Vintage Car News

Restaurant-bar with cool vintage Ford garage theme vrooms into Dallas

It'll be a fun place to visit if you like vintage car memorabilia.

Courtesy photo

A new concept from Florida with a cool vintage garage theme is coming to Dallas-Fort Worth: Called Ford's Garage, it's a budding burger-and-craft-beer franchise that gives the vibe of being in a 1920's service station and/or prohibition bar, and will open its first DFW location in Plano in early 2022.

The restaurant-bar will open at a high-profile address at 3904 Dallas Pkwy., a former Razzoo's Cafe which closed in December 2019 after 20 years.

Ford's Garage was founded in 2012, and currently has more 16 locations across Florida, plus one with symbolic meaning in Dearborn, Michigan, home to the corporate headquarters of Ford Motor Company. Ford's Garage has a unique brand licensing agreement with the automaker: They have the rights to use the company's iconic blue oval logo and other brand imagery including archived historical photographs, images of vehicles, and actual Model-Ts.

"Ford Motor Company has quite a rich history as one of America’s most important manufacturing companies," says Brian Judd, part of the Dallas franchising team, in a statement. "That history also translates to a pretty cool dining experience, as it turns out, and we're excited to be bringing that experience to Dallas. With its Ford-inspired design cues and first-rate service and food, Ford's Garage will offer something for everyone."

The vintage and historical items are standard décor at Ford’s Garage. Each restaurant is designed to look like a gas station from the 1920s and is filled with vintage Ford vehicles, fixtures, and gas pumps.

Servers sport blue mechanic shirts. Blue shop cloths double as napkins. The bar is also vintage, mixing prohibition-style elements like brick, richly colored woods, and a copper bar top thats hammered by hand. The release says that there are more unique features, too numerous to list, that make Ford's Garage a fun place to visit and take pictures. Gotta have an instagram component these days.

Food
Burgers are the main draw, with good-quality ingredients, cheeses, toppings, and gourmet sauces on buns branded with the Ford logo.

The cuisine is American comfort food, with meatloaf, chicken wings, tenders, onion rings, and macaroni & cheese, as well as salads, grilled chicken, and seafood.

Drink
The beer list at Ford's Garage is carefully mapped out with 150 different types of beer (40 on draft), specializing in American craft beers from all around the country. The restaurants also serve wine and cocktails, as well as nonalcoholic options.

Ford's Garage has a Dallas tie: Its president is Steve Shlemon, who was CEO at FrontBurner Group for two years.

And there are more Ford's Garage locations in the works for DFW. Friends and restaurateurs Brian Judd and Jason Borders, who possess decades' worth of experience owning and operating restaurants ranging from fast casual to fine dining, are bringing the concept to the area and are scouting locations in North Dallas, the mid-cities, North Fort Worth and Tarrant County.

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Putting into Plano

New Plano restaurant Sip'Stroke tees up golf with chef-driven fare

Saffron salmon skewers, one of the featured seafood offerings on Chef Madan Oli’s menu at Sip’Stroke.

Photo courtesy of Sip'Stroke.

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It's tee time for a new restaurant featuring a private Full Swing golf simulator and an indoor putt-putt course in Plano: Called Sip’Stroke, the new "eatertainment" spot is opening Saturday, August 1 at 5969 Dallas Pkwy.

The concept comes from Kushal Raj Bastakoti, a cityscape artist and interior designer from Nepal who moved to Dallas in 2013 to attend the University of North Texas. Bastakoti also owns Skyline Lounge in downtown Dallas, which opened earlier this year, and is a franchisee of the Asian beverage and dessert chain Feng Cha Café.

He says he chose the location due to the rapid growth of businesses and residences in the nearby Legacy area.

“At Sip’Stroke we created a space that is entirely unique — it feels like you're on a 9-hole golf course, but paired with exceptional dining,” he says.

Although built around golf, the restaurant is also chef-driven. Bastakoti recruited chef Madan Oli, who launched his culinary career in Copenhagen, where he developed a focus on high-quality ingredients, thoughtful preparation, and presentation.

“My goal is to bring people together through modern American cuisine with bold flavors and global inspiration,” says Oli. “Every dish is crafted with care, balance, and a true passion for hospitality.”

$Sip\u2019Stroke$ At Sip’Stroke, you can catch the game, play a round of putt-putt, and enjoy a high-end meal.Photo courtesy of Sip'Stroke.

Oli designed a menu featuring shared boards, fresh seafood, premium steaks, elevated bar staples, and desserts. Highlights include prime ribeye frites, saffron salmon, maple leaf duck breast, Cabernet-braised short ribs, Wagyu sliders, and a selection of tacos and wings, with prices ranging from $20 to $35.

The full bar serves classic and signature cocktails, along with shots, wine, beer, and zero-proof drinks.

The venue includes a private golf simulator that accommodates up to eight guests, a custom nine-hole mini-golf course integrated into the dining room, seating for 60 indoors, and an additional 15 seats on the patio.

While Sip’Stroke has been operating with limited hours during a soft opening over the past several days, regular business hours begin Saturday, August 1, from 12 noon to 12 midnight daily. A grand opening celebration is planned for late August.

A second Sip’Stroke location is also in the works next to Skyline Lounge at 2012 Commerce St. in downtown Dallas and is expected to open before the end of the year. The owners say restoring the historic 100-year-old building has taken longer than anticipated.

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