Farewell Wayward Sons

Hip Dallas restaurant on Greenville Avenue lays weary head to rest

Wayward Sons, grits and Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts were one of the many cool items on the menu.

Photo courtesy of Wayward Sons

Greenville Avenue restaurant Wayward Sons has closed, via a release from owners Brandon Hays, Phil Schanbaum, and chef Graham Dodds. The restaurant closed on Valentine's Day, which Hays says was serendipitous.

"It's fitting that we closed Wayward Sons on a day that revolves around love," he says. "The amount of love that went into this project is unparalleled to anything I have ever done before, and I know my partners Phil and Graham feel the same way."

The restaurant opened in late 2015 with a fair bit of buzz, thanks to the hip credits of its owners and the following of chef Dodds, formerly of Bolsa, Central 214, and Hibiscus, and one of the city's most acclaimed chefs.

Hays and Phillip Schanbaum built a reputation for a growing portfolio of bars, some with food, including So & So’s on McKinney Avenue, and Whippersnapper on Henderson Avenue.

Dodds continued his mission of championing seasonality and local ingredients with signature dishes such as Windy Meadows chicken and dumplings and a burger made of beef from Texas-based 44 Farms.

The restaurant also cultivated a vegetarian following, with menu items such as grits with Brussels sprouts, mushroom tamales, and a vegetarian "charcuterie," with house-made lentil sausage.

"I had hoped we would be a neighborhood staple for the long-term," Dodds says. "I will miss my staff, a very dedicated and diverse group of passionate and hardworking folks, the most."

Hays says it was a dream come true to open Wayward Sons, and thanks their partners and landlords, who "did everything they could to work with us," he says.

He also thanked the staff for working "tirelessly and eloquently," and "finally, to our guests who supported us, thank you."

closings

Times Square News

Dallas' buzzy Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley heads to Times Square

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Lobster tail at Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley

A downtown Dallas restaurant and nightspot is hitting the Big Apple: Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley, known for its Southern comfort food and clubby atmosphere, is opening a location in New York, in none other than Times Square.

According to a release, they'll occupy a 10,000-square-foot space that was formerly home to a restaurant called Pink Taco, at the corner of 42nd Street, Broadway, and Seventh Avenue. This will be their eighth location (with Boston also in the works), as well as the largest and most visible, and it's anticipated to open in summer 2026.

"Every city we've opened in has become home," Kelley says in a statement. "New York is where the world watches. Opening at Times Square isn't just an expansion — it's a statement. We built our way here, one city at a time, on our own terms. We can't wait to humbly welcome New York home."

Kelley was a driven entrepreneur and attorney new to the food & beverage world when he opened the first location in downtown Dallas at 1933 Elm St. in 2020. It immediately drew a refreshingly integrated crowd with its mix of Southern comfort food — shrimp & grits and fried catfish are specialties — with Kelley savoring his role as the man on the scene, walking the floor to welcome guests, which often include Black celebrities and athletes.

Kelley's culinary story began in the South, under the guidance of his grandmother who taught him not just recipes but reverence for good ingredients, Southern traditions, and the art of hospitality.

The menu is anchored by soul food traditions elevated with refined technique and bold flavor in dishes such as Fried Chicken and Waffles, Blackened Shrimp and Grits with Lobster Tail, and Jamaican Jerk Lamb Chops. Cocktails include Peach D'Ussé Frosé, Gold Old Fashioned, and a Blackberry Margarita.

Since the concept debuted in Dallas, Kelley has opened locations in Chicago, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Miami, with Boston also opening Summer 2026.

Every location features an iconic rose wall as well as live music — drawing celebrities such as Jesse Jackson, Tina Knowles, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Meg Thee Stallion, Klay Thompson, 50 Cent, Joseph Sikora, Phylicia Rashad, Malik Nabers, Dak Prescott, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Maxey, Kawhi Leonard, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and a host of entertainers, athletes, and cultural icons.

Reservations opened on May 5 at kitchenkocktailsusa.com/newyork.

celebrities openings