There is a gem of a little bar with the controversial name in a transitional part of a city trying to forget one of the most significant historical events of the 20th century. Once you get past all of that, you’ll be glad that you tracked down Lee Harvey’s.
When I told my devout Irish Catholic mother that I was moving to Dallas from the West Coast, she cried “how could you move to the city that killed our President?” Such is the stigma that Dallas has lived with for more than four decades. Dallas tried to ignore the topic for years, until finally the city faced facts and put an appropriate and educational museum dedicated to the events of November 22, 1963 on the sixth floor of the Texas Book Depository Building where Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly fired the shots that killed President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
Today the Sixth Floor Museum is one of Dallas’ most visited attractions. Not too far down the road is another place that while very difficult to find and requiring a bit of nerve to get to, is fast becoming a hot property. And the owner claims that the bar is not named after Dallas’ Public Enemy #1.
When you go underneath the Dallas Convention Center and venture into South Dallas, it can be like entering Toon-Town in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Gone instantly is the flash and sizzle of Uptown and Far North Dallas. Reality sets in.
Homeless and druggies roam the streets. A mission serves food to the hungry. Urban decay is abundant and all in the shadow of the skyscrapers of downtown Dallas. Luckily, some people are starting to make a difference.
Money and energy are going into South Dallas, and in time it will be one of the more desirable parts of town. South side is developing. Land is being acquired for more entertainment and residential areas. And hats off to those urban pioneers, like Seth Smith the owner of Lee Harvey’s.
A converted house with a chain-link fence around a large front yard full of picnic tables, Lee Harvey’s is an unusual sight in this rather unsightly neighborhood. So hard to find for the first timer, key fobs with directions to the bar are available from the bartenders so one wont get lost the second time around.
Open at 5 pm everyday but Sunday, this watering hole is in a time warp. And that is a good thing.
Point-of-sale from the 1960’s featuring Schlitz and Budweiser and Miller High Life grace the walls. Pabst Blue Ribbon is a popular beer here. Great classic R&B and rock and roll tunes are mixed in with current hits on the jukebox. At any given time the Cartoon Network will be on the TV showing Hanna Barbera cartoons from the ‘60’s. This place is retro cool without trying to be.
A menu written in colored pen on a white erasable board alerts patrons on what is available from the small kitchen that is open every night. Burgers and terrific Panini sandwiches are specialties of the house, and a nice list of appetizers can satisfy a craving for the munchies.
The crowd is very eclectic and gets significantly younger and trendier as the night goes on. Being honest and understated is bringing out the creative and the club crawler, making this a very happening weekend destination. The bar is laid back but just as colorful during the week.
The yard is never better utilized than on Sunday, when the bar opens at 1 pm. Sunday at Lee Harvey’s is Dog Day Afternoon, when dogs are allowed to roam around the yard while dog owners roam around the bar. This place is a hot spot. And a hot spot for Spot.
In Dallas, the name Lee Harvey brings back memories of the city’s most dubious distinction. The name Lee Harvey’s is bringing Dallas a whole new distinction: a place that might be the coolest spot in the city because of people willing to take a chance.” D.M.