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    News You Can Eat

    Tapas and Tex-Mex brunch top this tally of Dallas restaurant news

    Teresa Gubbins
    Jan 31, 2020 | 5:12 pm
    Las Palmas eggs
    How 'bout some brunch.
    Photo courtesy of Las Palmas

    This end-of-January roundup of dining news is jammed with items, from openings to closures, from new winter menus to new chefs.

    Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

    Sketches of Spain, the new restaurant in Bishop Arts from the team behind The Wild Detectives bookstore, is open. Named for a Miles Davis album, Sketches specializes in "pinchos," a more sophisticated version of Spanish tapas, that typically use toothpicks. In addition to classic apas such as patatas bravas, they're also doing unique offering such as Flamenquines, a roulade with battered ham and cheese rolled inside a pork steak; oxtail stew; and callos con garbanzos, a stew with tripe, chorizo, and chickpeas.

    Primo's MX, the ostensible reboot of the longtime Uptown Dallas Tex-Mex restaurant, is opening in its old location on McKinney Avenue on February 7. The concept is being revived with "an elevated bar program" and "chef-driven Tex-Mex cuisine that integrates authentic, bold flavors with fresh ingredients," which doesn't sound all that much like the original Primo's. The new owner is Mehrdad Moayedi, president and CEO of Centurion American Development Group, who has also taken on the Statler Dallas hotel and Collin Creek Mall in Plano. Overseeing the PrimoMX resuscitation is chef Jeffrey Kollinger (Spice of Life, Tillman's).

    El Bolero, the Mexican concept from ARG Concepts, has closed its location at Fitzhugh Ave. in East Dallas. "It's actually very simple in that we decided to consolidate and focus our efforts on our more profitable locations," says founder Richard Ellman. The original El Bolero in Dallas' Design District and the location in Fort Worth are both still open.

    Del Frisco's Grille unveils a new lunch and dinner menu at all locations nationwide featuring a variety of new items including new steak offerings, steak and seafood combinations and a few light lunch, sharable starter and signature side items. Dishes include a charcuterie Board, Crab Stuffed Shrimp, lemon Dill Salmon with asparagus, beer-battered haddock, split cold-water lobster tail, steak Frites with chimichurri sauce, Prime chopped steak topped with sharp cheddar, and a Beyond Burger – Del Frisco’s first plant-based burger served with lettuce, red onion, tomato and pickle.

    The Rustic has rolled a slew of new menu items, joining favorites such as Hot Chicken and Cheese, and the Joe Leo Tacos. They include the Rustic harvest bowl with chicken, baby kale, and sweet potato picadillo; salmon Caesar salad; shrimp & avocado salad; shrimp & baby kale salad; and "That Chicken Salad" with chicken, spring mix, pecans, grapes, bacon, and blue cheese. There's a Gulf shrimp po’ boy and a pork chop with jalapeño spoonbread; a clever gluten-free mac & cheese with white hominy and smoked ham; and elote black bean salad with charred corn and cotija cheese.

    Las Palmas, the Beverly Hills-style Tex-Mex in Uptown, has launched a new brunch menu under the direction of guest chef Pablo Urueña and Executive Chef Hilario Serratos. Dishes include blueberry pancakes with blueberry-mezcal compote; pull-apart biscuits baked with Oaxaca cheese and served with bone marrow butter and house-made tamarind-hibiscus jam; carne asada & eggs, chicken Milanesa & eggs with fries and Palmas chimichurri; breakfast burrito, spinach omelet; and a Tex-Mex twist on "Two Eggs Any Style." Beverages include mimosas, bloody Marys, micheladas, sangria, coffee, espresso, and a Carajillo: cold coffee with a shot of Licor 43, a Spanish liquor only made in Cartagena, Spain.

    Dog Haus, known for gourmet hot dogs, sausages, and burgers, has rolled out the latest item in its Chef Collaboration Series with executive chef Anthony Sasso who, after his first year as chef de cuisine at Casa Mono in New York, helped the restaurant earn its first-ever Michelin star. Sasso and Dog Haus' culinary team combined their skills and ideas to create the savory Tot Dog – featuring an all-beef dog, extra crispy tater tots, celery salt, coleslaw, and Haus barbecue sauce, served on grilled King's Hawaiian rolls.

    Pressed Juicery launches a new, seasonal Blood Orange Juice and Freeze. They also have a new coconut milk base of their popular vegan soft serve ice cream. The freeze is available in two sizes, with up to 3 toppings for an additional $1. If you partner it up with the coconut-milk vegan soft serve, it's just like an old-school creamsicle.

    Bellagreen, the healthy concept, has a new winter menu. Dishes include tortilla soup with black beans, quinoa, corn, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, garlic, adobo sauce, and spices, topped with house-made tortilla strips; quinoa & pomegranate salad with mixed greens, arugula, pears, oranges, and pistachios; Paleo chicken enchiladas with quinoa salad and zesty slaw; redfish topped with spicy poblano pepper sauce, served with tender fingerling potatoes and roasted broccoli; and flourless chocolate cake. Guests can order directly from bellagreen.com for pick up or delivery, and get a low price guarantee when they order directly from the brand.

    The Crescent Club at the Hotel Crescent Court, Dallas' most exclusive private members-only club, has launched a bottomless lobster brunch every Sunday from 10:30 am-2 pm featuring an unlimited seafood-centric buffet featuring fresh lobster, fish, shrimp and oysters; made-to-order omelets; waffles, pancakes, Danishes and muffins; roast sirloin, turkey breast, and brisket; and a kids' menu with chicken fingers, mac and cheese ,and PB&J sandwiches. Other offerings include sausage, bacon, sweet potatoes, and kale hash, desserts, and stunning views of the Dallas skyline. For the public, the brunch is $75 per person for adults (including two mimosas) and $55 for children ages 12 and under.

    Newk's Eatery has a new Cauliflower Pizza Crust that it can be added to any pie on the menu for an extra $3. Newk's is also introducing an Under 600 Calorie menu, where guests can enjoy a half-sandwich, half-soup or salad combo, or a full bowl of soup and a half-salad. View the full listing of menu items at newks.com/wholesome.

    BurgerFi has a new Frozen Hot Chocolate Shake featuring chocolate custard made with Ghirardelli Chocolate, topped with large toasted marshmallows. Available at all BurgerFi locations through February 16.

    Ocean Prime Dallas is offering 10 menu items for $10 in celebration of their 10th year anniversary. This limited time special is available until February 14, and includes a collection of cocktails plus goat cheese ravioli, sushi, ahi tuna tartar, 10-layer carrot cake, and peanut-butter torte.

    Bartaco introduces a new secret taco, the Chile-Lime Shrimp, which is available until March 31. The new taco features chile-lime marinated shrimp, vegetable escabeche and is topped with a pepita salsa macha.

    Fat Straws, the bubble tea concept known for its boba tea and chewy puff donuts (formerly known as mochi doughnuts), is featuring a limited-time Lunar New Year red and gold doughnut, available Friday-Sunday until February 8 at all four Fat Straws locations, or pre-ordered in limited quantities. A single doughnut is $2.50, or $25 per dozen. In addition, Fat Straws will pop-up at Highland Park Village farmers market on February 8 from 4–8 p.m. serving puff doughnuts and bubble teas.

    Doc B's is running a special chocolate cake in honor of founder Craig Bernstein's dad, Dr. Robert Bernstein, aka "Doc B's," who was a champion of Craig's dream but never saw it come to fruition before passing away from cancer in 2010. For every slice of Rob's Double Decker Chocolate Cake ordered during February, they'll donate $5 to the American Brain Tumor Association.

    Jasper's Uptown newest addition to the team, Chef Yia Medina. Chef Yia was born and raised in Puerto Rico and moved to Texas after Hurricane Maria. Chef Yia is adding new, playful items to the brunch menu including: BAE, which are bacon and eggs, duh, but candied bacon suspended from a guitar string above deviled eggs filled with refreshing lime guacamole; and a waffle BLT.

    Bullion chef Bruno Davaillon is taking on a new role as creative advisor, and stepping back from day-to-day operations. He’ll continue to work in tandem with the Bullion team and Jason Cotton, VP of hospitality for Labora Group, who will take on all day-to-day operations while Bullion searches for a new chef.

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    BBQ News

    Which BBQ joints from Dallas might make Texas Monthly's new top 10

    Eric Sandler
    May 23, 2025 | 5:03 pm
    Cattleack Barbeque
    Cattleack
    undefined

    The world of Texas barbecue is shivering with anticipation. On Tuesday, May 27, Texas Monthly will publish its latest ranking of the state’s 50 best barbecue joints.

    Released every four years, the list is considered by many to be the definitive guide to Texas barbecue. Part of that authority comes from the effort Texas Monthly puts into traveling across the state in search of the best smoked meats, sides, and desserts. For the 2021 edition, the magazine enlisted 35 writers to visit more than 400 restaurants. While the numbers on the 2025 edition won’t be revealed until next week, readers can expect a similar, or perhaps even more exhaustive, effort this time around.

    In that spirit, let’s make some predictions about what the 2025 list may look like. While I don’t have any specific insight into the thinking of Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn, I am a voracious reader of his work and a native Texan who enjoys a good barbecue road trip. The predictions below are based on my analysis of Texas Monthly’s previous lists and visits to most of the places I think will be in the top 10.

    Let’s be clear. The state of Texas barbecue has never been more competitive, because barbecue restaurants have never worked harder to impress diners. In 2017, a restaurant that served prime meats, cooked with wood, and made respectable sides had a high probability of making the top 50. In 2021, a lot of those places fell off in favor of establishments that both cooked a wider range of proteins than the traditional beef brisket, pork ribs, and sausage and put more personality into their sides, and, for the first time, desserts.

    In 2025, those restaurants are being challenged by places that go a little further. Many are open for lunch and dinner — something that was essentially unthinkable in 2017. More and more are incorporating flavors from a diverse array of culinary traditions, including Mexican, Vietnamese, Persian, and more. The best places are making their own breads, whether it’s dinner rolls, pita, or tortillas. Whatever Texas Monthly decides, vigorous debate will surely follow.

    Examining the changes from 2017 to 2021 provides a basis for predicting 2025.

    No sacred cows
    Barbecue joints do not earn a place on the list based on reputation or historical significance. In 2021, the magazine included a whopping 29 new entries, including five of the coveted top 10. Icons like Cooper’s in Llano and Kreuz Market in Lockhart gave way to newcomers like Austin’s Interstellar, which ranked No. 2 — pushing the legendary Franklin Barbecue to No. 7. Even a spot in the previous edition’s top 10 doesn’t guarantee a place in the new top 50.

    Youth will be served
    The magazine’s 2023 list of the The 25 Best New and Improved BBQ Joints in Texas provides some insight into who will make the top 50. Expect at least one member of the new top 10 to have opened since the publication of the 2023 list.

    Michelin who?
    Barbecue restaurants earned 28 of the 117 entries in the first Texas edition of the Michelin Guide, including four restaurants that received stars (out of 15 total). That probably won’t matter much to Texas Monthly, which uses its own criteria to evaluate barbecue joints. In other words, Spring’s CorkScrew BBQ may have a Michelin star, but it probably isn’t returning to the TxMo top 10.

    Expect surprises
    The magazine likes to lead opinions rather than follow conventional wisdom. That tradition goes back to at least 2008, when Snow’s in Lexington became the surprise No. 1. In 2021, both Goldee’s and Interstellar were surprise picks to rank No. 1 and No. 2, but they’ve both flourished in the spotlight created by Texas Monthly’s acclaim. Somewhere in Texas, a barbecue joint no one predicts is about to have its fortunes forever changed with a spot in the top 10.

    Predicting the top 10

    Similar to my predictions for the Michelin Guide, I decided to look at the Texas Monthly list from a sports betting perspective. Certain restaurants are more likely to rank highly than others, after all. In the spirit, I’ve divided the restaurants into three categories: Locks, Probably, and Fingers Crossed. Each category is presented in alphabetical order.

    Before diving in, a special shoutout to Bryan Norton and Andrew Martinez of the Tales From the Pits podcast. Outside of Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn, no one I know visits as many barbecue joints or thinks as deeply about their quality. Listen to their recent episodes detailing their top 15 Texas barbecue joints and Texas Monthly top 50 predictions for more insight.

    Locks

    Burnt Bean Co.: The Seguin restaurant was less than a year old when it ranked No. 4 on the 2021 list. Since then, co-owners Ernest Servantes and David Kirkland have rolled out their essential Sunday breakfast service, where Servantes puts a barbecue spin on iconic dishes such as huevos rancheros and lamb barbacoa. It’s my current pick for the best in Texas.

    Goldee’s: The reigning No. 1 has only gotten better since 2021 as co-owners Jalen Heard, Lane Milne, and Jonny White have integrated the lessons they learned working at some of the state’s top joints with their own personalities. Located near Fort Worth, they do it all, from housemade bread to creative sides to adding international flavors like the Thai-style waterfall pulled pork I sampled on a recent visit.

    LeRoy and Lewis: Ranked No. 5 in 2021, the Austin restaurant moved from a food truck to a polished brick-and-mortar in 2024. Now open for lunch and dinner six days a week, the restaurant’s refined offerings include beef cheeks, whole hog, cauliflower burnt ends, and a top-flight burger. Its Friday night steak special, available by reservation only, is the stuff carnivore dreams are made of.

    Probably

    Barbs B Q: The restaurant brings new school cred to Lockhart. Not only did pitmaster Chuck Charnichart hone her skills at Goldee’s, she brings personality to the menu with touches like fresh lime zest on the pork ribs and the signature green spaghetti, a chile-spiced ode to her hometown of Brownsville. This is the restaurant from the 2023 new and improved list that seems most likely to crack the top 10.

    Cattleack: Ranked in the top 10 in both 2017 (No. 3) and 2021 (No. 6), it’s hard to imagine that the best barbecue in Dallas falls out of the top 10. The restaurant is open more days per week than ever before, and its menu remains as wide-ranging as ever, with seven full-time proteins that are joined by weekly specials.

    Redbird: Barbecue enthusiasts statewide have been making the pilgrimage to the East Texas town of Port Neches (near Beaumont) to try pitmaster Amir Jalali’s creations. Not only did he train at both Feges BBQ in Houston and Goldee’s, he’s embraced the full DIY experience with housemade dinner rolls, a Caesar salad-inspired riff on coleslaw, and a Persian-influenced beef koobideh sausage that’s served with housemade pita bread. Houstonians looking for a barbecue adventure — or a detour on their way to a Louisiana casino — should make the journey.

    Truth: Ranked No. 3 in 2021, the Houston location of Leonard Botello IV’s joint continues to expand its vision of Texas barbecue. The restaurant is now open for dinner, serves a first-rate burger, and recently added new tastes such as the cold smoked, cornmeal-crusted pork chop that’s absolutely can’t-miss. Houstonians might make Texas Monthly bonfires in the parking lot if it’s left off the list.

    Fingers Crossed

    Bar-A-BBQ: Located outside Houston in Montgomery, pitmaster Cooper Abercrombie earned a spot on the new and improved list for well-executed sausages, creative sides, and Saturday morning breakfast service that includes breakfast tacos and kolaches. This one feels a little like Tejas, where the magazine bets that an up-and-comer is ready to make the leap to barbecue royalty.

    Dayne’s: Since making the top 50 in 2021, the Fort Worth-area favorite has stepped up its game by moving from a food truck to a brick-and-mortar in the suburb of Aledo. Known for its creative sausages and award-winning burger, the restaurant may have done enough to force its way into the top 10.

    Interstellar: Ranked No. 2 and sporting a Michelin star, John Bates brings a fine dining pedigree and a chef’s knack for innovation to his Austin-area restaurant. Signatures like peach-tea brined pork belly and pulled lamb shoulder remain as vital as ever. Falling out of the top 10 would be pretty unlikely, but someone’s got to make room for the newcomers.

    Sabar: Like Barbs and Redbird, this Fort Worth-area food truck is led by a Goldee’s alum in Zain Shafi. The Pakistani-influenced menu broadens the range of Texas barbecue with dishes such as nihari burnt ends, tandoori turkey, and seekh kebab sausage. Goldee’s co-owner Lane Milne strongly encouraged me to add Sabar to my Fort Worth itinerary — maybe he was trying to give me a hint that its line was about to get a lot longer.

    Snow’s and Franklin: Arguably the two most famous Texas barbecue joints in the world, they topped the 2017 list and ranked No. 9 and No. 7, respectively, in 2021. No one’s saying they’ve gotten worse — just look at the massive number of people who still line up at both restaurants — but the newer joints are serving so much more expansive menus (at just as high a level of quality) that it’s hard to see both staying in the top 10.

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