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Mexican restaurant, bar and entertainment venue El Destino on March 7 opened its doors on Technology Boulevard in Northwest Dallas.
It took over the space that once housed Richard Rawlings' Gas Monkey Bar and Grill. It's been vacant for the past few months, opening up an opportunity for Dallas restauranteur Mario Cernadas to lease the space at 10261 Technology Blvd. E.
El Destino has five bars, three patios and two stages — one outdoors and one indoors — that will host live music every weekend. Its menu consist of traditional Mexican dishes as well as an extensive alcoholic beverage program. The space will be able to seat nearly 400 guests.
The dark exterior has been replaced with a lighter color palette and festive touches of Mexican culture. More than $1.4 million was spent to transform the space, Cernadas said.
Gas Monkey Bar and Grill was started in 2013 by Richard Rawlings, known for restoring classic cars at Gas Monkey Garage in Dallas, which was chronicled on TV show "Fast N' Loud."
In 2018, defamation lawsuits began to surface between Rawling and the venue’s managing partner.
In 2020, the attached Gas Monkey Live music venue permanently closed, CultureMap reported. And in 2021, the venue was rebranded with Rawlings no longer involved. Under the Amplified Live name, it continued to host rock concerts and events.
But Amplified shut down last year, opening up a large retail space.
"We were aware Amplified would close in the summer and we started the process to take over the space once their lease ended," Cernadas said.
Cernadas said El Destino will focus on daily revenue through restaurant operations rather than weekly or biweekly entertainment revenue previous tenants prioritized.
