First Taste — Rye Dallas is Serving Unique, Fresh Fare in Lower Greenville

A few weeks ago, a unique new cocktail bar called Apothecary opened on Lower Greenville in the former Wah Wah Room space. Owners Tanner Agar, Nic Cain, and Taylor Rause, who originally opened Rye in Mckinney in 2018, had teamed up to open this cocktail-forward concept before expanding the restaurant to Dallas. Now, the second location of Rye, a popular seasonal, American restaurant that sources its veggies and meat from local farms, has an opening date (August 25) and we got a first taste of the new menu.

Consisting of mostly small plates, it’s best to order several dishes up front. The restaurant will then pace out items into courses so you’re not overloaded with plates. But first, cocktails.

If you’re a fan of tropical-inspired cocktails, definitely try the Welcome to the Jungle, a mixture of homemade butterscotch washed rum, calvados, lime, and banana liquor. It’s lighter than it sounds. You can even order the butterscotch rum to take home with you. Also, for a kick of spice, the Hippie Jimador with mezcal, tequila, yellow chartreuse, and watermelon kombucha actually comes to you on fire. (Well, the jalapeño sitting on top of the drink is lit on fire.) Other intriguing cocktails include the All Tai’d Up — a bourbon twist on a Mai Tai — and the N₂OLA Espresso Martini with NOLA style nitro cold brew and chicory coffee liqueur.

As for food, there are so many small plates to choose from, it can seem a bit overwhelming. We’ll break down some of our favorites that we tried.

First off, don’t miss the Icelandic Hot Dog on the “Amuse Me” portion of the menu. It’s a single Rosewood Ranch wagyu beef dog with Icelandic sweet mustard, topped with a fried shallot. I wish they had a full size, I’d order it as an entree. Also, the Corn-Ucopia is a very interesting bite featuring cabrito (goat) wrapped up in a green corn tamale accompanied by grits, sweet yellow corn ice cream, and blue corn tortilla chips. The hot, cold, and crunchy mix together wonderfully.

The rotating menu that chef Taylor Rause has created also includes favorites from the original Rye, like the Duroc Pork Belly Lollipops, which includes about five pops of pork belly that have been braised in bourbon and burnt orange. Other beautifully plated stand-outs are the Blazin’ Beef Tacos with ribeye and Korean wing sauce, the “Shrimp & Grits,” and Release the Quack-En.

If you saved room, consider ending the evening with Rye’s Chicago Style dessert. It’s a popcorn creme brulee with cheddar fritters, caramel popcorn, sponge cake, and caramel sauce — the perfect mix of sweet and salty.

Reservations are now open beginning this Wednesday.