Oak Cliff's Driftwood Shutters, Citing Customer Complaints About Location

Oak Cliff — and specifically the area surrounding the Bishop Arts district — is so often heralded as the hot dining neighborhood of the moment, but apparently not everyone sees it that way. Dallas Morning News restaurant critic Leslie Brenner reported late yesterday on the closure of Driftwood, including a statement from restaurant group Misery Loves Co. (that's Michael Martensen and Sal Jafar, also of Proof + Pantry) that reads in part "our number one complaint has been its location, and distance from our core clientele." The restaurant had been closed for the past six weeks with maintenance issues, and now MLC says they've had "several inquiries by parties interested in [Driftwood's] current space" and have closed the restaurant for good.

They're quick to squash anyone who might question if the restaurant wasn't performing well, noting in the statement that "since takeover by MLC, we have received nothing but praise from our loyal clientele." It sounds like they're looking for a new spot to reopen Driftwood, but stay tuned; it'd certainly be a shame if Martensen's unique-to-Dallas absinthe-centric bar didn't resurface elsewhere.