A gem in downtown Grapevine TX, you’ll love the food and atmosphere at Main Street Bistro. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, you won’t be disappointed.
In January I headed south for a quick weekend trip to Austin TX. All week the meteorologists predicted bad weather for the weekend, so I waffled every day on whether or not to go. Once I got to Texas I would be fine, but getting in and out of Oklahoma was the concern. They are pros at predicting and planning for tornadoes and storms in the spring and summer, but definitely not snow and ice in the winter.
On Thursday, nearly all the school systems closed for Friday and the Governor declared a state of emergency. I left my house at 3AM Friday morning to beat the impending doom. I didn’t see a single rain drop until I hit Denton TX, and only the far western panhandle of Oklahoma got bad weather. Typical. So yeah, I woke up in the middle of the night for nothing. But I discovered a delicious breakfast at Snooty Pig Cafe in Highland Village TX.
The other benefit of that early departure was spending a few hours with Joni in Flower Mound. Joni and I do 2 things really well: drink wine and eat. So before I continued to Austin, we had lunch. We went back and forth on a few options, and decided on Main Street Bistro in Grapevine.
I love Historic Downtown Grapevine, because it’s such a quaint area with shops and restaurants. Joni and I usually go every time I visit, whether it’s to eat or shop. The city hosts events year-round, and during the Christmas holidays the downtown area transforms into a winter wonderland.
Main Street Bistro also has locations in Richardson and Plano. The Grapevine location is open daily for breakfast and lunch, and for dinner every day except Monday.
I did a blog post about my first visit to Main Street Bistro 2 years ago. I leaned towards a different restaurant, since I had some others in the area that I needed to revisit for better pictures. Joni kind of insisted we go to Main Street Bistro, so I went with it. We walked in, and I did not recognize the restaurant at all. I even asked Joni if it was the same place. Then I understood why she wanted us to eat there.
A COMPLETE RESTAURANT RENOVATION
About a year ago, Main Street Bistro underwent a complete renovation. The bakery side is the same, with an order counter, display cases of baked goods, and a few tables for dining. You can still enter the building through either the bakery or dining room, and the open doorway between the sides is also still there. But that’s it.
The dining side is now the full length of the building, with a large bar against the wall that separates the dining room from the bakery. The seating is a combination of tables and half booths, and I love the vintage and rustic decor throughout the space. I’m quite sure Joni was tired of me oohing and ahhing over the changes!
The only available seats when we arrived were at the bar. I go back and forth on sitting at the bar; service often suffers when a restaurant is crowded, because the bartender has to pull double duty. But we didn’t want to wait for a table, and the bar is open seating.
Originally, Main Street Bistro was a fast-casual concept with counter service. During peak times, it could be difficult to find an available table. So in October, they added servers and a host stand to transform into a full service restaurant. They still offer counter service on the bakery side.
WHAT WE ATE
On my first visit to Main Street Bistro I had breakfast. The lunch menu includes appetizers, entrees, burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads, crepes & quiche, combos, and homemade dessert. Joni began with a glass of wine. I considered it, but with another 3 hour drive to Austin I decided to stick with caffeine and water.
Joni did the combo, with the beef tenderloin sandwich and French onion soup
Beef tenderloin sandwich: With Herbs Crusted Beef Tenderloin, Gruyère, Caramelized Onions, Balsamic Reduction And Tomatoes On Our Home-made Black Pepper Brioche Bread
I didn’t try any, but Joni said it was delicious.
As usual, I couldn’t decide what to get. I finally narrowed it down to 4 items, and the bartender helped me narrow it further to the Santa Monica burger or the BLT. I’ve always been a dark meat girl so I usually avoid chicken breast at restaurants. But the bartender continued to rave about the Santa Monica burger so I gave it a chance
Grilled chicken breast, applewood smoked bacon, avocado and pepper jack cheese, on homemade brioche bun
I’m not sure why they call a chicken sandwich a burger, but that’s beside the point. The bartender hit this recommendation out of the park. This chicken breast is juicy, tender, and extremely flavorful. I like that they use grilled onions, rather than raw, for a milder flavor. The chicken, bacon and grilled onions create a wonderful combination. I added an onion ring on top, because I saw it as an option for the build your own burgers. Great decision, as it provided the perfect finish. The fries came to the table scorching hot, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
I’m so impressed with the new look of Main Street Bistro. I’ll definitely be back for another visit on my next trip to town.
For reviews of more restaurants in the Dallas/Ft Worth area, click on the photos below!
Del Frisco’s Grille, Southlake
Snooty Pig Cafe, Highland Village TX