Henderson Ave News

Newest bar on Dallas' Henderson Ave: A South Texas-style ice house

The menu will include tacos.

Willie D's

A new ice-house-style restaurant and bar has sprung up on Dallas' Henderson Avenue. Called Willie D's, it's said to pay homage to a classic South Texas icehouse, but with an elevated twist, of course, and will open on Friday, September 9 at 2929 N. Henderson Ave, AKA the former Uno Mas space.

Willie D's is from native South Texans and co-owners Gary Stapleton and chef Brad Miller, who's been cooking in Dallas for more than 15 years.

According to a release, the bar is named for Stapleton's father.

"Willie D's is a tribute to his love for the classic South Texas icehouse," Stapleton says in a statement. "It was where cold beer, good food, country music and dominoes were a nightly occurrence. The icehouse was where everyone came together and talked about their day, local sports and where business deals were solidified over a cold beer. He knew every person who came through the door; it was a spot where you could kick your feet up and relax after a long day. This is the heart and soul of Willie D's."

Miller's menu features burgers, tacos with fresh tortillas, grilled oysters, and loaded cheese fries.

"One thing I learned working in the industry almost my entire life is the ultimate necessity is consistency," Miller says. "So I designed the menu to be just that. It is simple, consistent, approachable with an elevated flair and one where you can find your go-to dishes but also explore new takes on classics."

In addition to burgers, the menu also has a Willie Dog, featuring two Wagyu hot dogs from Ham's Meat Market in McKinney, done Chicago-style with sport peppers, tomato, pickle, relish, and mustard.

Loaded fries options include:

Call Me Sous - cheddar, pepper jack, scallions, caramelized onion, diced jalapeño, over easy egg, elote corn, coleslaw
Pulling My Chain - pulled pork carnitas, red onion, bourbon BBQ sauce, cheddar, slaw, cornichons, and pickles
You Know the Spot - elote corn, cotija cheese, cilantro, lime crema, chili powder, and optional crushed Flaming Hot Cheetos

Tacos include Carnitas, Chicken Tinga, Barbacoa, and The Muchacho with a flour tortilla with refried beans wrapped around a crispy corn tortilla shell, ground beef, shredded lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese and lime crema.

Oyster options range from Rockefeller to Crab Stuffed to Black & Blue to Bacon BBQ.

The beverage program features wine by the glass, beer, and cocktails such as a Spicy Habanero Margarita, Rosemary Bourbon Cocktail, Blood Orange Sangria, and the CBD Mule with Tito’s vodka, mint, and Mad Tasty Martha Stewart CBD drops.

The restaurant is a 4,500-square-foot space with seating for 80 inside and 25 on the patio.

"Patrons will feel the heartbeat of Willie D's plastered across the walls with artwork that tells a story of who Willie D is and maybe even catch a glimpse of the man himself that inspired the restaurant," Stapleton says.

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New Deli

New Seegars Deli stacks up nostalgic sandwiches in The Cedars Dallas

Photo courtesy of Seegars Deli

From the griddle to the red-checkered paper, Seegars Deli is all about classic, approachable sandwiches.

A new deli has settled into The Cedars district of Dallas, bringing a simple approach to sandwiches and sticking to the classics. Called Seegars Deli, the new shop is located at 1910 S. Harwood St. and named for its cross street, Seegar Street.

It is next to Mike’s Gemini Twin Lounge, in the former El Jale Nightclub space.

Seegars Deli is the latest from hospitality entrepreneur Olivia Genthe, who opened Fount Board & Table in Uptown six years ago and launched Little Blue Bistro in Bishop Arts - a nominee for 2026 Tastemaker Awards' Best New Restaurant - last year.

The menu is purposefully simple: “It’s all the classic sandwiches that I grew up with; our goal is to do something that does not really need much explaining,” Genthe says. “It is nostalgic, unelevated, and well-executed.”

The menu features a mix of Midwestern staples and deli classics, with sandwiches ranging from $12-$17. Some varieties are also available as a 6-inch sandwich for $8-$9. Highlights include:

The Polish Boy: A tribute to Genthe’s hometown of Cleveland, featuring fried beef kielbasa, cabbage slaw, BBQ sauce, and shoestring fries piled onto a brioche roll.
Dill Turkey: House-roasted turkey, Havarti cheese, dill pickle relish, and garlic mayo on a seeded hoagie.
Not Chopped Liver: A clever vegetarian option made with mushrooms, walnuts, eggs, and peas on a brioche loaf.
Thick-Cut Bologna: A simple stack of bologna, American cheese, and garlic mayo on a brioche bun.

Sides include house-made chips, French fries, pasta salad, marinated white beans, shaved, marinated celery and pickles.

The bread is sourced from New York and baked fresh daily on-site. While the menu will evolve to include more soups and salads —beyond the current grinder chopped salad and kielbasa soup — the focus remains on an approachable offering with fresh ingredients.

For dessert, they serve a pineapple upside cake, and they will start offering ice cream cones for kids soon, they say.

They also have a limited coffee menu: espresso, latte, cappuccino, macchiato, cortado and cold brew, using beans from local roaster Viewfinder.

During the weekends, they offer a brunch menu from 10 am-2 pm, including pancakes, egg sandwiches, pastrami hash, and pork tenderloin plates.

$The simple, nostalgia-driven menu that\u2019s anchoring a changing neighborhood.$ Photo courtesy of Seegars Deli.

Seegars also serves as a commissary for both Fount Board & Table and Little Blue Bistro, which needed more kitchen-prep space, Genthe says.

The 2,200-square-foot space strikes a retro balance between a mid-century diner and a modern industrial workshop, with plenty of tables and booths around the deli case. The counter continues to the side onto a full bar with mustard-yellow, vinyl-upholstered swivel barstools that run along the wood-paneled bar for a warm, vintage pop of color against the cooler concrete floors.

The floor and walls were left as is to achieve a rustic, traditional look, “not overthought, lived in,” as described by Genthe.

Seegars Deli is open daily from 10 am-10 pm, and there is plenty of parking around for visitors.

Genthe says The Cedars district has given the deli a warm welcome. “It’s been good," she says. "We were well received from the neighborhood, everybody was waiting for us to open."

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