A few years ago in Dallas’ hospital district, a place emerged that was searching for a soul while searching for souls. And despite facing many challenges, the place has found a heart despite not being in the heart of Dallas.
The Windmill Lounge has battled a lot of obstacles. Opening in a downtrodden neighborhood in the industrial/newly developed residential area of Maple Avenue, it opened upon a multi-year extension of DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) which tore up the intersection of Maple and Webb Chappel Extension where the bar and many hospitals are located.
Although a small number of predominantly Hispanics businesses south of the place get along, the construction drove a dagger through the heart of other establishments and only the strong survived. But through the driven and intuitive ownership, a Great Joint has emerged from the potential location coma.
Located in the shadow of many of Dallas’ fine hospitals, an old diner called the Dutch Kitchen, known for inexpensive and not particularly satisfying food and cheesy touts on the windows for its cheap breakfasts, closed after decades. What remained was crumbling infrastructure, a modest kitchen, parking for about 20 cars and windmill neon of top of the rectangular structure.
When Charlie Papaceno and Louise Owens arrived from New York, they saw the need to bring quality cocktails to Dallas long before it has become irritatingly fashionable. To support the strong libations, the kitchen was reopened to provide a limited but quality bill of fare, where the Panini’s are the most popular items.
To match the many old school cocktails is an old school jukebox, yet to succumb to the personality-free internet music box. You can match Edith Piaf with Grandmaster Flash, Peggy Lee with the Temptations, and Louis Prima with Louis Armstrong with Lou Reed on any given set. The jukebox goes dark on Thursday night when Karaoke is a very popular event.
Opening at 4pm daily, the clientele is varied, with blue collar locals, hipsters, and the alternative crowd seeking out the Windmill for its creative mix of cocktails. One night after Charlie methodically and perfectly crafted three Manhattans, finished off with a cherry scooped out of a jar with the smallest ladle I have ever seen, a dapper fellow turned to me and said “this will put hair on my chest, but I’ll just shave it off when I get home!” He later confided that he actually uses depilatories.
Recently, a local publication named Windmill Lounge “The Best Dive in Dallas.” I hate how that term is thrown around. Just because the Windmill Lounge is small, off-beat, and off the beaten path, it is hardly a dive. It is super clean, very comfortable and prides itself offering something uniquely different to Dallas. It has a heart.” D.M.