The city of Rowlett has a fine new place for tacos and tequila: Called Ollie's Azul House, it just opened inside the historic Oliver House at 3410 Main St., taking over the space most recently occupied by Brick & Bones (which closed in January), where it's doing "elevated tacos" and "curated tequila."
Ollie's is from some of Rowlett's finest, including Michael Gallops, president of the Metrocrest Area Chamber, former Mayor Pro Tem, and six-year city council member; and Chris Kizziar, founder of hunger organization Life Message, located two doors down from the restaurant.
"I've lived in Rowlett for 22 years and Chris has lived here for 35," Gallops says. "We saw this as another opportunity to give back and do something fun."
That "something fun" includes tequila, a longtime passion and hobby for Gallops, who is a bonafide tequila connoisseur. The bar is stocked with 100 kinds, many of which come from high-end boutique distilleries.
"These are different from the shots you drank in college," Gallops says. "We felt like this was a new idea for Rowlett. We have a full bar and can mix anything you want. But on the tequila side, we have several specific tequila cocktails and we also do flights. The goal is to make it educational — to give people an opportunity to learn about tequila and how it's made."
Gallops' favorite tequilas are additive-free and use a natural process in distillation — El Tesoro, for instance. The focus on tequila also helped shape the direction of the menu, with an eye on affordability, as well.
"We have a couple of entrees and some shareable dishes like nachos, but it's primarily tacos — no enchiladas, no fajitas," he says. "We hoped to provide a place where someone can come in and get a couple tacos and a drink for less than $25."
Facade of Ollie's Azul HouseOllie's
Tacos can be ordered on soft corn, hard corn, or flour tortillas, and include:
- Oliver — ground beef, lettuce
- Miller — steak, onions, peppers, and chimichurri
- Carnitas — slow-cooked pork with crisp edges
- Elote chicken
- Mushroom — a vegan option
They encourage diners to mix and match, adding whatever ingredients they want. They recently added breakfast tacos with eggs, chorizo, potatoes, and more, which can be ordered from 7-10 am from the back window and taken to-go or enjoyed on their expansive patio — a legacy left from the Brick and Bones days.
Beyond providing great food and drink, the restaurant afforded them an opportunity to give something back to Rowlett and celebrate its history, one in which the "azul" blue house — built in the early 1920s for early Rowlett residents Dee and Maggie Oliver — played a central role.
They've filled the walls with photos of Rowlett's founding families, old homesteads, churches, an old cotton gin, almost like a museum.
"It's all about the history of Rowlett," Gallops says. "We're big history buffs and are proud of our city."
A selection of breakfast and lunch staples at Joy Cafe, featuring sunny-side-up eggs with bacon and a fried chicken sandwich. Photo by Álvaro Saúl Gutiérrez