Bye Bacon

Bacon-themed burger restaurant on Dallas' Greenville Ave goes healthy-ish

Less of this, more bowls.

Photo courtesy of Slater's

A burger chain with a location on Dallas' Greenville Avenue is reconcepting itself into a gastropub.

Slater's 50/50, the California-based concept whose signature item was a "50/50" burger patty made with 50 percent ground bacon and 50 percent ground beef, is expanding its menu with "diet-friendly" items including bun-less burger bowls and more veggies.

Slow clap.

According to a release, Slater's 50/50 will focus on changing consumers' perceptions of their brand, and showcase a more "holistic culinary prowess" that "combines everyday ingredients in an inconceivable, unexpected, and uniquely 'slaterized' way."

The first step in the repositioning is introducing menu items not typically found in a burger restaurant, like health-conscious, creative, protein-oriented offerings that appeal to keto and Paleo dieters.

New offerings include sweet & spicy cauliflower, crispy cauliflower in Asian BBQ sauce, a power bowl, a turkey harvest bowl, and a cheeseburger bowl, which sounds super-healthy. Many bowls.

There's also a quinoa veggie patty with edamame, blueberries, mixed greens, carrots, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, quinoa, avocado, and wildflower honey vinaigrette.

Is this the end of people mindlessly interjecting "I love bacon" as a response in any food-related conversation? That can't happen soon enough. Bacon is gross.

The company's culinary director James Bailey says in a statement that the new dishes are better for you and are low-carb.

"In 2019, you'll see Slater's 50/50 go beyond the burgers, bacon, and beer perception and fully embrace a 'rebel gastropub' — still holding true to our rule-breaking heritage but appealing to a broader audience," he says.

Slater's has 11 restaurants in California, Nevada, Texas, and Hawaii. It's part of Elite Restaurant Group, which also owns Mediterranean chain Daphne's and Patxi's Pizza.

greenville-avenue

Grandscape goals

Soccer and dining venue from the UK gears up for U.S. debut in The Colony

Photo courtesy of TOCA Social

TOCA Social will make its U.S. debut in Grandscape in The Colony.

In time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup frenzy taking hold of Dallas, a soccer-themed entertainment and dining venue from the United Kingdom will make its U.S. debut in DFW this spring: Called Toca Social, it will open at The Grandscape complex in The Colony on March 6.

First announced for Grandscape in 2024, Toca Social combines soccer, entertainment, and dining, with a state-of-the-art venue and innovative soccer-based games. (A Toca Social was originally planned for Dallas, but that location was scrapped.)

The concept was founded by two-time U.S. World Cup veteran and MLS player Eddie Lewis and is backed by soccer legend Abby Wambach. It's billed as "the world’s first soccer social club" and only has three other locations - two in London and one in Birmingham, England.

“Toca was born from my obsession with the technical side of the game and the belief that a soccer ball should be at everyone’s feet,” says Lewis in the release. “After seeing the incredible reception in the UK, bringing our Social flagship home to the U.S. — and specifically to a soccer-rich market like Dallas — is a dream realized. We’ve created a place where the skill of the pros meets the energy of a world-class night out.”

Toca Social soccer Toca Social coming to Granscape in March 2026. Toca Social

The 20,000-square-foot high-tech venue features "social boxes" where players kick soccer balls against a screen that keeps score on best kicks. Cleats are not required. They tout their proprietary ball-delivery and tracking technology — an evolution of the "small ball" training method Lewis used during his 14-year professional career, the release says.

“Soccer is the ultimate unifier, but for too long, the 'entry fee' was being a pro-level athlete,” says Wambach in the release. “Toca Social is changing that narrative. This Dallas-area flagship is where the next generation of American soccer culture is being built.”

Sustenance comes by way of a chef-driven “Global Street Food” menu featuring Birria Tacos and Spicy Fried Chicken; along with a bar program that includes something called a "Pitch Invader" cocktail, which the release does not describe but calls a fan favorite.

There are massive 4K screens, ensuring Toca Social will be a premier location for FIFA World Cup watch parties this summer. Nine World Cup matches will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in June and July. Dallas' Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center will serve as the official will also serve as the International Broadcast Center.

Toca currently operates another concept, Toca Soccer and Sports Centers, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with locations in Allen, Carrollton, The Colony, Keller, and Mansfield. The company also has a strategic partnership with MLS club, FC Dallas.

“Our partnership with MLS is a cornerstone of our mission to engage fans in innovative new ways,” says Yoshi Maruyama, CEO of Toca. “By launching our U.S. Flagship at Grandscape now, we are providing a world-class destination where fans can play, dine, and celebrate the global game."

Reservations are now open at Toca Social in Grandscape for group outings, celebrations, corporate events, and matchday gatherings.

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Raven Jordan contributed to this report.

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