This roundup of Dallas restaurant news has a mergers & acquisitions vibe. There's a new owner of Taco Cabana; a big tradeout of Zoe's Kitchen; and new partnerships with DoorDash.
But there's also some good old-fashioned food news including tacos, ice cream, seafood, more tacos, lunch, and brunch.
Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:
Taco Cabana has a new owner. Dallas-based Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc sold the brand to YTC Enterprises, LLC, an affiliate of Yadav Enterprises, Inc. a restaurant company based in California. According to the release, the sale proceeds will pay off some of Fiesta's loans and will enable the company to focus on the growth of its Pollo Tropical chain. Yadav is the largest Jack in the Box franchisee, one of the largest Denny's franchisees, the largest TGI Friday's franchisee, a significant investor in the ownership group of TGI Friday's global parent company, a franchisee of El Pollo Loco, and a franchisee of Corner Bakery Cafe. They better be good to Taco Cabana!
Cava has taken over the former Zoe's Kitchen at Frisco Market Center's 5252 Main Street building at the corner of Main Street and the Dallas Parkway. Cava Group acquired Zoës in late 2018 and is planning to expand into new suburban markets by converting existing Zoës Kitchen locations, including Flower Mound, Lakewood, and Fort Worth.
Milagro, the new restaurant from Jesus Carmona, is opening at Trinity Groves on Tuesday July 6, in a new apartment building at 440 Singleton Blvd. #100. Carmona gained fame when his previous restaurant Tacos Mariachi, which closed in 2020 due to COVID-19, was featured on Diners, Drive-In and Dives. He also owns Chimichurri, an Argentinian bistro in the Bishop Arts District. Milagro's menu features Tijuana street tacos, with some carryover from Mariachi, but with new options as well. Dishes include Ceviche and Veggie Bowls, Mahi Mahi Birria Tacos, Pork Belly Al Pipil Tacos and the Campeona Burger on a brioche bun with avocado mousse, shrimp, asado cheese, crumbled chicharron, and a jalapeno glaze, served with housemade fries. The bar serves cocktails by James Slater and Mexican beers including 32-ounce Caguamas.
Urban Seafood Company in downtown Plano at 1104 14th St. is now open. It's a sibling to Urban Crust and Urban Rio, from owners Bonnie and Nathan Shea and executive chef/partner Salvatore Gisellu, and is inspired by New England destinations like Nantucket and Boston. The menu includes lobster rolls, wood-grilled fish specials, house-made pasta, an oyster bar, craft cocktails, and wine and bubbles on tap.
Primo's MX Kitchen has a new one-of-a-kind brunch menu at all three locations that's inspired by regions between the Texas border and Southern Mexico, including:
- Churro Pancake: buttermilk pancakes topped with crème anglaise, salted caramel, cinnamon churro crumbles
- Chorizo Skillet Hash: eggs, chorizo, bacon, rajas, mexiqueso, breakfast potato, pico de gallo, crema, avocado
- Huevos Rancheros Tostada: fried tortilla, eggs, frijoles negros, ranchero salsa, avocado, cotija
- Primo’s Breakfast Burger: chorizo patty, egg, Romaine poblano pico chipotle salad
Cocktails include a blood orange "guavarita," and two drinks with rum.
Perry's Steakhouse & Grille is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a special offering: "Four Courses, Four Choices for $44," available for dine-in Monday-Thursday and to-go every day, through July 31, with choices from: oysters, pork chop bites, seafood-stuffed mushrooms, wedge, Caesar, field green salad with pear and candied pecan, artichoke-potato-leek soup, pork chop, salmon with lemon dill butter, brick chicken, vegan skillet chopped steak, bacon-wrapped filet, orange-vanilla cream cheesecake, flourless chocolate cake, chocolate crunch, or flaming lemon bar. A wine tasting flight of four two-ounce pours is $25.
Asador, the restaurant at Renaissance Hotel, has a new summer menu from executive chef Joe Graffeo that includes: Corn & Crab Soup, Ahi Tuna Compressed Watermelon with feta cheese, and Pappardelle Pasta with heirloom tomato, summer squash, and sweet basil pesto.
Kona Grill has a new Power Lunch available Monday-Friday 11 am–2 pm, with three courses served in 45 minutes for $19. Options include miso soup, lemongrass clam chowder, avocado chicken club, KG cheeseburger, sushi, and a brownie to go.
Tupinamba Cafe, the Mexican restaurant in North Dallas, has a new weekend brunch served Saturday-Sunday from 11 am-3 pm with dishes priced at $8.95 that include three-egg omelet, migas, mariachi eggs with ranchero sauce, breakfast tacos with scrambled eggs & chorizo, eggs & fajitas chilaquiles, and Montezuma's revenge with eggs, potatoes, fajita meat, chorizo, and cheddar cheese. Cocktails include mimosas, bloody Marys, and Micheladas.
Torchy's Tacos has a Thai-inspired Tuk Tuk taco for its July taco of the month, a comeback item from 2017, with Thai fajita beef, cooked cabbage slaw, crushed peanuts, pickled cucumber and carrots, Sriracha, avocado sauce, and jack cheese for $6.50. The July cocktail is the Torchy's Cherry Limeade with Tito’s Handmade Vodka, sweet & sour, Sprite, and cherry.
Tacodeli is offering a limited time menu item, the Barbacoa Taco, from July 6-August 1, made with HeartBrand beef cheek barbacoa, cilantro, onion, avocado and salsa de arbol, for $4.25.
Windmills in The Colony has three seasonal brews: Windmills Blonde; Tropical Saison with mango, passionfruit, and pineapple; and Blackberry Tart, a kettle-soured ale with blackberries. Other brews include west coast and hazy IPAs, creamy coffee porter, Hefeweizen, Vienna, Amber, and Russian Imperial Stout.
Pie Five Pizza has a new Parmesan Crunch Stuffed Crust Pizza. The outer edge of the dough is stuffed with mozzarella cheese, then topped with marinara sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. More parmesan cheese is sprinkled on the outer crust before it goes into the oven. It's finished with a buttery garlic blend. Through July 11, you can get a two-topping Parmesan Crunch Stuffed Crust Pizza for $5 with promo code STFDCRNCH redeemable online or in-store.
Volleman's Home Delivery has launched in Dallas-Fort Worth. The home delivery service offers Texas-made dairy products, bread, produce, proteins, and pantry staples. It's a partnership between Volleman's Family Farm, the only Texas-owned glass bottling dairy, and Matt Shatto of Shatto Home Delivery, a home delivery service based in Kansas City. Participating Dallas businesses include Shug's Bagels, Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters, and Empire Baking Company.
Foxtrot Market, the modern-day convenience store, is offering three summer picnic bundles and a new private label collection of ice cream at its two Dallas locations in Uptown and Snider Plaza. There's a Charcuterie & Cheese Picnic Kit ($35) with salami, prosciutto, hot sopressata, capicola, cheddar, brie, manchego, buttermilk blue, cornichon, pickled sweet peppers, olives, pickled zucchini, grain mustard, parma dip, fig preserves, fresh herbs; Summer Salad Picnic Kit ($25) with chicken salad, fine herb potato salad, calabrian pasta salad, fruit salad and sea salt crackers; and Mezze Picnic Kit ($30) with hummus, parma dip, marinated tomato salad, crostini, crudite.
Foxtrot's new private label ice cream collection is available by the pint ($10) and includes Extreme Cookie Dough Sprinkle, Big Riff Coffee, Roasted Bananas & Caramel, Chocolate Hazelnut Chunk, Strawberry Cheesecake Crumble, and Mint Sprinkle Brownie. Purchase online at www.foxtrotco.com or in-store at the Uptown or University Park location.
Chipotle will offer buy-one, get-one free entrées on July 6 as part of the White House's initiative to get more Americans vaccinated. The BOGO offer will be valid in-restaurant from 3 pm to close. Say "Friends BOGO" at the cashier to redeem.
Capital Grille is hosting a summer wine spree available through September 6 called The Generous Pour, featuring a collection of seven distinctive labels available for $28 with dinner. Visit TheCapitalGrille.com to make reservations at Dallas, Plano, and Fort Worth, or order online.
Sadler's Smokehouse in Henderson has introduced its ready-to-eat Sadler's Smokehouse beef brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken and St. Louis Ribs at Albertsons, Shaws, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Hy-Vee and Kroger. It's $10 for pulled pork, pulled chicken, and St. Louis ribs, and $16 per pound brisket.
DFW Restaurant Week is returning again this summer, supporting local restaurants and charity partners the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) and Lena Pope with every delicious prix fixe meal for a deal. Mark your calendar for a full month of dining in or taking out for lunch and dinner with top restaurants across the Metroplex, starting Aug 9, 2021 — with may restaurants offering a head start over Preview Weekend, Aug 6-8. The official list of participating restaurants will be revealed at DFWRestaurantWeek.com when reservations open on "Reservation Day” Monday, July 12.
DoorDash has partnered with Albertsons to offer on-demand grocery delivery across nearly 2,000 of their banner brand stores nationwide through DoorDash including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Acme and more. Consumers can order more than 40,000 grocery items on-demand for delivery within an hour with no time slot, queues, or minimum order size required.
DoorDash has also partnered with Beyond Meat to offer limited-edition July 4th grilling kits. You get Beyond Burger, a grilling mit, apron, grilling tools, bottle opener, and recipe card for $15 in 14 cities across the U.S., including Dallas and Houston.
III Forks at 1303 Legacy Dr. in Frisco has received an achievement of distinction as "Best of the American Steakhouse" by Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRōNa) for their "finest USDA Prime steak, mouthwatering, buttery lobster and ocean-fresh seafood, prepared to perfection." III Forks is one of 18 restaurants in North Texas and the only restaurant in Collin County to receive the honor.
