The Year in Dallas Dining

The ultimate list of Dallas restaurant comings and goings of 2014

With 2014 now passed, we're tallying things up on the Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant scene. We've already culled the 10 biggest restaurant news stories of 2014. Now we turn our thoughts to the subject of openings and closings, a category we cover with obsessive zeal and one of our most favorites of all.

Below is our master list, compiling every restaurant that opened or closed throughout the year. This list is mostly restaurant-centric (as opposed to bars), and it includes every Dallas restaurant opening we could find, plus some of the bigger players in Collin and Tarrant counties. Let us celebrate our lively scene and raise a toast to those that left.

Openings

AF+B, Tristan Simon's creation in Fort Worth
Ashwood Bar & Kitchen, pub food where Bonchon was
Banh Shop, Yum! Brands' banh mi sandwiches near SMU
Barnlight Eatery, oddly named in Frisco
Best Thai Diner, vegan-friendly mega-buffet
Big State Fountain & Grill, diner revival in Irving
Bird Cafe, Meddlesome Moth sibling in Sundance Square
Bite City Grill, Chef Eddy goes global in Fort Worth
Blind Butcher, meat on Greenville from Goodfriend crew
Bocce, pizza and subs in Oak Cliff
Bohemia Cafe, kolaches on Greenville
Cane Rosso, empire expands to Fairview and Fort Worth
Carso Mediterranean Grill, chef Anthony Bombaci at Hilton Granite Park
Chino Chinatown, in Trinity Groves
Clark Food & Wine, Mansion chef goes solo on Greenville
Clay Pigeon, in the old Lambert's in Fort Worth
Coconut's Fish Cafe, Hawaii-style tacos
Cold Beer Company, modest enterprise on edge of Deep Ellum
Crushcraft Thai, hip late-night Thai at Quadrangle
C Señor, sandwich stand in Oak Cliff
Dalat, goes to Plano
DiDi's Tamale Diner, at Trinity Groves
Donut Kitchen, gourmet doughnuts in McKinney
East Hampton Sandwich Co., now in Fort Worth
Eureka, spiffy California import in Uptown
Firecrust Pizza, fast-casual Neapolitan at Knox
Green Door Public House, Uncle Uber's cousin near Dallas Farmers Market
Harvest, farm-to-table in McKinney
Henry's Majestic, Bread Winners spinoff with spunk
Hopdoddy Burger Bar, now in Uptown
Houndstooth Coffee, third-wave coffee on Henderson
How Do You Roll, Austin-bred sushi in Plano
Hutchins BBQ, second branch in Frisco
Ivy Kitchen, at Look Cinemas in North Dallas
Jimboy's Tacos, Parmesan-dusted crispy shells from California
Kate Weiser Chocolate, fine chocolatier in Trinity Groves
Kenny's Burger Joint, this time in Plano
Kessler Park Eating House, Jonathon's cousin
Knife, John Tesar steakhouse at The Highlands Dallas hotel
Le Cep, fine French dining in Fort Worth
Loca Luna Mexican Kitchen, combination dinners from Arkansas
Lockhart Smokehouse, Plano expansion from Oak Cliff
LYFE Kitchen, healthy-ish chain from ex-McDonald's execs hits Dallas
Mesero, Mico heads to Inwood
Method Caffeination, super-serious indie coffee shop
Mio Nonno, wood-fired pizza in Allen
Modmarket, very good healthy-ish chain from Colorado hits Dallas
Neighborhood Services, Nick Badovinus in Addison
Old Chicago Pizza, in iffy space at Mockingbird Station
Oso Food & Wine, former Stephan Pyles and M Crowd exec goes solo
Palapas Seafood Bar, palm fronds and shrimp on Greenville
Paninis Plus, sandwiches in North Dallas
Pat's and Mike's, Snuffer-esque burgers in old Battuto space way up north
Pecan Lodge, acclaimed barbecue moves to Deep Ellum
Pegaso Diner, Monica Greene invades Fort Worth
Pera Wine & Tapas, tapas cousin of Pera Turkish Kitchen
Perry's Steakhouse, hits Frisco
Pho District in Fort Worth, chef Kenzo Tran does pho
Pho Kitchen at NorthPark, from Lemongrass folks
Pizza Snob, homegrown fast-casual Neapolitan-style pizza in Fort Worth
Pollo Tropical, chicken chain hits Dallas-Fort Worth
Potato Flats, spuds in Trinity Groves
Project Pie, fast-casual Neapolitan-style pizza chain
Proof + Pantry, latest rave in One Arts Plaza
Ramen Hakata, ramen in Addison
R Bar & Grill, upscale in Arlingon
Righteous Foods, healthy by chef Lanny Lancarte
Rio Mambo, Arlington Tex-Mex
Rollngo, fast-food Vietnamese on Greenville and Bistro B cousin
Roman Cucina, Italian-American from California
San Salvaje, South American from Stephan Pyles
Scotch & Sausage, just what it says
Shivas, Indian on Greenville
Small Brewpub, FT33-style charcuterie in Oak Cliff
The Sir, in old Ketchup Burger Bar space in Uptown
So & So's, in old Primo's spot on McKinney Ave
Steel City Pops, fancy popsicles
Stock & Barrel, chef Jon Stevens in Oak Cliff
Stonedeck Pizza, more pizza in Deep Ellum
SuperChix, Chick Fil-A clone from Yum! Brands in Arlington
Sykamore Cafe, sweet family-run vegan in East Dallas
Table 13, Vegas in Addison
Taco Joint, a branch for Richardson
Taziki's Cafe, Greek in Southlake
Ten 50 BBQ, Larry Lavine dabbles in brisket
TJ's Fresh Seafood Market, at Preston-Royal in Purple Cow space
TNT Tacos and Tequila, Blue Mesa sibling in the Quadrangle
Top Pot, Seattle-based doughnut shop in North Dallas
Twisted Doh, pretzel-centric in Plano
Uni Sushi, little spot in downtown Plano
Urban Acres Cafe, farm-stand restaurant in Oak Cliff
VH, Bistro 31 alum in Oak Cliff
Whistling Pig, Cock 'N Bull clone on Ferguson Road
Yard House, big beer in Addison
Zey Asian, former Steel chef in Richardson

Closures

Afghan Grill, bowed to Greenville Avenue sibling Nora
Ali Baba, Lakewood loses Mediterranean vets
Arcodoro y Pomodoro, Crescent Court relo was a no-go
Avanti at Fountain Place, still open on McKinney Avenue
Battuto Italian Kitchen, radio stars' Italian
Belly & Trumpet, Oak's Uptown sibling
Bonchon Chicken, Korean fried chicken
Club Schmitz, old-timer with burgers
Driftwood, Oak Cliff seafood spot
EZ Dude BBQ, in Deep Ellum
Fedora, another One Arts Plaza casualty
Ferre, Sundance Square shutter
Genaro's Mexican Cuisine, old-timer comeback didn't last
Glass Boot Biergarten, Henderson Avenue bust
Good Eats, Turtle Creek Village churn
The Greek, another-another One Arts Plaza casualty
Hacienda on Henderson, Mexican with patio
Herrera's, Mockingbird Station vacancy
La Duni on Oak Lawn, rent hike
The Loon, reopened as Cliff's
Margarita Ranch, Mockingbird Station jinx
Maximo, Mansion-quality Mexican floundered
Mecca, East Dallas revival didn't stick
Mi Piaci, family-run Italian crashed and burned
Nosh, two words: Avner Samuel
Soleo Mexican Kitchen, no luck on Hillcrest
Spoon, John Tesar shifts from seafood to steak
Table & Tavern, Sfuzzi reboot in Irving didn't make it
Tried and True, Nick Badovinus departs Henderson Ave
Union Bear, nanobrewery concept no fit for Uptown
Veggie Garden, popular Asian-vegan on hiatus
Village Kitchen, Highland Park shutout

Driftwood was one of two major seafood restaurant closures.

Scallop crudo, apple "caviar," preserved lemon-fennel, vinaigrette, roe emulsion at Driftwood restaurant in Dallas

Driftwood Facebook

Driftwood was one of two major seafood restaurant closures.

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Closure News

Mexican bar and restaurant on Dallas' Ross Ave closes after only 4 months

dallas.culturemap.com

A Mexican hangout from San Diego has departed Dallas: El Chingon, which served Mexican food, cocktails, and a clubby atmosphere near downtown at 3404 Ross Ave., closed on Sunday, September 6, after a mere four months.

The venue, which opened its doors on May 1, blamed the closure on the city of Dallas' code compliance department, citing repeated procedural issues that ultimately persuaded the operators that closing was the only option.

The short lifespan has to be a record, especially given the extensive investment made on the space — an abrupt ending to what was a prolonged birthing by GBOD Hospitality Group, the San Diego owners, who invested more than four years and millions of dollars to get it open.

"Our goal was simple: give Dallas the best, most Chingón experience we possibly could," their statement said. "And Dallas showed up for us…. Unfortunately, almost from the beginning, operating that vision became a constant fight with the City."

"We dealt with repeated Code Compliance visits, citations, and ongoing challenges to our Certificate of Occupancy and restaurant use," their post said. "Over time, it became increasingly clear that El Chingón simply was not what the City wanted us to be. Events, programming, dancing, the way we used our space — nearly every part of the experience became another opportunity to find fault with our identity."

El Chingon operated as a high-energy restaurant, bar, and nightlife destination known for its “Bad Ass Mexican” cuisine. The concept was founded in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter in 2017, where it built a following for its lively programming and street-food menu of tacos, burritos, and shareable bites.

It's part of GBOD Hospitality Group, a San Diego outfit founded by brothers Raymond and Patrick Davoudi, with third partner Joe Santos, who owns San Diego bars such as Havana and Prohibition Lounge. Dallas was the third El Chingon, following San Diego and Fort Worth, where a location opened in 2020 and has not experienced the issues that befell the Dallas outpost.

The company first acquired the Dallas location in 2022, and began what felt like a never-ending period of reconstruction and renovation of the rundown brick structure, first built in 1945, which years ago had been home to a wholesale floral shop.

"We made changes," they said. "We worked with City officials. We worked with the neighborhood. We hired consultants and attorneys. We met with elected officials. We repeatedly tried to find a reasonable path forward while continuing to operate the restaurant we spent millions of dollars building. Instead, the scrutiny intensified."

"Eventually, there comes a point where fighting City Hall becomes a bigger part of running the business than serving the people who came through our doors. So, City Hall wins this round."

They've since put the property up for sale but did hint that they might reopen, stating that "we have not given up on Dallas."

"We still believe in this city. We still believe there is a place here for what El Chingón does. And we hope that in the coming years, we will have the opportunity to invest in Dallas again and once more be part of this community," they said. 'For now, thank you, Dallas. For every taco. Every tequila. Every celebration. Every packed night. Every memory. Stay Chingón. This isn’t goodbye forever."

downtown closings