Bar Shutter
Dallas loses a good brunch with closure of craft beer bar
A great bar on Henderson Avenue has called it quits: Vickery Park closed after 11 years of operation on January 1. Owner Miles Zuniga says it was time to move on, and he is grateful for the long tenure he had. "When we opened here 12 years ago, we were pretty much it," he says. "Henderson Avenue has changed so much since then."
The bar was an early settler on Henderson Avenue when it opened in 2005, joining a handful of restaurants and bars that included Old Monk, Fireside Pies, and Hibiscus. It was a forerunner on the patio trend and one of the first on the street to do brunch.
It was unique for its craft beers at a time when craft beer wasn't yet a thing; for example, it was one of the few places that served the then-exotic Boulevard Brewing chocolate ale, now a liquor store staple.
Vickery Park also stood out because of the superiority of its food, with well-made sandwiches and salads with good, fresh greens, at an affordable price. Its hospitality-friendly attitude and low-key atmosphere made it a favorite destination for employees in the food-and-beverage industry to go after their shifts.
As Henderson Avenue became more dense, Vickery Park found a new role as the headquarters for the Dallas Reds Manchester United Supporters Group, who met up regularly at the bar to watch Manchester United live on TV. VP was so accommodating that, if you signed up for a Dallas Reds membership, you got a 15 percent discount any time.
A second branch of Vickery Park opened in old downtown Plano in 2009, run by owner Sean Teele, who duplicated its dedication to craft beer, careful attention to quality of food, and popular weekend brunch. The Plano branch remains open.
Vickery Park is not the only business to experience the Henderson Avenue churn. Other closures in 2016 include Henderson Avenue Country Club, which closed in the spring, to be replaced by Pera Wine and Tapas; and Hibiscus restaurant, which closed in September.
