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Scottsdale eatery pays homage to iconic bar

BY KRISTINE CANNON

Progress Staff Writer

In the late ‘80s, Jody Watkins and his Phi Gamma Delta fraternity brothers —

Lumpy, Marty, Lowenbrew, Kovach, Lug Nut, and the rest of the crew — would hang out (read: drink) at one of two places: the Vine or the Dash Inn.

“The Dash Inn was de�initely a bigger draw,” Watkins said Watkins.

Watkins was a regular at the iconic Mexican restaurant and bar, where the staff used to call him by name and even hung his photo up on the wall.

“That was a sign you really made it in the social circles at ASU,” Watkins explained. “If you made it Dave Andrea owns the Braut Haus in Scottsdale, which has given a home to the Dash Inn Tribute Room. (Pablo Robles/Progress Photographer) to the point your picture the Dash Inn. and plenty of pictures to help replicate the was posted by the staff, you Now, Watkins and details of design, smallware, and furniture,” knew you were a regular.” Gorman are engaged – Andrea said.

Here at the Dash Inn, the after not talking for, coAndrea even brought back one small but �lip �lops and Fiji Islander This photo of ASU alumni Jody incidentally, 25 years. memorable detail of having “The Dash Bookshirt-wearing Watkins disWatkins and Jennifer Gorman “The Dash will always store” printed on credit card statements to covered two loves: the resis hung up on the wall of the hold a tender spot in my “make parents think they raised a genius.” taurant’s food and Jennifer Gorman. Dash Inn Tribute Room. of Jody Watkins) (Courtesy heart. Many good times and fond memories oc

“It was love at �irst sight,” Watkins recurred there,” Gorman said. “It’s where wrote on the popular Facebook group, Fans called. “I saw this beautiful, tall blond womdumb luck or fate intervened and dropped of Dash Inn, which has 3,000 followers. an with hypnotic eyes and a captivating me into the lap of my greatest love. And who “The Fans of the Dash Inn page on Facesmile walking to the bathroom right past could forget those sticky �loors?” book has probably had a lot to do with where I was sitting. In a move that was conHash and Dee Nelson opened the Dash somebody investing into bringing the Dash trary to my usual behavior, I yanked her in Inn in 1967, and over the decades, built its Inn back to life,” Watkins said. my lap before she got by.” reputation as a laidback space with quality “Although having been closed for more

After serving Tempe for 27 years on cuisine. than two decades, the concept’s in�luence Apache Boulevard, the Dash Inn closed in Andrea owned and operated the Dash remained strong with [the] Facebook fan 1994. Inn during the restaurant’s �inal few years. page,” Andrea added.

But 26 years later, Brat Haus owner Dave “And it has remained one of my favorite The Dash Inn Tribute Room also serves Andrea brought it back, opening up the concepts,” he said. a limited menu of favorites, including their Dash Inn Tribute Room at the Brat Haus in At the Dash Inn Tribute Room, the top popular cheese crisp and the famed secretScottsdale. 500 MTV music videos play on the jumborecipe margarita.

And among the throwback photos tacked sized TV. There’s no shortage of nostalgic Willie Cordova, who worked at the to the wall is one of Watkins and Gorman merch and memorabilia. Dash for almost 10 years, helped recretaken in 1989, four days after they met at “Luckily, I had kept all of the old recipes ate the menu.

“I was the one that dreamed up the Dash Bookstore on the credit card idea,” Andrea

All menu items cost $8 or less and maintain the original restaurant’s philosophy of “not fancy, just good.”

“The Dash played an important role in thousands of peoples happy memories of a simpler time and college life in the ‘70s and ‘80s,” Andrea said. “It’s been so much fun listening to all their stories as we bring it back.”

Four days after Watkins and Gorman locked eyes, they went on their �irst date: his fraternity’s Black Diamond Formal.

“I asked her to go to a formal that weekend immediately. She said ‘yes’ and made a big deal ripping a page out of her passport to write down her phone number,” Watkins recalled. “She said, ‘Now I am ripping a page out of my passport, which is now null and void, so you better call me!’”

After a dating on-and-off for one year, they broke up and reconnected 25 years later on Facebook.

“The �irst thing I wrote her was a note of thanks and telling her I would not be where I am in my life without her in�luence and just hoped that her life was going well. It blossomed from there,” Watkins said.

“I never forgot him and probably punished every other man I dated for not being Jody,” Gorman added.

The California-based couple will get married next summer in Mexico, but they plan to visit the Dash Inn Tribute Room the next time they’re in Scottsdale.

“Something we say to this day is ‘chemistry never dies,’” Watkins said.

And neither does the Dash Inn.

If You Go

The Dash Inn Tribute Room

Where: 3622 N. Scottsdale Road When: Wednesday through Friday 4 p.m. to close, Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to close. Website: facebook.com/DashInnAZ