Dallas bar Strangeways is back open after a car crashed through the building

Driving a car through a brick wall is a strange way to belly up at a neighborhood bar, but that's what happened over Memorial Day weekend in East Dallas.

On Sunday afternoon, a car crashed through the front wall of Strangeways, a beer and cocktails joint on North Fitzhugh Avenue. The Oldsmobile Bravada registered to Amador Jaime Estrella drove through a fenced off patio area and collided with the brick wall where the bar's logo is painted. According to a post on the bar's Facebook page, the crash happened before the bar opened at 4 p.m.

"A very drunk guy gave his keys to another very drunk guy in the parking lot of La Michoacana," Strangeways co-owner Rocio Ildemaro told the Dallas Observer. "The second guy told him no because he doesn't know how to drive. The owner of the car, drunk guy No. 1, [put] him in the driver seat and told him he'd teach him.

"The guy never made it to the brake/stop lesson, just the step on the gas as hard as possible and go."

No one was injured, and that's not the only good news.

Strangeways reopened May 28 and is currently operating its normal hours, meaning there are no interruptions to your weekend plans.

Ildemaro tells GuideLive that no support beams were struck, so family members quickly erected a wooden wall to enclose the space. (Idlemaro co-owns the bar with her brother, Eric Sanchez.) They painted it like bricks to maintain a tongue-in-cheek aesthetic. All that was lost were some indoor and outdoor tables, picnic benches and some fencing.

"While we're glad the damage was minimal, we're extremely glad this happened on a Sunday and not a school day," Ildemaro said. "At that hour during the week, it's mostly kids walking home from [Alex W.] Spence middle school."

Opened in 2011, Strangeways is one of Dallas' most notable dives with an exceptional list of spirits and rotating craft beers. It's rock and roll attitude is another reason people love it: The spot is named for The Smiths' 1987 album, Strangeways, Here We Come, and it has a collection of quirky figurines behind the bar.

It's also one of the best places to duck into during summer months because there are no windows, so the interior stays cool. Despite the car making ample room for a window in the front wall, Idlemaro says Strangeways will be rebuilt to maintain its windowless glory.

• Strangeways, 2429 N. Fitzhugh Ave., Dallas.