Strangeways Gets a Court Date and Reprieve as Owners Contest the Sale of Bar's Home

Strangeways lives on, at least for now. The East Dallas neighborhood bar will remain open at least through October 2024, at which time the bar's owners will have their day in court to sort out an ongoing legal battle for possession of the building.

“We're focusing on the silver lining,” Strangeways’ co-owner Rosie Ildemaro said. “The silver lining is that we get to stay at home through October, and we're making the best of it.”

Ildemaro says their court date spans two weeks, and she and her brother and co-owner Eric Sanchez will provide depositions during the trial. In the meantime, guests can expect the same Strangeways experience with added flair and creativity.

“We're doing events,” Ildemaro said. “I've got old-fashioned Fridays. We're doing fun things on the menu. We're going to feature a couple of different grilled cheeses and a couple of different burgers next week. … Eric wanted the pozole, at least for this week. It might be on [the menu] next week, too, because it's a hit. So, we're making the best of it.”

The October court date will mark one year since Ildemaro and Sanchez publicly announced that Strangeways was closing after 12 years on Fitzhugh Avenue. As it turns out, the bar’s fate wasn’t sealed just yet.

Since the announcement, a legal struggle over the sale of the building ensued involving Ildemaro, Sanchez, the building’s current owner and potential buyer Pasha Heidari, owner of Bowen House and co-owner of Mike’s Gemini Twin.

Ildemaro and Sanchez say their first right of refusal, which is part of their lease, wasn’t honored when the current owner put the building on the market. They hired a lawyer and filed a lawsuit challenging the sale of the building.

Now, the court date is set. Just months ago, it looked like Strangeways was making a cheerless farewell, but the owners are proving that the bar’s life is very long and far from lonely.

“We're fighting for it,” Sanchez said in November. “We appreciate everyone's support, and we're going to fight tooth and nail to laugh about this, hopefully in the super near future, and say, ‘Remember when we almost lost Strangeways?’ So, fingers crossed. That's what we're fighting for.”

Strangeways, 2429 Fitzhugh Ave.