Tex-Mex News

Dallas Tex-Mex chain Uncle Julio's has a muy buena surprise for Frisco

Bacon-wrapped shrimp, or as we like to say, camarones envueltos en tocino.

Photo courtesy of Uncle Julio's

A famous Dallas Tex-Mex name is headed for where the action is: Uncle Julio's, the longtime Dallas chain, is opening a new location in Frisco, near Stonebriar Centre, at the intersection of Highway 121 and Preston Road.

According to a release, the restaurant is expected to open in the second half of 2022.

Like the food itself, the restaurant will be built from scratch, with more than 8,500 square feet plus a spacious 2,500-square-foot patio overlooking a pond. Outdoor spaces have become increasingly important, and the open area will accommodate outdoor celebrations, live music, game-watching parties, and more.

The first Uncle Julio’s opened in 1986. There are currently more than 30 locations, with seven around Dallas-Fort Worth including Lemmon Avenue, Keller Springs, Allen, Arlington, Grapevine, and Fort Worth.

Frisco's VP of operations John Johnson, a resident of Frisco, says in a statement that the city has been on their list.

"We have wanted to open in Frisco for years, and now with the perfect location, we have all the ingredients we need to create something truly special here," he says.

Menu favorites include made-to-order guacamole, margaritas muddled with fresh fruit, and mesquite-grilled meats.

Specials include Bacon Wrapped Camarones, which is a crafty mix of English and Spanish. "Camarones" being "shrimp." This dish has six shrimp stuffed with Monterey Jack and jalapeño, then wrapped in bacon. Did you know that bacon in Spanish is "tocineta"? The shrimp are served with guacamole, Mexican rice, and frijoles a la charra — there again! Another cunning English-Spanish mash-up, frijoles being Spanish for "beans."

CultureMap is muy bilingual, sí?

Other menu items include quesadillas, fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, salads, churros, sopapillas, and don't forget margaritas, which are well known in any language.

In more recent years, they've become known for their Chocolate Piñata, a handmade chocolate globe filled with churros and berries, with sauce and whipped cream, perfect not only for personal consumption but also for gatherings and Instagram moments.

openings tex-mex

Pizza News

Mountain Mike's slings its extra large pizzas at new McKinney location

Mountain Mike's

Mountain Mike's Pizza

A pizza chain from California famous for enormous pizzas is now open in McKinney: Mountain Mike’s Pizza is officially slinging the pies in a new shopping center at 4590 W. University Dr., where it opened July 14.

Mountain Mike’s, is a family-style pizza chain known for its crispy, curly cupped pepperoni as well as its 20-inch pizzas. This is their 11th location in Texas and ninth in DFW; the first Texas location debuted in Lewisville in 2022.

Their menu includes classics like all-meat, vegetarian, and loaded, with meat and veggie. Other pizzas include:

BBQ at the Ranch: chicken, bacon, tomato, and onion on BBQ sauce with ranch dressing
Snowy Alps: pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, Italian sausage, green onions and diced tomatoes on creamy garlic sauce
Pineapple Chicken Luau: chicken, bacon, and pineapple on BBQ sauce

Prices range from $7 for a 6-inch mini to a 14-inch large for $23 to the 20 incher which start at $37.

They also offer boneless and bone-in wings, plus salads, mozzarella sticks, crinkle-cut wedge potato fries, desserts, beer, and wine.

The McKinney location spans 3,000 square feet, with seven big-screen TVs, a giant video wall, kids’ arcade, and a large patio with yard games like outdoor corn hole.

Bringing the restaurant to McKinney are franchisees Hector Haget and Khris Tate, who own other concepts north of Dallas such as Cilantro Taco Grill. According to a release, they also plan to open an additional Mountain Mike’s Pizza in Prosper next year.

“Mountain Mike’s stands out in the crowded pizza category by combining premium ingredients, generous portions and a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere, and we see tremendous opportunity to build on the brand’s strong momentum and create new gathering places where the community can come together over a high-quality, memorable dining experience,” Haget says in a statement.

Mountain Mike’s was founded in 1978 in Palo Alto, California. It now has 300 restaurants across California, Texas, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Idaho.

pizza openings