An Iconic Downtown Dallas Hotel Bar Will Reopen Later This Year

The Adolphus Hotel’s iconic Rodeo Bar, know for its laid-back Texas sensibility, ice cold beers, and blue plate specials, will reopen later this year after a major revamp.

The bar, which first opened in 1981, served Dallasites and visitors alike for nearly four decades before closing in 2018. When it reopens, it’ll have an all-new menu, refreshed decor, and a new back room for private gatherings.

Rodeo Bar was known for its non-nonsense vibe and Texas decor, the kind of place where you could “walk up, order swiftly, and get back to eating and drinking,” according to Justin Fields of Makeready, the company behind the bar’s revamp.

The new menu will reflect that philosophy with an array of comfort foods, including smash-style hamburgers, chips and queso, sandwiches, and other Tex Mex and Southern fare. Rodeo Bar is also reviving its blue plate lunch special, a daily rotation of meat and veg which could include brisket, pork chops, and jalapeño sausage. Drinks-wise, expect beer, wine, and no-frills classic cocktails.

Garrison’s Rodeo Bar was originally named after — and inspired by — native Texan, steer wrestler, and Dallas Cowboys player Walt Garrison. For the reopening, Makeready wanted to strike a balance between honoring Rodeo Bar’s “refined grit and authenticity” and modernizing the bar.

“It was critical that we preserve and honor the heart and soul of the original concept,” Fields said in a press release. “Quite literally we asked ourselves, how do we retain the past, while setting the stage for the next 40 years.”

Rodeo Bar is located inside the Adolphus Hotel, at 1321 Commerce Street in Downtown Dallas. Stay tuned to Eater for an exact opening date.