Uptown Borders is Turning into Max’s Wine Dive

Posted on February 27th, 2012 8:34am by Carol Shih
Filed under Breaking News, Openings/Closings, Restaurant 101, restaurant business news, Restaurant News

image from dallasuptownguide.com

After Borders went bankrupt, we all began to speculate what would happen with the empty Uptown storefront on 3600 McKinney. Now that 4,200 square ft. space will serve fried chicken and Kobe beef burgers at Max’s Wine Dive, a restaurant with locations in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. Owner Jerry Lasco has spent a good three years looking for the right spot in Dallas, and apparently this is the one. Was it love at first sight?

It doesn’t matter. Jerry still feels like a lucky man.

We’re very excited to be coming to Dallas!  MAX’s Wine Dive is not really a “wine bar” though it does have plenty of wine.  MAX’s is a chef-driven, scratch kitchen restaurant/bar that focuses on pairing gourmet comfort food with wine from around the world in an unpretentious and high energy environment. There will be a 50 foot “shotgun” style bar that will provide the best seats in the house to observe the open kitchen. Our menus are divided in half:  On one side are our “Classics,” such as “Fried Chicken and Champagne,” Kobe beef burgers, “Nacho Mamma’s Oysters,” and Truffle MAX ‘n Cheese, and on the other side are the “Chef’s Creations” (we’ll hire locally and give that chef the opportunity to put his or her stamp on the MAX’s Dallas menu).  In addition, all of the wine we serve in the restaurant is available to be purchased “to-go” in a retail transaction – so guests can take a bottle of their favorite wine after dinner or stop in any time to pick up a bottle or case for home… We are anticipating opening in the fourth quarter.

No word on the Execuchef for the wine dive either. Jerry says, “We don’t know yet—any suggestions?”

12 comments

  1. John Tesar? LOL

    @ 8:54 am on February 27, 2012

  2. Oh, wait. Wrong Borders location. :)

    @ 8:55 am on February 27, 2012

  3. “Nacho Mama’s Oysters” and “Truffle MAX ‘n Cheese?” They haven’t even started their build out and this place is already irritating.

    @ 8:56 am on February 27, 2012

  4. I think this is very good news. I love Max’s in Austin. Hopefully open for lunch too.

    @ 9:46 am on February 27, 2012

  5. Been to Max’s in Houston several times and it is always great

    @ 10:29 am on February 27, 2012

  6. [...] SideDish reports this morning that the spot will become Max’s Wine Dive, a chain with locations already in San Antonio, Houston, and Austin. I’m willing to give the spot a chance, but with dishes like “Nacho Mamma’s Oysters,” and “Truffle MAX ‘n Cheese,” my patience may soon wear thin. [...]

    @ 11:05 am on February 27, 2012

  7. [...] Uptown Borders is Turning into Max’s Wine Dive – D Magazine [...]

    @ 2:55 pm on February 27, 2012

  8. DMN had this dayssssssss ago.

    @ 5:53 pm on February 27, 2012

  9. [...] Ford Coppola’s masterpiece. While you’re in the neightborhood, you can imagine the empty Border’s transforming in a Max’s Wine Dive (owner Jerry Lasco probably made the folks at WestVil an offer they couldn’t refuse) and then [...]

    @ 11:46 am on February 28, 2012

  10. This is a very exciting time for Lasco Enterprises!
    Bob and Park Cities People; may I inquire as to why you don’t care for Max’s Wine Dive? Is it just the food that you don’t like, or is it something else as well?

    @ 1:02 pm on February 28, 2012

  11. Yeah! I am so excited. We love your location in Austin and have been hoping you guys would expand your market to include Dallas. Can’t wait for you to open!

    @ 10:24 pm on February 28, 2012

  12. We are very excited too! It’ll be a great new market to explore!

    @ 1:39 pm on February 29, 2012