This early-July restaurant news roundup is filled with sweet surprises. There's the opening of an acclaimed dessert shop's new location, ticket details for a favorite foodie event, fresh summer menus, refreshing cold drinks, new ice cream scoop, and more.

Here's what's happening lately on the Dallas food scene:

Le Rêve Patisserie & Gelato has debuted its long-awaited second location, in Mockingbird Station. Located at 5321 E Mockingbird Ln. Suite 135, Le Rêve (French for “the dream”) is serving its acclaimed and photo-ready gelato, croissants, and pastries that have earned legions of fans at its North Dallas original location - along with some new menu items. The space is warm and welcoming, inspired by travels to the South of France and the Mediterranean. Customers can sit and linger over a sweet along with Vietnamese coffee featuring specialty Vietnamese arabica coffee beans. Hours are 11 am-8 pm Sunday-Monday and Wednesday-Thursday; 11 am-11 pm Friday-Saturday; closed Tuesday.

Cafe Brazil has opened in McKinney, at 318 N Central Expressway, in the former Jungle Burger space. They're serving the breakfast, lunch, dinner, fresh coffee, and late-night bites that Cafe Brazil customers crave. Temporary opening hours include some 24-hour days. Specifically, the schedule is: 6 am-9 pm Monday, 24 hours Tuesday-Saturday, open until 9 pm Sunday. Watch their Facebook page for updates.

Another Broken Egg Cafe has closed its short-lived Dallas location at 3223 Lemmon Ave. The restaurant had opened in late 2025 in the space previously occupied by Howard Wang's Uptown Grill, where it was serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch. The only remaining DFW location is in The Colony.

Dîner en Blanc Dallas returns September 19, transforming a secret Dallas location into its signature all-white pop-up dinner party. This year's theme, "Une Soirée Parisienne – La Belle Époque," celebrates the elegance of turn-of-the-century Paris, with guests dressing in white and dining alfresco with gourmet meals, champagne, and dancing. New for 2026, most ticket options include tables and chairs, and catered meals can be reserved in advance. To be among the first to reserve tickets when Phase 3 (Fan List) opens, guests are invited to join the exclusive Dallas Fan List at dallas.dinerenblanc.com/fan.

Monarch has launched Aperitivo Hour, a new summer happy hour inspired by the Italian tradition of pre-dinner drinks and small bites. Available Sunday through Thursday from 5-6:30 pm through August 31 in the lounge, the menu features $12 spritzes, $10 wines by the glass, $2 oysters, $15 wood-fired pizzas, and other shareable dishes, all served with panoramic views from the 49th floor of The National.

Sevy's Grill, at 8201 Preston Rd. in Preston Sherry Plaza, closed its doors for good on Saturday, June 27. The owners had announced the impending closure in December 2025, and followed through with the date they'd set. The shutter was due to an increase in rent. When the owners announced the closure, they said they'd be looking for potential new locations.

Mutts Canine Cantina announced Monday, June 29 they're permanently closing all locations, including Uptown Dallas and Fort Worth, after more than a decade in business. Dallas-based FreeRange Concepts, which owns Mutts, told CultureMap the company closed Mutts to focus on their other concepts.

Salt & Straw artisanal ice cream shop has brought back its seasonal Berries Series through July 23, featuring returning favorites alongside two new flavors and the limited-time return of its Strawberry Shortcake Waffle Cone. New offerings include Huckleberry Oat Crisp with Foraged Porcini and Raspberry Marzipan Princess Cake, while returning flavors include Birthday Cakes and Blackberries, Strawberry Pretzel Salad, and Goat Cheese Marionberry Habanero.

Apothecary has introduced a new three-course prix fixe dinner for $45. Guests can choose a starter, entrée, and dessert, with first-course options including Japanese Elotes, Caesar Salad, or Local Summer Vegetables; entrées such as Cacio e Pepe, Mediterranean Salmon, Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken, or the Apo Burger, with Seared Scallops (+$12) and Wagyu Steak Frites (+$40) available for an additional charge; and desserts including Strawberry Basil Cheesecake, Sauerkraut Cake, or S'mores.

Artichoke Velouté at Georgie.Photo courtesy of Georgie

Georgie has introduced Taste of Georgie, a $185 per-person tasting menu available during dinner service. Created by chef Bruno Davaillon, the multicourse menu features dishes such as Snow Crab Toast, Saké Poached Leeks, Artichoke Velouté, Ora King Salmon, Chestnut Agnolotti, and Hot Honey Crispy Duck Breast, followed by desserts including Young Coconut Sorbet and Mesquite Honey Brioche.

Mirador has introduced a lineup of summer dishes and cocktails highlighting seasonal produce. New menu items include a grilled chicken sandwich with Calabrian chili oil and pickled green tomato, a caviar hot dog with umami aioli and pickled mustard seed, buttermilk pancakes with lemon mousse and berry compote, and a summer citrus tart with coconut cream. New cocktails include the Basil Royale, Sunset Daiquiri, and Summer Heat, made with green chili liqueur and candied watermelon.

Zalat Pizza is opening a new McKinney location this summer in Heritage Village at 1720 N. Central Expressway, Suite 210. The Dallas-born, late-night pizza brand — known for cult favorites like the Pho Shizzle and Pineapple Express — continues its North Texas expansion; the McKinney restaurant will be Zalat's 31st location in Texas. Exact opening date is TBA.

Luna Grill has opened its newest Dallas restaurant, at at 3921 Gaston Ave., marking the Mediterranean chain's 60th location and ninth in DFW. The fast-casual concept serves flame-grilled kabobs, bowls, wraps, salads, and pitas made with freshly marinated proteins and scratch-made sauces.

Potbelly has opened a new downtown Dallas location inside the 52-story skyscraper The National, the former First National Bank Tower, at 1401 Elm St. #210. The sandwich shop serves its full menu of toasted sandwiches, wraps, salads, shakes, and cookies, with pickup, delivery, and catering available. The restaurant is open daily, from 8 am-9 pm Monday through Friday and 10 am-9 pm on weekends.

La Madeleine red, white, and blue croissant. Photo courtesy of La Madeleine

La Madeleine is celebrating World Cup with free butter croissants after wins by the U.S. or France. Redemption details are shared on the bakery-café's social media, with guests receiving a complimentary croissant with any purchase during a 24-hour redemption window. The chain is also debuting a limited-time Red, White & Blue Croissant, filled with pastry cream, whipped cream, strawberries, and blueberries, available through July 21.

Hat Creek Burger Company is jumping on the dirty soda trend with a limited-time lineup of six handcrafted drinks, available through early August. The summer menu includes creamy concoctions like the Little Miss Strawberry and Oranje Dutchman, plus fruit-forward refreshers such as Georgia Peach and Gummy Gulp, with a sugar-free option rounding out the collection.

Blaze Pizza has expanded beyond pizza with a revamped salad lineup. The menu introduces three new entrée salads — the Chicken Chickpea Salad (limited time), The Chop, and Bacon Pesto Bliss — featuring upgraded ingredients like chickpeas, pickled red onions, fresh mozzarella, roasted chicken, and new house dressings. Each entrée salad, priced from $11.95 to $12.95, comes with Blaze's signature fast-fire'd flatbread made from the same fresh dough used for its pizzas.

Jashan Dallas has earned a Best of Award of Excellence in Wine Spectator's 2026 Restaurant Awards, recognizing restaurants with outstanding wine programs. The Plano Indian restaurant was honored for the breadth and depth of its wine list and pairing program, placing it among 1,830 restaurants worldwide to receive the distinction. The awards issue will be published July 21.

Keller's Hamburgers has earned bragging rights for more than its burgers: A new analysis from The Action Network named it home to the best hot dog in Texas. The study examined nearly 360,000 customer reviews from 750 restaurants nationwide, using ratings and "passion markers" such as "best hot dog" and "worth the hype" to rank standout spots. Keller's scored a 4.5-star rating, with its classic chili dogs and customizable hot dogs helping it claim the state's top spot.

III Forks has launched happy hour at its flagship Addison location, available Monday-Saturday from 3-6 pm. Specials include $1 off oysters, half-price wine by the glass, and half-price Tito's Handmade Martinis. Guests can also order from the restaurant's appetizer, soup, salad, and burger menu during happy hour.

Sunny Street Café is bringing back its annual Dino-Mite Week July 13-17 at participating locations. The family-focused promotion features dinosaur-themed décor and activities, including inflatable dinos, games, prizes, and photo ops. Kids under 12 receive a free dinosaur-shaped pancake with a toppings bar (with purchase of an adult meal).

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse has added a new lineup of crispy chicken sandwiches. The menu includes a Korean Sweet & Spicy Chicken Sandwich with pickled vegetables and sriracha aioli; a Classic Crispy Chicken Sandwich served plain or with sauces like Honey BBQ, Hot Honey Buffalo, or Nashville Hot; and an Original Crispy Chicken Sandwich with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and honey mustard on a brioche bun.

Flying Fish locations are offering a Surf and Turf special through August 31 featuring tinned Portuguese sardines in olive oil for $12 or canned all-beef Vienna sausages for $15, each served with saltine crackers and a mix of mayo, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice.

Cheba Hut is offering its limited-time Fully Loaded Guac Not’Chos through July 26. The dish features fresh guacamole piled on Garden Salsa SunChips, topped with pineapple, onion, pepper jack cheese, jalapeños, and a drizzle of Jamaican Red Hot sauce.

PJ’s Coffee is offering three new craft sodas a Peach Strawberry blend with cream and strawberry crumbles, a Blue Raspberry soda topped with a cream float and gummy candy, and a Coconut Banana version finished with a cream float and gummy cherry.

Handel’s Ice Cream has launched a new non-dairy line in partnership with Oatly. The menu features three fan-favorite flavors made with Oatly’s Full Fat Oatmilk: Coffee Truffle, Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie, and Peanut Butter. The non-dairy options are available in cones, dishes, shakes, and hand-packed pints.

Norman's Japanese Grill has introduced seven seasonal menu items, including Honey Ponzu Flounder, Aji Salmon, and Zuke Tuna crudos, Thai Beef Lettuce Wraps, and a Summer Berry Cobbler with yuzu compote and vanilla gelato. The restaurant is also offering two off-menu specials: Sakura Ribs with honey BBQ sauce and gochugaru-roasted peanuts, and Wagyu Sliders topped with charred shishito aioli and bacon jam. There's also a new "Explore the World of Sake" Flight featuring three rotating expressions.

Mo’ Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food has opened its first Midlothian location in the Main Street Towne Crossing development. The fast-casual chain serves Hawaiian plate lunches with favorites like teriyaki chicken, steak, kalua pork, katsu chicken, macaroni salad, and rice.

Baskin-Robbins has opened a new 1,340-square-foot ice cream store in Frisco, at 5251 Panther Creek Pkwy Suite 700. It serves the brand's full lineup of frozen treats, and is open daily from 11 am-10 pm.

Portillo’s has launched a limited-time Char’diniera Dog. Developed with Vienna Beef, the new hot dog features a char-grilled beef frank infused with giardiniera and provolone cheese, and is available topped Maxwell-style with mustard and grilled onions or Chicago-style with traditional toppings, or served plain.

Soulman's Bar-B-Que is serving a limited-time Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage through September 2 at all locations in North Texas. Made with the chain's house sausage blend, cheddar cheese, and jalapeños, the sausage can be ordered on its own or added to barbecue plates, sandwiches, SoulBowls, and catering orders.

El Carlos Elegante has added four seasonal dishes to its menu: Tetelita with roasted eggplant and zucchini, Salmon Ceviche with coconut aguachile and smoked pineapple, Seafood Cocktail with red pepper sauce and avocado, and Roasted Cauliflower with tomato sofrito and crispy onion. The restaurant is also offering a seasonal off-menu Elegante Experience, a multi-course tasting featuring bites such as Shrimp Chalupa, Foie Gras Taquito, A5 Wagyu, Beef Cheek Tacos, Pork Chop, Duck Breast, and desserts including Tres Leches and a trio of fruit sorbets.