NOLA News

New restaurant in Dallas' Design District revels in NOLA-style seafood

Fried shrimp and hand-cut French fries.

Photo courtesy of N'Awlins

A new Cajun seafood spot is celebrating its grand opening: Called N'Awlins Seafood Sports Bar, it's a New Orleans/French Quarter-inspired restaurant and sports bar located at 1400 Hi Line Dr. #116, in the space previously occupied by Primo's.

According to a release, the concept of N'awlins Seafood Sports Bar derived from an idea that company founder and owner Blair Johnson had in 2003. The goal is to deliver Cajun flair to game days via food and Bourbon Street décor. (The release also mentions bottle service, although bottle service seems more Dallas than NOLA.)

Finally, it has come to fruition.

"We're all very excited to finally present the N'awlins vision to the Design District," Johnson says in a statement. "Once you've experienced the atmosphere, food, and service you will quickly understand why I chose this concept for my first restaurant venture. I want everyone to feel the hospitality of New Orleans when they are here."

N'awlins had its share of setbacks in the road to getting open. That included changing its location as well as COVID-19. They first opened in May, but experienced some technical hiccups before they were able to get gear.

Now at last, guests can step into a Mardi Gras wonderland, with hand-painted murals on the walls and bar tops, a Mardi Gras-themed décor, chandeliers, and 25 flat-screen TVs.

The menu was crafted by Johnson, executive chef Stefen Briley, and chef Ryheem Lumpkins, and features Crescent City classic dishes of his hometown with a large variety of options, such as:

Oysters
Jambalaya
Crawfish Etouffee
Gumbo
Beignets
crab & spinach dip
lobster mac & cheese
Creole crab cakes
blackened catfish topped with shrimp & crawfish
pan-grilled redfish topped with crab and shrimp
steak & lobster
Cajun smoked trio: turkey keg, stuffed with lobster, shrimp, & crawfish
shrimp & grits

There's a whole fried section featuring baskets and platters with wings, chicken tenders, and seafood, with hand-cut fries. There is also steamed and boiled seafood such as crab, shrimp, and crawfish.

The cocktail menu features craft cocktails such as the Bourbon Street Tea, Oak Cliff, and Highland Park Martin. Bottles are also available to purchase. The drink menu was created by N’awlins bar manager Domenique Slaughter.

Additionally, the restaurant has a dog-friendly patio seating area for guests to dine outdoors.

They'll be open Tuesday-Thursday from 11 am-11 pm; Friday-Saturday from 11 am-12 am; and Sunday 11 am-10 pm.

At the grand opening on June 19, they'll feature drink specials on draft beers, appetizers, and cocktails. It will be a celebration of women empowerment and Freedom Day/Juneteenth with live music by Unfaded and drink specials.

openings

Bagel News

Buzzy Northeast chain PopUp Bagels ready to debut in Dallas

PopUp Bagels

PopUp Bagels coming to Dallas.

A buzzy bagel concept founded in the Northeast is coming to Dallas: Called PopUp Bagels, it famously started as a backyard project during the pandemic, and will open a location at Inwood Village, in the former I Heart Yogurt shop (which only just closed), next to the Inwood Theatre at 5450 W Lovers Ln. #143.

Signage has already gone up on the location and according to a spokesperson, the shop will open in early spring.

PopUp Bagels was founded in Westport, Connecticut by entrepreneur and home baker Adam Goldberg, with his cousin Jeff Lewis, as a side project during the pandemic, when everyone was baking at home. The bagels earned such a warm reception that Goldberg started hosting bagel popups in various locations near his home.

The concept's success has been helped by a national surge of interest in bagels, as well as viral moments on TikTok and other social media. Goldberg sold the concept to equity growth firm Stripes in 2023, who drew celebrity investors such as Paul Rudd and Michael Phelps, with plans to open hundreds of locations across the U.S. Talk is cheap but for now, there are 23 locations in New York, Maine, Florida, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, and North Carolina.

One of their selling points for a seamless expansion is that they've kept things simple including a compact menu of bagels, spreads, and a pound of smoked salmon. There's a minimum purchase of three bagels, along with a mandatory tub of cream cheese or butter, for $12, and they only offer five flavors: plain, salt, poppy, sesame, and everything.

Bagels are sold whole only, no sandwiches and also not sliced — leading to their nickname "rip and dip," in which customers rip the bagels and dip them into spreads. Their texture is softer and lighter than the classic New York dense bagel, making them easier to "rip."

They're also known for their collaborations on over-the-top schmear flavors — beyond their regular original cream cheese, scallion cream cheese, and vegan cream cheese — which they rotate in with frequency. Recent specialty schmears include Honey Chipotle Cream Cheese, Salted Maple Banana Bread Schmear, Cheez-It Schmear, and a Lemon Pepper Schmear just announced with WingStop that summons the wing chain's Lemon Pepper sauce.

bagels openings