"You're in the right place:" FOX6 team finds Green Bay Packers paradise in the Lone Star State



DALLAS, TX -- Green Bay Packers fans headed to Dallas this weekend for the big Packers vs. Cowboys playoff matchup Sunday, January 15th will be surrounded by Cowboys fans. But there are a few green and gold holdouts down there in Texas.

Fireplace Lounge



From outside, you wouldn't think much of the nondescript building, but take one step in the door and it's a whole different story. The Fireplace Lounge, a green and gold oasis, can be found on the east side of Dallas.

"If you're a Packers fan, you're in the right place," said Becky Hickman, daughter of the owner, who was born in Menomonee Falls.

The entire bar is the work of Linda McDaniel, who is from Sussex, Wisconsin, but has lived in Texas for the past four decades.

Fireplace Lounge



"I think when you're born in Wisconsin, you come with a 'G' on your birth certificate," said Linda McDaniel.

Linda McDaniel



Linda was a customer first before buying the place in 1990.

"That reminds me of a Wisconsin bar. I have to have it! So I bought it 27 years ago," Linda McDaniel said.

From there, the transformation began. Memorabilia now dots every wall, nook and cranny.

"One of our customers is a shareholder, so he donates his plaque for us every football season," Hickman said.



On game days, more than 100 fans will cram into the Fireplace Lounge, creating a Packers stronghold in the Lone Star State.

Fireplace Lounge



Linda has a special way of bringing folks over to the green and gold side. Every Packers touchdown equals a shot of her secret recipe hooch.

Becky Hickman



"If you're from Wisconsin -- the Sussex area -- you know what it is, because that's what everybody drinks at Christmas. But we drink it for the Packers," Linda McDaniel said.

"We all do a cheers, '1, 2, 3, Go Pack Go!' That tends to bring a lot of the non-Packers fans over to our side," said Hickman.

They're helping grow the ranks of the Green Bay outpost, deep in the heart of Texas.