Introduction to Goodsurf Beach Club

When people think of Deep Ellum, several things come to mind: crime stories that are often overblown, the cluster of nightclubs that have taken over the east end of the neighborhood, and its history as a blues hub where Black families settled. What they don’t think of is surfing. Since it opened in June 2024, Goodsurf Beach Club — located in a space off Canton Street formerly occupied by a beach volleyball club — has tried to change that.

Now, owners Zach Shor, Andrew Limbocker, Joe Pomerenke, and Turner Eakins are bringing in reinforcements. They’re making a big splash by partnering with one of Dallas’s most lauded chefs, Nick Badovinus (Town Hearth, Brass Ram), to serve up some stellar food to go with the “quality hang” vibes.

Co-founders Andrew Limbocker (L) and Zach Shor (R).

Alexender Simões

The New Menu and Partnership

“The fact of the matter is, we didn’t accomplish what we wanted to with the menu last year,” Shor says, noting that Goodsurf staff handled the food at launch. Shor and his co-owners learned, after a year in business, that the pickleball courts and surf pool can only accommodate a limited number of people at a time. Therefore, the venue must also be equally well-known as a bar and restaurant, which can serve a significantly larger number of people.

That’s where Badovinus came in. Shor has been a patron at his restaurants for years. Badovinus’s fast-casual restaurant in Dallas, Desert Racer, closed, and his Surf Camp rooftop spot Downtown is open when the chef feels like it — which is very infrequently. So, Shor proposed that Badavonus and his team and his hospitality group, Flavor Hook, create a new menu for Goodsurf. Badovinus not only created a new menu, but also reorganized the kitchen space, assisted the owners in redesigning the dining room, and gave the operation a new name: Quality Hang at Goodsurf.