A Move For The Grapevine Bar
The Grapevine Bar, the well-loved Dallas dive bar on Maple Avenue, intends to move to a new location once its lease ends in 2023. The Dallas Morning News first reported the story Monday.
The property was purchased by Dallas real estate company Crow Holdings, which owns industrial, residential, and office space, including the Old Parkland Campus across the street from the bar.
Michelle Honea, the bar’s owner, told D Magazine Wednesday the new location hasn’t been scouted yet, but she wants to stay close to the original. An ideal solution for her would be to dig up the current building and place it somewhere else, she says, which would be logistically difficult. But Honea does plan to take bits and pieces of the building with her.
“There are very distinctive things that we’re known for, things like the neon sign on the basketball court, that’ll come with us,” she says. “The bathroom doors—a lot of people probably don’t notice, but the door handles on them are actually dragons.”
Honea spent the last 26 years displaying things she found on eBay or on the side of the road. Her husband, Ronny, once found a floral iron décor item sitting in front of a house. The couple asked the homeowners if they could have it, and now it sits near the basketball court.
One thing Honea says she’ll miss, besides the building itself, are the hackberry trees that grow around the property.
“We’ve taken care of them over the years,” Honea says. “When the leaves start to come in, it’s nice to have a bit of nature.”
The announcement was prompted by several things, Honea says. There was a rumor mill churning out news Honea’s bar may shutter, and she wanted to put those rumors to rest. It’s not the first time it’s happened—there were whispers of Grapevine Bar closing after Honea’s first husband, Richard Fiaschetti, died in 2003.
Before he died, Fiaschetti was seen as the face of the bar while Honea handled a lot of the backend, like ordering liquor and managing the rest of the Grapevine Bar. When he died, she went through a year-long legal battle with Fiaschetti’s mother over it, and eventually ended up keeping it in 2004.
The rumors started back up again in 2006, Honea says, when Crow Holdings purchased the land across the street to develop the Old Parkland campus. Honea says she’s glad the Crows ended up being the developers—they’ve respected the neighborhood, she says.
“I don’t think anybody else would have treated Old Parkland with the respect and reverence that the Crows have,” she says. “They really have gone into the neighborhood as owners versus an investment to sell to somebody else.”
Another reason why folks may have assumed Honea was closing is because the bar closed for a considerable amount of time during the pandemic. That was because Honea’s father, who lives in Michigan, was diagnosed with COVID-19 in March 2020 and continues to deal with lingering side effects.
Honea says her father used to brag to friends about his daughter and the wildly popular bar she owned in Dallas. Since his diagnosis, he’s had trouble remembering the bar, Honea says. He’s gradually improved, but Honea says she and her husband realized moving the bar would be the right step.
“We’re all very much on the same page as far as, well, this is what happened. So, what do we do next?”
A closing date has not been announced, but Honea says she wants to throw parties for major holidays. Those details will come later. 3902 Maple Ave.
Henry’s Majestic Is Closing For Now
Henry’s Majestic and its speakeasy Atwater Alley will close at the end of the month, according to a press release. The press release says the landlord sold the building—A News story from September reported a residential high-rise building will be constructed on top of where the restaurant stands today. Henry’s Majestic opened in 2014 with an American menu and strong cocktail menu to match. The plan is to reopen the restaurant in a new location, but the new location hasn’t been announced yet. 4900 McKinney Ave.
Foxtrot Opens New Location at Knox-Henderson
Café and e-commerce store Foxtrot is opening its third Dallas location in trendy Know-Henderson on October 26, and today, a fourth location was announced in East Dallas. The artisan goods store will have an all-day café with coffee, smoothies, breakfast tacos, salads and bowls, and grab-and-go meals for lunch or dinner if you’re in a pinch. Not hungry? There are local beers and wines. But for those just looking for fun things to gift or buy, there are also items from local vendors such as Hail Mary, CocoAndré, Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters, Teasom, JOY Macarons, and Basia’s Pickles. And as usual, everything is available for in-store, pick-up, or on-demand through its app. There’s also a new membership option for Foxtrot diehards. The new location is at 3130 Knox St. Other locations are 2822 McKinney Ave. and 6565 Hillcrest Ave.
Denton’s LSA Burger Co. Serves Up Burgers and Margs in The Colony
Big, big burgers landed at Grandscape in The Colony earlier this month from Denton-based LSA Burger Co. The new burger joint’s menu differs slightly from the original in Denton—they’re named after tiny Texas towns, while the OG menu is named after musicians. The Uncertain (yes, a Texas town!), is a beef patty with mushrooms, Swiss cheese, lettuce, mayo, and tomato, while the Sweet Home Burger is loaded with chili, fritos, cheese, onions, mayo, lettuce and tomato. For the drinks, expect plenty of margaritas and craft beers. 4545 Destination Dr., The Colony.
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