Future McRae’s American Bistro & Cocktails on Garland Road. Photo by Renee Umsted.
The owner of Stan’s Blue Note is opening an American restaurant and bar on Garland Road.
McRae’s American Bistro & Cocktails will open in June at 9913 Garland Road, in the space where Inventors Lounge was planned to open, next to The Royal Pour.
This will be the fourth concept for Mike McRae, who also operates Stan’s Blue Note on Lower Greenville, Table 13 in Addison and Dodie’s Cajun Diner in Rockwall and Allen.
And it’s a kind of homecoming for McRae, who grew up in East Dallas and, at age 15, took a job as a busboy at Sizzler, just down the road from his latest concept.
The tenant who intended to open Inventors Lounge had almost finished construction on the space when McRae took over. There was a bar top in place, and the kitchen had a hood system. The building’s plumbing, electrical and HVAC system was functional. The 800-sqaure-foot patio was already fenced. So it was just a matter of finishing a few things and manifesting McRae’s vision for the restaurant.
McRae’s American Bistro & Cocktails, which can seat about 70 people inside and nearly the same outside, will have an “upscale” menu, but it won’t be white tablecloth.
For appetizers, there will be Texas Torpedoes, which are jalapeños filled with smoked brisket and jalapeño pimento cheese made in house. McRae’s will also have a charcuterie board and Reuben fries, which are French fries covered with a Swiss cheese fondue, sauerkraut, Russian dressing and corned beef.
“They’re really amazing,” McRae said of the fries. “I’ve gained five pounds.”
A few of the entrees include filet medallions finished with a peppercorn cream sauce; handhelds such as a Reuben sandwich, patty melt, smoked brisket tacos and a muffuletta; and a Granny Smith salad with Granny Smith apples, sweet pecans and blue cheese.
Diners familiar with Table 13 may recognize a few items at McRae’s, such as the tomato soup, lemon caper chicken and salmon meunière.
“We wanted to have really great quality food that would bring people back,” he said.
They’ll have a small wine list with about 15 medium-priced bottles, but the focus will be on the cocktails: martinis, an old fashioned and a Manhattan, for example.
“We’ve got a craft cocktail enthusiast that’s going to come up with what we hope to be an exceptional espresso martini,” he said.
McRae’s wife, Chrissy, is decorating the space. The design is eclectic, with 15 chandeliers, including one on both sides of the bar. There’s also a gold-framed mirror suspended from the bar’s ceiling, which will be covered in wallpaper. From the street, McRae’s takes inspiration from a martini olive, with brick painted green and a door painted red.
This won’t be the best place to watch a game; for that, McRae said, go to Stan’s. McRae’s American Bistro is better suited for date night or a casual dinner. To create the ambience, McRae has invested in a quality sound system to amplify his 670-song playlist, which favors music from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, and includes a few more current hits, some songs from a ’60s and a bit of country.
“I love music,” McRae said. “It’s just something that actually talks to me.”
McRae’s American Bistro & Cocktails is expected to open at 9913 Garland Road for nightly dinner starting June 26, and weekend brunch service will follow a few weeks later.Â
