Nestled between a coding school and a brunch restaurant in a mixed-use retail center lies the entrance to the space that Fish City Grill used to call home. The blacked-out windows that once looked into the restaurant sit below a bright neon sign that now reads Volstead: Prohibition Era Bar and Kitchen.
A secret entrance, it’s decidedly not. But once your eyes adjust to the dark interior, you'll find yourself immersed in a cozy, bustling establishment with craft cocktails and cheeky decor that harkens back to the Roaring ‘20s.
It’s official. The speakeasy trend that has been building momentum in the last few years has made it to Southlake. Your first thought might be “What does this restaurant in the middle of a family-friendly suburb have to do with an actual speakeasy?” A good question, indeed!
Let’s go back a bit. It’s 1919, and the Volstead Act, which enacted Prohibition, has just been ratified. You want to get out and socialize with a lively libation in hand, but saloons have all been shut down. Where are you going to go?
For those in the know, a speakeasy, of course.
Speakeasies were secret, Prohibition-era bars that were often hidden inside buildings, nondescript alleyways or anywhere shielded from the public eye. The name itself comes from the fact that you had to be quiet, or “speak easy,” when giving the entry password, known only by word of mouth, to avoid attracting the attention of law enforcement.
Though the age of the speakeasy died with the end of Prohibition in 1933, it left more of a lasting mark on bar life than you might expect. Case in point, it ushered in a renaissance of cocktail culture.
Because speakeasies often served harsh, homemade alcohol (think hooch or bathtub gin), bartenders became flavor alchemists to mask the taste. They began using spices, juices, homemade flavored syrups and bitters to turn the strong spirits into palatable creations. You’ve probably heard of a bee’s knees, a mint julep or an orange fizz. Yes, indeed, all speakeasy-era hangovers.
Jumping forward a handful of decades, many argue that the spirit of the speakeasy was reincarnated with the Y2K-eve opening of famed NYC bar Milk & Honey. It had no sign, no published phone number, no menu, a strict etiquette code and it quickly became the go-to for the uber-cool. It’s also widely credited with restarting the craft cocktail scene as a pushback on overly sweet concoctions like cosmopolitans, mai tais and Long Island iced teas that reigned at the time.
While some of today’s speakeasies might still have “hidden” entrances and “secret” codes, let’s be real - anyone with an internet connection can do a little light digging and easily find them. Heck, for most you even need a reservation.
That aside, there are a few common denominators between today’s speakeasies and those of the past. First, there’s the vibe. Though today’s speakeasies are anything but secret, they still have enough of the exclusive aspect to give people the sense that they know something their neighbors don’t.
While the first speakeasies were more akin to dive bars, later iterations went all-in on the opulence. Most speakeasies today pick up where the olden ones left off, giving design teams a veritable cornucopia of Gatsby-esque inspiration for their interior work. It’s also the kind of place where you might want to eschew the lulus in favor of fancier attire, which is a welcome change in this post-pandemic era.
However, perhaps the most important aspect is that the speakeasy is synonymous with solid cocktails. While you will undoubtedly find staples like sidecars, old fashioneds and good ol’ martinis, there’s a better-than-average chance you will find a menu of specialty sips made by the master mixologist behind the bar.
If you’re itching to try out a speakeasy for yourself, here are some local options where you can indulge in style.