One Bar Down
Deep Ellum cocktail lounge closes while waiting on liquor approval
Deep Ellum lounge Shoals Sound & Service, which opened maybe in mid-July in the space vacated by On The Lamb, is temporarily closed, due to what appears to be red tape on permitting from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
The bar represents a collaboration between well known cocktail makers Michael Martensen and Omar Yeefoon, and has already been the subject of opening stories from the Observer (on July 20) and D Magazine (on July 25).
A July 28 story by Eater Dallas says that the bar "quietly opened" the doors at 2614 Elm St. on July 27 with a small selection of classic cocktails and food options such as empanadas and a bologna sandwich.
However, the bar's phone is currently disconnected, and its Facebook page shows a series of "sorry we're not open" posts dating back to mid-July.
It begins on July 26 with a post that says, "So sorry to announce that we are closed another night awaiting another permit to bring your rock and soul."
On July 28, the bar announces, "We're back!!" with an explanation that "it has been a long week of wading through red tape and permits, and it possibly won't be the last time in the next few weeks, but we will at the very least we will be rocking with you for the next week+."
The bar has been closed since August 8, when it posted the following: "Tonight puts us at the end of another temporary license to serve you cold elixirs to wash down our hot sounds and bites. We will be back in full regalia as soon as we can, but in the meantime, head down and visit Máté Hartai and Big Smoove Codie Binion tonight and drink up all of our booze. It's got to go back to the caterer in the morning and we'd rather you have it!!"
According to a source not connected to the bar, Shoals inherited a supply of liquor from On The Lamb that it was using to make cocktails, which the TABC would, and perhaps already did, frown on. But Martensen says they should be back on board soon.
"We are waiting on the license," he says. "We opened with a catering license two times. The license only lasts 10 days at a time, and Texas only allows us to pull two permits. But we should have a full permit any day."
