Speakeasy News
New speakeasy named for someone's mustache sneaks into Preston-Forest Dallas
New speakeasy is called The 'Stache.
The speakeasy trend is still trending in Dallas, and there's a new one coming on line: Called The Stache, it's an invitation-only speakeasy hidden inside of the new Renny’s restaurant in Preston Forest Village, and it'll open on November 8.
Renny's is the latest concept from longtime hospitality pro Mark Maguire, which opened at 11661 Preston Rd. #135, in the onetime Rockfish Grill space, in June 2023.
"Stache" is short for yes, mustache, and yes it is named for someone's mustache; we'll leave it up to you whether that's cool or eeuu. The mustache in question belongs to the same Renny, father of owner Mark Maguire, after whom the restaurant is named. Come on, that's sweet.
According to a release, Renny has been well-known for his epic mustache and personality for 60+ years. The release also notes that "stache" could be a play on words referring to the space as a hidden stash as well as short for mustache. One supposes that's a small reprieve.
Like any speakeasy, it — please don't make me type "The Stache" again — has various hoops to jump in order to gain access.
For starters, it's small, with only 30 seats, so party sizes are limited to six guests max, and only 1-1/2 hours per party unless otherwise arranged through Renny’s management.
It'll be open four nights a week, but only two nights will be open to the public, by reservation only: Wednesday and Thursday from 6 pm-12 am. (It'll also be open Friday and Saturday nights, but that's by invitation only.)
That said, if you can find the entrance and solve the entry riddle (hint: answers are different characters in history with remarkable mustaches), then you can gain entry.
It's described as an intimate, dimly-lit space with its own bar and bartender, its own special drink and food menu, and quirky decor, executed by Maddy Maguire, daughter of Mark and Gena Maguire, which would make her granddaughter of the eponymous Renny. She's also a commercial interior design professional in the Hospitality division at BOKA Powell in Dallas.
Drinks are crafted by beverage director and bar manager Samuel Peters and include the Brambling Man with bourbon, creme de mure, and lemon juice; Thirty Days of Night with mezcal, ancho reyes, cointreau, lime, and agave; and Where The Light Divides the Holler made with spiced rum, black seal rum, orgeat, flower water, and cardamom bitters.
Food-wise, the full Renny’s dinner menu can be ordered until Renny's 10 pm closing time, but a special bar menu exclusive to the space includes shareables such as Tenderloin Crostinis, Fried Calamari, Ahi Tuna Nachos and Spicy Korean Meatballs.
Speakeasies started being a serious thing in Dallas-Fort Worth in 2021, and share traits like a hidden location, intimate setting, an entrance that's either a false facade or else invisible/hard to spot, an exclusive vibe, a place for insiders or those in the know, a secret password or other special info required to gain entry, a "bar within a bar" profile with a different and/or special menu, and lack of publicity, contributing to the in-the-know cachet.
Now we can add The Stache to the list.
Spanish Garden cocktail served in a "bird cage".Scarlet Lounge