A location in Oak Cliff Dallas that has seen some turnover in recent years is about to see some more: It starts with Swank, the ambitious restaurant from chef Luke Rogers, which is leaving its address at 1115 N. Beckley Ave. after a year and relocating to a new space still to be determined. The restaurant's final day at its current location will be Saturday, July 26.
"We want to give guests one last chance to toast the place that started it all," Rogers says in a statement.
But 1115 N. Beckley Ave. won't be empty for too long: The space will soon be home to Elephant Indian Bar and Grill, an Indian restaurant from chef Praveen Prasannan, an industry veteran with international experience working in the kitchens of hotels and on cruise ships.
This will be a second location of Elephant Indian Bar and Grill following the original that opened in the original Buzzbrews location at 4154 N. Central Expwy. in 2024.
Prasannan says he wants to expand his customer base by bringing Indian food to areas currently lacking in Indian options. He's also opening an Elephant to-go spinoff in the Park Cities, at 5601 W. Lovers Ln. #110.
He also owns Shivas Bar and Grill, an elevated Indian concept, with his brother Prinu, which has locations in downtown Dallas and Allen.
The menu at Elephant Indian features Indian classics such as chicken tikka masala, butter masala, tandoori, and a variety of biryani, the comforting rice dish.
There are also Indo-Chinese fusion dishes, such as veggie fried rice, chilli paneer, and hakka noodles; plus wraps, hummus with naan bread, and thali, a selection of different dishes served in small bowls on a round tray, served with choices of steamed rice or naan.
Prasannan is a forward-thinking chef who has also created a number of vegan items and meatless versions of their signature dishes, including a rare vegan version of butter chicken and Kadai vegetables, a mix of stir-fried vegetables. Prices are affordable, ranging from $6 for a soup or salad to $26 for lamb biryani.
Prior to Swank, 1115 N. Beckley Ave. was home to some big-name restaurants over the years, most recently Beckley 1115, and before that VH, and before that Outpost, and before that, Campo featuring chef Matt McAllister, and before that an Argentinian place called La Carreta Argentina.
