GP News
4 new restaurants including brunch coming to sprawling Epic in Grand Prairie
Four new restaurants including a fancy American concept and a breakfast-and-brunch spot are coming to Grand Prairie this fall, from veteran Dallas hospitality group Milkshake Concepts.
They'll open at EpicCentral, the sprawling 172-acre park off Highway 161 that's already home to five lakes and the famed Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark, as well as a location of Chicken N Pickle, the unique, indoor/outdoor entertainment venue with pickleball courts and restaurant-sports bar.
The newbies include:
- The Finch, a chic restaurant serving American fare
- Vidorra, a Mexican restaurant that has locations in Deep Ellum and Addison
- Serious Eats, a newly created casual conglomeration serving pizza and sliders
- Poach'd, a brand-new breakfast-themed restaurant
Milkshake Concepts is the Dallas-based hospitality group founded in 2015 by partners Imran Sheikh, James Faller, and Asim Sheikh. Their roster includes Harper's at the Epic in Deep Ellum; Stirr, a neighborhood restaurant and bar in Dallas and Addison; Vidorra, their Mexican restaurant with locations in Dallas and Addison; nightlife concept Citizen, Serious Pizza, SkyRocket Burger; and Dirty Bones, a wing joint coming to Victory Park.
They introduced The Finch in fall 2021 as a new concept set to debut in the former Cafe Express at Mockingbird Station. The Finch Grand Prairie represents Location No. 2 and will open at 2955 S. Hwy. 161 in the fall, according to Imran Sheikh, with construction slated to begin in June.
"Our culinary expertise has grown and evolved over the last five years, and we want to showcase this at The Finch," Sheikh says. "Whilst it is labeled a 'modern American restaurant and bar,' our definition of what that encapsulates is wide-ranging. We won't hesitate to push boundaries while staying approachable, so that The Finch becomes a staple dining destination that people feel comfortable visiting on a regular basis."
The menu at The Finch will feature:
- a raw bar with seafood favorites like oysters, snow crab, and yellowfin crudo
- soups and salads
- pastas and pizzas
- fish and meats off the grill
- elevated starters and mains such as Dry Aged Beef Sliders, Tuna Tataki, Cioppino Style Seabass, and Fungi Risotto
The Milkshake beverage team will create fun cocktails and a wine program they call one-of-a-kind.
They'd anticipated having the Mockingbird Station location closer to opening right now but the post-pandemic stupor got in the way. But praise the Lord, progress is being made.
"The Finch Mockingbird will finally start construction next week after a painfully long permit application process," Sheikh says. "We anticipate it opening in four to five months."
Serious Eats is a fusion of sorts of their Serious Pizza brand with SkyRocket Burger, featuring Serious Pizza, Serious Sliders, Serious Shakes and a full bar.
And Poach'd will be a new breakfast/brunch/all day dining concept, with a menu still in the works, although the company is already well established as a brunch expert, with brisk brunch action at both their Vidorra and Stirr concepts.
In any case, expanding to The Epic seemed like a no-brainer.
"The thought, passion, and investment going into the Epic development and city as a whole is something we were extremely attracted to, and are excited to contribute to its overall success," Sheikh says.
The chef from SER prepares activated charcoal-crusted Akaushi ribeye cap and Yukon Gold potato fondant.Photo by Guillermo Rosas
Lavender berry and mocha chocolate tartlets from La Reve Gelato & Patisserie.Photo by Guillermo Rosas
Awards ceremony host Cleo Greene, of NBC5's 'Texas Today.'Photo by Guillermo Rosas