Fill That Growler

Craft beer growler bar goes into Dallas neighborhood that really needs it

Beer will soon be on tap in the Bluffview neighborhood.

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UPDATE: Bluffview Growler will open on January 21.

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Every neighborhood deserves its own growler station, and Bluffview area, your time is here. Bluffview Growler will open on Northwest Highway at Marsh Lane, from the folks behind Lakewood Growler.

Bluffview Growler, which will reside on the ground floor of the Elan at Bluffview Apartments, will share the same setup as its big brother in Lakewood, but with a little something extra: a kitchen that serves bites and snacks.

Owner Dale Czech likes the location because there is so little in the area in the way of craft beer.

"We first looked at that spot a couple of years ago and were initially hesitant, because the location requires that 25 percent of your sales be non-alcohol," he says. "We don't have that requirement at Lakewood Growler, where our customers are free to bring in their own food. But finding real estate wasn't easy, and we felt like we could bring something new to the neighborhood."

The rule about deriving at least 25 percent in non-beer sales is due to the mixed-use building, which has apartments above and retail below. But the area is in transition. Jimmy John's just opened a branch in the same building, and a Chick Fil-A opened in the center as well. "I know they do their homework," Czech says.

Growler concepts are among the most complicated to open. You need a license that accommodates both to-go orders as well as consuming beer on-site. But that flexibility is what makes them so practical for customers.

Lakewood Growler is one of the best growler bars, thanks to its well-selected collection of craft beers, which range from top local brews to rare and boutique beers from around the country. Their tap listing is extremely user-friendly, because it reflects real-time supplies. You can see not only what they have on tap but how empty or full the keg is.

The Bluffview branch is under construction and isn't expected to open until ~~late fall~~ January 21, so the menu is still in development. "But we know we're going to have small bites," he says.

They'll have about the same number of taps as Lakewood, keeping it to under 50 total, with about eight dedicated to wines and sodas. They'll have more room for customers to sit, with plans to install the magical "p" word, patio.

"The space is about 30 percent bigger than what we have in Lakewood," he says. "And we plan to open a patio in the spring, and that's for dog owners. At Lakewood, we can allow dogs because there's no restaurant, but having a kitchen means you can't allow dogs to come in. We want to stay dog-friendly."

openings craft-beer

Coffee News

New Dallas coffee shop opens with good coffee — and great hair

Common Good

Common Good coffee and good vibes

A new coffee shop with some serious styling has opened near downtown Dallas: Called Common Good, it's located at 1619 N. Hall St., right off Ross Avenue, in what was previously a retail outlet for Rakkasan Tea Company, who left the space in mid-2024.

Common Good is more than just a coffee shop – it's a coffee shop-hair salon from Christopher Bermudez, a stylist who previously owned Ellum Salon in Deep Ellum which he sold in 2022. Their motto: "Good coffee, good hair, good vibes."

Bermudez was born in Mexico City and moved to Dallas when he was one year old but remained close to his culture and often travels to Mexico City, where he found the inspiration behind this new concept.

"I was inspired by the multiuse spaces in my hometown of Mexico City: coffee shops that turn into a nightclub or tequila tasting rooms in the evening. Great vibe is what we are going for," he says.

The coffee shop is in the front, while the hair salon is in the back, divided by a large glass. The salon has eight stylists, including Bermudez.

The shop also features all-vinyl jam tables where guest DJs play music most weekends, creating a cool atmosphere. The décor resembles listening rooms that are popular in South Korea, with custom-made wooden walls and modern furniture.

Good vibes at Common Good Coffee and hair salonCommon Good

Heading the coffee operation is Jesse Nava, who recently worked at Xaman Coffee in Oak Cliff, and they're partnered with Lemma Coffee for beans and barista training. The shop offers a small but solid menu, with espresso and coffee classics, plus some specialty drinks including pistachio matcha, cardamon rose latte, espresso freddo, and a Mexican mocha.

“We want to stay consistent with a small menu — we want to get it right, then eventually add to it," Bermudez says.

They plan to add food, as well, working with a local bakery still to be decided for muffins, croissants, kolaches, cookies, and bagels.

They're open Tuesday-Saturday from 7 am-7 pm, with shorter hours Sunday and Monday, from 7 am-2 pm, since the salon portion is closed those days.

They've witnessed a big demand for coffee, since the center they're in had coffee history: The storefront on the corner at 1623 Hall St. was once Method Coffee, then Fiction Coffee, which closed at the end of 2023. (It's now home to Black Swan Saloon, the resuscitated bar from acclaimed mixologist Gabe Sanchez.)

They see themselves as a neighborhood coffee shop, where residents of the multiple apartment complexes around can become regulars. They are dog-friendly, serving pup cups.

"I always believed that if you have a good product people will come," Bermudez says.

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