The Usual – Scenes From Opening Night

Last night, we received word from bar maestro Brad Hensarling that his new Magnolia Avenue spot, The Usual, would at long last be opening its doors. We slipped in about an hour before opening to grab some photos of the newly-finished bar, and hung around getting shots of the opening night celebrations.

For the uninitiated, the Usual is located on Magnolia Avenue in the Near Southside, near Nonna Tata and Scarborough Specialties in the block between Spiral Diner/Lili’s/Panther City Bicycles and Benito’s. It’s a non-smoking bar that specializes in Prohibition-era cocktails, and features an unassuming exterior with a striking modern interior designed by Kara Keith that evokes the sort of hip, design-oriented bars you’d find in places like Portland.

We’ve got almost 40 photos to share, so let’s get started.

The back of the Usual’s interior, showing booths, tables, and the slick Mid-Century couches. (We’re told the jukebox is temporary, awaiting replacement by a flat-screen Internet jukebox.)

One of the now-finished booths, sporting one of the glossy white tables.

Looking towards the front, with one of the circular mirrors in view.

This door heads out to the patio.

The finished interior sports these sleek chairs.

Looking towards the bar.

Back booths and tables.

Lounge area outfitted with great Mid-Century couches.

Out on the patio (smoking is allowed on the patio). One side features these circular tables.

The other side has dual seating areas. The blue neon top of Cook Children’s Medical Center can be seen peeking out over the treetops.

Just prior to opening, we spotted the Usual’s chief contractor, Bill Smith, finally able to relax and enjoy his handiwork.

Back inside, looking at the lounge area.

The booths feature these cool mirrored ceilings.

The bar looks even better now that it’s stocked.

Other side of the bar, showing the cool wine rack.

A close-up of the Usual’s launch menu.

The Mid-Century-style main entrance.

Just after 7:00 PM, things officially kicked off as Brad mixed and served the bar’s first drink – a Cosmopolitan. Here’s the sequence of shots as he prepped that first drink.

The long, long, long awaited moment arrives – the first drink is served at the Usual.

With the bar officially open at last, the crowd gathered to get their orders in.

Brad placed the first dollar on the bar, visible between two of the bottles in this shot.

Our blogging friend Steve Smith showed up to give the place a try as well.

Soon, the bar was a flurry of activity.

Kara not only has a great eye for modern design – she’s also a capable bartender.

We tried a couple of drinks. The Cosmopolitan gets high marks.

Brad also made us an awesome Sazerac – the great-grandfather of all cocktails, dating back to pre-Civil War New Orleans. It’s reported to be the first cocktail ever invented in America. The Usual’s rendition of it is very, very good.

As the drinks started to flow, more of a crowd assembled.

Brad, Kara, and the rest of the bartenders worked non-stop on mixing up classic cocktails for guests.

We finished off the evening with a Spaten Optimator doppelbock from Munich.

After such a long wait, we can report that the Usual is worth it. This is something unlike any other place in Fort Worth – a unique spin on cocktails, ensconced in gorgeous, warm modern interior design, located on the street that’s the heart of Fort Worth’s indie creative class scene. We think it’s the best-looking bar in Fort Worth, and now we can say it’s also one of the tastiest. Now that the long wait is finally over, do yourself a favor and check it out.