When restaurants are leaving their locations, it's usually bad news, but this roundup has a more upbeat theme: relocation.
Relocation is suddently a new hot trend in the Dallas food & beverage world, with three epic names all leaving their current quarters for new digs. (It takes three to make a trend, or at least it takes three to make a trend story.)
One is a popular dive bar. One is an iconic longtime date-night restaurant. One is a cool one-of-a-kind wine shop.
Here's who they are and where they're going:
Bar and Garden
This truly unique wine and spirits store is moving. After six-plus years at 3314 Ross Ave., the bar is relocating to 1900 N. Haskell Ave., in a pretty good foodie zone, across from Loro and E-Bar, and on the same side of the street as Dolly Python.
Co-owner Julie Buckner Lane says they're going to restore the building to its original glory with retail on the bottom floor and offices on top and ample parking in back for both. They'll be doing construction this summer and hope to re-open in the next few months.
It's easy to take what they do for granted, specializing in organic and natural wines, featuring winemakers who treat their vineyards like a living ecosystem and embrace biodiversity, relying on minimal-intervention winemaking, and showcasing the truest expression of the grapes and the land on which they are grown.
Natural wines use only native yeasts, and often avoid filtering, fining or additives.
What this means to you the wine drinker: no headaches, no aftermath.
They were originally planning to leave their Ross location on June 30, when the lease is up, but Lane says it made more sense to close in May and allocate their resources to the new space.
That means they'll be open one last weekend and plan on closing up shop on Wednesday, May 31. They'll be open on Monday, Memorial Day from 12-6pm.
Definitely stop in on Saturday May 27 as they open up a random selection of items left in their inventory.
"Our spirits are moving quickly, though we still have a lot of the basics in stock, and we still have a lot of wine to move through," she says.
St. Martin’s Wine Bistro
Longtime French restaurant at 3020 Greenville Ave., known for signature dishes such as champagne Brie soup and chocolate souffle, closed on May 20, after reaching the end of its current lease.
The restaurant had been in business for 46 years, which seems like a rather peculiar lease. In any case they served as a gateway for many aging Dallasites who went there for their first fancy-dining outing and first exposure to French food.
They've found a new location in Old East Dallas, at 4223 Bryan St. at the intersection of Peak Street. It's an extremely foodie corner, with restaurants on all sides including Bangkok City and Vietnam, plus Ciao! By Civello's pasta, Bryan Street Tavern, Ober Here Filipino Rice Bowls, I mean there is no shortage of eateries in this area.
They're taking over the former L&B Antiques space, which will require extensive renovations to get it restaurant-ready, according to a representative from the landlord, with a projected completion date in September.
The Grapevine Bar
One of Dallas' favorite dive bars which has been serving low-key drinks since 1996 is leaving its current address on 3902 Maple Ave., where the lease is expiring.
Owners Michelle and Ronny Honea have found a new location: The bar is moving to 2213 Butler St., previously home to Redfield's Tavern, which closed in December 2022.
The bar is beloved for its laid-back atmosphere and diverse clientele, "from prom queens to drag queens."
The other part of its charm is its quirky decor with a motley assortment of vintage light fixtures and other decorative items, accumulated over the years, in a layer-by-layer evolution. They also feature a rooftop deck, basketball court, patio, and happy-hour specials on drinks.
But the couple vows to recreate that patina and will definitely have a basketball court on site.
The move will take place sometime this summer, exact date still TBA.
