The latest hot spot in Downtown Rockwall is part book shop, part coffee shop, and part bistro. Fable and Fire, located at 104 S San Jacinto St, has all the charm of a quiet small town coffee counter by day, and comes to life with elegance and pizzaz for dinner on a weekend night.
Here’s a peek at what it looks like inside, and a taste of the decadent menu.
Fable and Fire: A Bookshop Bistro
When we walked through the doors at Fable and Fire, the first thing to catch my eye was the wall of multicolored antique typewriters hanging above the coffee bar. The second was the massive shelf full of books sandwiched between the two sides of the bistro.
At the front section of the shop you can grab a quick coffee and pastry to-go before you head out on a breezy stroll through Downtown Rockwall. As you step further inside, you can browse a generous selection of books for sale on display tables and shelves in the passage to the back of the bistro. And when you pass below the impressively tall bookshelves, you’ll find yourself in the heart of the restaurant surrounded by antique records, string lights, and other shabby chic furnishings.
The elevated rustic ambiance and the clever usage of books throughout the decor really personalizes your experience — it feels like you are about to have coffee with a friend in someone’s enormous personal library. (Maybe Belle from Beauty and the Beast?!) One of my favorite details is the bathroom doors that double as sliding bookshelves, evoking a hidden passage in a spooky manor. Even the lovely cocktail bar has bookshelves tucked between the bottles of spirits, imbibing your drinks with their knowledge.
Fable & Fire Coffee Menu
One of the most exciting things about the coffee side of Fable & Fire is their unique and rotating selection of flavors. So far we’ve sampled the Caramel Pumpkin Spice, Toasted Marshmallow, and Cinnamon Vanilla. The next ones on my bucket list are Candied Nut and Strawberry Fields!
There’s also a large selection of teas and croissants, danishes, and muffins in the pastry display.
Fable & Fire Dinner Menu
After I started posting about the coffee corner inside Fable & Fire on Instagram, the owner was kind enough to invite me back to try their full dinner menu. My best friend Sarah and I had a delightful book club meeting over cocktails, appetizers, and dinner. Fable & Fire chef Anthony Vallejo has outdone himself with his flavorful creations!
The Empress Cocktail
We both started with The Empress – a fruity cocktail made with Empress Gin, rosemary peppercorn honey, and blackberries. The owner recommended it, and we were so glad we took her advice! It was delicious. Then we shared our appetizers and an entrée family style so that we could both try everything together.
Skillet Corn Bread
This was served straight from its own mini skillet with mouth-watering pecan honey butter.
Burrata Plate
The gooey burrata cheese was the perfect texture and came with pesto, veggies, and grilled toast slices.
Penne Pasta
This perfectly al dente pasta was tossed in an amazing pesto sauce that practically had us licking our plates clean.
We finished off the evening with some coffees, but next time I visit I’m going to leave room for some apple fritters and ice cream for dessert!
Visiting Fable & Fire in Rockwall, TX
“The written word is powerful, uplifting, and transformative. If we allow it, literature will expand our minds, challenge our convictions, and provoke our imaginations. Fable and Fire will be a day or nighttime affair for a multigenerational community where guests will always be able to find good books in good company,” reads the Fable & Fire website. And in this case, I think the business lives up to their mission statement. When I visited for dinner I was struck by how many different people of all ages from throughout the Rockwall community were gathered here. As someone who grew up in Rockwall and lived there for several years as an adult, I can attest that this is exactly the kind of place our community needed.
If you want to grab a quick latte, enjoy a romantic dinner, or host your next book club meeting at Fable & Fire, you can visit Tuesday – Thursday 10 AM – 10 PM or Friday – Saturday 10 AM – Midnight.
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