Renny's Grill & Bar Opens With Some Old Favorites From Maguire's

North Dallas mainstay Maguire’s Restaurant closed in late 2022 after a good run of almost a quarter century. Those who miss the Thai beef salad or meatloaf will be glad to know that owner Mark Maguire’s latest venture, Renny’s Grill & Bar, opened in June at Preston and Forest and has those favorites and others along with some new creations on the menu from chef de cuisine Manuel Aguilar. The new space is a bit smaller than the old Maguire’s but has a more contemporary feel, with a clean design that is somewhat elegant without sacrificing comfort.

We showed up without reservations for dinner but were quickly seated and began scanning the drink menu. Several local draft beers are on tap, some are in bottles, and in keeping with the new trend, Guinness Draught is in a can. There’s also an average-sized wine list along with the requisite craft cocktail selection with cutesy and ambiguous names such as Lychee Lovebomb and the Brambling Man.

We went with a simple Aperol spritz (Prosecco, Aperol, sparkling water and an orange slice) and a Thirty Days of Night (Mezcal, Ancho Reyes, Cointreau, lime and agave). Both were as expected, though perhaps the Thirty Days was a bit muddled. They also arrived well after the starters, but we made do.


We started out with an order of spicy Korean meatballs, which arrived in a skillet, each skewered and covered in a gochujang glaze with scallions. We were happy about the even number of servings, but perhaps there was a bit too heavy a slathering of sauce. To each his own.


This was followed by a bowl of tortilla soup and a Maguire’s salad, the latter obviously a holdover from the old restaurant. The soup was rich in flavor and hearty in viscosity, thick but not overly so, with crunchy colorful tortilla strips atop and cheesy goodness and a few avocado chunks within.


The salad arrived on a chilled plate with baby greens, roasted pecans, blue cheese, and Granny Smith apples dressed in a vinaigrette. Reminiscent of the III Forks signature salad, it’s always a great way to start a meal.

Entree choices included green chili lasagna and trout amandine. The menu describes the lasagna as a “classic meat lasagna with a spin from the Texas Panhandle side of the family,” and that’s what we got: a layered dish with beef and cheese topped with more cheese and pesto sitting atop a surprisingly good tomato sauce. It was a somewhat large portion that was well-made, though the green chili was not very pronounced.


The trout was also a larger-than-average portion of pan-fried fish covered with beurre blanc and almonds and broiled with a splash of lemon juice. It was served on a bed of sweet potato mash and accompanied by a roasted veg medley of peppers and squash. Perfectly cooked, moist and buttery.


For dessert we went with a slice of passionfruit pie: ice cream on a pineapple gingersnap crust, dusted with chopped pistachios and powdered sugar and topped with salted caramel sauce and a mint leaf. Cool and satisfying.

Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and offers the likes of smoked salmon hash, shrimp and grits, various benedicts, omelets, a Monte Cristo and avocado toast. Wash it all down with the optional mimosa mini bar: a bottle of prosecco or Champagne and a choice of two juices (grapefruit, pineapple, mango, etc.) along with fresh berries for $29. Another trip may be in order.

11661 Preston Road, No. 153. Tuesday – Friday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.