Beth Weishuhn of Dirty Bohemian fame has channeled her creative energy into a new venture located a stone’s throw from Round Top. Described by a local as an “upscale French saloon with a Texas twist,” The Crown Bar has brought luxury lounging, fancy craft cocktails and live music to historic downtown La Grange. 

More recently home to Swede & Lewis — a wine and art bar owned by Cooper Dalhart — the space that houses The Crown Bar was originally the offices for a circa 1897 bottling operation called The Crown Soda Factory. 

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Crowned heads: co-owners Andy Johnson, Beth Weishuhn and dad Larry Weishuhn pose in front of The Crown Bar.

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Larry Weishuhn, also known as “Mr. Whitetail” is part owner as well as an outdoorsman, conservationist and radio show host.

“The building is gorgeous,” Beth Weishuhn says. “I love history and this county. My family is from this part of Texas and it always feels like home to me. We wanted to pay homage to the history of the structure that had once been The Crown Soda Factory distribution office — one of the only non-alcoholic things it’s been. The bar basically named itself.”

The ‘We’ behind The Crown Bar includes Beth, her dad Larry Weishuhn, and business partner Andy Johnson. Beth’s oldest son Jake welded the bar located at the back of the first floor, which features a live edge slab milled by Texas maker Custom Mill Source. Second son Andrew (an Airborne Ranger) helps tend the bar when he’s on leave from the military. Beth’s daughter, who attends college in Denton, pitches in by cocktail waitressing when she’s in town. Together, the group has turned the space into La Grange’s most stylish watering hole. 

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Belly up: the street level bar

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A taste of what’s to come: the second floor lounge at the Crown Bar is made for relaxing with a smattering of plush vintage seating set into cozy groupings.

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Setting the stage: intimate performances are often held in the lounge.

The second-floor lounge features rich, dark walls, posh carpets and a sophisticated mix of new, antique and vintage furnishings. Accented with live edge wood cocktail tables, exotic horn mounts and fur pelts, it oozes Prohibition Era speakeasy vibes. For Beth, decorating the bar was an opportunity to apply her aesthetic to a new space. Fans of her Dirty Bohemian clothing line will immediately recognize the similarities to her sartorial style. Although Weishuhn’s Dirty Bohemian storefront in Rolland Square (formerly known as Rummel Square) has permanently closed, her one-of-a-kind clothing pieces will still be available at Zapp Hall during the Round Top antiques shows and at pop-ups in between. 

“The bar was my business partner Andy’s idea,” Beth tells RoundTop.com. “I haven’t really changed directions, just a variation on a theme. It was an opportunity to decorate an amazing space and create something that fills a need. My favorite thing is to create an atmosphere hitting all the senses.”

The Crown Bar is not only a delight to the sense of sight, but also taste and sound. Bar Manager and tender Graydon Terry creates new drink menus featuring infusions and fresh squeezed juices nearly every week. Music is also an important part of the experience, with performances happening in the upstairs lounge, or in the outdoor biergarten located behind the bar each week. Local favorites John Boyd, Denverado, and DJs Melodic, Earl Dax and Eddie Ray are just a few of the artists to grace The Crown Bar since its grand opening last fall.

To keep up with the latest music acts, cocktail specials and more, check out The Crown Bar’s full website. The Crown Bar is open Tuesdays to Thursdays from 5 pm to 10 pm and from 5 pm to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.