Don't read this roundup of Dallas restaurant news on an empty stomach, as there are potential tidbits that could make said stomach growl, especially if you like ice cream or boba tea or pho or Starbucks beverages or really, food of any kind. The roundup includes quite a few openings, a closing, and a variety of new dishes.
Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurants:
Rapscallion, a restaurant on Greenville Avenue from the owners of Boulevardier and Hillside Tavern, closed on May 14 after seven years. They announced their closure on Facebook. An email to co-owner Brooks Anderson produced this unsatisfying response: "Great employees, great regulars, great landlord. All good things must come to an end, and it was time to make a difficult decision. No regrets!" One might speculate it was sudden, since they were still doing "come eat here" Facebook posts the day before; but considering their tight handle on intel, it would be in character for them not to tip off ahead of time. Located next-door to Trader Joe's, the building they're in is a three-pronged space that has experienced turnover, with departures that include BB Bop and Yucatan Taco Stand, replaced by Hinodeya Ramen and Manpuku, and the Rapscallion space seems unlikely to stay vacant for long.
Scout, the restaurant at the Statler Dallas hotel, has opened an outpost at the River Walk in Central Park, Flower Mound's new entertainment district, joining siblings Primo's MX Kitchen & Lounge and Sfereco, as well as River Walk Chapel and Reception Hall, already open on the site. The menu is a real departure from the original with dishes such as Bison Meatloaf Patty Melt, Pork Belly Scooby Snacks, and Braised Short Rib Stroganoff.
The Dolly Llama, a small L.A.-based dessert shop chain with waffles and ice cream, has a date for its Dallas debut. The shop will open in Uptown at 2817 Howell St. #210 on Saturday, May 28, beginning at 12 pm when the first 100 customers get a free T-shirt and other swag. They do both Belgian waffles using traditional methods, and the Hong Kong Bubble Waffle, prepared with a special batter that produces a unique crispy and custard-like texture. The Dallas franchise is from husband and wife Trenton and Joy Judson.
7 Leaves Cafe is a coffee and tea shop opening in Grand Prairie at 2609 W. Pioneer Pkwy. #100 on May 21. Founded in California by seven Vietnamese-Americans, 7 Leaves serves coffee, tea, and boba teas made from raw ingredients such as pandan leaves, mung bean, taro root, and passion fruit producing flavors reminiscent of Vietnamese and Asian desserts. The menu includes 17 hot and cold coffees and teas like Green Thai Tea, a sweet creamy milk tea with jasmine tea; Mint Sereno with mint, cream, and brown sugar; Vietnamese Coffee; and Japanese Matcha Soy Tea. According to a release, the location is from Tony Nguyen and Danny Bui, who have locations in Frisco and Carrollton, but this is their first with a drive-thru. They're opening more locations in 2022 including one at 519 North Jupiter Rd. in Garland.
Wildwood Grill, a popular locally-owned Southern-themed chain with two locations, is ready to make it three. They're opening a location at the CityLine Market in Richardson, in a former Taco Diner at 1417 E Renner Rd. #300, in the CityLine Market next to Fish City Grill. Owners Dave & Mary Garner quit the corporate world to open the first Wildwood Grill in Southlake in 2009, then opened at Firewheel in Garland in 2017. They've become known not only for steaks cooked over oak and hickory, along with burgers, whiskey, and beer, but also for being a neighborhood- and family-friendly place with reliable food and doting service. A spokesperson says they're aiming to be open sometime in June.
Shawley Cafe is an Ethiopian restaurant that just opened on the east side of Richardson at 2146 E. Belt Line Rd., with a heavy emphasis on meat and beef including tibs (fried chunks of meat), shawarma, Ethiopian-style steak tartar, and beef cooked with collard greens, served in the traditional manner, without utensils, rolled on spongey injera bread and eaten with your hands.
Lone Spur Cafe is a breakfast-and-lunch chain based in Prescott, Arizona that's expanding to DFW suburbs such as Allen, Bedford, and Denton. It's open for breakfast and lunch with "cowboy food, great cowboy service, and genuine cowboy charm." They love mounting animal heads and other body parts. Allen has a dead bear pelt on the wall, and their Facebook page posted a video of a horse marching with the painful "walking" gait produced when trainers apply caustic substances to the horses' hooves, a practice now outlawed. The menu features egg dishes plus chicken-fried steak, burgers, and ribeye steaks. The Denton Record Chronicle says they're also opening locations in McKinney, Grapevine, and the Stockyards in Fort Worth.
The Alley Noodle Bar is an authentic new Vietnamese restaurant in McKinney at an equally new shopping center at 7701 Stacy Rd. #700 bringing noodles, pho, rice dishes, grilled meats, and spring rolls to McKinney. Signature dishes include shaken beef fried rice, and the "wok," a crispy chicken thigh with a sunny side egg over rice.
Sugar Ice Cream & Waffles is a new dessert shop with an Arabic twist, located in a McKinney center at 4701 Custer Rd. Menu items include "waffle panini," a waffle sandwich filled with fruit and chocolate sauce, and the pineapple magna, a hollowed-out pineapple filled with fruit, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. They also serve ice cream by the scoop and in confections such as milkshakes and banana splits. But their unique twist consists of Arabic-themed specials such as qatayef, a pancake with a hollowed-out center stuffed with luscious cream (although here they serve the cream on the side); madlouka, a simple but decadent pudding, topped with Arabic cream and pistachio; and Halawet El-jibn, luscious sweet cheese rolls filled with your choice of cream or ice cream.
Sēr Steak + Spirits, the steakhouse on the 27th floor of the Hilton Anatole Hotel, with unparalleled views of the Dallas skyline, has a new globally inspired menu reimagined by new executive chef Richard Hoffmann which centers around USDA Prime beef, American Texas Wagyu, and specialty game, plus diver scallops and a raw/chilled seafood tower appetizer with lobster medallions, oysters, salmon pastrami, yellow fin tuna, scallop ceviche, and colossal prawns.
Sfuzzi, the revered Italian restaurant that opened on Henderson Avenue in April, has launched weekend brunch Saturday-Sunday 11 am–3 pm. This is a big deal since they're in the old Capitol Pub, a space with a long tradition of brunch. The menu features Italian-inspired brunch dishes and unique mimosa options. Menu highlights include sausage hash, sausage egg McSfuzzi, Sfuzzi benny, egg white frittata, blueberry ricotta pancakes, bacon & egg croissant, breakfast calzone, and breakfast pizza. Cocktails include the Bloody Mama, Gondola Ranch Water, Boot-Kick Smash, and Mafialada, plus refreshing spritzes and mimosas including blood orange, botanical, pom pom, and classic.
Snooze an A.M. Eatery, the breakfast-and-lunch chain with robust brunch action, will launch a new menu on May 19 with Parmesan-Panko Crab Cake Benedict, Burrata & Prosciutto Toast, Monte Cristo Brioche French Toast, Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes, and more.
Lazy Dog Restaurant and its virtual concept, Jolene's Wings & Beer has a lineup of new menu items launching May 18: Street Corn Fries topped with mozzarella, tajín-lime sauce, charred sweet corn, tomatoes, queso blanco, and cilantro; and Spacedust Wings tossed in a combination of orange, Szechuan peppercorn, and chile spices.
Mendocino Farms has three summer entrées: Backyard BBQ Chicken Salad has chicken, black bean, corn & jicama succotash, Romaine, cabbage & kale slaw, red onion, grape tomatoes, BBQ corn nuts, mustard BBQ sauce, and buttermilk ranch. Heirloom BLT has Heirloom tomatoes, bacon, habanero honey, mayo, and arugula on toasted rustic white bread; and Summer Street Corn with Chicken Sandwich has chicken, creamy street corn, poblano & onion rajas, pickled red onion, tomato, Romaine, cilantro, and jalapeno salsa verde on a toasted sesame roll.
Modern Market, the excellently affordable fast-casual concept with five DFW locations including Preston Hollow Village at US-75 and Walnut Hill Lane, has brought back its cult classic Street Corn Pizza topped with Mexican-style street corn on a cheddar cream sauce with mozzarella, fresh jalapeño, chile powder, smoked crema, and cotija cheese. Like an elotes pizza, see. It's part of a new set of dishes for summer that include chile steak sandwich, supremo pizza, seared ahi salad, and kale Caesar side salad, although why you couldn't get two kale Caesar side salads and call it a main salad, I have no idea.
Rusty Taco has a new Southern Fried Chicken Taco with fried chicken, diced dill pickles, BBQ honey mustard, and slaw. The pickles and mustard are new, as is a Rusty Tango margarita with a sangria swirl.
Maple Leaf Diner, the Canadian-inspired diner in North Dallas, has a new Poutine of the Month for May: Buffalo Chicken Ranch Poutine topped with buffalo chicken, ranch, and chives for $13.
Luna Grill has two new wraps: hearty and comforting Mediterranean Chicken Wrap with kale medley, chickpea salad, and feta in a multigrain lavash; and the crunchy refreshing Apple Walnut Chicken Wrap with candied walnuts, apple slices, gorgonzola, cranberries, kale medley, and pomegranate dressing in a multigrain lavash. Priced at $10.49.
Melting Pot has a new Best Fondue Friends Forever three-course menu of cheese fondue, salad, and chocolate fondue, starting at $35. A four-course version for $47 includes an entrée. An enhanced selection of dippers includes prosciutto, pretzel bread, seasonal veggies & fruit, macarons, Oreo-dusted marshmallows, and fresh fruit. Shareable Sips is a new menu of cocktails such as Pink Crush, with New Amsterdam Pink Whitney Vodka and La Marca Prosecco.
Quiznos has introduced the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich in four different ways: with steak or chicken (that's two ways right there), and either as a Philly topped with melted white American cheese, peppers & onions, and sweet peppers, or the spicier Philly with Batch 83 four-pepper chili sauce. Their website says it's available for a limited time, how limited they do not say.
SusieCakes is offering unique limited-time seasonal cupcakes: Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes with grape jelly, topped with peanut butter buttercream and a jelly swirl; and Peanut Butter Cupcakes, a chocolate cupcake filled and frosted with peanut butter buttercream, available through May 22. Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes, a vanilla cupcake with fresh blueberries inside, filled and frosted with maple buttercream is available May 23-July 4, and a 7 Layer Bar with chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans on a graham cracker crust is available through June 5.
Starbucks has debuted two new year-round items: Chocolate Cream Cold Brew, featuring Cold Brew topped with chocolate cream cold-foam and sweetened with vanilla syrup. They say that the combination of coffee and chocolate, along with the malt flavor in the chocolate cream cold foam, is designed to evoke a chocolate malted milkshake or that last bit of melted chocolate ice cream on a warm summer day. There's also a Lime-Frosted Coconut Bar, combining coconut, oatmeal, and mini white chocolate chips, topped with lime frosting, white icing, and coconut shavings. Frappuccino flavors these days include Caramel Ribbon Crunch and Mocha Cookie Crumble.
Lindt Classic Recipe OatMilk chocolate bars are an exciting new plant-based no-dairy version of the famed chocolate from Lindt & Sprüngli. It comes in two flavors: the Classic Recipe OatMilk and Lindt Classic Recipe OatMilk Salted Caramel, with the taste, smoothness, and creamy texture for which the Lindt Classic Recipe is known.
Le Gourmet Baking, a Dallas-based company that does iced shortbread cookies, has added Williams-Sonoma to the places that sell their cookies online. Founded by Dallas entrepreneur Becky Nelson in 2012, Le Gourmet does a nontraditional cookie that's thick, soft, and cake-like. Can you call that a shortbread? It surely fits Dallas tastes since Dallas recoils from anything hard or crisp. Williams-Sonoma is selling three varieties — graduation cookies, patriotic, and Father's Day — $60 for a dozen.
Bisous Bisous Patisserie in Uptown Dallas was finally was able to get a settlement with the Houston-based CLE group, which opened a similar-sounding "clubstaurant" called Bisou in the old Circo space at 2619 McKinney Ave. in June 2021. Owner Andrea Meyer challenged CLE on infringement of her trademarked name and brand, and won. Their Dallas club is now called Kiss Dallas, although Meyer did not challenge their use of the name at their Houston location.
