Richardson Eats

Richardson dining action heats up with new restaurant park

More restaurants are coming to Richardson, as the city continues to stake a claim for hottest dining district, with a new development cleared by the Richardson City Council to break ground.

Restaurant Park will be built on the site of the former Continental Inn, on the west side of US 75, south of Belt Line Road. Two restaurants have already signed on: The Rock Wood Fired Kitchen and VertsKebap.

The Rock is a chain out of Tacoma, Washington, that serves pizza, steak, burgers and buckets of beer in a rock-and-roll-themed atmosphere. VertsKebap is the Austin-based fast-casual restaurant with build-your-own kebaps, wraps and salads.

Restaurant Park will ultimately feature up to seven restaurants with patios facing a central plaza and fountain. A pedestrian portal will allow easy access for residents who live nearby.

"We're pleased to announce the kickoff of development on Restaurant Park and believe this project will be a wonderful addition to the community," said Richardson Mayor Paul Voelker in a release. "It not only allows us to expand our current restaurant offerings for our residents, business employees and visitors to Richardson, but it also supports our long-term vision for strategic redevelopment and enhancement of key corridors in our city."

In 2012, the city purchased the Continental Inn, demolished the 1960s-era hotel and assembled adjoining properties to make way for the development of Restaurant Park. As part of a private-public partnership to redevelop the site, Hermansen Land Development Inc., a Dallas-based real estate development and management company, purchased the 5-acre tract.

Restaurant Park is scheduled to open in mid-2016. Negotiations with other restaurants, including a variety of national restaurant groups and local chef-driven concepts, are underway.

Restaurant Park is one of the five original concepts of the West Spring Valley Reinvestment Strategy, which the Richardson City Council adopted in 2009. The West Spring Valley Corridor is one of six areas that Richardson has targeted to invest and redevelop.

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Bar News

Rodeo Dallas bar takes party to Uptown Dallas at new location

Rodeo

Rodeo bar is open in Uptown

A bar with Deep Ellum roots is expanding to Uptown Dallas: Called Rodeo Dallas, it'll open at 2922 N. Hall St. in the space previously occupied by Palms Bar. According to co-owner Joseph "JD" Ybanez, it'll open on November 28.

The first Rodeo location in Dallas opened in 2023 at 2724 Elm St. from Ybanez and partner Josh Reagan, a pair of hospitality veterans whose prior venues include Longshots in Dallas, plus two locations of Varsity Tavern, in Fort Worth and in Tempe.

Ybanez' first bar was Trophy Ranch in Fort Worth which had a mechanical bull. "That's where I learned how popular it was," he says. (He also became familiar with Fort Worth's bar scene and went on to open a Rodeo spinoff in Fort Worth's West Seventh district in 2024.)

In August 2025, the Deep Ellum location became the focal point of neighborhood concerns about crime and was closed via an order from the Dallas city attorney. Ybanez says the city is scapegoating Rodeo for other problems in the neighborhood, and that the Deep Ellum location isn't going anywhere.

“This is not a relocation,” he says. “We maintain an ongoing legal dispute with our landlord Asana Partners regarding the re-opening of our Deep Ellum establishment. The Uptown location represents an expansion of the brand.”

Prior to opening Rodeo in Deep Ellum, they opened a predecessor in Tempe in 2018, called Rodeo Ranch. It served as a template for the concept, with an "adult playground" with mechanical bull, bottle service, girls in bikinis, DJs, dancing, and light show.

According to Ybanez, visitors to the Uptown location can expect to take these factors to the next level.

“The Uptown space offers an expansive back patio,” Ybanez says. “This area will feature a massive video wall, optimizing it for communal sports viewing. Furthermore, we have executed a comprehensive refinement of our food menu, which we are confident will elevate the guest experience."

The menu is rendered by Donde Los Tacos, the highly regarded Mexican taqueria in Oak Clifff, with $3 and $4 tacos, like trompo, barbacoa, and suadero. The Uptown location will also serve brunch with dishes such as chilaquiles.

"We have meticulously preserved the core of the Rodeo experience: the unparalleled atmosphere and vibes, our commitment to genuine hospitality, the homegrown character of the brand, and the inclusive spirit that welcomes every member of the community," Ybanez says.

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