“Our personalities just clicked, and we became really good friends,” Garcia said.
When a location near Grapevine’s Historic Main Street became available, Garcia said they were first in line to rent the space.
R&J’s Bar and Grill, named after the friends, opened Sept. 9, 2021, at 451 E. Northwest Hwy. The restaurant has a full bar and outdoor patio, and it frequently hosts football watch parties, karaoke, bingo and other weekly events, the owners said.
Garcia said the customers of R&J’s and their tastes have influenced what the restaurant offers on its menu. The restaurant has different dishes from Chicago-style foods, such as an Italian beef sandwich and a Maxwell Street Polish, to tacos, wings and grilled shrimp. The Chicago influence in R&J’s menu comes from Garcia, who used to live in the city.
“We want people to know that we’re not just your basic bar,” Garcia said. “We specialize in different types of foods.”
In the next year, Garcia said the goal of R&J’s is to continue to expand with online ordering and catering services.
“A lot of people don’t want other people to succeed in this world, unfortunately,” Gamill said. “Here, our customers want us to succeed.”
A little bit of everything’
R&J’s Bar and Grill offers several types of food, from hot wings to Caesar salads.
“There’s not a genre,” co-owner Ryan Gamill said. “We have a little bit of everything.”
Here are three popular dishes at the restaurant.
1. Tacos Al Pastor ($7.99)• are chopped marinated pork served in corn tortillas and topped with chopped white onions and cilantro. It is served with salsa.
2. Vienna Chicago Dog ($10.99)• is a Vienna beef hot dog in a poppy seed bun topped with tomatoes, green relish, sport peppers, celery, salt and kosher pickles. It is served with a side of fries.
3. La Helena Salmon Steak ($17.99)• is a 9-ounce salmon steak with a mango habanero glaze served on a bed of rice with a side of steamed broccoli.
R&J’s Bar and Grill. 451 E. Northwest Hwy., Grapevine. 817-424-0200. Search R&J’s Bar and Grill on Facebook. Hours: Mon.-Wed. 3-11 p.m., Thu. noon-11 p.m., Fri.-Sat. noon-midnight, Sun. noon-11 p.m.
