The Stoneleigh P

The Stoneleigh P is a historic bar and grill in Dallas, Texas. Its identity developed from the Stoneleigh Pharmacy, a drugstore that was converted into a bar by Tom Garrison in 1977. Garrison retained the existing name in abbreviated form, reportedly altering the old sign by obscuring most of the word “Pharmacy” and leaving the distinctive “Stoneleigh P.” The building was in poor condition when he acquired it, but the venue became a recognizable neighborhood institution. During the 1970s, the establishment served as a gathering place for counterculture figures, artists, and other Dallas regulars. Its location near downtown and the Stoneleigh Hotel helped make it a convenient meeting point, while its informal atmosphere distinguished it from more conventional restaurants and nightlife venues. The venue has been associated with a dark, informal interior and a red neon sign that became one of its most recognizable visual features. The original building was destroyed by fire in 1980. Rather than ending the business, the fire led to reconstruction on the same site. The Stoneleigh P’s temporary absence also had an indirect influence on Dallas nightlife: restaurateur Shannon Wynne, who regarded the P as his favorite bar, was prompted by the loss of his regular watering hole to open his first bar with friends. This connection places the Stoneleigh P within the lineage of Dallas’s independent bar and restaurant culture, although Wynne was not an owner or executive of the Stoneleigh P. Over the following decades, the P remained a durable local venue while many short-lived nightlife concepts came and went around it. Its proximity to central Dallas made it a regular setting for public gatherings, including events organized by the Dallas Historical Society. The bar also occasionally hosted political events. In May 2018, Lupe Valdez, a former Dallas sheriff and Democratic candidate for governor of Texas, held a campaign event there with supporters. The Stoneleigh P attracted broader online attention in 2021 because of a humorous rule posted near its jukebox. The notice stated that Mariah Carey's “All I Want for Christmas Is You” would not be played before December 1 and would be limited to one play per night afterward. A photograph of the notice circulated widely on Twitter, and Carey responded publicly in costume. The venue's general manager explained that the message was intended as a joke rather than an expression of hostility toward Carey or Christmas music, while still indicating the bar's preference against seasonal songs before Thanksgiving. In May 2024, after approximately fifty years at its prior site across from the Stoneleigh Hotel, the business moved to a new location on Lemmon Avenue. The new premises provided a larger kitchen and retained much of the memorabilia associated with the former site, including the red neon sign. Longtime patrons, including Dallas real estate broker Wayne Swearingen, continued to visit the relocated venue. The move preserved the Stoneleigh P name and much of its visual and cultural continuity while adapting the operation to a new location.

The Stoneleigh P occupies a distinctive place in Dallas's bar and restaurant history. The site began as the Stoneleigh Pharmacy, a drugstore in the Uptown area. In 1977, Tom Garrison converted the property into a bar and grill. Rather than replacing the old identity completely, he shortened the pharmacy name, preserving the “Stoneleigh P” wording and the sign that became central to the venue's appearance. Accounts of the acquisition describe a building in poor repair, including a leaking roof and a serious rodent problem, underscoring the extent of the early renovation challenge. The venue became associated with the counterculture and artistic communities of 1970s Dallas. Its informal character and central location made it a gathering place for people seeking an unpretentious neighborhood bar. The dark interior, red neon exterior sign, and accumulated memorabilia helped distinguish it from newer establishments. The P's history was also shaped by a major setback: a fire in 1980 destroyed the building. It was subsequently rebuilt at the same location, allowing the business to continue and preserving its connection with the surrounding neighborhood. The fire had an influence beyond the Stoneleigh P itself. Dallas restaurateur Shannon Wynne had considered the P his favorite bar. When the fire left him without his regular meeting place, he and friends were inspired to open his first bar. This episode is often cited as an example of the venue's importance to Dallas's independent hospitality culture, even though Wynne was not part of the Stoneleigh P's management. For more than four decades after its reconstruction, the Stoneleigh P remained a stable presence in a city where many bars and restaurants had shorter lives. Its location near downtown and the Stoneleigh Hotel made it a convenient venue for social meetings and public events. Organizations such as the Dallas Historical Society used it for gatherings, and its reputation as a recognizable local institution also made it suitable for political events. In May 2018, Lupe Valdez held a campaign event there during her run for governor of Texas. The venue's local identity reached a wider audience in 2021 after a jukebox notice became a social-media story. The notice jokingly prohibited Mariah Carey's “All I Want for Christmas Is You” before December 1 and restricted it to one playing per night after that date. After the photograph went viral, Carey posted a humorous response. The general manager clarified that the notice was not motivated by dislike of Carey or Christmas, although the bar's preference was to delay Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. The episode illustrated how a small piece of house culture could become nationally visible through social media. In May 2024, the Stoneleigh P moved from its longstanding premises across from the Stoneleigh Hotel to a new location on Lemmon Avenue. The relocation introduced a larger kitchen while carrying forward important elements of the old venue, including much of its memorabilia and the red neon sign. Former regulars continued to patronize the business after the move. The relocation therefore represented operational change without a complete break from the brand's historic visual language and Dallas-focused identity.

• 2024

  Move to Lemmon Avenue

  [1]The Stoneleigh Pen.wikipedia.org

  The Stoneleigh P relocated to Lemmon Avenue after roughly fifty years at its previous site, adding a larger kitchen and carrying over key memorabilia.

• 2021

  Jukebox notice becomes a viral social-media story

  [1]The Stoneleigh Pen.wikipedia.org

  A humorous restriction on early playing of Mariah Carey's Christmas song attracted widespread online attention and a response from Carey.

• 2018

  Lupe Valdez campaign event

  [1]The Stoneleigh Pen.wikipedia.org

  Lupe Valdez held a campaign event with supporters at the venue during her Texas gubernatorial campaign.

• 1980

  Fire destroys the original building

  [1]The Stoneleigh Pen.wikipedia.org

  A fire burned the building to the ground. The Stoneleigh P was rebuilt at the same location.

• 1977

  Stoneleigh Pharmacy is converted into The Stoneleigh P

  [1]The Stoneleigh Pen.wikipedia.org

  Tom Garrison converted the former Stoneleigh Pharmacy into a bar and grill, retaining an abbreviated version of the pharmacy name.

A long-established Dallas neighborhood bar and grill positioned around continuity, local character, informal socializing, and historic atmosphere rather than a rapidly changing nightlife concept.

• Beverages · 1977

  Bar service

  The venue's core offering is a neighborhood bar experience centered on alcoholic beverages and informal socializing. The available reference material does not specify a complete drinks list, signature cocktail program, or individual beverage brands.

• Food · 1977

  Grill and casual dining

  The Stoneleigh P operates as a bar and grill, combining drinks with casual food service. Its 2024 relocation added a larger kitchen, suggesting expanded food-service capacity, but the available sources do not provide a detailed menu or named signature dishes.

• 2018Lupe Valdez campaign event

  Dallas, Texas

  The Stoneleigh P hosted a campaign gathering for Lupe Valdez, a former Dallas sheriff and Democratic candidate for governor of Texas, with supporters in attendance.

  Outcome. The event reinforced the venue's role as a recognizable setting for Dallas public and political gatherings.

  Source

• 2024

  Relocate while preserving historic brand elementsStrategy

  Background

  After approximately fifty years at its former premises across from the Stoneleigh Hotel, the venue moved to a new location on Lemmon Avenue.

  Action taken

  The Stoneleigh P moved to the new site, added a larger kitchen, and transferred much of the old location's memorabilia, including the red neon sign.

  Aftermath

  The business continued under the same name and retained links to its former identity, with longtime regulars continuing to visit.

  Source

• 1980

  Rebuild after fireOther

  Background

  A fire destroyed the original Stoneleigh P building.

  Action taken

  The business was rebuilt at the same location rather than being permanently closed or relocated.

  Aftermath

  The venue continued operating and preserved its connection to the original Uptown site.

  Source

• 1977

  Retain and abbreviate the Stoneleigh Pharmacy identityStrategy

  Background

  Tom Garrison converted a former drugstore into a bar and grill while retaining the recognizable Stoneleigh name.

  Action taken

  The old pharmacy sign was altered so that the venue operated under the name The Stoneleigh P.

  Aftermath

  The abbreviated name and associated red neon sign became enduring elements of the venue's identity.

  Source

• 2024

  The Stoneleigh P relocates to Lemmon Avenue[1]The Stoneleigh Pen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  After about five decades at its former location across from the Stoneleigh Hotel, the bar and grill moved to Lemmon Avenue. The new site added a larger kitchen and retained major memorabilia, including the red neon sign.

• 2021

  Stoneleigh P jukebox notice about Mariah Carey Christmas song goes viral[1]The Stoneleigh Pen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign · Other

  A photograph of a notice restricting Mariah Carey's Christmas hit before December 1 and limiting it to one play per night afterward circulated widely online. Carey responded publicly, turning the venue's joke into a widely discussed social-media moment.

• 2018

  Lupe Valdez holds campaign event at The Stoneleigh P[1]The Stoneleigh Pen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign

  Former Dallas sheriff and Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lupe Valdez held a campaign gathering with supporters at the venue.

1. 1The Stoneleigh Pen.wikipedia.org