You have to appreciate the simplicity of a concept like Scotch & Sausage. Originally, the restaurant planned to serve hand-crafted sausages of all varieties, paired with the world's best whisky and scotch. Of course, there were always other kinds of food and booze on the menu, but with such a descriptive name, it seems this restaurant may have been too quick to pigeonhole their offerings.
As Eater Dallas reported yesterday, Scotch & Sausage has plans to diversify its alliterative menu into a particularly Dallas-friendly niche: tacos and tequila. Plans for the final concept are reportedly still being worked out, but the new S&S Tequileria will occupy the same building as Scotch & Sausage, but will be served by separate bar and patio areas. If you're confused now, just wait until this not-so-huge space is packed full of tequila-drunk people trying to figure out where to find those bacon-wrapped hot dogs.
Photos posted to Scotch & Sausage's Facebook page also indicates that the space has gotten a south-of-the-border makeover in anticipation of the new concept. There's nothing that says "authentic Mexico" than expensive, sugar skull-motif wallpaper and graffiti-style neon sugar skulls painted on the building's exterior, especially in a traditional American setting. No word yet on how they'll split the building between the tequileria and traditional sausage house, but the logistics of that sound pretty interesting.
The menu for S&S Tequileria will offer straightforward taqueria fare, including guisada-style roasted meats and homemade tamales, which will certainly appeal to the restaurant's late-night clientele. Scotch & Sausage is one of the few late-night dining options in the area, and the addition of tacos will certainly be welcome. (Even more so at lunchtime, when the staff of the Observer can often be found wandering the neighborhood, weeping into 7-11 chicken wings.) As far as booze is concerned, the team here has a pretty ambitious goal -- to offer "the most exciting agave program in the state of Texas." Good timing, too, considering that mescal and other agave-based spirits are currently at peak trendiness.
S&S Tequileria will soft-open tonight to give diners a preview of their taco game and tequila selection, but the restaurant will not hold its official opening until sometime in March. The separate patio and bar construction has to be done in the meantime, but hopefully you'll be able to get your hands on some homemade tamales tonight.
