“For living in suburbia and living right around the corner, we wanted something that we could be part of,” Kerr said. “So this was more of a location for us because we lived in this town.”
Prior to the opening of J. Macklin’s Grill in 2009, Kerr already had an established career running Macklin’s Catering Co. with his wife, Holly. Kerr has been starting up restaurant concepts since his college days at the University of North Texas.
“When I was at North Texas, I opened my first grill and bar my third year in college,” he said. “Then we opened a nightclub, and we ended up getting a contract for the University of North Texas for football games. We opened another grill and bar. So ... I dabbled on that.”
Having experimented with multiple cuisines over the years, Kerr said J. Macklin’s menu features dishes and flavors from around the world.
Some of J. Macklin’s new offerings include Southern-fried Gulf shrimp with lemon aioli, avocado fries with jalapeno ranch and an 8-ounce filet served with a special kabayaki compound butter.
Another prominent feature of J. Macklin’s is its full-service bar. While offering classic cocktails like Old Fashioneds and Manhattans, the management team also experiments with different flavors.
“We do a Mary Manhattan, and it’s rye whiskey,” Kerr said. “And we use an infused maple syrup with ... orange bitters.”
Looking ahead to the holidays, J. Macklin’s offers a special brunch on New Year’s Day—with a twist.
“We’ll open for brunch at 9 a.m. on New Year’s Day, and we do pajama brunch,” he said. “We get plenty of reservations. ... Nobody wants to cook on Jan. 1.”
J. Macklin’s Grill
130 N. Denton Tap Road, Ste. 120, Coppell
972-393-0200
www.jmacklinsgrill.com
Hours: see website for hours
