Tiny New Bar, Boxcar, Is a Trip

Boxcar may be about 200 square feet shy of being Dallas' smallest bar, but this new watering hole makes a statement as it doubles as an immersive train journey.

The barely 1,000-square-foot space on Greenville Avenue is the perfect locale for this concept. Previously a lavanderia, it's a sliver of a space that was transformed over the summer into a luxury train car with curved ceilings, curtained TVs and opulent details that transport you out of Dallas.

Patrick Gorman of Dudley's Sports Bar co-owns the bar with Jordan Carson. Shaking things up behind the bar are Allen “Scotty” Scott and Carlos Angel, two veteran Dallas bartenders who were previously at Parliament, Standard Pour, Double D's and Tiny Victories.
Everything hits the mark, but the TVs do make it a little gimmicky — a kink they're still working on. When the place opened, all the TVs played the same video, but now the window-like screens create one scene that stretches the length of the bar. It does feel like you're on a moving train, but it's like watching a YouTube video in 240p.

This season simulates a train journey through Switzerland, but it will eventually change to other countries around the world. With time, we imagine things will move toward better quality, but either way, don't be lame: This is fun and cool.

Plus, Scotty has a conductor uniform you may or may not see when you stop in, and if you ask, they'll blow the train whistle.

You visit here and think the vibes stop at the bar, but they extend into the bathroom.

We thought we had seen it all when we visited places like Komodo, where the bathroom attendants sell shots of perfume. But then we saw Boxcar's gold toilets and wallpaper with Victorian-style portraits of Benjamin Franklin blowing bubblegum. Even the mints and mouthwash at other lavatories can't beat that.
On the drink menu, classics like a French 75 and Espresso Martini start at $15. There's even a Moscow Mule on the menu, which is a huge win for a drink that bartenders notoriously "don't have the ingredients for."

For only $1 more, Boxcar specialty cocktails use seasonal ingredients for creative and interesting drinks. Smoked rosemary, cherry sage and oolong-infused tequila are a few featured ingredients for the winter menu. We like that it's a gentle nod to the season, and you won't hear us complain when cardamom is on a menu.

Red, white and bubbly wines at $9 per glass round out the menu, along with something called a "magic potion" for $18. Every week, the bartenders do a different clarified milk punch cocktail. This week it was a spin on a Gin Alexander, but it was sold out by the time we got there. So, if you want to try a weekly special, you may want to organize a mid-week pick-me-up.

The food menu parallels many other upscale cocktail bars in Dallas with items like truffle parmesan tator tots, olives and Marcona almonds, herb-whipped cream cheese and a jalapeño cheddar corn dog. We went for the Wagyu pastrami French dip, but it was a toss-up between that and the firecracker chicken meatballs.

The French dip was dynamite. Toasted brioche bread is smeared with subtle horseradish cream, layered with hot wagyu pastrami and melted provolone, topped with spicy giardiniera relish and served with a red wine au jus.
A little more relish would have cut the saltiness just a touch, which was needed. Otherwise, it's the perfect sandwich for a boozy December night.

Our drink of choice was the Delmonico, made with that oolong-infused tequila, cardamom pineapple syrup, lime and Peychaud's bitters. It's sweeter than we thought with the pineapple and cardamom flavors at the front end, but not enough to take away from the herbaceousness of the oolong and sharpness that rounds off the sips.

Boxcar's menus are similar to those of other lounges around Dallas, but because reservations aren't required, it separates itself by feeling like a true lounge. Where you can board, stay awhile and enjoy the illusionary journey.

Boxcar, 4509 Greenville Ave., Tuesday – Thursday, 5 p.m. – midnight; Friday, 5 p.m. – 2 a.m.; Saturday, 3 p.m. – 2 a.m.; closed Monday –Tuesday.