Coronavirus News

Dallas restaurants keep on trucking with openings and new dishes

New dish at Bulla Gastrobar.

Bulla Gastrobar

Coronavirus still hangs over the Dallas food & beverage industry like a dark cloud, but there are restaurants opening, making plans, creating new dishes, whipping up new drinks.

Here's the latest round of Dallas restaurant news:

Zaap Kitchen Lao & Thai Street Eats has opened its second location in East Dallas' Casa Linda Plaza at 1152 N. Buckner Blvd., after almost a year of planning. This vastly popular concept was founded by owner Tony Singharaj and his wife in 2018, who opened their first location at 6107 Greenville Ave. to bring Laotian food to a new neighborhood. Singharaj is a restaurant veteran whose brother Boi owns Sabaidee Lao & Thai Cuisine, which also features Laotian and Thai dishes, though in a take-out format only. This new location of Zaap has a larger area to dine-in, which will surely come in handy once the virus has cleared. Meanwhile, East Dallas residents are thrilled to have a new authentic Asian option in the neighborhood. Zaap makes everything to order and with a higher level of spice than other Asian cuisines.

Shug's Bagels, the authentic New York-style bagel shop that's been in the works for more than a year, opened on June 13 at 3020 Mockingbird Ln. in a space previously home to Lover's Egg Roll. Less than a week later, they were forced to temporarily close after what they called "an insane opening weekend," in which both their dough mixer and oven broke down in attempt to keep up with the demand. They reopened on June 26 and will be open Tuesday-Sunday from 7 am-3 pm.

Sauce & Vine is the name of a new restaurant opening in the heart of downtown Fate, east of Rockwall. This will be an Italian-inspired, family restaurant that will anchor the downtown and will star Ted Grieb as executive chef. Grieb is a veteran chef who has worked at notable Dallas eateries such as Dakota's, and who previously owned/operated Zanata in downtown Rockwall. Sauce and Vine will have an open-air, modern rustic dining area, along with a farm-stand market for takeout meals, bread, gelato, and other house-made products. The kitchen will feature wood-fired pizzas and housemade pasta. Construction will begin later in 2020.

Bonton Farms, the urban farm in South Dallas whose goal is to restore health, create jobs, and ignite hope, is under consideration for a spinoff in Lake Highlands, at a 12-acre site at Greenville Avenue between Forest Lane and LBJ Freeway. Called Bonton Village, it would mirror the current location in South Dallas with a bakery, coffee shop, restaurant, farmhouse, and 120 tiny houses. The original location was imperiled due to the coronavirus pandemic until donations, including a $75,000 contribution from Mark Cuban, helped sustain it for another six months.

Barcadia, the Henderson Avenue bar that introduced Dallas to Giant Jenga, has executed a makeover. It includes an ambitious new food program coordinated by new chef Nick Boss, a veteran of Dough Pizzeria, Belly & Trumpet, and other Dallas eateries. Brought on by SBBC Hospitium, who acquired the bar in 2019, Boss has created a menu of what he calls "simple bar food done right." For example, his double cheeseburger, which he says "tastes like the 4th of July," has two 4-ounce patties made from ground short rib with a secret sauce on a sesame bun. He also has a sprinkling of veggie dishes including a chickpea salad wrap. Beyond wanting to upgrade the food, their goals include expanding the brunch window for service industry employees, and attracting customers for dinner. "We have no problem with the late-night crowd and we always get busy on Friday and Saturday nights, but we'd love to serve a good menu during the rest of the week," Boss says. SBBC accomplished a similar transformation with the menu at Felix Culpa, a sibling concept, also located on Henderson Avenue.

The Heritage Table, an indie restaurant on Main Street in Frisco, has a new revamped menu that's centered around shareable boards. Owner Rich Vana, who opened the restaurant in 2017, is now serving specialty boards as a family-style tasting menu with a revolving set of boards that can be shared among 2-3 people as an entrée. The menus will change bi-weekly and focus on seasonal ingredients.

Bisous Bisous Pâtisserie, the West Village bakery from award-winning pastry chef Andrea Meyer, is reviving its line of house-made ice cream, first introduced in 2019. The ice cream comes in pints, in three flavors: Vanilla Shortbread Cookie, Chocolate Caramel Cookie, and Strawberry Cheesecake. Bisous also continues its popular "Freezer to Oven Collection" featuring best-sellers such as "Freezer to Oven Croissant Waffle Ice Cream Sammies, with pre-pressed croissant waffles, tosses, and toppings. The shop is known for its macarons, and will offer a special flavor for July: Blueberry Cheesecake, a festive red and blue treat.

Fat Straws, the small local chain with bubble tea and chewy puff donuts (aka mochi donuts) has launched dalgona, aka whipped coffee, at all four locations. Dalgona is made by whipping together instant coffee powder, sugar and hot water until it becomes creamy and is then used to top cold or warm milk. Fat Straws also has creative twists on the beverage including Dirty Chai (Chai Milk Tea & Dalgona), Dirty Matcha (Matcha Milk Tea & Dalgona), Dalgonacado (Avocado Smoothie & Dalgona), Dalgona Coco (Coconut Milk Tea & Dalgona. The drinks range from $4.25 to $6.50 and are available now at all Fat Straws locations. Curbside pickup and delivery through UberEats available at https://www.fatstraws.co/locations/.

Rusty Taco, the Dallas-born taco chain with 7 locations in the area, has a new Green Street Taco featuring pork with tomatillo sauce and jalapeno ranch. It was created by a franchisee in Dayton, Ohio where it was a secret menu item until Rusty Taco turned it into a nationwide limited-time offering.

Whataburger is launching the new Pico de Gallo Burger. It starts with two perfectly cooked all-beef patties on a toasted five-inch bun, topped with three new ingredients: two slices of pepper jack cheese, fresh Pico de Gallo and a new Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce. The combination creates a unique pop of bright flavors with the perfect kick.

Impossible Foods new award-winning plant-based sausage is now in wide distribution. It's also featurd as a special dish at a handful of diners across America who will be the first independently owned restaurants to feature Impossible Sausage. The designated diner in Dallas is Maple Leaf Diner on Preston Road in North Dallas.

Truluck's has introduced a new entree for summer: Crab Napoleon, with blue crab, shrimp, and mango atop a sliced tomato with smoked tomato vinaigrette for $24. A release says it's savory, smokey, light, and delicious. Live entertainment has returned to their Uptown location beginning at 6 pm Fridays and Saturdays.

Bulla Gastrobar has new items for summer including five new dishes and two drinks: lavender peach oolong lemonade and a Mezcalita with mezcal, OJ, triple sec, agave, and strawberry puree. They're available for dinner only and include:

Mallorcan Style Lamb: Braised lamb, piquillo confit, garlic chips, patatas panaderas
Chicken Al Valdeón: Pan-seared chicken, Valdeón blue cheese sauce, mushrooms, piquillo confit, hand-cut fries
Pear Fiocchi: Pear-filled pasta, honey Valdeon blue cheese sauce, diced pears, chopped walnuts
Seafood Salpicon: Octopus, shrimp, mussels, marinated olives, lemon, EVOO
Tocinillo Del Cielo: Andalusian-style flan, yogurt foam, blueberries, raspberries

Sugar Pine Creamery, the Plano soft-serve ice cream shop with innovative flavors, has a new lineup of flavors through July 12 as follows: toasted marshmallow, Cap'N Crunch Cereal Milk, Roasted Cherry Almond, Oreo Cookie Tiramisu, and two dairy-free flavors: strawberry guava and jamine white peach. They also serve teas, including boba tea. Their COVID-19 hours are Tuesday-Sunday 2-6 pm.

The Original Pancake House has a limited-edition pancake at its eight locations around DFW. Available through July 5, the Firecracker Cake features crunchy pearl sugar and Pop Rocks Candy on a stack of buttermilk pancakes.

openings

All the Restaurant News

Holiday week is not slowing down this round of Dallas restaurant news

Shogun

This may be a holiday week but the Dallas restaurant scene is not slacking, with a whole wave of restaurants that are newly open or are just about to. There are also new menus, special dishes, and a nice celebrity tout for a local celebrity beer.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Sidelines Sports Tavern, a short-lived sports bar in Frisco just closed. It was the latest occupant of a space at 307 Main St. #105 at the corner of 423, which has had its share of turnover, starting out as Woody's Bar Kitchen, which closed in 2024. Sidelines opened in February 2025, and now it is gone.

Ateliê, a new restaurant from chef Wyl Lima, opened in Bishop Arts on December 15 at at 365 W. Jefferson Blvd. — a permanent home following years of underground dinners. It opens with a 12-item menu including vegetable-forward dishes such as Roasted Carrots with tofu curry, Garden Salad with frisée, fried egg, & radish, Mushroom Croquettes, Turkey Hot Pocket with truffle mornay & smoked gouda, Wagyu Melt with pastrami & caramelized onions, Fried Rice with egg yolk, garlic crisp, & nori, Cacio e Pepe, Lamb Shank with pomegranate & couscous, skirt steak with piquillo salsa and yuca, and Half Roasted Chicken with sweet plantains and Mediterranean chutney.

Noodle One is a new Asian restaurant in Frisco, 3311 Preston Rd. #1 in the former Nations diner space, serving dishes like beef noodle soup, stir-fried noodles, and wok-tossed fried rice. They specialize in handmade noodles — including a guy making them in plain view — along with lamb skewers, dumplings, and fried rice. owners are from Lanzhou, capital of the Gansu province in China. Nations closed that location in October but still has locations in Sunnyvale, Denton, Arlington, and Sachse.

Flying Fish, the Dallas-based mostly-Cajun seafood chain, is opening a location in Plano, in the former Dickeys space at 4032 Preston Rd., across from the H-E-B just south of Spring Creek Parkway. According to a spokesperson, they're in the thick of a remodeling with a grand opening coming in early 2026.

Caffe:in is a new restaurant and boba shop in Plano at 101 Spring Creek Pkwy. #735 on the northwest corner of US-75 in the same shopping center as 99 Ranch, taking over the space previously occupied by Tiger Sugar, another drink chain. The concept hails from California and specializes in authentic Taiwanese and Malaysian boba, desserts, and snacks such as Taiwanese popcorn chicken, a Malaysian street burger, and shaved ice topped with mango and cream — bringing back memories for California transplants.

Hoja Bubble Tea and Asian Street Food, an Asian restaurant that opened at 812 W. Spring Creek Pkwy. #208 in Plano in 2023, is another purveyor of Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken. Surely there is a third, so we can make it an official trend. Often called Taiwan’s favorite street food, the chicken comes in bite-size pieces, featuring a crunchy coating made with potato flour and flavored with five-spice seasoning and basil leaves.

Shogun Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar, a chain based in Houston, just opened its first DFW location in Plano, at 3916 Dallas Pkwy., in the space left vacant by Pappas Delta Blues Smokehouse, the upscale barbecue restaurant from Houston-based Pappas Restaurants which closed in 2024 after five years. Shogun, which is no relation to the Shogun in McKinney, or any other Shogun in the DFW area, serves sushi, sushi rolls — with a big selection of both cooked and raw — plus hibachi, hotpot, skewers, tempura, yakisoba noodles, plus favorites like teriyaki chicken and bento boxes. They're part of Shogun group from Houston which has 22 locations across Texas including Houston, Austin, and San Antonio — all cities which coincidentally have CultureMap bureaus as well.

Elm & Good, the restaurant at the historic 1916 Kimpton Pittman Hotel in Deep Ellum, has a new menu from newish chef JV Hernandez, which features a "modern American tavern" identity, with shareable plates and comfort-driven mains. Highlights include koji-aged Manhattan steak, cider-braised pork shank, Texas wild boar bolognese, hamachi crudo, and a warm sticky toffee cake based on his grandmother’s recipe. A native of Puerto Rico native and Dallas-trained chef, Hernandez grew up working on his great-grandmother’s farm, trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Dallas, and cooked in fine-dining kitchens from Maine to Denver to Salt Lake City alongside Michelin and James Beard recognized teams. A signature dish is the Puffy Potatoes — crisp, hollow potatoes with gribiche, parmesan, and chives, designed for the center of the table.

Soy Cowboy, the modern pan-Asian restaurant at Loews Arlington Hotel, has launched a new Dim Sum menu featuring sharable dishes like chicken dumplings, lobster wontons, Wagyu gyoza, crab tacos, Korean BBQ ribs, a variety of sushi rolls, plus sake flights and brunch cocktails available during daytime service.

Mirador in downtown Dallas is debuting new menus for weekday lunch and Saturday brunch which they say have a healthier slant for after the holidays. Highlights include chef’s selection of pickles, Caesar salad, farro bowl, lobster Cobb — although that dish has egg yolks and bacon, so can you really call that healthy? — wild mushrooms, chicken paillard with carrots & pickled golden raisins, ube bowl with fruit, and scrambled eggs with rosemary ham, also not particularly healthy, but whatever.

Grimaldi's, the pizza chain, has a new menu of winter specials, available through March 2 featuring the Duo Pizza with tomato and pesto sauce, topped with pepperoni and spicy cup ‘n’ char sausage; Cherry Pecan Salad with spinach and goat cheese; Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake; and Black Cherry Cheesecake.There are also drinks including a mocktail with cranberry juice, and a black cherry spritz with Aperol and Prosecco.

Mister O1 Pizza, the artisan pizza chain, has teamed up with Terry Blacks BBQ on the limited-edition Terry Black’s Brisket Pizza featuring Mister O1’s signature thin crust topped with brisket, tomato sauce, mozzarella, red onions, jalapeño, dill pickles, barbecue sauce, and cilantro — available at all Texas Mister O1 locations through February 28.

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill has a new limited-edition dish: Loaded Feta Fries, topped with choice of chicken or gyro meat, crumbled feta, and garlic sauce. Available through December 31. The chain has four locations in the DFW area — Lewisville, Fort Worth, The Colony, and McKinney — and is opening two more locations in early 2026 in Burleson and Coppell.

Sunny Street Café launched a new winter menu featuring shareable dishes and seasonal sweets: There are breakfast nachos (housemade tortilla chips with queso, egg, chorizo, & avocado); Queso Breakfast Burrito with cheesy eggs, bacon, potato, avocado, & queso; Turkey Melt with Monterey Jack, cheddar, tomato, & chipotle mayo on sourdough; Maple Pecan Muffin; Butter Pecan Pancakes with caramel sauce; and Salted Caramel Cold Brew with vanilla cold foam. DFW locations include Carrollton, Keller, Little Elm, Haltom City, North Richland Hills, and Weatherford.

Salad and Go has introduced its first sweet treat: a Chewy Marshmallow Bar. They've also added Cold Foam, which can be added to any drink. Plus two limited-edition beverages: Toasted Marshmallow Lemonade and Toasted Marshmallow Cold Brew. Last but not least, they've added pulled chicken which can be added to any salad or wrap.

DQ restaurants in Texas have new breaded chicken tenders, which can be ordered solo or in a new Chicken Tender Country Basket, with fries, Texas toast, and choice of creamy gravy or DQ Texas sauce.

Cheba Hut has a new limited-time cocktail called Sleigh’d and Confused featuring Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka, lemon juice, and Coconut Berry Red Bull, available through December 31 for $10, but $3 off all day on Fridays.

The Salty doughnut shop has holiday doughnuts: From December 22—24, they have a Gingerbread Cheesecake Donut, a 24-hour gingerbread-man-shaped brioche filled with gingerbread cheesecake; and the “Not Little Debbie” Christmas Tree Donut, a 24-hour tree-shaped brioche filled with marshmallow fluff, dipped in white chocolate glaze. Both are $4.95. From December 31-January 1, they have an Espresso Martini Donut for $4.50 with a 24-hour mini brioche dipped in espresso glaze, filled with whipped coffee cream, and topped with dark chocolate drizzle and espresso beans.

Luckys, the diner on Oak Lawn Avenue, will feature a special spiked eggnog the week after Christmas, from December 26-January 1 made with milk, cream, sugar, eggs, Makers Mark, and rum for $9.75.

Frenchie, the bistro at Preston Center, has a new executive chef, Reilly Brown, who was previously executive sous chef at Georgie. His new menu items include Hiramasa crudo, bluefin tuna with tomato-soy glaze, and Castelfranco salad with duck confit, candied walnuts, pickled pear, and shallot vinaigrette.

Eight Beer, the craft beer label founded by Troy Aikman, got a serious shout-out on Landman, the Taylor Sheridan TV show that's been filming around the DFW area. Aikman shared the clip which shows series star Billy Bob Thornton ordering the beer "just out of respect" to Aikman for founding it.

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