A Prohibition and speakeasy-style restaurant has just opened in Southlake. Called Volstead Prohibition Era Bar and Kitchen, it's a handsome restaurant and bar, located at 2750 E. Southlake Blvd. in a former Fish City Grill, where it's endeavoring to provide a polished, classy ambience but with a cozy, exclusive vibe you'd find at a private club.

Volstead is from food & beverage veteran Dave Coussirat, a former director of operations for Yum! Brands and franchisee whose other concepts include as The Tavern at Lakeside and Tycoon.

"Volstead is a Prohibition-era bar and kitchen with a speakeasy vibe — we want people to come in and discover this special atmosphere." Coussirat says. "We're just bringing a little bit of that coolness you have in Dallas — you might never expect to find a full-time speakeasy in the middle of Southlake."

The menu is American with a special focus on seafood including a seafood tower, fish & chips, cedar-plank salmon, and a raw bar with oysters and sushi.

There are also burgers, ribeye steak, and Wagyu which they sell by the ounce, plus unique mid-range options such as a French dip sandwich, chicken parm pasta with spicy fusilli a la vodka, and a chicken Cobb salad. Starters include popcorn chicken, deviled eggs, and a pepperoni flatbread. Prices range from $11 to $28, with a few exceptions such as miso sea bass for $35 and a Parmesan-crusted filet for $45.

“We take a lot of pride in our food — culinary-wise, we've spent a lot of time working on the food menu and really making sure that our identity is beyond the speakeasy and more as a restaurant with a speakeasy bar," says Director of Operations Jason Berry. "You can get a high-quality meal, whether it's lunch or dinner, and you're going to get taken care of."

Volstead takes its name from the Volstead Act of 1919, also called the National Prohibition Act, which banned selling, transporting, and owning alcohol. Speakeasies, or underground bars, sprouted up as a result of the ban between 1920 and 1933.

The bar serves more than a dozen carefully crafted cocktails, including an old-fashioned, margarita, a sidecar, and a rye bourbon sour, plus an entire section dedicated to martinis: from a classic with choice of vodka or gin, to an espresso martini featuring Hanson Espresso Vodka, espresso, Liquor 43, and cream.

A happy hour on weekdays from 2-6 pm features half-off martinis, old-fashioned and wines by the glass, from a selection of unexpectedly intriguing labels such as the Walking Fool red blend of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah made by Caymus-Suisan, or a crisp white Sancerre from Domaine Durand.

They also offer Prohibition-style personal liquor lockers, where you can purchase and store liquor at the restaurant, your private collection to consume when you visit.

"We're trying to have that feel of you're in the 1920s, this feeling where it's a little bit of a blast from the past," Coussirat says.