Closure News

Upscale Mexican restaurant in former El Fenix in Addison closes after 4 years

Photo courtesy of Meso Maya

In surprising news, an upscale Mexican restaurant in Addison has closed: Meso Maya, which had been open at 5280 Belt Line Rd. since 2018, has closed.

David Romano, president of Local Favorite Restaurants, Meso Maya's parent company, said in a statement that they closed on June 12.

Despite our best efforts to continue operations, the landlord has other plans for the property," Romano said. "It was our pleasure serving the community and we look forward to seeing our guests at other nearby locations."

Part of Local Favorite Restaurants which also includes El Fenix, Taqueria La Ventana, and Snuffer's, Meso Maya is known for high-end Mexican food with dishes ranging from traditional tacos with skirt steak, to entrees such as short rib relleno and tamarind-glazed salmon, but at reasonable prices, with entrees topping out at $23.

They make their own tortillas on site and they also have a pretty incredible bar program that includes eight margarita options such as avocado and a mango sangrita, featuring a house-made mango sangrita swirl in a frozen house margarita.

The space was previously an El Fenix, but Meso Maya was deemed a better fit with the surrounding businesses and other restaurants in the area. Of course, that was pre-pandemic, but Local Favorites founder Mike Karns says the restaurant was doing quite well, and it wasn't their choice to leave.

"We wanted to stay in the location and had a big investment in the space," Karns says. "Unfortunately, we missed a lease renewal date, very far out. Northwood Retail, which owns the property, took advantage of that and would not allow us to renew even though we were willing to renew until full lease terms. We begged and pleaded and offered to make any kind of compromise."

"We appreciate our loyal guests over the last five years, and hope they join us at our Preston Forest location nearby," Karn says.

Located at the intersection of Montfort, the restaurant was situated in a visible spot.

That section of Belt Line Road has seen turnover, including the closure of the longtime Houston's in 2020. Restaurants that have opened in that area since include Mendocino Farms, Flower Child, and Shake Shack.

There are currently five Meso Maya locations, including downtown Dallas, plus Preston-Forest, Lakewood, West Plano, and Fort Worth.

tex-mex closings

This week in gluttony

Mardi Gras parties lead 13 best food & drink events in Dallas this week

Mardi Gras King Cakes, Masks, Beads, and Coins

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Fat Tuesday arrives this week, and several Dallas-area restaurants and bars are ready to let the good times roll. The Lunar New Year also lands this week, and an upscale steakhouse will celebrate with dance performances and a special menu. Winter Olympics fans, don't miss an Olympic-themed bar crawl with eight stops representing eight countries featuring themed food and drink specials along the way.

Tuesday, February 17

Mardi Gras celebrations:

Columbian Country Club. Enjoy complimentary gumbo (first come, first served) along with craft specials for $17, including Bourbon Street Old Fashioned, Lafayette Espresso Martini, and Frenchmen Street Sour. The party starts at 5 pm.
Dee’s Table. Owned by New Orleans native Dee Lincoln, Dee’s Table will feature $10 hurricanes and king cake martinis along with dinner specials including fried crawfish tail, seafood gumbo, catfish, shrimp po’ boys, and Cajun Pastalaya.
Fish City Grill & Half Shells. The sister seafood restaurants will feature happy hour all day with $5 draft beer, half-price wines by the glass, $9 old fashioneds, and $5 gold margaritas along with $11 calamari, $10 double smash bacon cheeseburgers, and $2 select oysters. Most locations will also host live music starting at 5 pm.
Ida Claire. Specials will include $8 hurricanes, sazeracs, and daiquiris along with featured dishes like gumbo, red beans and rice, boudin balls, seafood platters, and king cake. There’ll also be live music, festive throws, and prizes for finding the king cake baby.
Rock & Brews. The Colony outlet of the KISS-themed restaurant owned by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley will feature all-you-can-eat crawfish boil starting at 5 pm priced at $34.99, including jambalaya, strawberry fields salad, and Purple Rain Drop beignets.
Rockfish Seafood & Grill. All locations of the seafood chain will feature $8.99 shrimp boil, $5 off Voodoo platters, $10 off Ragin’ Cajun platters, and $5 hurricanes.

Wednesday, February 18

Cinnaholic Richardson’s 10th Anniversary
The Richardson outlet of the cinnamon roll chain will mark 10 years with $1 Old Skool rolls all day long. The deal is valid in-store only with one roll per guest. Hours are 6 am-8 pm.

An Evening at Ginger’s with Kevin Boehm
The subterranean cocktail lounge will host James Beard Award-winning restaurateur and author Kevin Boehm for an evening celebrating the release of his memoir, The Bottomless Cup. Guests will enjoy passed hors d’oeuvres and wine while mingling with Boehm before a candid, front-row discussion. The $85 ticket includes a copy of the book, with a signing to follow the Q&A. The event begins at 6 pm.

Thursday, February 19

Evening with Stephan Pyles & Paula Lambert at The Crescent Club
Next up in The Crescent Club’s celebrity chef dinner series is culinary duo Stephan Pyles (known as the father of Southwestern cuisine) and Mozzarella Company founder Paula Lambert, who will partner to prepare a multicourse meal paired with wines. The dinner is $200, plus tax and service fee, and begins at 6 pm with a cocktail reception.

Harwood District Olympics bar crawl. Harwood District

Saturday, February 21

Winter Olympics Bar Crawl in the Harwood District
Travel to eight different countries via this Harwood District bar crawl. The schedule includes stops at Mercat Bistro (France), Tequila Social (Mexico), Dolce Riviera (Italy), Poco Fiasco (Switzerland), Harwood Arms (Great Britain), Saint Ann (Japan), Te Deseo (Colombia), and Elephant East (China), followed by an after party at Happiest Hour (USA). Tickets are $15, plus tax and a small fee, and include priority entry and specials at each destination. The crawl will run from 12-5 pm. Coordinating outfits encouraged.

Craft Community Pop-Up
Ahead of Craft Restaurant & Beer Market’s opening next month in Preston Center, the eatery will host a preview pop-up with complimentary smashburgers and drinks, along with giveaways and games. Donations will be accepted on-site for Heaven’s 27 Foundation. RSVP required for free burger. The event will run from 12-5 pm.

Chili Cook-Off at Oak Cliff Brewing
The second annual event invites guests to sample chili from talented competitors and vote for the best. Tickets are $15 and include samples, one craft beer, and live music along with kid-friendly activities including face painting and a bounce house. The cook-off will run from 12-3 pm. Teams can register to enter here.

Lunar New Year at Nuri Steakhouse
The Uptown steakhouse will celebrate the Year of the Horse with lion dance performances and a themed four-course prix-fixe menu. The dinner is $145, plus tax and gratuity, and reservations begin at 5 pm.

mardi gras fat tuesday food events