Craft Beer News

Dallas brewpub Union Bear catches second wind at Plano food park

Version 2.0 of Union Bear Brewing, the brewery and restaurant from {33} Restaurant Group, is now up and rolling in Plano, at The Boardwalk in Granite Park.

This is the follow-up to the original Union Bear which opened in Dallas' West Village in 2012. A labor of craft beer love by chef Matt Spillers, it was ahead of its time. It closed in 2014, and the concept was purchased by {33} founder Preston Lancaster.

{33} Restaurant Group owns and operates Cadillac Pizza Pub in McKinney; Taverna Rossa Craft Pizza and Beer in Plano and Southlake; Heritage Pizza and Taproom in The Colony; and The Yard, opening in McKinney in summer 2018.

Union Bear represents a more resolute step towards the beery side of things. Brewers will brew on-site, crafting a line that includes a blonde, an amber, a white IPA, and a stout. The bar will feature 33 taps; they're into 33 here, see.

There will also be "hand-selected" whiskies — as opposed to foot-selected? #confused — and wines available by the glass or bottle. They'll offer growlers and crowlers to go.

Chef is Sean Sanders and his menu has chef-driven takes on American pub fare, with appetizers, soups, salads, flatbreads, entrees, sandwiches, and desserts. Menu items include goat cheese-stuffed peppers, duck leg sliders, beer-braised short rib pappardelle, chimichurri hanger steak, and a fried chicken sandwich.

Signature plates include the Caesar salad, patty melt, and honey pig flatbread.

The space has 7,250 square feet indoors and 3,000 more square feet on the patio. There are games including a putting hole, bocce ball, and shuffleboard with a lake view.

Granite Park is a 90-acre mixed-use development located at Dallas North Tollway and the Sam Rayburn Tollway. The Boardwalk offers a unique waterfront escape with restaurants, patios, and lounge areas. Restaurants already open include Chip's Hamburgers, and Hookline, a seafood restaurant from the owners of Urban Taco.

Granite Properties president and COO Greg Fuller says in a statement that The Boardwalk is a top restaurant destination for Collin County's growing population.

"Additional restaurants, overlooking our luxurious Hilton hotel at Granite Park, will open soon," he says. What a tease.

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Bar News

Rodeo Dallas bar takes party to Uptown Dallas at new location

Rodeo

Rodeo bar is open in Uptown

A bar with Deep Ellum roots is expanding to Uptown Dallas: Called Rodeo Dallas, it'll open at 2922 N. Hall St. in the space previously occupied by Palms Bar. According to co-owner Joseph "JD" Ybanez, it'll open on November 28.

The first Rodeo location in Dallas opened in 2023 at 2724 Elm St. from Ybanez and partner Josh Reagan, a pair of hospitality veterans whose prior venues include Longshots in Dallas, plus two locations of Varsity Tavern, in Fort Worth and in Tempe.

Ybanez' first bar was Trophy Ranch in Fort Worth which had a mechanical bull. "That's where I learned how popular it was," he says. (He also became familiar with Fort Worth's bar scene and went on to open a Rodeo spinoff in 2024.)

In August 2025, the Deep Ellum location became the focal point of neighborhood concerns about crime and was closed via an order from the Dallas city attorney. Ybanez says the city is scapegoating Rodeo for other problems in the neighborhood, and that the Deep Ellum location isn't going anywhere.

“This is not a relocation,” he says. “We maintain an ongoing legal dispute with our landlord Asana Partners regarding the re-opening of our Deep Ellum establishment. The Uptown location represents an expansion of the brand.”

Prior to opening Rodeo in Deep Ellum, they opened a bar in Tempe in 2018 called Rodeo Ranch which served as a template for the concept, featuring an "adult playground" with mechanical bull, bottle service, girls in bikinis, DJs, dancing, and light show.

According to Ybanez, visitors to the Uptown location can expect to take these factors to the next level.

“The Uptown space offers an expansive back patio,” Ybanez says. “This area will feature a massive video wall, optimizing it for communal sports viewing. Furthermore, we have executed a comprehensive refinement of our food menu, which we are confident will elevate the guest experience."

The menu is rendered by Donde Los Tacos, the highly regarded Mexican taqueria in Oak Clifff, with $3 and $4 tacos, like trompo, barbacoa, and suadero. The Uptown location will also serve brunch with dishes such as chilaquiles.

"We have meticulously preserved the core of the Rodeo experience: the unparalleled atmosphere and vibes, our commitment to genuine hospitality, the homegrown character of the brand, and the inclusive spirit that welcomes every member of the community," Ybanez says.

uptown openings