Chef News

Austin celeb chefs reveal menu at new Asian-BBQ restaurant in East Dallas

The menu will fuse Asian & BBQ.

Photo by Logan Crable

The day is almost here for one of the most hyped restaurants to open in Dallas this year: Loro, the Asian Smokehouse and Bar, from Austin celebri-foodies Aaron Franklin and Tyson Cole, has an opening date for its Dallas location: July 5.

The restaurant is opening in old East Dallas at 1812 N. Haskell Ave., at the corner of Munger, where its menu will balance Southeast Asian flavors with traditional Texas BBQ — one that reflects the unique culinary partnership between Franklin, owner of Franklin Barbecue, and Cole, owner of the Uchi chain.

Dallas is the second Loro; the original opened in Austin in April 2018. A third location is opening in Houston later this year.

The time seems right for a quote from the chefs.

"Opening Loro in Dallas is an exciting milestone for us," says Tyson Cole. "It's not only the first Loro outside of our hometown, but Dallas marks the first city to be home to all four of our concepts. We're fired up to be a part of the Old East Dallas community."

"We’ve got some new tricks up our sleeve and we hope Dallas digs it!" says Aaron Franklin. He brings exclamation points.

The Dallas restaurant will be led by Chef de Cuisine Mike Perez, a graduate of Johnson & Wales who brings both kitchen and smoker experience. Before joining Hai Hospitality, he worked at the Timberline Lodge in Oregon, Scarpetta in L.A., Tabla Bistro in Portland, the Deep Creek Fishing Club in Alaska, Trattoria Lucca in Charleston, and Ten 01 in Portland.

Menu
The menu will feature several Dallas-only menu items such as:

Fish & Chips ($7), a Coney Island-meets-classic British pub Happy Hour item with marinated cod fried in a tempura batter of curry, turmeric, and Royal Scandal, an English Pale Ale from Dallas' Peticolas Brewing Company, and served with salt & vinegar beet chips
French Onion Brisket Melt ($8), also a Happy Hour item, inspired by the brisket jam found on the popular burger on Loro's Austin menu. Meant to be eaten like a French dip, it's a patty melt served on toasted rye with Swiss cheese, brisket jam, and sweet & sour onions caramelized with sugar and sherry vinegar, served with jus made from rendered brisket juice, with a yuzu thousand island
Brisket Coconut Rice ($6.50), Loro's interpretation of Malaysia’s ceremonial coconut-scented rice with chopped brisket, peanuts, currants, and Thai chilis, added to rice flavored with curry oil, leading to a spicy, sweet, crunchy flavor bomb
Snap Pea & Toasted Coconut Salad ($10.75), with protein optional, including green beans, pea tendrils, grilled pineapple, Thai basil, toasted coconut chips, and a pineapple fish sauce vinaigrette

Dishes from the original Austin menu include:

Candied Kettle Corn ($4.75) with a burnt brisket ends topping
Corn Fritters ($7.75) with Thai herbs, celery, nam jim jaew, galangal powder, Thai chili, lime juice and fish sauce
Kale & Asian Pear Salad ($10.50) with hazelnut, cabbage, dashi, and mint
Chicken Karaage ($9.75) accompanied by chili aioli, Szechuan salt, Thai herbs

Items from the Meat Menu include

Malaysian Chicken Bo Ssam ($14.50) with yellow curry-yuzu vinaigrette and Thai basil
Char Siew Pork Belly ($12.75) with hoisin sauce and celery
Smoked Prime Bavette ($18.75) with shishito salsa verde, cilantro, and pickled onion
Oak Smoked Salmon ($18.00) with cucumber-yuzu broth, parsley and lemon
Smoked Turkey Breast ($14) with apricot chutney and crispy chicken skin

Sandwiches include

Oak Smoked Beef Brisket ($13) with papaya salad, peanuts, chili aioli and Thai herbs
Smoked Turkey Breast ($12) on a pretzel baguette with giardiniera and provolone
Crispy Smoked Chicken ($10) with citrus-cabbage slaw, pickles, honey and hot sauce
Cheeseburger ($11) with house made red onion-brisket jam, muenster cheese and lettuce

Loro will offer a variety of Rice Bowl options ($13.75), to which guests can add Crispy Szechuan Tofu ($11.75), Malaysian Curry Chicken, Char Siew Pork Belly, Smoked Prime Bavette, or Oak Smoked Salmon to their coconut rice, seasonal pickles and Thai herbs.

The bar program features rotating batch cocktails such as Ginger Old Fashioned, and Mandarin Margarita; boozy slushees such as Frozen Gin & Tonic, Mango Sake Slushee, Frozen Mojito, and Vietnamese Coffee; wine and sake on tap; and bottled and draft beer.

Loro Dallas will be open daily for lunch and dinner, with a happy hour on weekdays from 2-5 pm.

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.

uptown openings