Though the years since the pandemic have been plagued with closures, business seems to be booming once again on Grand Street. Or, businesses are booming, at least. And one of those businesses is Fred’s Dog House, a new bar from the team behind St. Mazie’s at 354 Grand.
Fred’s is the passion project of John McCormick and Vannesa Shanks, a husband-and-wife team wanting to bring more energy and live music to the lower half of Grand Street before it’s split by the BQE. And they see it as a complement to St. Mazie, which spotlights live jazz across the street — the performances at Fred’s aim to platform roots music like blues and Americana.
“If Mazie is New Orleans, Fred’s is Mississippi,” Shanks said.
The pair secured the space, which used to be an old garage, and started work on Fred’s two years ago, and McCormick had a very clear vision for the space which he brought to life as both the owner and designer. The cozy, rustic ambiance is inspired by roadhouses of the past, and the decor includes ice cream parlor chairs and tables, reclaimed postal stacks for banquettes, old candy store fixtures behind the bar, and copper fixtures and mirrors McCormick made by hand.
The nature of the space is designed to be welcoming, especially with the wide open garage-style door (I saw multiple curious passersby coming in to check it out during my visit) and ample seating by the performance area as well as in the front of the bar. Plus, the quality sound system and volume control allows for conversations to flow uninterrupted while still enjoying a consistent soundtrack of Americana.
“We wanted to give the space its own freedom,” Shanks noted. “People definitely chat here and interact, it feels very warm.”
And despite still being in what Shanks calls an “incubation period,” Fred’s — named after Shanks and McCormick’s dog of 13 years — their growth so far has felt organic, from booking performers to having neighbors stop by to show their support (including other businesses on the block, like Flop House Comedy Club next door).
“Our goal is to be neighborhood focused and also support local musicians,”
Shanks explained. “We have a lot of contacts from Mazie, plus a lot of people reaching out.”
But Fred’s isn’t a one-trick blues pony. They also serve an eclectic menu of Field Roast plant-based hot dogs with various toppings alongside their signature cocktails like the rum-based Mississippi Punch and Savanna Storm Cloud. Two crowd favorites are the Bahn Mi Dog and Chicago Dog.
Check it out for yourself every Tuesday through Saturday. The bar and all performances are walk in, but you can reserve special, front-row seating here.