A Rockwall Speakeasy Upholds Prohibition Tradition

When the manufacture, sale and transport of alcohol was made illegal in 1920, bootleggers, smugglers, flapper girls and crime syndicates all came together with one common goal: illicit, liquor-infused partying.

Basements, alleys and backrooms quickly became havens for a good time, eventually garnering the nickname “speakeasy,” referring to a hush-hush password that kept law enforcement at bay. More defining elements of speakeasies were entrances with false facades and a lack of publicity. If you knew, you knew.

When the need for these illicit bars and clubs slowly declined after the Prohibition was repealed, nostalgia, exclusivity and the craft cocktail movement kept the tradition alive, but on more modern terms. Influencers blur the lines of secrecy. Passwords are broadcast on Facebook pages. Nothing is a secret anymore.

But even if there aren’t laws stifling our weekend plans anymore, Speak upholds tradition, operating clandestinely behind a lucky cat and void of a mainstream media presence.

Leaving a touch early for your reservation will help you find both a parking spot and the restaurant. Even with the exact address, your arrival still makes you question if you’re in the right place. When others filed in behind us whispering among themselves, it told us everything we needed to know.

“Tiger’s milk” was the evening’s password, transporting us back to the bygone era of the 1920s. The hidden doorway, shrouded in greenery, uncovered a dimly lit passageway that led us into the dining room.

Nearly every detail of the intimate space feels a century old. Cement walls with exposed brick and industrial ceilings envelop the handful of tables dressed in black tablecloths. On the right are two booths encased in velvet curtains, adding more mystery. Antique birdcage chandeliers light the room.

Even guests get into the scheme, dressing in era-defining apparel. It nearly caused us to feel like the odd ones out, but we were welcomed nevertheless.

Since social media leaves little to the imagination, we’ve intentionally omitted the one defining detail of the dining room. That’s for you to uncover.

The cocktail menu is wrapped in a leather-bound book. There are signature cocktails like the Smokin’ Cigar, Hombre Mule and Tequila Tommy along with seasonal drinks. Red and white wines, Champagne and other spirits are available. Nonalcoholic options come in the form of a mocktail or cafe au lait.

Meticulously sourced ingredients and interesting culinary combinations make up the menu. Start with an order of chicken-fried lobster deviled eggs ($17), Italian meatballs and truffle garlic bread ($15) or Japanese snow crab claws (priced per pound). Further down the menu is an 18-hour smoked brisket chili ($14), butter-basted scallops ($41) and steaks flown in from Japan and Australia.

After our reservation was confirmed, staff made sure to let us know some menu items may be limited or unavailable due to the specialized boutique purveyors and fresh ingredients used in dishes. We weren’t sure if the purpose was an explanation or a caveat since nearly all of their low-hanging reviews mention something about an out-of-stock wine, cut of steak or side.

They also mentioned that if there was a high-value item from the menu we were hoping to enjoy, we should let them know so they could try to ensure they had it. Two menu items require this: the Show Stopper for Two ($MKT) and Surf ‘n’ Turf ($89).

So sacrifices were made during our visit. But only because deciding what to eat was almost as challenging as finding the restaurant. We had only so much room, and a return visit is nearly mandatory with the lineup.

We started with an appetizer our server recommended: roasted wagyu marrow bruschetta ($18). Sinfully rich buttery bone marrow is served with fresh, housemade baguette slices and fennel slaw. Each bite was an explosion of flavor. Even the bread seemed to melt in the mouth. The tangy and fresh fennel slaw balanced out the dish’s richness perfectly. Traditional bruschetta became a thing of the past.

Our main course was the seafood pasta: bucatini pasta tossed in a house-made, citrus-infused cream sauce, topped with sauteed Diver scallops and Gulf shrimp and finished with Parmesan and micro greens. The pasta was perfectly al dente, and while most cream-based sauces are heavy hitters, the one was nice and light so it didn’t cast a shadow on the seafood. Much appreciated.

The true party of flavors was the adobo rack of lamb. The New Zealand rack is spice-rubbed and slow braised in a housemade adobo, finished on a flame grill and served atop spiced mashed potatoes and marinated, fire-roasted Brussels sprouts. Rich and flavorful, with each element complementing the last, it was home-cooked level delicious and just as nostalgic.

Reservations are required for dinner and to get the restaurant’s location and password. Fridays and Saturdays are rumored to have something extra special, but we won’t speak on that …

Speak, 104 N. San Jacinto St., Rockwall. Tuesday – Saturday, 5-9:30 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday.