Speakeasy News

Speakeasy named for Bonnie & Clyde hangout opens at Dallas' Trinity Groves

The new speakeasy comes with one of the best views of the downtown Dallas skyline.

Saint Rocco's

West Dallas eatertainment complex Trinity Groves has a little of everything but now it has the missing piece: a speakeasy.

Called Devil's Back Porch, it's a Prohibition bar concept which will be located in an unexpected site: the second floor of Saint Rocco’s, the New York-inspired Italian restaurant with red sauce pastas, chicken parmesan, and pizza founded by Phil Romano.

According to a release, the bar located at 3011 Gulden Ln. has become one of the best spots in town to gather for a drink and gaze at the downtown skyline. Saint Rocco executive chef and co-owner Jay Valley decided to give the second-floor space a a little mystery, a little intrigue, a little extra pizzazz, and voila, Devil’s Back Porch was born.

“This Prohibition-era speakeasy is the perfect complement to Saint Rocco’s and our New York Italian roots,” Valley says.

It's slated to open on May 25.

The bar is named for Devil’s Back Porch, the infamous nickname for a West Dallas escape route during the Great Depression for gangsters running from the law. What's now called Singleton Boulevard used to be known as Eagle Ford Road, and provided a getaway over the West Fork of the Trinity River.

The area hosted many notorious characters over the years, including Bonnie and Clyde, who grew up nearby and had family in West Dallas during their 1930s crime spree.

Devil's Back Porch will serve a menu of classic cocktails, like the Godfather (scotch, amaretto, lemon); a mezcal-laced riff on the Corpse Reviver No. 2; and the Bee Sting, a spicy version of the Bee’s Knees.

They'll also serve food courtesy of Jay Valley and the Saint Rocco’s team, including chicken wings, spicy chicken sandwich, cheeseburger, lobster quesadillas, and cannoli.

Speakeasy bars have surfaced as a trend in recent years, which CultureMap isolated and documented in 2021 with this ground-breaking roundup.

Since that was published, more speakeasy bars have emerged including Room 520 at the Sova boutique hotel; Magnum Room at the Hotel Vin in Grapevine; The Branca Room inside Chimichurri restaurant; Red Phone Booth in the Grotto at Grandscape; and The Wilfred at Lakeside Market in Plano.

One of the key traits of the speakeasy bar is a complicated entry, and Devil's Back Porch has that covered: Patrons will enter through a separate back entrance into a room awash in red and black, with gangster photos displayed on the walls.

Bar staff will be outfitted in black vests and newsboy caps and the space will boast a dart board, pool table, and poker table. They'll also host events, such as birthday parties, casino nights, and parties. They'll be open Thursday-Saturday from 5 pm-12 am, with a happy hour from 5-7 pm.

"We can’t wait to serve good food and classic drinks in a fun, throwback atmosphere where our guests can live it up like the old days," Valley says.

openings celebrities trends

Deep Ellum News

Mexican 'vibe' restaurant from California to open in Deep Ellum Dallas

Mama Por Dios

A buzzy concept from California is coming to Dallas: Mama Por Dios, a Mexican restaurant chain known for its vibe, will open its first location in Texas in Deep Ellum in the Epic development at 2525 Elm St., taking over the former La Neta space, which shuttered in May.

According to a spokesperson, the restaurant will open in early to mid-January.

Mama Por Dios was founded in Southern California in 2020 by chef Misael Guerrero, who famously got his start selling Mexican sushi out of his garage.

Since those early days, he's gone on to form a restaurant empire called Emme Group, with concepts that include Los Amores de Julia, El Rincon de Los Dolidos, and Culichi Town, a lower-priced chain known for Sinaloa-style Mexican sushi & seafood, which has a local presence: It opened a location in Mesquite in 2022.

Mama Por Dios — which translates to "Mother of God" — describes itself as modern Mexican, offering a unique blend of steakhouse, sushi bar, and seafood. The menu includes favorites like tacos and enchiladas, alongside luxe dishes like lobster with spaghetti, lobster enchiladas, and a surf & turf featuring a lobster tail balanced atop a skirt steak. Prices range from $18 for birria tacos to $48 for a bacon-wrapped filet mignon with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

But they also have a showy side that includes flamboyant presentations such as the bacon-wrapped shrimp which come strung on clothespins; or the trompito al pastor, served on a personal spit, as well as servers who walk around with shots while dancing with patrons.

There's a Gold Burger for $65 featuring Prime beef on a brioche bun garnished with 24k gold leaf, and a similarly gilded tomahawk steak for $400 that brings to mind the good old days of Salt Bae. Decor is swanky with low lighting, and there'll be a serious brunch offering on weekends.

Cocktails such as the Al Agua Pato — served in a mini bathtub with a rubber ducky — are made for Instagram. They offer margarita and mezcalita flights with flavors such as mango, tamarindo, and strawberry, and intriguing sips like Carajillo, a Spanish cocktail with Licor 43, espresso, and 43 different fruit, citrus, aromatic, and herbal ingredients.

There’s also a $20 per-person minimum spend, and the menu comes with a warning that everything is cooked to order — meaning some dishes may take 30 to 40 minutes. For many diners, waiting will surely be part of the experience.

deep-ellum tex-mex openings