Sports Bar

Baton Rouge sports bar owned by NFL superstar makes its Dallas walk-on

Got some fried food here.

Photo courtesy of Walk-Ons

UPDATE (January 16, 2019): Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar will open January 21 at 3165 Regent Blvd., Irving. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 am, and the first 100 guests will receive prizes. Visit their Facebook page for more information.

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There's a new sports bar-restaurant coming to Dallas-Fort Worth that's co-owned by an actual NFL player. Called Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar, it's a Baton Rouge-based chain that will make its debut in Irving, at 3165 Regent Blvd., in fall 2018.

Walk-On's is co-owned by New Orleans Saints superstar Drew Brees and features Louisiana cuisine and a full bar in a game-day atmosphere. Brees and his wife, Brittany, bought in as co-owners in 2015.

"We are thrilled not just to bring this incredible restaurant to Irving, but to have the honor of opening the first Walk-On's in the DFW Metroplex," says co-franchisee Joshua Allen in a release. "Everything about it is superior to the typical sports bar, from the incredible food and wide array of cocktails and craft beers, to the family-friendly sports atmosphere and commitment to outstanding customer service."

Texas has been a priority expansion market ever since the company started franchising, says Brandon Landry, who co-founded the company with college friend Jack Warner in 2003. Both were aspiring athletes who joined Louisiana State University's basketball team as walk-ons. Thus the name. Which, in its current format, is kind of punctuation-challenged, what with the hyphen and the apostrophe.

And that's not even getting into the Lousiana-ized spelling of Bistreaux.

Walk-On's currently has 17 locations, including four in Baton Rouge, two in New Orleans, and one each in Lafayette, Houma, Shreveport, Lake Charles, Covington, Broussard, Alexandria, and Bossier City. There are also locations in Texas, in Lubbock, San Antonio, and Tyler, with more in the work for Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas.

The menu has fried seafood platters, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, and wraps. There are po'boys, gumbo, fried alligator, boudin balls, fried oysters, and crawfish etouffee.

Starters include waffle cheese fries, fried pickles, boneless wings, cheeseburger sliders, spinach-artichoke dip, and venison nachos.

Notable options with a twist include a cheeseburger wrap, a crawfish BLT, and a po'boy made with rib eye and Swiss cheese. And here's a thing: Their bread pudding is made with Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

sports

Restaurant closure

Beloved Japanese restaurant Mr. Max to close in Richardson after 2 years

Facebook/Mr. Max

Mr. Max in Richardson will close after February 28.

After nearly two years of slinging its sushi and skewers, beloved Japanese izakaya Mr. Max will depart Richardson at the end of the month.

The restaurant announced that it would shutter its location at 800 N. Coit Rd. in a Facebook post on February 21. The Richardson location of Mr. Max opened in July 2024, joining the Irving original that was founded by the late chef Hare Nakamura. In 2013, Mr. Max was acquired by the Las Vegas-based Mon Restaurant Group, which also brought Monta Ramen to Dallas the following year.

The group did not share a specific reason for Mr. Max’s Richardson closure. It comes less than two years after the original location was named as one of Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S., and earned a Restaurant of the Year nomination in CultureMap’s 2024 Tastemaker Awards.

“After much consideration, we share that Mr. Max Richardson will close its doors at the end of this month,” the restaurant posted. “Serving you has been a genuine privilege. Your smiles, celebrations, and continued patronage have meant more to us than words can express.”

Over the years, Mr. Max has earned a solid reputation as a destination for authentic izakaya style fare, attracting droves of diners who were willing to line up for its takoyaki and super-fresh sashimi, both perfect for pairing with an ice-cold Sapporo. Though some diners appreciated the grittier, older vibe of the Irving original, the Richardson restaurant managed to deliver the same quality and experience that turned Mr. Max into a DFW icon, making it equally likely to draw a crowd.

Fortunately for its fans, the restaurant confirmed that the Irving location is unaffected by the closure, though it’s not unreasonable to think that the lines at that might be even longer now that there’s only one remaining Mr. Max.

If you’re looking to dine at the Richardson location of Mr. Max one final time, there are still a few days left to swing by before the doors close for good after Saturday, February 28.

richardson closings