Longtime restaurateur John McBride has teamed up with culinary consultant Sharon Hage and designer Hatsumi Kuzuu to open a new concept in the heart of East Dallas. Set to debut on Monday, February 25th, The LOT will be part American restaurant serving genuine fare, part neighborhood beer garden pouring Texas beers, and part casual gathering place for all to enjoy.
“We have revived the best lot in town, a tranquil, two-acre spot designed with unique common spaces to ensure everyone feels welcome,” says managing partner John McBride, whose family started and previously owned and operated El Fenix. “The idea is to create a modern-day third place, giving our neighbors a new place to unwind and savor a meal that’s unique and extraordinary — a place they can call their own.”
Designer Hatsumi Kuzuu (Sissy’s Southern Kitchen & Bar, Tei An, FT33) has transformed the former Backyard Beach Bar space into an inviting oasis featuring several common areas. Expect a 180-seat dining room and bar featuring concrete and reclaimed wood accents, an open-air porch with wooden communal picnic tables, and a beer garden surrounded by a vine-covered trellis. For those looking to stay and relax awhile, there is a space dedicated to bar games such as washers, corn hole and foosball. In addition, local artisan John Wolf and Elizabeth Dry (Promise of Peace Garden) collaborated to create a children’s play area furnished with repurposed farm equipment and an herb garden.
Chef Sharon Hage, who made her mark on the Dallas dining scene with Lakewood gem York Street, is making a return to the area to consult on the menu. The star of the show will be “The Chicken”, a whole or half rotisserie chicken marinated in roasted garlic, hot peppers and fresh herbs, which will also be available to-go. A selection of sandwiches includes deviled ham and cheese on sourdough toast, house-ground cashew butter and honey on grain, and Texas Wagyu beef tongue with melted Swiss and sautéed red onion on rye. Other highlights include cayenne fried cauliflower with buttermilk dip, crispy papadum with green chili chutney, buffalo style buffalo rolled in red hot sauce, and green eggs ranchera with two sunny side eggs, queso panela, green sauce and toasted corn tortillas.
From the bar, expect a wide selection of wines and bottled beers, plus 16 drafts rotated seasonally. House drinks include Lakewood Lemonade (Maker’s Mark, lemonade, ginger, mint), East Dallas Iced Tea (Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, Peach Schnapps, house-brewed iced tea), and White Rock Martini (Pinnacle Berry Vodka, Triple Sec, cranberry juice). For those counting the calories, fresh-pressed juices can be spiked with Tito’s Vodka, Cruzan Rum, Tanqueray Gin or Jim Beam Bourbon.
The LOT, located off the Santa Fe Trail at 7530 East Grand Avenue, will be open Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to midnight (kitchen open until 10 p.m.), and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. (kitchen open until 11 p.m.). Lunch service is slated to begin on Monday, March 25th.