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News You Can Eat

9 openings make this roundup of Dallas restaurant news a must-read

Teresa Gubbins
Feb 16, 2022 | 3:52 pm
rest news
To taste this scrumptious dish, you'll need to get over to Punch Bowl Social stat.
Courtesy photo

This roundup of Dallas restaurant news has all of the exciting developments in Dallas dining that every roundup delivers: new menus, chef appointments, limited-edition dishes you must hurry to try before they disappear.

But this roundup is particularly heavy on openings, with nine restaurants that have made their debut or are in the works.

Here's everything that's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Knife, the steakhouse by Chef John Tesar located at The Highland hotel, is reopening for lunch, but with a new dual personality: During the daytime, it'll operate as Knife Burger, Tesar's burger spinoff, serving burgers and salads, Tuesdays-Sundays 11:30 am–2 pm. That means The Ozersky with American cheese and red onion, arguably his best burger; The Magic with cheddar cheese and bacon on an English muffin; Pimento Cheese burger; Beef Cheek with truffle mayo; and The Rib with short rib, collard greens, and horseradish mayo. New options include Patty Melt, lobster roll, and the 44 Farms Hot Dog with cheese, sauerkraut, onion, jalapenos, and optional chili. There'll still be a couple steaks such as filet, steak au poivre, and bone-in rib eye, and they've brought back salads including yay the watercress, plus wedge and Caesar.

Roots Market and Juicery opened a new location at 4164 N. Central Expy., at the corner of Fitzhugh Avenue. Roots was founded by ex-stockbroker Brent Rodgers, and has a location in Lakewood at 1906 Abrams Pkwy., as well as a location in Atlanta. They've expanded their offerings beyond their original menu of pressed juices and smoothies, now stocking CBD products, ready-to-eat vegan meals, produce, clean wines, and more, in the Fitzhugh market and online.

Fortune House, a Chinese restaurant in Irving owned by John Kim that specializes in Shanghai dishes such as fried pork buns, soup dumplings, and noodles, will open a location on Greenville Avenue, in the space previously occupied by the short-lived Gung Ho.

Gloria's Latin Cuisine, the Salvadoran/Tex-Mex chain, has opened a new location in Prosper, at 1110 S. Preston Rd., #10, in the Gates of Prosper. Gloria's was conceived by Gloria and Jose Fuentes and borne out of the traditions of El Salvador. This is their 23rd location — they're in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, all the cities where CultureMap has a bureau, hey now — and features Salvadoran-inspired art, outdoor patio, upscale bar, margaritas, and their famous Black Bean Dip.

Texas Pho House opened at 9144 Presmont Pl. #200, Frisco across the street from a center with Ranch Market and Daiso, serving pho, stews, noodle soups, banh mi, salads, and appetizers.

Freebirds World Burrito is opening a location in downtown Dallas at 2000 Ross Ave. #190, which CEO Alex Eagle calls "a major moment" for the company. The opening will be marked with a day-long celebration on Monday, February 28, with the first 25 guests in line receiving free burritos for a year.

Wingstop has opened a first-of-its-kind prototype restaurant which allows for testing new equipment and layouts and serves as an innovation lab, along with the regular menu in delivery and carryout-only format. Located at 5535 W. Lovers Ln. #B, it comprises 1,300 square feet, nearly 400 square feet less than a typical Wingstop and will serve as a blueprint for restaurants to come. This includes a lobby without tables, digital-focused ordering, cashless environment, a focus on sustainability (including Energy Star equipment and grease extraction), and new sustainable uniforms manufactured from recycled water bottles. Founded in 1994, Wingstop's menu has wings, boneless wings, tenders, thighs, and thigh bites.

Harvey B's has opened a location in Garland, at 6850 N. Shiloh Rd. #U, by the Kroger off of George Bush Highway. Harvey B's first opened in 2015 as a burger joint in East Dallas (originally called Harvey G's), from Barry Brown, the ex-owner of Barbec's. The Garland location is a franchise, but with most of the same dishes including burgers, chicken sandwiches, chili cheese dogs, Frito pie, tater tots, and cheddar spiral fries, and then some, including po'boys and a 3-piece fish fry.

Wu Wei Din, the Chinese restaurant at 2909 W. 15th St., Plano, has opened a new location at at 2505 S. Stemmons Fwy., in Lewisville, in the former TGI Friday's next to Costco. Their specialties include beef noodle soup, pork chop fried rice, and soup dumplings.

Zalat Pizza is opening a takeout-only location in Allen at 950 W. Stacy Rd. in March.

Khao Noodle Shop, the small East Dallas restaurant founded by chef Donny Sirisavath, has closed. Sirisavath shared news of the closure on social media, calling it "a crazy fun ride" and "an end to this chapter, but a new beginning of another."

Perry's Steakhouse is featuring two limited-edition bar offerings during February: The Mini Martini Trio includes three 2.5-ounce pours of the Perry Berry Mule, Lavender Bee Mine, and Bubbly Black Rose for $15. A Reserve Red Flight has three 2-ounce pours of Perry’s Reserve Pinot Noir, Perry’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and Perry’s Reserve Big Red Blend for $25.

Dive Coastal Cuisine is featuring food and wine specials during February, including cleansing chopped salad, PEI mussels, turkey veggie chili, white bean & kale soup, halibut, blackened Bay of Fundy salmon, redfish, and mahi mahi. They're also offering half-priced bottles of wine for all dinner service.

Toyota Stadium in Frisco has a new menu for 2022 which they’ll debut on February 26 when FC Dallas plays Toronto, that includes a barbacoa taco, firecracker chicken on a stick, jalapeño pimiento cheeseburger, veggie black bean burger with guacamole, ultimate tachos — nachos but made with tater tots — a roasted veggie wrap with hummus, a Mex Dog with queso, and Buffalo chicken nachos.

Punch Bowl Social Dallas has a new menu with items such as shrimp lettuce wraps, green chorizo fries, bacon-wrapped shrimp & polenta, beet salad, and grilled chicken sandwich, plus chicken & biscuits at brunch.

Scout at the Statler Dallas has added arcade games and billiards, free with food and beverage purchase, in addition to bowling for $15 an hour. Nightly specials include $3 pints, $4 house wine, and $19.56 rotating pitchers.

Schlotzsky's is teaming with Joey Fatone to launch the new Fatone Calzone inspired by the former boy band superstar (NSync) and his love for Italian flavors, plus two additional calzones, the BBQ Chicken and the French Dip, starting at $10.29. The Fatone Calzone has ham, Genoa and Cotto salami, pepperoni, and mozzarella and parmesan cheeses paired with a marinara dipping sauce. The French Dip has roast beef, mushrooms, onions, and mozzarella cheese with au jus. The BBQ Chicken Calzone has chicken, bacon, mozzarella, cheddar, BBQ sauce, red onions, and pickled jalapeños.

Carrabba's Italian Grill has new dishes for Lent including Champagne pasta with shrimp, featuring linguine pasta tossed with shrimp in champagne cream sauce with red bell peppers and mushrooms.

Quiznos has brought back the Lobster Classic Sub with lobster-seafood salad and shredded lettuce on toasted Italian white bread; and the Old Bay Lobster Club, which has Old Bay seasoning, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and spicy mayo.

On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina has two new margarita flavors: The SkyRita is a grande frozen house margarita topped with a citrus wheat Blue Moon Light Sky beer. The Mangonada is a sweet mango margarita combined with chamoy and spicy Tajin Clasico Seasoning.

Bread Zeppelin has been named one of America’s Hottest Startup Fast Casuals by QSR, the quick-service industry’s leading trade publication. The 40 brands on the list have less than 40 locations, and also include Grub Burger from Bryan, Loro from Austin, Son of a Butcher from Dallas, and Grumps Burgers in Granbury.

Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas has appointed Tony France as their first new executive chef in more than two decades. A California native, France previously cooked at a private club in Hollywood, then moved on to hotels in Marina del Rey, Palm Desert, and Santa Barbara, where he worked at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara. He'll oversee four restaurants and bars including Law, Outlaw Taproom, plus Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club members-only dining outlets, private dining, in-room dining, and banquet operations. He joins executive sous chef Nicholas Trosien, Law chef de cuisine Paolo Gama, and executive pastry chef Yudith Bustos.

news-you-can-eat
news/restaurants-bars

Losing some spice

Beloved neighborhood taqueria to close after 37 years in Dallas' Oak Cliff

Christina Hughes Babb
Oct 12, 2026 | 5:23 pm
​Cafeteria y Loncheria El Padrino
Facebook/El Padrink
Cafeteria y Loncheria El Padrino will close its doors at the end of 2026, following 37 years serving the neighborhood.

An Oak Cliff taqueria will close its doors at the end of 2026, ending nearly 37 years serving the neighborhood. Cafeteria y Loncheria El Padrino, the brightly painted-brick gem at 408 W. Jefferson Blvd., will lose its lease at the end of December, according to Juan Contreras, son of the restaurant's owner.

Contreras confirmed to CultureMap that property managers will not renew his father's lease and have given the restaurant less than three months to vacate.

“Honestly it’s not a surprise,” Contreras says in an Instagram post. “With Bishop Arts and all the development interest around it, something was bound to happen eventually.”

The little restaurant sits at the end of a row of thrift and quinceañera dress shops, a few blocks from Bishop Avenue and the evolving Bishop Arts District.

Contreras, who shares his father's name, says the little Oak Cliff El Padrino was his dad’s first restaurant. “His dream," Contreras notes. "He’s been feeding this neighborhood since 1989.”

The family later opened a second location in Pleasant Grove.

Both restaurants are beloved for their welcoming atmosphere and unfussy, authentic Mexican fare.

"As a small business in Oak Cliff, we know what it means to be part of a community. Our neighbors are not just customers .. they are family," notes a Facebook post from the taqueria.

While handmade tortillas and tacos are staples, customers also come for antojitos — or "little cravings" — such as guacamole, menudo, pan dulce, queso, French fries, and chips. Heartier options include machacado (shredded meat) and eggs with bacon strips and cheese in the beans.

Regulars know, love, and fear the camarones a la diabla — shrimp that made a deal with the devil — with shellfish "swimming in salsa roja so picante, it’ll make your abuela say '¡Ay, Dios mío!'," says El Padrio's Facebook page. They recommend ordering a cold agua fresca de piña bien before taking a bite: "That sweet pineapple coolness is your lifesaver."

The younger Contreras, who is involved in local advocacy and community organizing, says the history of Oak Cliff — particularly the area around his father’s restaurant — illustrates the less welcome side of neighborhood revitalization.

“This has been building for years. Elected officials and interest groups sell you a beautiful picture of what a neighborhood can become," he says in his social media post. "What they leave out is that the people who stayed and kept these neighborhoods alive when nobody else wanted them are usually the ones priced out or pushed aside for ‘better’ tenants.”

The elder Contreras came to the U.S. "with nothing but his hands and the hope that his kids would have it easier than he did," says the son, "the way so many of our fathers did."

Unless something changes before the end of the year, the Oak Cliff location will continue operating throughout 2026, Contreras says. The Pleasant Grove location will remain open and unaffected, he adds.

“If you’re one of the Oak Cliff regulars or you’ve been meaning to stop by, now’s the time,” he says. “Come eat, order out, and tell your friends. Every visit means a lot to my dad right now.”

Hope is not entirely lost for the owner and local fans of his restaurant, Contreras says. The Contreras family has weathered its share of challenges and does not intend to give up on Oak Cliff easily. They just need to find an appropriate and affordable space from which to operate.

“This isn’t our first rodeo. If you know of a move-in-ready space in Oak Cliff where my dad can plug in and cook, send me a message," he says.

dallas gentrification jefferson avenue oak cliff restaurant closings shrimp tacos taqueria cafeteria y loncheria el padrino closings
news/restaurants-bars
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