Since opening its doorsbrin December 2009, Wildwood has served original recipes, a unique selection ofbrcraft beers and cocktails, and its signature wood-fired grill cuisine tobrpatrons at its Southlake location.
But just in time for itsbrseventh anniversary, the local favorite restaurant is undergoing somebrtransformations—inside and out. It recently unveiled new décor, menu, websitebrand an updated logo that conveys its popular specialties of smoke, whiskey andbrcraft.
Co-owner and operatorbrDave Garner describes the re-design as post-Prohibition Era meets southernbrhospitality.
“We felt it was time forbran upgrade across the board, but have made sure to keep the heart and soul ofbrWildwood intact, including our most popular menu items, Texas craft beers andbrfriendly service,” said Garner in a press release. “As one of the fewbrfamily-owned restaurants in Southlake, Wildwood enjoys creative and culinarybrfreedom. We do not have to conform to chain or franchise restrictions.”
The change is easy tobrspot upon arrival. Greeting patrons at its location on Southlake Boulevard is abrrepainted exterior and new landscaping, along with rows of whiskey barrels underneathbrthe building signage—the first indication of what awaits inside. The doublebrfront doors feature etched glass with the updated Wildwood logo.
The floor plan was notbraltered, but the dining room now offers a contemporary, industrial-stylebraesthetic with an exposed ceiling, historical family art, and reclaimed woodbrand steel elements. As a nod to the wood-fired cuisine, representing smoke, thebreast end of the dining room showcases a wall of cedar end-cut logs.brWarehouse-style windows, that open and close for privacy, were installedbrbetween the space and the adjoining private dining room, which can accommodatebrup to 45 people. Cedar columns separate the dining room from the open kitchenbrbelow a wall of large chalkboards that promote daily specials.
Representing the whiskeybrand craft components of the redesigned restaurant is the large bar area, whichbris subtly separated from the dining room with suspended steel warehousebrwindows. One of the most notable changes is the 30-foot chalkboard wall thatbrdisplays artisan illustrations of crafted cocktails, a whiskey menu and 18 draftbrbrews. Copper vintage pendant lamps softly illuminates the bar area and cozybrnooks create intimate areas for groups to gather at any time of day. Abrgarage-style glass door opens into the patio with new outdoor seating andbrwhiskey barrel tables.
The renovationbrintentionally incorporates flexible components and spaces to accommodate abrvariety of diners, according to Garner.
“Our goal is to have abrrestaurant that appeals to the businessman dining alone, a quiet spot for datebrnight, large family dinners, and a fun place for locals to hang out after abrCarroll Dragons football game,” he said, noting there are two private diningbrrooms that may be reserved for group events.
Wildwood's menu also gotbra makeover, with the addition of new southern-style favorites such as hickorybrsmoked fried chicken, Gulf shrimp and grits, southern fried cobb salad andbrmacaroni skillet. A variety of wood-fired chops, poultry and seafood entreesbrremain on the menu, along with Wildwood staples such as Dragon Dip, flatbreadsbrand burgers.
Local residents Dave andbrMary Garner opened Wildwood in December 2009 to offer a unique, family-ownedbrrestaurant to diners in Northeast Tarrant County. As part of its communitybrrelations program, Wildwood supports numerous local organizations including thebrSouthlake Chamber of Commerce, Carroll Education Foundation, Call A RidebrSouthlake and Kids Matter International.
To view the menu or makebra reservation, visit WildwoodSouthlake.com.