The Oak Cliff Social Club recently opened at 238 W. Davis St. Pete Saucedo lists himself officially as the "janitor" of this "upscale dive bar" and, honestly, his recent past does include a lot of janitorial-type duties. But, after six months of fixing up the place, hopefully most of the heavy lifting is done and he can focus on pouring cold drinks and entertaining patrons.
The Oak Cliff Social Club is located in a historic building that has been given new life. Walking in from the north entrance off Davis, customers see a bar encased with earth tones and dark wood.
A 40-foot cool granite bar is backed by an oak plank wall with 150 bottles of booze lined up like soldiers in front of it. There's a small lounge area and bar tables along an opposite wall. Further back is a large open room in a refashioned garage with two pool tables, a Golden Tee game and plenty of room to mingle.
Saucedo, an Irving and Dallas native, explains that he hopes his new place will be a neighborhood joint. "We want people who work and live in the area to come have a drink after they get off work," Saucedo said. "We want to be sexy, but not slutty."
So, people can't be slutty here? "No, anyone can be slutty if they want," he said. That's a matter of personal freedom, but, it's not the general feel he's going for.
Clearing that up, Saucedo said he's keeping things simple; no mixology or muddling, but a solid drink, poured by experienced servers, with a bevy of options from scotch to vodkas and rums, and six beers on tap. Not tagging onto any fad, Saucedo hopes regulars and dive-ish elements will define the place.
Embracing the spirit of neighborliness, the OCSC has enlisted the help of the small Italian restaurant, Inforzato's (two doors down) for their grub since the bar doesn't have a kitchen. They're working a little off Inforzato's menu, but have also created a few items that will be unique for OCSC patrons, like muffalettas and meatball sandwiches.
Mondays are Industry Nights and the bar is open seven days a week from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. There's a large parking lot just to the east of the building and more parking out front and in back. There are two entrances, either off Davis or West Seventh. Pick either one. They get you to the same place.
