Rock n Roll All Night
KISS rock-themed restaurant Rock & Brews head-bangs into Grapevine
A restaurant-bar and live music venue with rock-star founders has rolled into Grapevine: Rock & Brews, a chain that's the brainchild of KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, opened on July 2 at 520 W. State Hwy 114 — right where it splits off to 121, in a new center alongside restaurants such as Son of a Butcher and Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen.
Simmons and Stanley founded the concept with a group of music-industry insiders, opening the first location in southern California in 2010. They've since expanded with locations in Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, and Wisconsin.
Grapevine is the 24th location and the second in DFW, following a location that opened in The Colony in 2015.
The menu is described as a spin on American classics, featuring bar food staples such as wings, pizza, and burgers.
Starters include jalapeno poppers, calamari, and chips & queso. There's blackened chicken pasta, fish & chips, and one or two trendy dishes like Nashville hot chicken and birria beef dip, a clever cross between birria tacos and a French dip sandwich.
A full bar features cocktails, international and local craft beers, and a focus on bourbons. Their "rocktails" are amusingly named for rock songs such as Smoke on the Water or Frozen Purple Haze with blueberry vodka, lime juice, and sangria.
A couple of their menu items give a nod to rock figures including a "poison burger" in collaboration with musician Alice Cooper, and the Texas Flood margarita, an ode to the band of the same name.
According to a release, the 9,000-square-foot location will offer a 360-degree rock ‘n’ roll dining experience with colorful concert-style lighting, music videos displayed on 75-inch TV screens, and rock art and memorabilia, including the "Great Wall of Rock," featuring portraits of artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top.
The furnishings come with an interesting history: The dining room bar top is crafted from the floor of the Chrysler Automotive Plant in Ohio, where WWII-era Jeeps were manufactured, and most of the tables — long, wooden tables, good for groups — are reclaimed and stamped with their history from all over America.
There's indoor-outdoor seating, and they'll host live music on weekends by local musicians, including Texas Flood, the Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute band, who'll perform on opening night.
The restaurant also honors American forces including a discount to all veterans, active duty military, and first responders year-round.