Again, I traveled outside of my bubble. And again, I was glad I did. I’m sure you’ve heard the buzz about Goodfriend, the new beer and burger house over on Peavy and Garland Road one of the Vickery Park owners and a former Vick bartender, Matt and Josh, respectively. I’ll start by saying this, don’t wait to go until after reading this — get off your ass and go NOW.
My boyfriend and I prepared for our adventure with a full tank of gas, water bottles, and granola bars stocked … you know, just in case. The drive there wasn’t bad at all. Take Mockingbird east and just keep onnnnnnnnn going until you see white lights strung across a huge patio on your left that will beam you in. Parking was an issue, but I found a spot that my car hardly fit in, but fit nonetheless. (I didn’t take the time to figure out where alternate parking was – sorry).
Give yourself plenty of time for this dinner because you’re probably going to wait. So many make the trip for the delicious food and drink at Goodfriend that we were told that there was an hour wait. We ordered a drink and found a seat without a grumble because the place smelled so good that we didn’t want to risk being kicked out for being bratty patrons. The staff was so friendly that that probably wouldn’t be an issue even if we were rude.
Time to set the scene: a giant horseshoe-shaped bar is the center of the restaurant with bar seating on the left and restaurant seating on the right and stained glass above the bar. The decor is a hodge-podge of rustic engineering-type paraphernalia with an industrial touch including a giant table with a HUUUUGE fan inside. Sports fans: there are big TVs in the bar seating area and behind the bar and for commercials breaks you can enjoy the two dart boards in the corner.
The drinks were delicious. The cocktail menu is whiskey heavy with their list of whiskey cocktails dubbed the Magnificent Seven — and they are (magnificent, that is). I started with a Manhattan, the likes of which would have given my Manhattan-loving uncle a run for his money. After drinking the Manhattan, I felt like I could box a kangaroo – true story. The drinks were strong and I look forward to making a second trip to try some of the other M7s like John the Baptist, Bobby Burns, and the Goodfriend itself.
The offerings at GF include an American craft beer menu which will feature standard craft beers, seasonal beers, and special release brews. Get bored with beers easily? They post their “rotator” beers on a huge piece of paper inside the bar (and on Facebook) that are switched out quite often. In addition to their beers they have a fully (and I mean FULLY) stocked bar.
The food was ah-mazing. We made our way to our hard-earned table and when Matt handed us our menus, deciding which burger to order was one of the more difficult decisions I’ve faced in a month (I live a charmed life). They offer grass fed burgers and some more exotic options as well as a veggie burger (if you must). I landed on the Lolita lamb burger, the Boy had a turkey burger, and of course we got cheese fries to share. The burgers were delectable and I finished every bite of mine along with a good portion of the cheese fries (the ranch is mind blowing). The stomach ache was well worth it!
Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House
facebook | @goodfriendbgbh
1154 Peavy Rd., Dallas, TX 75218
(214) 324-3335