Downtown News

Downtown Dallas' AT&T Discovery District unveils buzzy slate of eateries

Revolver Taco is very buzzy.

Photo by Kathy Tran

The buzzy AT&T Discovery District in downtown Dallas is ready to unwrap its tasty lineup of restaurants.

Called The Exchange at the AT&T District, it's a 26,700-square-foot food hall owned by AT&T and managed by Hospitality Alliance, with 16 eateries featuring some of the city’s most beloved chefs and operators.

According to a release, it officially opens to the public on Friday, June 25.

The launch marks the first food hall in downtown Dallas and the long-awaited full opening of the AT&T Discovery District. AT&T launched the project in 2018 to create a world-class workplace and help revitalize downtown Dallas.

"The vibrancy we’re seeing in downtown Dallas is exciting and we’re thrilled to open this final piece of our vision for the AT&T headquarters," says Melissa Phillips, Director at AT&T Discovery District, in a statement. "The AT&T Discovery District was built to create connections for our employees and the community. We hope the diversity of food and beverage experiences found at the food hall will be as well received by visitors as they have been across the District over the past several months."

Restaurant partners already on board include:

Regino Rojas (Revolver Taco)
Waddell Hodges (Bobbers Burgers & Whips)
Andrew Chen (Monkey King Noodle Co.)
Caleb & Bryan Lewis (Press Waffle Company)
Yaser Khalaf (Baboushi)
Valerie Jean-Bart (Val's Cheesecake)
Brett Curtis (The Dock)
Richard Blankenship (Attalie)
Dunia & Espartaco Borga (La Duni)

The Second Floor at The Exchange features Ounce, Ichi Ni San, and Hard Shake, which have been open to the public since early 2021.

The Discovery District is also home to Jaxon, the restaurant and beer garden; and Rise & Thyme, the sweet cafe from celebrity chef Amanda Freitag.

"We gave Dallas a taste of what to expect with The Second Floor and are ready to drive even more attention to the area with the food hall," says Hospitality Alliance CEO Kevin Lillis. "The collaboration with our restaurant partners has created a singular venue that showcases Dallas' diverse and exceptional dining scene, hosting our favorite restaurateurs and foods in one spot."

The name "The Exchange" is a nod to the old phone exchange boards used by AT&T during the building's past life as a data center for its telecommunications operations, which once served as a telecommunication call center.

The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry oversaw the renovation of the interior (Gensler was the architect of record for the exterior). The space has two levels of bars, eateries, and indoor-outdoor dining spaces overlooking the District's central Plaza.

The facades for each stall were designed to reflect the distinct offerings and personality of each concept. Seating options include intimate nooks, lounge areas, and outdoor terraces. A wall of glass garage doors and six additional entryways make it easy to pick up a meal to-go.

A bar called Double Tap offers beer, wine, and cocktails, all served on tap to meet the fast-paced needs of the food hall.

In addition to classics like an Old Fashioned and a margarita, there are creative drinks such as a Frozen Espresso Martini and a Pineapple Ranch Water. Cocktails are served in a 12-ounce glass with the option to “make it double” and upgrade to 16-ounce.

The eateries at The Exchange will open Sunday-Thursday 10:30 am-10 pm, and Friday-Saturday 10:30 am-11 pm. Double Tap is open until 1 am seven nights per week.

Beyond the food
In addition to the eateries, the Discovery District's four-block 2.4 acres includes

The Plaza with lawn, tables and chairs
104-foot-tall, 6K Media Wall
30-foot tall interactive Globe
AT&T Experience Store, featuring the latest products and services alongside fun showcases like the "Central Perk" set from Friends
AT&T Experience Studio with interactive HBO MAX Orbit installation
AT&T Showcase, a gallery featuring works from local and national artists.

All are free to the public. Rounding out things to do at The District is a Cowboys Fit gym.

Beginning June 25, The District will feature a five-minute light show, called Digital Double, every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night at 9:30 pm. Coordinated lights set to music will dance across the Media Wall, Plaza ground lighting, trellises and The Globe, which the release says will give downtown Dallas its very own "Bellagio-like" moment, and who are we to disagree.

downtown openings

Chocolate News

Richardson dessert shop Chocolate Drip lays out eye-catching treats

Chocolate Drip

Chocolate bear with pistachio sauce at Chocolate Drip

A dessert shop in Richardson has become the toast of the sweets world: Called Chocolate Drip, it opened in August at 1057 S. Sherman St., in a center east of US-75 near Spring Valley Road, where it's rolling out some eye-catching chocolate treats.

Chocolate Drip is a passion project from Mohammad Quzmar, a Palestinian-born owner who moved to Dallas four years ago and taught himself to cook through tinkering. That experimentation has translated into a constantly evolving menu, with new creations appearing whenever inspiration strikes — earning him a growing reputation as something of a modern-day Willy Wonka.

"Chocolate is my passion. I just love being in the kitchen and creating,” he says.

The cafe's offerings are extensive, from sweet breakfast staples like pancakes and waffles to off-menu items teased on the café’s Instagram, such as the Dubai Drip platter — an interactive fondue plate with fruit, brownies, waffles, marshmallows, to be dipped into melted chocolate and pistachio cream.

Many of his items have the kind of eye-catching twists and table-side presentations that draw attention on Instagram, such as the cruffle (a waffle made from a croissant) topped with spaghetti-like strands of gelato, which a server extrudes through a potato ricer right before your eyes.

Other signatures include a teddy bear made of chocolate mousse and kanafa, finished with pistachio sauce for $13.30, and crepes filled with a brownie, with pistachio and chocolate sauce for $15.

Prices are not cheap but these are ultra-decadent items with generous portions, often meant for sharing.

The drink list is ambitious, spanning coffee, matcha, smoothies, milkshakes, and nonalcoholic mocktails. It's obvious Quzmar is having fun, rolling out his versions of viral items like the famous s'mores hot chocolate pioneered by New York dessert shop Glace, which features a cap made of marshmallow meringue that’s torched and topped with a chocolate bonbon.

There are also a few savory offerings like egg-and-cheese crepes, a salmon croissant, and a turkey waffle. Those in the know also come to order Middle Eastern treats like salab, a creamy milk drink topped with cinnamon; and Om Ali, a sugary pudding with nuts, dried fruit, and coconut.

Named after the Gen Z slang for “cool” or “stylish,” Drip is meant to be a hangout spot more than a quick dessert stop, Quzmar says — a place to linger over brunch, then return late night to a place that feels buzzy and fun sans alcohol.

“Everyone who works here is either family or treated like family and everything is homemade with love," he says.

desserts openings