Chicken News

Dallas' legendary Mike's Chicken expands from original laundromat location

Some people say their fried chicken is the best in Dallas.

Mike's Chicken

A family run fried-chicken restaurant in Dallas that has earned national acclaim is expanding: Mike's Chicken, which has been serving great fried chicken made to order at 4234 Maple Ave. for more than six years, will open a second location at 7752 Forest Ln., in the little strip center at US-75, across from Medical City, in the former Taco Y Mas space.

According to a spokesperson, construction is underway, and they're targeting early spring to open.

Mike's is a phenomenon, earning raves from publications that include USA Today and Insider.com. Owners Son Dao, his wife Tram Dao, and their son Mike, also have their own tale of immigrating from Vietnam to the U.S. After they were transferred to Dallas by Son's employer, they opened the restaurant inside the laundromat they owned.

They offer tenders as well as a half chicken, plus lots of combos such as white meat with breast & wing, or dark meat with leg & thigh. You can get them by the piece or in a plate with two sides and choice of biscuit or Texas toast.

Sides include coleslaw, creamy corn, mashed potatoes, French fries, green beans, baked beans, or fruit salad.

You can also get a fried chicken sandwich, wings, or tenders, all served as a meal with French fries; and a crispy chicken salad, with spring mix, tomatoes, green apple, almonds, cranberries, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds, topped with chicken tenders.

Two items are available as a family-style side dish: mac & cheese with five cheeses, and sweet potato fries.

Prices are super-cheap, topping out at $9 for a plate with two chicken breasts, sides, and biscuit.

What makes Mike's stand out from the pack is that it's not a fast-food concept. They make everything from scratch, hand-cut the chicken daily, and only start the process of cooking — right down to battering the chicken — after they receive your order. A 20-minute wait is typical.

The chicken has a distinctive spice blend that includes sage, turmeric, lemon, and ghost peppers. Everything is cooked in 100 percent refined peanut oil.

The biscuits are serious: tall cylinders, fluffy yet dense, brushed with a honey glaze. Desserts include churros with caramel filling, and caramel bread pudding with seasonal fruits such as apples and peaches.

They also advise that you "don't forget to try Mike's Buffalo Sauce," whose secret ingredient is peanuts. "It will change you!" they promise.

The happy ending to this opening story is that you don't have to wait. You can place an order at their original location right now.

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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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