The Corner Bar on McKinney Avenue Has New Owners and a Brand New Menu

By Scott Reitz Thu., Feb. 28 2013 at 2:53 PM

This isn't your mama's meatloaf sandwich.

The Corner Bar is making its attempt to be a gustatory den of the highest order. Skim the menu and you'll see all the buzzwords you expect to see associated with Dallas' fine-dining restaurants.

Tom Spicer's greens make multiple appearances, and there are hot dogs from Luscher's Red Hots. The Quercia ham on the charcuterie board? It's commonly lauded as the finest made in America. There's a Chicago-style Italian beef and a meatloaf sandwich that will make you miss Mom's. There are chicken wings and other bar snacks, too.

Don't think the McKinney Avenue establishment is a quiet romantic restaurant, though. "The corner bar is still a bar," owner Steve Spence said. He bought the business in December with his wife, Brandy Davis Spence. The couple both worked at Shinsei before striking out on their own and bringing along Jason Czaja, who also cooked at the popular Inwood Road fusion restaurant.

On the weekend the space is overrun by SMU students and serious drinkers. But while the crowd skews towards Jameson shots and cheap beer on the weekend evenings and table space can be hard to find, you can't deny something interesting is happening with the menu, not to mention the kitchen hours. This may be the only place you can get a piece of seared tuna in Dallas after midnight on the weekends.

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TravW

I'm all for well made, quality food, but, Dammit, sometimes you just want mini corndogs and sliders.

stevelspence

Mervis...we are doing everything in house from the roast beef for the Beef Roll with house made giardiniera, all sauces, dressings, and vinaigrettes. We brine our own pickles, make beef stock for the jus in house...we don't have a freezer so everything is fresh and sourced locally as much as possible. We also cold smoke our chicken wings in house, with a Jack Daniels barrel on its way shortly that has been converted into a cold smoker for the wings. Come and give us a shot!