Glitzy News

Glitzy Houston restaurant-club shimmies into old Circo space in Uptown Dallas

Some more glitz is coming to a glitz-laden address in Uptown Dallas.

Photo courtesy of Bisou

A high-energy restaurant and bar from Houston is coming to Dallas, fearlessly taking over an infamous Uptown Dallas address: Bisou, a concept from Houston nightclub kingpins the Clé Group, will open at 2619 McKinney Ave., in the One Uptown building.

This is the spot that was previously home to Circo, the glitzy-but-doomed Dallas offshoot of New York restaurant Le Cirque, which closed in 2019 after less than a year.

According to a spokesperson, Bisou Dallas is slated to open in spring, by late April or early May.

French for "kiss" and pronounced "bee-sue," Bisou is a French-inspired restaurant whose goal is to bring "an unparalleled combination of Continental cuisine and curated entertainment, with classic cocktails, an extensive wine list, and champagne magnums served up in a sleek contemporary interior."

Dubbed a "clubstaurant" by Houston CultureMap writer Eric Sandler, the restaurant has a lively scene that includes not only magnums of champagne but also the requisite Female Employees Walking Through The Club With Lit Sparklers.

The Clé Group opened the original location in Houston's River Oaks District in 2018 — their third concept in a portfolio that also includes popular Houston nightclubs Clé and Spire.

Clé Group partner Zach Truesdell says their goal is to be considered a restaurant, but also a place for birthdays and celebrations, with a club vibe on weekend nights and a festive Sunday brunch that Truesdell describes as "La Strada with bottle service."

But they also have a credentialed chef: Frédéric Perrier, a native of Lyon, France, and veteran on Houston's restaurant scene who holds the prestigious title of Maîtres des Cuisiniers de France (Master Chef of France).

His French-influenced menu includes

truffle mushroom risotto
roast chicken for two
flounder with lobster risotto
escargot with bone marrow
pork belly with pork dumplings

Entrees range from $18 for a burger to $39 for Korean short ribs with house-made kimchi and baby bok choi.

In 2019, they also added sushi, blending French and Japanese techniques in a selection of creative maki and nigiri.

The spokesperson said that the Dallas menu, atmosphere, and mission would be similar to the original in Houston.

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Eric Sandler contributed to this story.

nightlife uptown cocktails

Gumbo News

Celeb-owned sports bar Walk-On's is bringing more gumbo to Dallas

Photo courtesy of Walk-Ons

Walk-On's brings all the fried delights.

A Cajun sports bar-restaurant concept with celebrity ties is opening a new location northeast of Dallas: Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar, the Baton Rouge-based chain founded by Brandon Landry and co-owned by New Orleans Saints superstar Drew Brees, will open in Wylie in a newly constructed space at 906 W. FM 544.

According to a spokesperson, it'll open in summer 2026.

Walk-On's features Louisiana cuisine and a full bar in a game-day atmosphere. Food is made from scratch, with a diverse menu featuring twists on game-day staples and upscale takes on Louisiana mainstays such as crawfish etouffee or duck & Andouille gumbo.

According to the company history, Walk-Ons was concepted on the back of a napkin by LSU walk-on basketball players Brandon Landry and Jack Warner, who opened the first location in Baton Rouge in 2003. Franchise partners include not only co-owner Drew Brees but also celebrity athlete franchisees Dak Prescott, Derrick Brooks, and football coach Dabo Swinney.

The menu has seafood and classic Louisiana dishes: fried seafood platters, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, po'boys, fried oysters, gumbo, fried alligator, and boudin balls. Prices range from $10 to $20.

Starters include waffle cheese fries, fried pickles, boneless wings, cheeseburger sliders, spinach-artichoke dip, and venison nachos. They have a bread pudding made with Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

This is not Walk-On's first foray into Dallas-Fort Worth. There's a location at 5774 Grandscape Blvd. in the Colony, which opened in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, and is thriving. With many Louisiana transplants and fans living among us, Dallas has a big appetite for this kind of food. Not to mention its family-friendly atmosphere and plentiful selection of beers on tap, margaritas, and other crafty-ish cocktails.

The chain opened two other DFW locations, including the first that opened in the Dallas area in Las Colinas in 2018, followed by Arlington in 2019. Both of those locations have since closed, although Arlington is looking to reopen at a different address, the spokesperson says.

In 2024, the company introduced a new smaller footprint, around 3,600 square feet — about a third the size of an old-school Walk-On's. The Wylie restaurant will come in at about 5,400 square feet.

There are 12 Walk-On's across Texas, including Tyler and San Antonio, and nearly 80 locations total.

openings bars celebrities cajun