacted the TABC an claimed that the bar sold alcohol to a minor. While the source of the complaint might seem odd, staff are in fact required by law to report any violations they see to the authorities.
TABC agents followed up with an investigation, but were unable to prove the allegation. As a result, the inquiry ended without further action on 04/09/2015.
Texas Law Says Accident Victims Can Sue Bad Bars
If you would like to learn more about Texas dram shop law (i.e. lawsuits against bars who play a role in injurious or fatal accidents), please visit our Texas Dram Shop Law Info Page.
