Perched near the Dallas North Tollway is a familiar building to commuters and neighbors in the Far North Dallas area. Formerly Maguire’s, the restaurant is open as a new lunch and dinner spot, The Gibson.
Diners will find live music seven days a week and a cigar patio out front. Classic dishes like cheese fondue, steaks and crème brûlée match the vintage look of the room, with its tassel gold chandeliers and red velvet bar chairs.
“I say ‘upscale, not uptight,’” said owner and sommelier Carrie Britton.
The Gibson almost never opened. Britton, a Lubbock resident, bought the Dallas building in 2022 and made swift plans to open a wine-centric restaurant in Far North Dallas. But in 2023, thieves stole the copper wiring and electrical wiring from the exterior and interior of the restaurant.
Restaurant News
The Gibson is located on the Dallas North Tollway, at Trinity Mills.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
The restaurant was nearly destroyed, with holes in the walls and sheetrock scattered throughout its rooms.
Britton thought about giving up altogether, especially after she learned that her insurance policy did not cover thefts. Months went by. Neighbors began wondering — and posting online — about would come of the mammoth, empty restaurant.
“It shook me,” Britton said of that tough, uncertain time. “But I think it made me more resolute.”
She forged ahead, gutting the restaurant and start over. “We were going to change some things,” she said. “But not this much.”
One of the classic dishes at The Gibson is a seafood tower.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
After construction crews replaced the walls and built new booths, Britton and some of her six kids finished the job themselves. (“I learned to drive a scissor lift,” she said. She painted the ceiling herself.)
Just before the restaurant opened in October 2025 came another change: Britton replaced the chef and general manager. She picked Todd Citta, formerly of Truluck’s and Sixty Vines, and he remains in the kitchen today.
Britton said the restaurant is finally ready for a month-long grand opening starting Jan. 30, 2026 — more than four years after she bought the building.
Inside the secret back bar
A hidden bar at The Gibson is located behind a wall of wine.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
The Gibson has a speakeasy in the back corner, available by invitation only. Want a seat? Ask the hostess.
Attendees with a password to the dark den accented with peacock blue will find a wine and food menu that’s different from the main dining room. Wine drinkers should ask about hard-to-find or high-priced bottles that are sold by the glass, a perk of being back there.
The room will be available to rent for parties or business meetings.
What to eat at The Gibson
Although The Gibson has a steak section on the menu, Britton said she never envisioned the restaurant as a steakhouse.
Tagliatelle Verde at The Gibson in Dallas has basil-almond pesto and a spicy chili oil drizzle.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
“There are a lot of steakhouses here. Wonderful steakhouses,” she said. “But I wanted something more fun and global.”
Two popular appetizers are truffle and prosciutto deviled eggs and oysters with cucumber mignonette, Britton said.
Britton has been a restaurateur for 15 years as the owner of a wine bistro and restaurant called The Funky Door in Lubbock. A few of that restaurant’s dishes will be on the Dallas menu, like its cheesy fried pickles and shareable cheese fondue.
Crème brûlée is one of several desserts at The Gibson in Dallas.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
Entrees at The Gibson include short rib, salmon, spicy tagliatelle with shrimp and a pork chop. One of Britton’s favorite dishes is a sweet sea bass entree with white chocolate beurre blanc and macerated strawberries.
Classic desserts include chocolate mousse cake and New York-style cheesecake.
The owner is especially proud of the 350-label wine list, and she hopes The Gibson becomes a place for the neighborhood to hang out, listen to music or smoke a cigar, and have a drink.
“Wine is a very interesting way to bring people together,” she said. “You learn about history. Geography. It’s a way to travel without going anywhere.”
The Gibson is at 17552 Dallas Parkway (at Trinity Mills), Dallas. Reservations recommended. Open for lunch and dinner six days a week. Dinner only on Sundays. Brunch menu coming soon.