New Restaurant News

Surprise round of Dallas restaurant openings beats the summer doldrums

Salmon is on the menu at Cedar Grove.

Photo by Kevin Marple

Things we expect in Dallas during the summer: heat. Things we do not expect: restaurant openings — because in the restaurant world, summer is traditionally a slow time of the year. But despair not, as this week, diners can look forward to some notable exceptions. Here are three hot spots that are opening:

Cuellar's Fajita Ranch. This new restaurant from Dallas' most famous Tex-Mex family opens June 20 in Plano, at US 75 and Parker Road. Cousins Gilbert and John Cuellar are taking the best dishes from El Corazon Vintage Tex-Mex, their restaurant in Oak Cliff, and then adding in some new offerings. It has a full bar with trademark margaritas and is open for dinner first, then lunch. A renovation of the space has added handsome wood fixtures and a classic Texas theme. The restaurant is going into what was most recently the Hangout. Prior to that, it was a Duke's Roadhouse, as well as a Hoffbrau Steaks.

Cedar Grove. The former Dish Cedar Springs has been reimagined as Cedar Grove, a "nature-inspired" restaurant with a farm-to-table menu from chef Taylor Kearney, cocktails from mixologist Trevor Landry, and a wine list from sommelier Brandon Smoot. The food consists of sharable plates, sandwiches, and flatbreads, all priced under $25. Menu items include a charcuterie plate, corn soup, tempura soft-shell crab, a pork schnitzel sandwich, and a foraged mushroom flatbread.

Houndstooth Coffee. Austin-based coffee concept debuts its newest location at the Sylvan | Thirty development in West Dallas, marking Houndstooth’s second Dallas cafe and fourth overall, with two locations in Austin. This new spot is the largest to date, with the coffee bar now open and a kitchen component, offering food items and special ticketed events, slated for late summer. An additional cocktail bar will launch in the space in late fall/early winter.

openings news-you-can-eat

Quonset Hut News

Familiar names take over Quonset hut for new Far-Out Dallas bar

Yelp

Wriggly Tin is now Far-Out Dallas

There's a new Dallas restaurant and bar coming to everyone's favorite Quonset hut: Called Far-Out, it'll take over the space at 1906 E. Haskell Ave. in East Dallas that was previously home to Wriggly Tin, with a grand opening slated for 2025.

Founders Caroline and James Lee are calling it Far-Out & La Hermana Cerveceria and promise that a culinary adventure awaits.

"After months of creative brainstorming and a bit of furniture rearranging, we are thrilled to announce an exciting new pioneering concept that will open its doors in 2025," the duo says. "Introducing Far-Out & La Hermana Cerveceria, a dynamic new restaurant and brewery born from the collaboration of industry veterans."

The team includes some beloved East Dallas names:

Marc Cassel of The Green Room and 20 Feet Seafood Joint
Christopher Jeffers of Bolsa and Smoke
Stephanie Houston, the trailblazing first Latina Production distillery owner in America

Also joining the team is Bar Director Adam Mercado, whose resume includes stints at Billy Can Can and Brass Ram.

Marcado will crafting a unique beverage program, with support from mixologist Brian McCullough. Together, they will create what the founders call "unforgettable drink experiences to complement our delicious culinary offerings."

Wriggly Tin opened in November 2023 as an ultra-hip pizza and craft beer spot inside a renovated Quonset hut near Dallas' Fair Park — a former Cajun fried turkey place which they gave doting makeover with custom plaster walls and art objects from around the world. They replaced one whole side of the hut with glass for sunsets and created a spacious outdoor patio in front.

They earned two nomination in CultureMap's 2024 Tastemaker Awards, one for Best Bar and another for Best Patio.

Alas, the original founders, who'd previously owned Small Brewpub in Oak Cliff, parted ways shortly after it opened. And the bar closed down in September 2024, for what they called "internal changes."

Now the hut is back: The new Far-Out bar is already up and running a few days a week. In the coming days, they will offer updates and sneak peeks as they gear up for the opening of their kitchen.

openings