“It takes a village to raise a restaurant,” he added, laughing. “This entire thing wouldn’t exist without the team,” Hasley said. Server and bartender Miah McGhee said Hoyle made sure to send him home with extra food while he waits for the gas to his house to be turned back on after a small leak.
Everyone on payroll gets one free meal a day, whether they’re working or not, and mental health check-ins are a regular occurrence. The Flying Squirrel stands out for its commitment to employees. Soon to come are homemade dips and spreads like Hoyle’s peach and jalapeño jelly and a green pepper hummus, a recipe from another server. The jerk chicken sandwich made the menu when one server talked about their childhood memories of the dish. In his mission to embrace absurdity, Hasley encourages the creativity of his employees, seeking their imagination and input for the menu. Sip a fruity baby peach Bellini, warm up with a spicy hot chocolate or get nostalgic with a Butterbeer-inspired creamy root beer blend that offers a new take on the wizards’ drink. While you can absolutely treat yourself to a $10 fight of mimosas any day of the week, the restaurant offers an expansive mocktail menu for anyone looking for something non-alcoholic. He hopes his business can be an example for the queer youths that they too can be business owners when often one can feel hard-pressed to find establishments owned and run by those in the LGBTQ+ community. When the majority of queer spaces are for ages 21 and up, like bars and clubs, the Flying Squirrel stands as a safe space for those under drinking age who need a place to relax and a community that doesn’t revolve around alcohol. “Good vibes, as cheesy as it sounds,” is all he wants for customers coming here.Īs a gay man born and raised in what he describes as the “cultural silo of the Bible belt” part of Texas, Hasley wanted to carve out a space in town for queer youths to come be themselves - the kind of space he felt Denton lacked during his days as an undergraduate at UNT around 2010.
While Hoyle’s cooking rounds out the menu with meaty comfort meals, Hasley maintains a commitment to all-day breakfast items like waffles, pancakes and French toast. You might think it impossible to reinvent the french fry in a world overrun by fries, but Hoyle admits to a “healthy disregard for the impossible.” Tossed in the house seasoning, Hoyle’s fries have a crunchy outer layer of flavor with an almost creamy interior that melts in the mouth like a spoonful of mashed potatoes. “I’m going to sell the crap out of that,” he said around a mouthful. But it might lose its status as his favorite menu item to the patty melt on marbled rye with house-made spicy ketchup and sautéed onion. Server Jose Vazques likes to make his own “monstrosity” version, loaded with all the fixings available from the kitchen. The bestseller by far since the restaurant’s opening is the stuffed grilled cheese, brimming with peppers and mushrooms. She brines the chicken overnight and tosses it with a healthy coat of house-made seasoning to serve up a moist and deeply flavorful sandwich on a fluffy brioche bun.įor a more Tex-Mex flavor palette, try the black bean burger with its satisfying crunch coating the seared patty and smear of mayo.Īssistant general manager Preston Sodowsky pointed at the jerk chicken sandwich, eyes wide, and declared, “Better than sex.” No one argues, too busy enjoying the savory, tropical sweetness of the grilled pineapple paired with pepper jack cheese blending with the jerk spices. For any skeptics of a “plain” grilled chicken sandwich, you’re encouraged to try Hoyle’s. Darby Murnane With the critter decor on the forest green walls and the staff gathered to sample the new dishes being introduced to the menu, Hoyle slings basket after basket of chicken tenders, black bean burgers, jerk chicken sandwiches and patty melts from the grill.