Mo Sherbi, left, and Reid McRae took over Stan’s Blue Note in Dallas on April 1, 2026. It’s one of Dallas’ oldest bars, dating back to 1952 on Greenville Avenue.
Kayla Metts
At nearly 75 years old, Stan’s Blue Note on Dallas’ Greenville Avenue is the kind of bar that feels like it never changes. Regulars drink Busch Light and eat chicken wings, and most of them have a favorite barstool.
So you can imagine the flurry of Facebook comments when the owner announced that as of April 1, 2026, this Dallas institution since 1952 has two new operators.
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Owner Mo Sherbi and director of operations Reid McRae aren’t so different from the customers concerned about the future of this longtime Dallas bar. McRae’s dad, Mike McRae, owned Stan’s for the past 10 years. When he retired, the younger McRae and his buddy Sherbi jumped at the chance to buy the bar where they’d spent so much time.
“Stan’s was our go-to every night,” Sherbi said.
Neon beer signs decorate the walls of Stan’s Blue Note on Greenville Avenue in East Dallas. The bar opened in 1952. Over the decades, owners took over the space to the right, then the space to the left. The dive bar still feels like a patchwork puzzle.
DMN file photo/Summar May
Sherbi is a Dallas home builder who owns a stone company that sells slabs for kitchen islands and bathroom countertops. McRae grew up in the restaurant industry, as his dad co-owned several spots, including the original Dick’s Last Resort in Dallas until 2021. That restaurant closed in late 2025.
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Sherbi said buying Stan’s was a “no-brainer.”
“Stan’s is not just a Greenville bar, it’s Dallas’ bar,” Sherbi said. “We want it to be known, and remain known, for that legacy.”
The two plan to upgrade the bathrooms, change a few menu items and add an “e-lounge” upstairs. (What’s an e-lounge? Read on.) They also hope, someday, to cover the front patio and add live music.
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The Dallas Morning News asked Stan’s new operators your burning bar questions.
Will Stan’s close during renovations?
No. If it can stay open during most ice storms — and it has — Stan’s will stay open while its four bathrooms are renovated, the new operators said. One set of men’s and women’s will remain open while the other two are redone.
“We’re making change for the better; we’re not taking away anything that’s already great,” McRae said. (Plus: His dad told him he had to redo the bathrooms.)
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Fans have been vocal that they don’t want much to change. So what will change?
“Everything that’s classic and essential Stan’s, we’re keeping,” McRae said.
He and Sherbi confirmed the burgers will remain, though they will add a smashburger. Mozzarella sticks: staying. Chicken tenders: staying, though the batter will get a slightly new recipe. Gabe’s Spaghetti Dinner, a dish named after retired Stan’s employee Gabe Nicolella: staying.
The salads will get a redo. “We’re going to try to make a salad that people will order,” McRae said with a laugh.
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He’ll add a chicken Caesar wrap, a dish hitting peak popularity on Instagram.
One of the charms of Stan’s is its longtime reputation as a meet-up spot for coed kickball teams, runners clubs and football fan groups. Here, Texas A&M alumni gather for a happy hour.
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What about the wings?
“The wings are the best things we have at Stan’s. Those are not changing,” McRae said. Buffalo-tossed wings come with the option of ranch or blue cheese dippers, like usual.
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But McRae and Sherbi are going to offer three new options. One comes doused in a sweet and spicy sauce that mixes tiger sauce and Pickapeppa sauce. “It’ll be called Stan’s Sauce,” McRae said. Other additions are lemon pepper and garlic parm sauces.
Sherbi said Stan’s chicken wings are his go-to order. He eats one batch at the bar. And then: “I take a to-go order with me. Every time.”
What’s the bar’s most popular drink?
Busch Light. “It’s also the most affordable beer,” McRae said.
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Every first Friday of the month, Busch Lights cost 75 cents.
Will prices go up?
“We’re not raising prices,” McRae said. “People were very concerned we would ‘private equity’ this. No.”
The two didn’t disclose the final sale price for Stan’s, but McRae said his dad “sold me no family discounts on this one.”
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But really, The News prodded, how much does a historic Dallas bar cost? Here’s all we know: “Millions.”
In this 1998 file photo, beer taps line the wall behind one of the bars at Stan’s Blue Note in Dallas.
DMN file photo/Summar May
Who will be in charge of the marquee?
Stan’s Blue Note has a sign facing Greenville Avenue that features funny slogans. Sometimes, the bar advertises free drinks to a favorite Dallas athlete. Or, it invites customers to an upcoming party.
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It’s been the handiwork of a Stan’s regular for nearly a decade, and he’ll keep doing it.
“He works for two free beers a week,” McRae said.
What’s an e-lounge?
Stan’s has a mezzanine that’s been closed since the elder McRae bought the bar a decade ago. The younger operators plan to reopen the second floor and rent it for company parties, private events and birthdays. It will have five TVs and a couch.
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And: “There will be video games up there you can play while you’re at the bar,” McRae said. (That’s the “e” part: It’s an electronics lounge.) Customers who reserve the room can play Madden NFL, NBA 2K, FIFA and Mario Kart.
What does Stan’s mean to you?
“We’re never going to sell Stan’s,” McRae said. He and Sherbi want to hang out there when they’re 75 or 80 years old. “And we want it to be the same place it was when we were hanging out there in our 20s and 30s.”
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Sherbi said he’s enjoyed hearing customers’ stories. “People say, ‘I met my wife there,’ or ‘I’ve been going there 40 years.’
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“It’s a piece of this town.”
Stan’s Blue Note is at 2908 Greenville Ave., Dallas. Open seven days a week, even on holidays.
Stan’s Blue Note is a stop along Dallas’ annual St. Patrick’s Parade. A raucous block party in front of the Greenville Avenue dive bar keeps the fun going all night.
Stewart F. House/Special Contributor