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A new ice house with a unique history has recently emerged on Dallas' bar scene, providing patrons another place to drink, socialize and even watch a game on Henderson Avenue.
Lawnie's opened Aug. 27 and aims to bring an authentic, Southern-style ice house experience to Dallas, said Matt Peterson, co-owner of Estacado Interests who contributed to the vision for the bar. The bar is at 2414 N. Henderson Ave., east of U.S. Route 75 near Belmont Avenue.
Peterson and Devan Pharis of Estacado partnered with Sam Wynne, a local restaurateur and operator of Mike's Gemini Twin, on the project to revive a house built in 1924 into an almost exclusively outdoor bar, which they felt was much-needed in the Henderson area. Josh Bishop was also a major investor.
Matthew Rosenfeld and Kevin Butkus of Weitzman handled negotiations for the landlord, NHA Holdings LLC, and the new ownership group.
"Our goal with Lawnie's is to provide a front lawn to the neighborhood," Peterson said.
Several other bars exist along the street, including Skellig and Mayer’s Garden, but there are no authentic ice houses in the immediate area. Lawnie's does not have a keg or a walk-in cooler; rather, drinks are kept cool by way of a massive ice machine — akin to how traditional Texas ice houses operate.
The property was once a popular neighborhood barbershop but was vacated more than 10 years ago. It cost around $500,000 to restore the 1,333-square-foot space to its original 1920s appearance with new siding. It took about four months to complete the project, which had to meet City of Dallas zoning codes.
"We were able to keep all of the structural integrity of the home, and the original pine floors are still in the home," Peterson said.
In addition to more than 40 canned drinks, Lawnie’s also has a high-end menu of about 15 cocktails, including the popular "express-o" drink, which is an espresso martini on ice. The bar prides itself on using high-end ingredients, including real espresso in the martini.
The new ice house fits right in with ongoing development along Knox Street and Henderson Avenue, which transforms into a bar district on the weekends. Henderson Avenue is an area that has been adding density in recent years, while Knox Street is known for its luxury retailers and upscale restaurants. Lawnie's attests to the value of not always having to demolish old and rustic in favor of the new and trendy.
"What we like the most about Henderson is you have the high-density apartments immediately adjacent, but then you have the upper-middle-income households around," Peterson said.
Lawnie's closes at 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday and midnight Sunday through Wednesday. Since its opening a few weeks ago, business has been going well, Peterson said.
The bar has also partnered with Dallas-based Punch Drunk Chef Meal Prep to provide food options to patrons. It offers several wrap varieties, including chicken caesar, burger and buffalo chicken. In the future, Lawnie's hopes to partner with local food trucks and other vendors as well.
"So far, it's surpassed a lot of people's expectations," he said. "I always felt that there was a need for an outdoor concept like this on Henderson."
