Haywire

Haywire makes a body proud to be a Texan. While few things beat a good sit-down BBQ joint, with a cold beer and general disregard for healthy options, nothing else comes to mind that does Texas so succinctly, and yet so over the top, as Haywire. Built from the ground up by the same group that established Sixty Vines and Legacy Hall, among many others, Haywire is a three-story, Texas-themed restaurant that goes so far over the top that it somehow comes full circle and lands right in the middle of perfection.

The first floor is a hybrid dining and lounging area for guests. It houses the Whiskey Lounge, featuring a blurrying array of more than 350 different whiskeys, which bartenders can turn into cocktails or serve straight as a flight, pairing each whiskey with waters from Kentucky and Scotland. For those going full-Texan, Haywire will even brand a drink’s ice cube with a red-hot iron. Visitors can lounge near the two-story, Austin-limestone fireplace or on the Texas flag couch directly underneath the mounted longhorn head trophy, aptly named “Sir Loin.” From then on, diners should prepare to be catered to, hand-over-foot from the moment of arrival.

The main dining area is on the second floor, as well as the kitchen and a full service bakery. “There are not too many restaurants in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex that have a full time pastry chef, an executive sous, and a chef de cuisine on property all the time,” Judd Fruia, director of operations, beamed, nodding toward a freshly baked mountain of rolls. The main dining area is a moodily lit, copper-toned space with chunky wood seating and robust tables. Off to one section sits the Library Lounge, a 60s and 70s style relaxing area with a bulb furnace, plush rug and riveted copper chairs. The only thing missing from the picture is a naked Burt Reynolds.

Near the entrance to the second floor sits the Butcher Bar, named for its white subway tile wall painted with various diagrams of beef and pork cuts, its butcher knife beer taps, and its collection of cocktails focused on the carnivorous menu. Add to that a dedicated wine storage room and every server being trained with a level one sommelier certification, and guests can expect to find the perfect drink to match the evening.

While the menu is a little cramped, no item seems out of place. “We are probably the most locally sourced restaurant in the metroplex,” Judd boldly stated. With no better timing either, the mushroom purveyor (Fun Guys Mushrooms) walked through the door carrying three preposterously large trays of freshly harvested oyster mushrooms. If that wasn’t enough, nestled at the bottom of the menu is a paragraph listing all the farmers, fishers and ranchers and exactly what they supply to Haywire, all the way down to bi-colored corn and smoked peppercorns.

From burgers at lunch, to thick-cut ribs and steaks for dinner, classic mac and cheese and meatloaf can be found alongside elk tacos and duck egg poutine, all assuredly delicious. And of special note, Haywire’s pecan pie is a stunning surprise, truly one of the best out there.

Finally, we reached the third floor, an outdoor rooftop patio which credits its design style to Marfa, Texas. The pride and joy of this space is a renovated Airstream trailer that overlooks the soon-to-come Legacy Hall Box Garden and features Navajo blanket seating, heating and air conditioning, custom lighting, full kitchen and bar service. Don’t worry about forgetting the menu downstairs; the entire libations menu (complete with cigar selection) comes loaded onto an iPad provided to diners to carry along.

“Texas cuisine, farm to fork, local source, made from scratch, and chef driven,” Judd listed off on his fingers. “That’s what Haywire is about.” The first floor feels like an upscale, Hill Country BBQ joint; the second floor, a high-end steakhouse; and the third, a Marfa-meets-nightclub rooftop party.

Locals and out-of-towners can be the judge: stop in, tangle with a whiskey cocktail and let the pecan pie speak for itself, or forever hold its peace.