Thirsty Lion
Thirst-quenching upscale gastropub joins Dallas' Preston Hollow Village
A popular gastropub chain will open its first location in Dallas proper, in a high-profile complex in the center of town: Thirsty Lion Gastropub, noted for its upscale pub fare with globe-trotting influences, scratch preparation, and beers on tap, will open a location at Preston Hollow Village.
The pub will open at 7859 Walnut Hill Ln. #140, a space previously occupied by Matchbox, which closed in mid-2020 after four years in the space. A Thirsty Lion spokesperson confirmed the opening and said they were planning on late spring 2022.
Thirsty Lion was founded in 2010 as a comfortable but aspirational gastropub with a chef-driven menu that would please foodies and non-foodies alike, with a mixture of items both approachable and cutting-edge.
Their menu includes Baja fish tacos, spicy sausage mac & cheese, and salads such as blackened salmon Caesar, grilled steak, and Cobb. There's a green chile chicken & avocado sandwich on a crusty roll, a trendy ahi poke bowl, and an eclectic appetizer menu with bacon-wrapped BBQ prawns, sushi rolls, and traditional Scotch eggs.
Consistently innovative, they were in the first wave of restaurants to offer a plant-based burger, and they update their menu regularly with seasonal offerings and specials added to their "seasonal fresh sheets."
The bar features a big selection of craft beer on tap, at least 20 wines by the glass, and cocktails made with fresh fruit purees, juices, and premium liquors.
Each location is unique to its environment and features fire pits, multiple TV screens, outdoor patios, and an industrial dining room, with top-of-the line acoustics that allow for simultaneous enjoyment of music, conversation, and sports.
The Preston Hollow Village location is a plum: Situated in a highly visible spot on the corner, with 8250 square feet of dining space and a large outdoor patio that sweeps around the corner.
Their opening will also fill a niche vacated by the not-dissimilar Blatt Beer & Table, another upscale gastropub that was sadly felled by the pandemic and closed in 2020.
Thirsty Lion was not impervious to the pandemic, temporarily shuttering locations; but they also tested an online food hall and relocated their headquarters from Portland, Oregon, to Scottsdale, Arizona.
Preston Hollow will join three other Thirsty Lion locations in the DFW area, but it's the first within Dallas city limits. No need to drive to the 'burbs for your beer-battered cheese curds fix. Previous locations opened in Irving in 2017 and in Glade Parks Town Center in Euless in 2018. A third is also set to open with a rooftop patio in The Colony's Grandscape in March 2022.