Patio News

Dallas bar from hot Deep Ellum team blows up patio and cocktails on tap

Cocktails and a big patio are all you need.

Photo courtesy of Hide

Is December the right time to break out patio news? In Dallas, yes, where patios are relevant 24-7 — especially when the patio is as major as the one you'll find at Toller Patio Bar, an exciting new venture from the team behind Hide in Deep Ellum.

Hide proprietor Nick Backlund and beverage director Scott Jenkins have partnered with Lauren Corr, a young lawyer and entrepreneur, to launch this restaurant-bar with an amazing patio at 3675 Ross Ave. Opening is planned for spring 2019.

The restaurant is named for a dog that belongs to attorney Marisa Jeffrey, the fourth partner in this project; her pup is a Toller, a unique and photogenic member of the retriever family. Having him as their namesake and mascot helps reinforce the dog-friendly vibe that Toller will possess.

Corr helped Backlund negotiate his lease three years ago. Hide's combination of creative cocktails and upscale comfort food have earned it a loyal following and plenty of critical nods such as Eater's 2018 Reader's Choice award for best bar in Dallas.

The bar was also recently chosen as the Dallas location for the 2018 "Miracle," a pop-up series that takes over the world's buzziest bars with over-the-top Christmas decor, themed cocktails, and good cheer.

After witnessing Hide's success in Deep Ellum, Corr invited Backlund and Jenkins to partner on a casual outdoor-focused bar and restaurant, in a vacant lot right across the street from where the cool old DISD headquarters used to be.

Construction is underway on a building that will boast a modern, mid-century aesthetic. But the big thing is the patio: an enormous 12,000-square-foot space that will feature food, games, and of course dogs.

Ross Avenue has undergone a massive makeover with apartment buildings, a Waffle House, and the random bar or two, but so far no one has staked a claim to be patio king.

Toller Patio will specialize in a few things, Backlund says.

Cocktails on tap. They'll have a record-setting dozen cocktails on tap. This is a continuation of a program they've enjoyed success with at Hide where they've unlocked the right formula on how to be able to pour them like beer while keeping them fresh and tasty. They'll also have a wide selection of beer and high-quality wines.

Carefully designed menu with from-scratch food. They don't claim to be making Mansion-level food, but their approach is definitely to use the best ingredients in dishes in which they'll shine.

Their burgers are half-pound patties made from a blend of chuck and brisket, and come in varieties such as the classic cheeseburger with white American cheese, grilled onions, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles, and house aioli; bacon-cheddar ranch with shredded lettuce, tomato, and ranch dressing; and the "sweet and spicy" with jalapeno slices, fried egg, pepper jack cheese, and peach jam.

Party platters come in options such as boiled shrimp, chicken tenders, wings, or a choice of all three, with sauces such as crazy hot, teriyaki, or lemon pepper.

Entertainment. That includes a portable stage on the patio for live music, plus outdoor games and big-screen TVs.

Patios are popular, for sure, but when they extend for 12,000 square feet, the options seem endless. "There'll be enough room to do a lot of things," Backlund says.

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Wings News

New chicken wing joint sells 'em by the pound in Dallas' Deep Ellum

Wings By the Pound

A no-nonsense wing spot has debuted in Dallas' Deep Ellum: Called Wings By the Pound, it sells exactly that, at a shop at 2707 Main St., in the former home of the Slutty Vegan burger joint, which closed in 2024.

Wings by the Pound states proudly that it "isn't a combo joint" but is instead "a counter built on one idea — call your weight, watch it hit the scale, and take it off the scale." Then presumably you take it home, you eat it, end of story.

It presents itself as an alternative to typical wing spots which sell wings by the number. Numbers are complicated.

"We sell you weight. Pick wings or tenders, call your poundage from a half-pound to four, and we weigh it up in front of you," they say.

From there it's the standard wing-joint set of choices: wings or tenders, level of heat, sauces, and sides. "No combos, no guessing," they brag, although is there a lot of guessing with wings?

Here's some very specific numbers:

One pound of wings, which they approximate at 12 pieces, is $15.05. Two pounds, or 24 pieces, is $27.11.
One pound of tenders, which they approximate at 8 pieces, is $17.02. Two pounds, or 16 pieces, is $25.06.

They also sell french fries — crinkle cut — in choice of plain, cheese sauce, or "pound sauce" for $8 to $15. Pound sauce is their version of the prototypical secret sauce, which generally boils down to Russian-ish dressing, i.e., mayonnaise and ketchup with various add-ins, spicy and otherwise; the version at Wings By the Pound incorporates hot sauce.

There are wet sauces, including Thai, chipotle, hot honey, and garlic Parm; dry rubs, including suya (peanut) and jalapeño-lemon; and five dips: cheese sauce, ranch, bleu cheese, honey mustard, and pound sauce.

Some might recall that there was a Wings By the Pound concept that first debuted in 2020 at Trinity Groves, the restaurant incubator in West Dallas, but that closed in 2022.

This Wings By the Pound is a new concept from ArkDal Hospitality Group, headed by Cary Thompson, Royce Colley, and Mo Wells, which also operates Velour Restaurant in Victory Park.

The location in Deep Ellum has no seating on premise and functions as a take-out spot only. A spokesperson said that the location opened in mid-June.

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