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Tex-Mex restaurant El Tiempo serves Houston-style fajitas in Arlington

Tex-Mex restaurant El Tiempo serves Houston-style fajitas in Arlington

A restaurant-bar and music venue with rock-star founders has opened in Grapevine: Rock & Brews, a chain born from the imagination of KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, opened July 2 at 520 W. State Hwy 114 — where it splits into 121, in a new center next to restaurants such as Son of a Butcher and Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen.

Simmons and Stanley founded the concept with a group of music industry insiders, opening the first location in Southern California in 2010. They have since expanded with locations in Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Texas and Wisconsin.

Grapevine is the 24th location and second in DFW, following a location that opened at The Colony in 2015.

The menu is described as a twist on American classics, with bar staples like wings, pizza and burgers.

Starters include jalapeño poppers, calamari and cheese chips. There’s blackened chicken pasta, fish and chips and a couple of trendy dishes like Nashville spicy chicken and birria beef dip, a clever cross between birria tacos and a French dip sandwich.

A full bar offers cocktails, international and local craft beers, with an emphasis on bourbons. Their “rocktails” are funly named after rock songs like Smoke on the Water or Frozen Purple Haze with blueberry vodka, lime juice, and sangria.

Some of their dishes nod to rock figures, including a “poison burger” in collaboration with musician Alice Cooper, and the Texas Flood margarita, an ode to the band of the same name.

According to a release, the 9,000-square-foot location will offer a 360-degree rock ‘n’ roll dining experience with colorful concert-style lighting, music videos displayed on 75-inch television screens, and rock art and memorabilia, including the “Great Wall of Rock,” featuring portraits of artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top.

The furniture has an interesting history: The dining room bar counter is made from the floor of the Chrysler auto plant in Ohio, where World War II-era Jeeps were made, and most of the tables—long wooden tables, ideal for groups—are salvaged and marked with their history from across America.

There’s indoor and outdoor seating, and they’ll host live music on the weekends by local musicians, including Texas Flood, the Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute band, who will perform on opening night.

The restaurant also honors America’s forces, including offering a discount to all veterans, active-duty military and first responders throughout the year.