Chicken Dinner

Long-awaited chicken chain finally feeds Dallas-Fort Worth with multiple locations

El Pollo Loco is a popular chicken chain from the West Coast.

Photo courtesy of El Pollo Loco

People go crazy for the flame-grilled chicken at the El Pollo Loco chain, hailing from the West Coast. It finally arrives in Dallas-Fort Worth in September, with the first two stores opening in Allen and Bedford.

El Pollo Loco is noted for its Mexican-style chicken with a citrus marinade, and for entrées using fresh ingredients inspired by Mexican recipes. With more than 435 company-owned and franchised restaurants in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, and Utah, El Pollo Loco is now expanding its presence in Houston and Dallas.

Located at 386 E. Stacy Rd., the Allen spot marks the first company-owned restaurant in DFW. The Bedford store is at 1900 Central Dr. and marks the first franchised restaurant, from Chicken Time Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of Dallas-based Henry Investment Group.

"We have been very vocal about our attraction to Texas and are thrilled to expand our presence into Dallas-Fort Worth," says El Pollo Loco president and CEO Steve Sather.

The menu includes family chicken meals, burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and salads, prepared with the speed and convenience of a quick-serve restaurant. The chicken is marinated fresh daily in a recipe of herbs, spices, fruit juices, and garlic before being fire-grilled and hand-cut. Guacamole, salsas, and dressings are prepared fresh daily.

The Allen and Bedford stores will be followed by five more branches around DFW:

1245 W. Pipeline Rd., Hurst
2125 N. Highway 360, Grand Prairie
2834 W. University Dr., Denton
9544 Forest Ln., Dallas
8817 North Freeway, Fort Worth

The company will also be featuring a new design at all locations, highlighting an authentic, Mexican-inspired atmosphere with warm textures, rustic elements, and a focus on freshness. The restaurants will incorporate brick, raw metals, concrete flooring, and street art, as well as fun posters, pops of color, and graphic tiles that reflect the company's roots.

The Dallas expansion comes on the heels of Pollo Loco's entrance into the Houston area, where it currently has 12 restaurants and continues to grow. The Allen and Bedford restaurants are scheduled to open on September 10.

openings

Sweet life

Dessert and wine pair up at new Bordeaux & Creme lounge coming to Plano

Photo by Sobremesa Studios

Bordeaux & Crème's Pistachio Romance features a Sicilian pistachio macaron layered with raspberry confit, pistachio ganache, fresh raspberry, and rose sugar.

A unique new lounge that gives wine and dessert equal billing is coming to Plano: Called Bordeaux & Creme, it will open this fall in The Shops at Legacy North, 5840 Legacy Circ., Ste. D165, joining notable neighbors including The Capital Grille and Seasons 52.

Noting that traditional wine bars often treat dessert as an afterthought, founder Shanice Williams says Bordeaux & Crème is designed around the pairing experience.

"Wine and dessert are often treated separately, but they're capable of creating something truly memorable when they're thoughtfully paired," Williams says in a release.

Her wine and dessert lounge will offer "curated wine flights, house-made desserts, table-side experiences, and an atmosphere designed for everything from date nights to celebrations with friends," she says. "Some of life's best conversations happen after dinner and there should be a space worthy of them."

The intimate, 1,426-square-foot lounge will seat about 40 guests. It will debut with approximately 30 wines by the glass and bottle, with plans to expand more selections. Williams says sparkling, white, rosé, and red wines, alongside curated wine flights, will encourage guests to discover and explore.

Desserts will be made in-house, seasonal, and created specifically with pairing in mind, she says. Among the offerings will be a brûlée cheesecake: a vanilla bean crème fraîche cheesecake layered atop a brown butter sablé and finished with a brûléed sugar crust and transparent sugar dome. It will be paired with a sweet wine, whose honeyed notes complement its rich, caramelized finish, the release says.

Another standout, the owner says, will be the Pistachio Romance: a Sicilian pistachio macaron layered with raspberry confit, pistachio ganache, fresh raspberry, and rose sugar. The dessert will be paired with a sparkling rosé wine, balancing fruit, texture, and freshness in a single experience.

“A glass of wine, something sweet, and music that sets the mood is an evening experience I always wanted but could never quite find," Williams says.

They're aiming for mid-November opening; updates will be posted on their Instagram page. Hours will be 4-10 pm Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday, and 4 pm-midnight Friday-Saturday. The lounge will be closed Mondays.

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