Blue Goose on Greenville Avenue. Photo courtesy of Peterson Management Group.
Editor’s note: Are you going to miss Blue Goose? Share your memories with us by emailing Renee at rumsted@advocatemag.com.
Condolences poured out from Dallasites and East Dallasites alike after Blue Goose Cantina announced it was closing the original location in Lower Greenville.
Because it’s been around for nearly 40 years, it’s no surprise that people were quick to share memories about their experiences at the restaurant, which will close March 19.
The location is in a busy area on Greenville Avenue, surrounded by other restaurants and bars. Here’s how a few business owners responded to the news of the restaurant’s farewell.
Amanda Campbell, a manager at Halcyon, provided a statement on behalf of the coffee shop:
“We will miss our neighbors and thank them for all the times they helped us out, from bathroom breaks when we were under construction, to letting us borrow receipt paper. It will be weird not to see them across the street and give directions saying, ‘just look for the Blue Goose!'”
Val Jean-Bart opened Val’s Cheesecakes at 2820 Greenville Ave. in 2017. The day he met his real estate agent to look at the space that would house his dessert shop, they had lunch at Blue Goose. That’s where he was coming up with plans for his own business, which recently expanded to a location on South Akard Street.
“I’ve always liked the little funny signs that they have,” Jean-Bart says. “It’s just been an institution.”
When Blue Goose employees want something sweet, Jean-Bart says, they buy some cheesecake. And the business is reciprocated.
“When we’re hungry, baking late, this is where I go for a fajita,” he says. “I’m always getting the same thing for a fajita. It’s like the saving grace.”
Mike McRae owns Stan’s Blue Note, which has been open since 1952.
He remembers when Blue Goose had a cooler at the front where customers could grab a beer and open it up. The restaurant trusted diners to be honest when reporting how many drinks they had.
But McRae won’t forget the food, either.
“The portions were really big, and I think that’s what set them aside from all the other Mexican food places around is just, giant portions,” he says. “Great food.”
McRae has been the owner of the bar for about six years, and like the Val’s Cheesecakes employees, he liked to visit the Tex-Mex restaurant when he needed nourishment.
“When I’m working at Stan’s, I have a couple options right around there,” he says. “But one of my favorites was go to Blue Goose and eat beef enchiladas.”
The building that houses Blue Goose was purchased by a new owner, and company that operates the restaurant, Peterson Management Group, was unable to reach an agreement for lease renewal with the new owner.
However, for all those mourning the loss, there is this silver lining: Peterson Management Group is searching for another location in East Dallas.
