The Bar Rodeo in Deep Ellum Locked Out by Management

Rodeo Dallas bucked its way into Deep Ellum in the summer of 2023 with a mechanical bull and lots of booze. The lively bar on Elm Street quickly worked its way to the top of the nightlife scene; in 2024, it pushed out more than $4.5 million in booze according to the Texas Comptroller's Mixed Beverage report, which was top 20 in Dallas. And in May, the most recent data available, it sold almost $640,000 just in drinks, making it the top-selling bar in Deep Ellum.

However, lately Rodeo Dallas, which is owned by Joseph JD Ybanez and Joshn Reagan and is a spinoff of Rodeo Ranch in Arizona, has been in the spotlight for other reasons. As The Dallas Morning News reported, the bar received a warning from the Dallas city attorney's office accusing it of "criminal activity and frequent disturbances." Ybanez said the city was scapegoating his bar for other problems in the neighborhood.

The letter, which was acquired by the DMN, reportedly read that “Rodeo Dallas has become a persistent source of concern in recent months,” and was signed by Alma Garcia-Torrez, an assistant in the city attorney's office.

The document cited 16 instances of criminal activity, including cocaine sale or possession, and 11 cases of disorderly conduct. The letter was also sent to Rodeo Dallas' landlord.  But after multiple shootings in Deep Ellum in the early hours of July 5, including one fatality, business owners and management companies are eyeing radical measures to quell the chaos that has plagued the historical neighborhood this summer. After a recent neighborhood meeting between restaurant and bar owners, city council member Jesse Moreno and the Dallas Police Department, DPD decided to close some streets running through Deep Ellum at 10 p.m. starting this past weekend.

We also reported that Scarlett Bar was up for a new lease. The landowners included new language requiring the late-night bar to close at midnight every night, which the owners said would essentially kill their business. They have the option for a special use permit and are researching that option.

Then, this weekend, it was reported that tear gas was released in front of Rodeo Dallas on Saturday, just after midnight, when a fight broke out in front of the bar. We contacted DPD to confirm this, but they would not comment on whether tear gas had been used, despite eyewitness accounts.

Alas, today, before noon, Rodeo had chains around the front doors, and a sign from Westdale Management indicated that it had been locked out. We reached out to Westdale Real Estate for comment, but have not heard back.

The notice, addressed to Rodeo Ranch, Texas, LLC at 2724 Elm Street, states that the landlord has elected to repossess and change the locks to the premises due to the tenant's default and refers to section 20 of their lease.