Two new watering holes, Ten Bells Tavern and Oak Cliff Social Club, are expected to open within a week or so, and they’re right across the street from each other in the Bishop Arts District.
Oak Cliff Social Club is in the same building as Inforzato’s cafe. Owner Peter Saucedo leased two spaces, including the former Eclectic Studioz, and made them into one. So the new space passes all the way through from Davis to Seventh.
Saucedo, who is co-owner with his wife, Mariah, and his parents, Diane and Leo Saucedo, has done most of the renovations himself. Before the 30-year-old got into the bar and nightlife business with stints at Lotus and Three Sheets, he worked renovating kitchens and bathrooms. He installed Oak Cliff Social Club’s solid granite bar himself, as well as a wood panel design on the wall behind the bar, for example.
The whole family is pitching in with the renovations. I snapped this photo of Diane and Peter working last week.
Saucedo, who lives near White Rock Lake, says he shopped around for about a year looking for the right place to launch his concept. Oak Cliff Social Club will be open seven days a week, serving drinks and pub grub — Inforzato’s is helping with some of the food. A lounge area in the back has soundproofing and is big enough that bands can play there. When we spoke last week, Saucedo was planning a soft opening for this weekend, pending a certificate of occupancy.
Across Seventh street, Ten Bells Tavern has been in the works since February. Co-owners Meri Dahlke, Michael Hickey (who are husband and wife) and Greg Matthews are waiting for a few more inspections before they can open for business. “I’m thinking days instead of weeks,” Hickey says.
Inside, the concept is a British pub, serving fish and chips, bangers and mash, pickled eggs and sandwiches. They’re planning an outdoor space that is, “pure Texas beer garden,” with picnic tables, a covered patio and a window that passes through to the bar.
Hickey says he has worked in the restaurant and bar business since he was 15 years old. “Since I was a little kid, I’ve always wanted my own place,” he says. “I don’t know why. I was a glutton for punishment I guess. And now I have it.”
