This past weekend The Mecca opened its doors after moving to its new location in East Dallas. On Sunday morning a line snaked out the door as customers waited to check out the ages-old diner that took over the Molly Maguire's space on Skillman.
Things inside the old pub have changed, but not too much. The black and white tile floor pops against the old, brown woodwork and freshly painted, yellow walls. The original private booths and stained glass have been retained, now supplemented with repourposed benches and tables from the old Mecca space. The dark wooden bar that used to serve Guinness drafts and bottles of beer remains intact and now is a stage for chicken-fried steak, burgers and breakfast plates, served all day.
Before Molly Maguire's quickly opened and closed, the space used to house the Tipperary Pub, which survived five years before the owners announced the closure they blamed on a sputtering economy and an inability to negotiate a lease. If this weekend's business is any indicator, The Mecca might have better luck there.
Every table was full when I checked out the space, which you might expect when a diner that's as old as your grandparents has a grand reopening, but across the street at Gold Rush Cafe customers waited at the door for tables as well. The section of East Dallas bound by Live Oak and Oram seems starved for affordable morning options.
Breakfast taqueria next?
