An interesting article about the uneasy relationship between the “old” Oak Lawn and the “new” Oak Lawn can be found in a Dallas Morning News article by Steve Blow titled “Last Oak Lawn Settlers Brought Controversy” (Dec. By the mid 1970s, the LGBT scene was shifting to Oak Lawn. These three downtown bars, popular as hangouts for gay men, had their heyday in the 1960s and ’70s. It was across from Neiman’s and it was 3 blocks from Jack Ruby’s Carousel Club (downtown Dallas ain’t what it used to be). It also had a better-than-average sign. The Zoo Bar at 1600 Commerce began as a cocktail lounge and often had live piano music. (This super-blurry screenshot is from WFAA-Channel 8 coverage of 1969’s Texas-OU weekend, here - at 6:16 and 9:13.) The image below gives you an idea of what that block looked like at night, neon blazing.
Akard was in the next block, across from the classy Baker Hotel, and a hop, skip, and a jump from the elegant Adolphus. Its proximity to the impressive Adolphus meant that the Lasso snuck its way into lots of souvenir picture postcards and Dallas Chamber of Commerce publicity photos. Akard began as a place where hi-fi bugs could sip martinis and listen to recorded music played on “the Southwest’s first and only stereophonic music system.” Not only did it have the sensational Seeburg two-channel stereo system, but it also boasted one of the best signs in town. Gene’s Music Bar (pictured above) at 307-09 S. Akard, in the shadow of the Adolphus Hotel - and The Zoo Bar, on Commerce, “across from Neiman-Marcus.” Three of those downtown bars (which apparently catered to a “straight” clientele during the day and a gay clientele at night) were Gene’s Music Bar and The Lasso - both on S. There was the well-appointed Le Boeuf Sur Le Toit (later renamed Villa Fontana), one of Dallas’ earliest gay bars, located on Skiles Street near Exall Park in the area now known as Bryan Place, and there were rougher, seedier places, generally downtown. In an interview with the Dallas VoiceAlan Ross remembered what the bar scene was like in Dallas in those days (click for larger image): Those were the days when “homosexual behavior” was illegal, and vice raids on gay bars and clubs were frequent occurrences. In Dallas’ pre-Stonewall days, there were only a handful of gay bars in the city, and they weren’t widely known beyond those who frequented them. "This area is such a destination for people from Dallas, Fort Worth, Frisco, and everywhere in between," he says.Gene’s Music Bar, S. Akard Street (click for larger image) Stewart says they're excited to come to The Strip. They'll be open from 3 pm to midnight during the week and until 2 am on weekends. "Working together has been so easy and so intuitive - we each bring different strengths to the bar," Harris says. This area is known for late-night Jell-O shots, so they'll do their own spin: "We are going to have Gummy Bear shots soaked in vodka," Harris says.īoth she and Maggard will be working at the bar. They're also doing unusual twists on classic cocktails, such as an Old Fashioned made with tequila instead of bourbon, and an Espresso Martini made with vodka and Kahlua and shaken with a shot of espresso.
The menu includes rare and hard-to-find liquors, plus hand-crafted drinks made with fresh ingredients, such as a spiked strawberry lemonade and a cucumber spritzer.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook a small patio along the side of the building. They've transformed the space into an open-concept lounge with plush seating and a black bar top dusted in glitter. They're at 3900 Cedar Springs Rd., in the space that was previously Peasant Pizzeria. "You won't feel like you're in a gay-only bar." "The Strip has this sort of electricity we wanted to build on, but bring something completely different," he says. Misster will function as something more than just another bar in the "gayborhood." Mitchell Maggard is a familiar face in the nightlife world, having been a server at bars such as Avenu, a former Uptown lounge. Meghan Harris is married to Devin Harris of Dallas Mavericks fame, and is a celebrity in her own right, including her stint as a former Fear Factor contestant. Trey Stewart works as an assistant to Stephanie Hollman of Real Housewives of Dallas fame. The bar is from a fun young trio that boasts a star-studded background. It's opening on June 28, with a grand opening party on June 29. Misster, it will feature craft cocktails and a sophisticated atmosphere in a neighborhood known for casual drinking and wild nights. A trio of first-timers is bringing a glitzy new bar to the Cedar Springs strip of Dallas.