Eats in the 'Burbs

Three new restaurants join buzzing CityLine in Richardson, including Dallas Mexican favorite

In its unceasing quest to feature every cuisine, the CityLine complex in Richardson has signed on three more restaurant concepts including a Dallas Mexican favorite, a Razzoo's spin-off and a new-to-Dallas concept from Atlanta.

The restaurants, all new to Richardson, include: Fernando’s Mexican Cuisine, Fresh To Order, and Tricky Fish.

CityLine is the 186-acre mixed-use project in Richardson being developed by KDC. According to KDC vice president Colin Fitzgibbons, phase one of the project is 90 percent leased.

"We want to provide the thousands of office tenants, residents and visitors with plenty of quality dining choices to fit their varying tastes and lifestyles," Fitzgibbons says in a release. "These new restaurants round out our roster of dining options as we move into phase two of our development."

Fernando’s Mexican Cuisine offers upscale Tex-Mex dining with the continental influence of Mexico City. This will be the third Fernando's; the first opened in Preston Hollow in 2005, and the second on Travis Walk in 2011. Menu items include fajitas, taco and enchilada plates, and regional dishes such as fish tacos and chicken mole poblano. The restaurant will offer weekday lunch specials, brunch and dinner, with a patio and happy hour.

The 5,115-square-foot Fernando’s will be located on the ground floor of a 532-unit apartment building at 1250 State St., and is scheduled to open in February 2016.

Tricky Fish is a Southern seafood restaurant owned and developed by Razzoo's which features a fast-casual dining room as well as a full-service bar. Menu items include fresh seafood, entrée salads and sandwiches, including po'boys and muffaletta. The signature dessert is a peach ice cream sundae with bread pudding croutons and rum sauce. The bar will offer 12 regional craft beers on tap, wines by the glass and happy hour specials. A patio with sliding doors will open onto a pedestrian area.

The 3,800-square-foot Tricky Fish will be on the ground floor of Three CityLine at 1251 State St. and will open in fall 2015.

Fresh To Order is an Atlanta-based chain that serves food fire-grilled in front of guests within 10 minutes for about $10. That sounds dangerous. Menu items include almond-crusted seared tuna, chicken with wild mushrooms, burgers made from bison, salmon and tuna, soups and paninis. Founder and CEO Pierre Panos plans to launch 10 to 15 more Fresh To Order restaurants in the Dallas area.

The 3,200-square foot Fresh to Order will be located in the ground floor the JLB apartment building, next to Fernando’s, on the southwest corner of State Street and Plano Road, and will open in spring 2016.

CityLine will also be home to Whole Foods, LOOK Cinemas, office buildings, an Aloft hotel and multiple restaurants.

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Skewer News

Vila Brazil to bring affordable Brazilian steakhouse to Cedar Hill

Photo courtesy of Vila Brazil

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A Brazilian steakhouse known for its low-for-steak prices is coming to Garland: Called Vila Brazil, it's part of a small local chain and will open in Cedar Hill, at 305 W. RM Rd. 1382 #316, in the former Crab & Bar space, in late 2025.

Vila Brazil was founded by restaurateur Roberto de Sa, who opened the first location in Irving in 2011, as a home-grown rendition of churrascaria-type restaurants such as Fogo de Chao. A second location opened in Garland in 2024.

According to co-owner Gabriel de Sa, the Cedar Hill location will feature the same menu, including rotating chef specials at the buffet.

Vila Brazil features a lower-cost version of churrascaria, a Brazilian style of serving cuts of grilled meat from giant skewers onto diners’ plates. They offer eight cuts of meat including picanha steak, sirloin, chicken, lamb, and pork.

There’s also a salad bar buffet featuring rice, salads, vegetables, and Brazilian-inspired dishes such as cheese bread rolls and cinnamon-grilled pineapple.

Weekday lunch is $25 and dinner is $40 daily. For the buffet only, it’s $18-$21.

They own other restaurants including VB's steakhouse in Arlington and Casa Pollastro, a Brazilian-Italian concept in North Dallas. But Gabriel says they take a different approach with Vila Brazil than some of the other more expensive churrascaria restaurants in town.

"Instead we offer homemade food at an affordable price with great quality and flavor,” he says. "Our guests on average visit our store three times a month — much more frequently than your typical churrascaria."

The Cedar Hill location will be fairly large, in a 6,528 square-foot space, with an approachable casual dining atmosphere.

“We choose the Cedar Hill community for the same reason we opened in Garland, to serve an underserved community,” Gabriel says. “A fusion between a fast casual buffet and a Brazilian Churrascaria Vila Brazil is accessible to all members of the community with high value.”

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