Old-School Dining Reinvented
Alamo Club Elevates The Typical Neighborhood Restaurant With Unpretentious Twists.
Lowest Greenville is lined with dining options, but when the area’s beloved eatery Blind Butcher closed last year, there was a hole left for a homey destination where neighbors could gather and enjoy comfort food favorites. After Alamo Club opened in its place this past February, however, that need was more than met. The new neighborhood restaurant, run by owner Austin Rodgers, became the local option for those interested in unpretentious yet elevated food in a warm environment.
Austin has been a part of the Dallas dining community for more than a decade. After starting off in a mom and pop pizza place in Denton, working his way up at Nick and Sam’s, helping manage Neighborhood Services’ restaurants and opening other concepts like Town Hearth and Montlake Cut, Alamo Club is his first venture of his own. After coming up with the concept, Austin knew he wanted to join the restaurant community in this specific area.
“I always wanted to open my own restaurant, and when the Blind Butcher space became available, I went the same day to check it out and loved it,” Austin says. “After four months, I officially got the space. I love east Dallas in general, and Lower Greenville, in particular, is surrounded by neighborhoods. It’s a destination on weekends and is very walkable. I wanted to do something a little more upscale than Lower Greenville has currently.”
Austin Rodgers sought out to create an intimate space that felt like it had deep roots in the community, like the old-school bars and restaurants you often see in larger cities like New York and Chicago.
“I want it to feel familiar, nostalgic, warm and cozy,” Austin says. “That the guests have a sense of belonging.”
Whether seated at one of the homey booths or the community table, diners should expect to feel at ease after they find their seat, which is in part because of the restaurant’s interior.
“The décor is classic, fun and funky. The barstools are classic — ones that you see in a New York City restaurant — and the tables are mahogany because many of my family members had mahogany tables. I want guests to feel like they are eating at the table they grew up eating on,” Austin says.
Austin carried that sense of nostalgia into the menu. By embracing comfort food favorites and adding sophisticated touches that made sense with the dishes’ flavors, Alamo Club’s final menu is full of classics served with a twist.
“I didn’t want anyone to have to learn new items. I want you to look at the menu and know what the items are,” Austin says. “It is familiar and comfortable. Food that everyone knows and grew up with and elevate it from there. The menu will be ever-changing with new items but still familiar.”
Start out by ordering from the cocktail menu at the bar that runs down one side of the dining room. Their drinks are approachable yet elevated because of their thoughtful ingredients, like The Marg — Camerana tequila, lime, orange bitters and cointreau. Plus, it’s $5 before 7 p.m. and after midnight, so it’s a great, cheap drink to enjoy for those dining in early or late. For a more refined drink, ask about the Reid’s Tasty Jam, the restaurant’s rotating Champagne cocktail.
After taking a sip, or two, order a few starters for the table. The Pimento Deviled Eggs, created with pimento cheese, pickle and served with country ham, are a great way to get a taste of Alamo Club’s flavors. Or, for something distinct to their menu, try the Nancy’s Pink Dip, which is named after Austin’s mother.
Available entrees include a few opulent protein plates, like the salmon served with Poblano risotto and coriander vinaigrette and the Blackened Striped Bass with habanero creamed corn and chive oil. But Alamo Club’s sandwiches encapsulate their foodie mission: upscale takes on traditional dishes. The Crispy Chicken Sandwich, served with a spicy slaw that adds acidity to the dish, provides a balanced bite. And the Bacon Cheese Burger, stacked with dressed arugula, tomato, onion and aioli, holds up to comfort food expectations.
So join the club and the fun by heading over to Lowest Greenville. Alamo Club promises to provide guests with friendly service and familiar food that will satisfy your comfort food cravings.
