Beer Buzz
New Dallas bar near downtown has all the right stuff: beer and patio
A successful Houston-based neighborhood bar chain has found a dynamite location in Dallas, where it will open a branch in spring 2016. Called Little Woodrow's, it will reside near downtown Dallas at 3300 Ross Ave., a block or so east of Method Coffee.
Houstonians know Little Woodrow's for its multitude of taps dedicated to craft beer and multitude of TVs for the watching of sports. The Dallas location will have a full kitchen serving burgers, nachos, and a popular "steak night."
Owner Danny Evans founded Little Woodrow's in 1995 in Houston, where it has become a juggernaut with seven locations. Branches have since opened in Austin, San Antonio, and Katy, each unique, but with certain commonalities.
"We always have good cocktails, high-end whiskeys, we always have 50 beers on tap, either local or from Texas, and we always have a patio," he says. "In this case, it'll be an awesome year-round patio that will be weatherproof, with a courtyard that offers an indoor-outdoor vibe."
Other amenities include a game area, comfortable furniture, and a state-of-the-art TV and audio package. They'll keep long hours, opening daily for lunch and staying open late. And Evans vows that the service will be tops.
"One thing we've been successful at is that we're able to be a little bit of something to everybody," he says. "To some people, we are their neighborhood bar. We're the place to eat a kick-ass hamburger if you don't want to go to a chain. We're also good for beer drinkers, happy hour parties, or if you want to be outside on a beautiful day, or if you want to play a couple games."
The bar-restaurant is going into a vintage building that's being impeccably refurbished by property owner Ben Schwartz.
"Our history has been to open in neighborhoods that are in their infancy," he says. "We like to part of something that's growing and special. Ben has restored that building to the original brick, with wood rafter beams — it has a ton of character already."
Evans has the Midas touch. In Houston, in addition to Little Woodrow's, he's opening a more ambitious venture called Kirby Ice House, which he says is inspired by Dallas' own Katy Trail Ice House.
Ross Avenue has seen tremendous renewal recently, from the numerous apartment buildings to indie restaurants such as Back Home BBQ to the recent opening of Waffle House.
"One of the things that's appealing about that location is that there's not only a lot of traffic going by, but with all the residential buildings nearby, we hope there'll be a lot of people who will walk or ride their bikes," Evans says. "Wherever we go, we try and embrace that neighborhood. When you go into a Little Woodrow's, you're not sure if it opened a week ago or 30 years ago, because of the way we design it."
