But the journey was not easy, he said. He opened his restaurant’s second location in Frisco just before the initial COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. He said the restaurant was hit hard financially, temporarily closing during much of March and April before opening back up to takeout orders and then limited capacity.
Baird, who has worked in the restaurant industry for 45 years, said it was unlike any opening he has ever seen. Things that were once routine when opening a restaurant became milestones worth celebrating, he said.
Today, the restaurant has become something special, according to Baird and his operating partner, Amber Miller. Like its sister location in McKinney, the restaurant makes nearly all of the food on the menu from scratch in house, from the sauces to the croutons, Miller said.
“I wanted to be authentic,” Baird said.
Visitors to Uncork’d will find homegrown dishes such as the Texas Heatloaf, a spicy meatloaf made with jalapenos and topped with fire cracker ketchup, a spicy house-made sauce. Alongside staples such as steaks, fish and the barbecue bacon cheeseburger, the menu also offers cheese curds served with raspberry habanero jam. The food, Baird said, is a big part of what makes the restaurant special.
But it is not the only thing, he said. The first Wednesday of every month is Wine Wednesday. Customers can purchase half-price bottles from the restaurant’s list of more than 40 wines. Three nights a week, local artists perform live music for customers.
Two years in, Baird and Miller say they are proud of what the restaurant has become.
Uncork’d Bar & Grill, 615 Main St., Ste. 100, Frisco. 469-200-5476. https://uncorkdwinebar.com/frisco-location. Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
