Photography by Kelsey Shoemaker
Birdie’s Eastside pays homage to all things East Dallas, as intended, offering a nostalgic look at the grooviness of our neighborhood. It’s a vintage feel that longtime residents can resonate with.
Woodrow Wilson football flags and photos, old kayaks from White Rock Lake, cowboy hats and classic country records accessorize the 20,000-square foot restaurant.
Four summers ago, the now Birdie’s Eastside at 6221 E. Mockingbird Lane was home to Luby’s, a Houston-based cafeteria chain that closed its last remaining store during the pandemic.
When news struck the neighborhood, an overflow of Facebook posts and comments shared mournful messages, opposition and memories began to surface.
“Well there goes the neighborhood,” one resident said. “Sad news for sure.”
Another commented: “What is happening to our cafeterias?”
That same year, while people were stocking up on sanitizer and toilet paper, restaurateur Jon Alexis, who owns TJ’s Seafood and Malibu Poke, was in search of Dallas real estate suitable for a new restaurant, one that mimicked the same tune as TJ’s Seafood.
Having no luck visiting other sites in Lakewood, Alexis was driving back and passed the old Luby’s when the real estate broker asked if he wanted to take a look. “Yeah, let’s just look,” Alexis recalls saying.
“I walked away from that with a vision of Birdie’s Eastside; from day one, it seemed so clear what East Dallas could have here,” he says. “We saw this big empty Luby’s with the potential to build a 7,000-square-foot patio and we said, ‘How does something like this not exist in East Dallas?’”
The Luby’s property was formerly owned by the St. Thomas Aquinas Lower School where pre-kindergartners through second-graders attend.
Before transitioning to Birdie’s Eastside, City of Dallas ordinances prohibited serving alcohol within 300 feet of a school, thus spurring resident controversy along St. Moritz Avenue, the street bordering the northern property line of the site, according to previous Advocate reporting.
John Libone, head pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish and School, wrote a letter supporting the request to grant the variance permitting the sale of alcohol within the 300-foot distance from their Lower School.
Despite mixed reviews, the city council approved an exception and a TABC permit.
The long-awaited project was an instant success. And four months later, Birdie’s Eastside continues to have large crowds flocking to their doors promptly at 11 a.m.
The restaurant menu consists of diverse offerings. Birdie’s Eastside culinary vision is brought together by chef Stan Rodrigues whose dishes can be found around Dallas.
So how do you choose what to eat with over 30 dishes calling your name?
Short answer, you can’t, but here’s Alexis’s tips to navigate the menu.
If it’s game day, fans can pick from their game day staples including birdie wings, brisket queso or loaded fries.
If it’s date night, entrees like shrimp and grits, Italian sausage penne and flat iron steak can easily be paired with a glass of wine or martini for “fine dining.”
If you’re looking for healthier options, green plates like Mediterranean salad and vegan harvest bowls have you covered.
And if it’s none of the above, hearty meals like the patty melts, smash burger, brisket tacos and Tikka fried chicken might entice.
“We say Birdie’s Eastside is for everyone, and the menu is a function of that,” Alexis says. “It’s not like we sat down and said, ‘What’s the perfect menu?’ But we sat down and said, ‘How do we make a bunch of people happy?’ And putting all these puzzle pieces together became the Birdie’s Eastside menu.”
The restaurant specializes in playful cocktails. From a pickle martini, a classic Aperol spritz, a pomegranate gin & tonic, a jalapeno cucumber margarita or a frozen espresso martini, the list goes on.
“We have a fun drink menu for lots of people,” Alexis says. “When you’re going to a patio restaurant in Texas, you’ve got to have a fun selection.”
But of course, what’s a neighborhood bar and restaurant without local draft beers like the Lakewood pony pilsner and the Lakewood lager?
“If you want something to feel personal to guests, it needs to be personal [to you],” he says.
While attending Southern Methodist University for a degree in political science, Alexis resided in East Dallas (because it was more his vibe) and regularly visited the classics like Cosmo’s off Skillman Street for drinks, The Goat for karaoke, the M Streets and White Rock, all of which have “a million gazillion percent” contributed to the ambiance of the restaurant.
“I have always felt a connection with East Dallas; I have spent some of my favorite decades of my life in East Dallas,” Alexis says. “I feel like I knew what Birdie’s Eastside was supposed to be because I know East Dallas.”
As Alexis’ love letter to East Dallas, this restaurant is for everyone.
Birdie’s Eastside 6221 E Mockingbird Lane, 214.484.2001, birdieseastside.com
