Alamo Heads Downtown

Alamo Drafthouse discloses new location near downtown Dallas

Rendering of new Alamo Drafthouse location in Cedars neighborhood

Alamo Drafthouse will soon be an everyday sight in the Cedars neighborhood south of downtown Dallas when a new branch opens there in 2015.

Rendering courtesy of Alamo Drafthouse DFW

Downtown Dallas is getting a new main attraction. On July 7, Alamo Drafthouse DFW confirmed it’s bringing a signature movie theater to the Cedars neighborhood. Alamo Drafthouse COO Bill DiGaetano told the Dallas Morning News it will open in mid-2015.

The new location will be at the corner of Cadiz and South Lamar streets — just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Gilley’s complex. That location is definitely underserved when it comes to movies; the closest first-run theater is the Magnolia Theatre in the West Village in Uptown Dallas.

The new theater will be a two-story structure with eight screens and seating for around 1,000. Like its sibling in Richardson, it will also have a branch of the Glass Half Full Taproom, this one situated on the theater's second floor, so that it will have a killer view of downtown Dallas.

The addition of Alamo Drafthouse is just the latest development for the burgeoning South Side Lamar District, which also includes NYLO South Side hotel and SODA bar, Cedars Social, Gilley’s, Full Circle Tavern, Southside Ballroom, Terrace Bistro, Opening Bell Coffee, Poor David’s Pub and Bill’s Records.

DiGaetano says that they’ve been looking at the South Lamar location ever since they decided to bring the theater chain to Dallas-Fort Worth.

"Everything about downtown and South Dallas dovetails perfectly with the Alamo brand," DiGaetano says in a release. "The convergence of chef-driven restaurants, food trucks, craft breweries, the Arts District, and homegrown/local retail are all complementary characteristics of Alamo culture and lifestyle."

As per usual at Alamo, the films shown will be a mixture of first-run movies and special screenings like quote-alongs and cult classics. You can also expect it to attract its fair share of special events like the Dallas International Film Festival, which has mainly taken place at the Angelika Film Center the past two years.

Those hoping to see Alamo expand more toward the Fort Worth side may be heartened to hear that, according to a thread on its Facebook page, Alamo is already on the hunt for a third Dallas-Fort Worth location.

unspecified

FIRE STARTER

Dallas chef will bring the heat with Bobby Flay on Food Network BBQ Brawl

Tim McLaughlin/Facebook

undefined

Bobby Flay is bringing beef to Texas, and he’ll have some Dallas starpower in his crew: Pitmaster Tim McLaughlin of Crossbuck BBQ in Farmers Branch will be on the famed chef’s team when Food Network's BBQ Brawl returns on May 11.

They'll be joined by fellow Texas chef Braunda Smith of Lucy Coopers Ice House in San Antonio.

Now entering its seventh season, the Texas barbecue series follows a format similar to The Voice, pairing 12 battling chefs with team captains Flay, Maneet Chauhan, and Brooke Williamson. Each week brings a new live fire challenge, starting with creating the perfect barbecue bowl. Judges Adrienne Cheatham, Rashad Jones, and Carson Kressley will axe one competitor each week of the series, filmed at Star Hill Ranch near Austin.

Braunda Smith/ Lucy Cooper's Braunda Smith will compete on BBQ Brawl. Braunda Smith/ Facebook

McLaughlin and Smith will have some stiff competition. The roster includes pitmasters from Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, and beyond, each bringing their own regional traditions to the pit.

McLaughlin is entering the competition with less TV experience than Smith, but he does film his own "chef tip" videos in the kitchen for social media. He also appeared in a slightly longer-form series on Crossbuck's YouTube channel teaching viewers barbecue basics. McLaughlin's experience as a chef in fine dining has translated to super-sharp skills and an openness to unexpected flavors.

"I've got well over a decade of experience in fine-dining restaurants," he said in the promo. "I've got well over a decade of experience successfully cooking BBQ. I know how to cook just about everything."

His teammate Smith has an advantage over many members of the cast. She’s no stranger to reality competitions, sparring on Guy’s Grocery Games and Chopped in 2023. Although neither resulted in a win, her versatile cooking style impressed both shows’ panels.

"My BBQ reflects all the places I've lived in life: Southern, Cajun, Korean, Hawaiian, and it's got some Texas flair in there,” says Smith in the show’s promos. “You know, we kind of get overlooked a lot in San Antonio. Taking home Master of 'Cue to Lucy Cooper's would just set everything ablaze."

chefs barbecue food network food tv