Dave Coussirat opened The Tavern at Lakeside in 2019 with the goal of creating a neighborhood bar in Flower Mound "where everybody knows your name."

Coussirat said he chose to open the bar in Lakeside DFW because aside from it being close to his own home, he thought that there was a lack of options in the southern part of town.

The tavern is heavily inspired by the bar from the popular sitcom “Cheers,” which aired on NBC from 1982-1993, he said.

“We wanted to create that same community place with the bar right there in the middle and people talking,” Coussirat said. "We wanted something that was in the neighborhood, a very community-based place.”

Coussirat said he places a priority on being responsive to customers. This means that while local favorites, like the Brussels sprouts or the steak ‘n mash plate, stay on the menu year-round, other items rotate seasonally.


“If you only reprinted your menu once or twice a year, people would get bored of it,” he said. “What we’ve seen is people who haven’t been here in three weeks come in, and they’re excited to see what’s new on the menu.”

Coussirat said the tavern is not only a place where people can enjoy a handcrafted cocktail and quality food, but it is also a place where locals come to hang out.

“People love watching sports here and the ‘80s and ‘90s rock music videos we play on the screens,” he said. “On any given evening, you’ll also see people having a drink on our patio around our fireplaces. We’ve done putt-putt tournaments; we have pet adoption events outside. And you never know when a cornhole tournament will break out outside.”

In the year since it opened, The Tavern at Lakeside has cultivated a base of regular customers, most of whom live less than a mile away from the bar, he said.


“And then, on the weekends, we start seeing people that are coming from Southlake and Coppell just because the atmosphere is very cozy here—it’s small; it’s quaint.”