Eating and Drinking Outdoors at Richardson's Old 75 Beer Garden

Old 75's burger and fries are packed with flavor and are a must-order during happy hour. Chris Wolfgang

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Here's a not-so-hypothetical scenario. A peek out your window reveals picturesque blue skies dotted with just a few clouds, and a quick glimpse of the weather on your phone shows temps in the mid-70s. Your suspicions are confirmed: it's patio weather. Not so hypothetically, with the end of the workday close at hand, do you keep working for the man, or do you sneak out a little bit early to enjoy the sun on your skin and beer in your belly?

If you're like me the other day, you opt for the latter and head to Richardson's newest spot for patio drinking. Old 75 Beer Garden, on the southbound side of Central Expressway, is 20,000 square feet of everything we love about spring in Texas. There are picnic tables aplenty and oak trees providing shade. The place has two separate bars if you'd prefer to do your drinking under a roof.

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Warm sunshine on your skin and a cold beer in your belly is what springtime is all about.

Chris Wolfgang

Old 75 also sports a stage for live music that will be offered most nights of the week. And most important, there's plenty of cold beer. Old 75's taps span almost three dozen beers, with a little under half of those of the local craft variety from the likes of Petiocolas, Deep Ellum Brewing, Tupps and Community. There are another two dozen beers in cans or bottles, plus an array of specialty mixed drinks and frozen cocktails.

Old 75's full kitchen provides a solid menu of bar favorites. We started with an order of green chili queso with house-made tortilla chips ($7). The queso arrived thick and gooey, and the green chilis gave it a palpable bite. The thick chips were dusted with seasoning and sturdy enough to scoop up plenty of queso with each dip.

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Picnic tables under the shade of oak trees filled quickly on a recent spring afternoon at Old 75 Beer Garden.

Chris Wolfgang

Because we arrived during happy hour (4–6 p.m., Monday through Thursday), the Old 75 Burger was just seven bucks; we added a side of seasoned crinkle-cut fries for $3 more. The burger earns high marks for its juicy charred patty, with lettuce, tomato, onion, dill pickle, American cheese and a house sauce all tucked between two thick slices of buttered Texas toast.

In addition to the cheap burger, Old 75's happy hour also means that all draft beers less than 8% ABV are $2 off (sorry, Velvet Hammer and Temptress drinkers); the specialty cocktails get a $3 discount.

On the afternoon of our visit, plenty of people started to filter into the garden, tempted as we were by the mild weather. We noted several tables occupied by families with children in tow, although after 8 p.m., Old 75 becomes a 21-and-up establishment.

Old 75 Beer Garden, 740 S. Central Expressway, Richardson. Monday, 4–11 p.m.; Tuesday–Thursday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–1 a.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.