Gas Monkey Dallas: Large New Restaurant and Music Venue Planned for Early 2022

Richard Rawlings, owner of Gas Monkey Garage and of Fast N' Loud fame, is opening a new restaurant and music venue at the Mercer Boardwalk development along LBJ Freeway near Luna Road in Farmers Branch. The 40,000 square-foot space will have a rooftop bar, a stage and lots of green space. There’s even a special “Richard Table” that can be reserved when the star isn’t occupying it himself.

Rawlings opened his hot-rod shop, Gas Monkey Garage, off Merrel Road in Dallas in 2004, giving new life to worn-out cars. In 2012 the Discovery Channel created a show Fast N’ Loud, featuring Rawlings' fiery personality and cars.

Following the success of the show and his garage, in 2013 Rawlings parlayed that into the Gas Monkey Bar and Grill on Technology Boulevard, a popular music venue, restaurant and bar. That venue closed in 2020 and has been the center of some lawsuits. But, more recently it was bought by another group and is now called Amplified Live.

Rawlings' new space, which is called Gas Monkey Dallas but actually sits in Farmers Branch (we're not quibbling, just saying) will be the flagship space at a sprawling new entertainment area that will have other restaurants as well. Plus for hot-rod fans, it’s only a mile and a half from the Gas Monkey Garage.

“Gas Monkey Dallas will be easy to see, find and visit, with its access from LBJ Freeway,” Rawlings said in a statement. “Our fans travel from all over the world to visit us in Dallas, and we want to make it just as easy for them to dine, drink and enjoy with us at our new playground.”

The menu at the restaurant will including a wide range of cuisines Rawlings fancies, like barbecue, Tex Mex, “country and a few surprises.”

Rawlings isn’t stopping his expansion with Farmers Branch however; he also has expansions planned for Las Vegas and other markets in Texas.

In hot-rod fashion, Rawlings broke ground in his own way. See below.