Tex Mex News

Dallas restaurant Fernando's closes, but the Tex-Mex cavalry is here

Good news for you if you like the looks of this dish.

Photo courtesy of El Vecino

Dallas is about to experience a shift in the world of Tex-Mex, with one restaurant about to close and another up-and-comer picking up where it left off.

The outgoing restaurant is Fernando's at Travis, which has been dishing out its trademark Tex-Mex with a touch of Mexican-style dining for seven years.

The original Fernando's opened at Northwest Highway and Midway Road in 2005, where it has become an unfussy staple for the chi-chi Preston Hollow crowd. In 2011, owners Anne and Fernando Padilla expanded with this second location in the Knox Street district, taking over the second-floor spot on top of (the now closed) Villa-O.

After the Padillas opened a third location at the CityLine complex, they decided to step out of Travis Walk.

But in winning news for Tex-Mex fans, El Vecino — the Tex-Mex newbie opened in Lake Highlands in 2017 by John and Kim McBride — will take over the space.

"Anne and Fernando approached me a while back concerning the location and we were able to work it out," John McBride says. "They wanted to consolidate their brand, keeping Fernando's at Midway/Northwest Highway and at Cityline, and I was very interested about bringing El Vecino to the Knox/Travis area."

McBride is the great-grandson of Mike Martinez, who co-founded the El Fenix chain. McBride and his family sold El Fenix in 2008 to Firebird Restaurant Group (which also owns Meso Maya, La Ventana, and Tortaco).

In 2013, he opened The Lot, a restaurant and beer garden on Grand Avenue, off the Santa Fe Trail. In 2017, he opened the first location of El Vecino, in Lake Highlands, at the corner of Buckner Boulevard and Northcliff Drive.

El Vecino, Spanish for "the neighbor," is prototypical neighborhood restaurant serving basic Tex-Mex with a full bar, quesadillas, guacamole, fajitas, the whole enchilada. It's won favor with the locals and was also a finalist for Best New Restaurant in CultureMap's 2018 Tastemaker Awards.

After nearly a year open, the McBrides had been considering expansion, and when the Padillas approached them, it made perfect sense.

"We think this is a good move for all of us," McBride says. "They will close on Sunday, June 3 and I will take possession Monday, June 4. We'll be closed for approximately three weeks for remodeling.

"East Dallas has been incredibly supportive of us and we look forward to serving another set of neighbors on Travis," he says.

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Back in Business

Garland restaurant from Bobby Flay winner to reopen in downtown Dallas

Photo courtesy of Pangea

Chef Kevin Ashade has found a new home for Pangea.

Pangea, the popular Garland restaurant which closed in January 2025, has found a new home. A new iteration of the restaurant will open in downtown Dallas, at 1910 Pacific Ave., Ste. 1400, in a location that was once vegan restaurant Belse.

According to restaurant personnel, it will open at 4 pm Friday, February 13.

Pangea is from chef and restaurateur Kevin Ashade, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who won Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay in 2016 with his signature coq au vin, which will be served at the new restaurant.

Ashade has a strong culinary background in Dallas, which includes Craft at the W Hotel, Nana at the Hilton Anatole, The Oceanaire Seafood Room, and his GourmEats catering business, before opening Pangea in January 2020.

In this new chapter of Pangea, which is defined by Ashade as “elevated and globally inspired," the menu will expand past the original restaurant's upscale Southern eats to include new flavors and fusions from Italian, Nigerian, Japanese, French, and Caribbean cuisine.

“The focus will be on a true definition of what Pangea is, with new dishes and a true cultural approach to food,” Ashade says.

The menu will feature about half of the dishes from the original location, including the popular jerk roasted lamb shank, stuffed salmon, and crab cakes. It will expand to include more fish options, like a branzino plate, and more cuts of steak, in addition to the New York strip, filet, and ribeye that were served in the Garland location. Entrees will range from $35 to $50, with more casual options such as burgers and sandwiches available as well.

The new restaurant will also feature a full raw and sushi bar, including an omakase option starting at $85. They will also be serving brunch on weekends, with options such as chicken and waffles, eggs Benedict, omelets, steak frites, pastry baskets, and a full coffee menu.

Pangea downtown Dallas The menu is globally inspired. Photo courtesy of Pangea

The 240-seat space is upscale with a lounge vibe, with warm lighting creating a sophisticated but welcoming look. It features a full bar, a private dining room, and an ample climate-controlled patio. It is centrally located, across the street from Pacific Plaza Park and on the same block as the Majestic Theatre.

“This relocation means a better spot for us, an opportunity to be part of the business district. We want to create a vacation feel, a place that makes you feel like you are traveling in Mykonos, Tulum, or Ibiza,” Ashade says.

Pangea will be open for dinner seven days a week, as well as offering lunch on Fridays and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. The restaurant will stay open late — until 2 am — on weekends.

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