Burger News

New Florida burger restaurant chain arrives in Dallas with buns blazing

No problem with these buns whatsoever.

Photo courtesy of Burgerfi

The time has come for Florida-based burger chain BurgerFi to make its Dallas debut. The first location will open at Mockingbird Central Plaza at 5456 E. Mockingbird Ln., in the former Burger King spot at the southwest corner of McMillan Avenue.

According to a release, the opening date is June 25.

In addition to beef burgers, BurgerFi's menu has a veggie burger, Vienna hot dogs, fries, onion rings, frozen custard, and cane sugar soda. The chain launched in 2011 and currently has more than 50 locations, mostly along the East Coast.

Currently, the only DFW location is in Arlington, although BurgerFi did give DFW a shot back in 2013 when it opened a location at the Firewheel Town Center in Garland, now closed.

BurgerFi is into chef-driven menu items made from scratch with burgers made from black Angus beef without steroids, antibiotics, growth hormones, chemicals, or additives. The release says that only 1 percent of the beef produced in the United States meets BurgerFi's standards.

The chain is also known for its modern, eco-friendly design, with chairs made from upcycled Coca-Cola bottles, recycled paper countertops, Number 2 pine lumber walls (the most renewable timber source), and a 10-foot, energy-efficient fan.

Brandt Stravlo owns the restaurant; Maxwell Roesh is operating partner. Stravlo grew up in the hospitality industry. He operates two BurgerFi restaurants in Lubbock and Amarillo; he also owns seven Dunkin’ Donuts and 42 Tide Dry Cleaners. His family owned and operated the famed 50 Yard Line Steakhouse and Grid Iron steakhouse in Lubbock.

He plans to open multiple locations in the Metroplex. "We are excited to introduce BurgerFi to Dallas, creating jobs and being part of the community," he says.

BurgerFi serves the Beyond Burger, which is 100 percent plant-based protein, along with its in-house VegeFi Burger, a veggie burger made with crispy quinoa.

Their most popular burger is The CEO: a double Wagyu and brisket blend burger with candied bacon-tomato jam, truffle aioli, and aged Swiss cheese.

The Conflicted Burger is a clever combo with an Angus burger and a veggie burger, served with American and white cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and BurgerFi sauce.

Vienna beef dogs are served either New York-style, with kraut and mustard; or Texas-style, with chili, cheese, and hot sauce.

BurgerFi also has hand-cut fries, double-battered onion rings, homemade sauces, frozen custard concretes and shakes, sugar-cane sodas, and local craft beer.

They're open Sunday-Thursday 11 am-10 pm, and Friday-Saturday, 11 am-11 pm.

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Soul Food News

Dallas celebs are flocking to Soul Shack, new restaurant in Cedar Hill

Soul Shack

Fried chicken, mac & cheese, collards at Soul Shack.

Dallas has a new upscale soul food restaurant that originally hails from Chicago: Called Soul Shack, it’s in the former Turkey Leg King space at 305 W. FM 1382 #502, in the Hillside Village shopping center in Cedar Hill where it opened in late January.

Soul Shack was founded by owner Erik “Rico” Nance, an entrepreneur and veteran restaurateur, and is led by his business partners Theous Griffin and Ronald Edwards III, who serves as general manager. The original was a fast-casual concept in Chicago called Soul Shack Express, which is still open.

The Dallas location is a more ambitious effort, with a full-service restaurant, full bar, and swanky nightlife atmosphere. Nance had previously opened Mikkey's Retro Grill, a hip-hop themed burger restaurant, in Cedar Hill, which closed in late 2024.

"I felt like the city needed a cocktail lounge," he says.

The space boasts a 1920's jazz club atmosphere, with marble floors, circular black booths, chandeliers, crystal bead curtains, and tables topped with a newsprint design. There's a "Soul Shack" sign in white neon, and an Insta-friendly wall with flowers and photo collage of iconic Black artists and performers like Eddie Murphy and Diahann Carroll. They also host live music and DJs at night.

The menu is mostly Southern but with fusion twists: soul rolls (fried egg rolls) filled with jerk chicken, which is their signature dish; plus gumbo, collard greens, sweet potatoes, mac & cheese, lamb chops with a parmesan crust, oxtails, and beef short ribs in gravy.

Tranelle and Ron Edwards with Shaq O'Neal Shaq O'Neal (right) drops into Soul Shack.Soul Shack

"Soul Shack has been an offspring of the things that we've learned from our other restaurants," Nance says. "We're still in soft opening mode, but we've already taken off. We'll have a beautiful nightlife and older crowd."

They've quickly earned notice from celebrities including TikTok phenomenon Keith Lee, who touted them with a review in their first week open (giving it a high rating of 8 out of 10 on his scale); and more recently celebrity Shaquille "Shaq" O'Neal, who dropped in for a surprise visit, posing for a photo with Edwards and his wife, Tranelle.

"We had no idea, he just came in, made a reservation and said he'd heard the food was amazing," Nance says. "When he came in the door, we said, 'We're turning this into Soul Shaq.' We accommodated everything he wanted. I love that man and what he stands for, his philanthropy."

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