Chicken News

Hooters' wings-only concept opens first 2 locations in Dallas area

The wings are here, the wings are here.

Photo courtesy of Hoots

The wings are about to land: Hoots Wings, the new fast-casual concept launched by the Hooters chain specializing in chicken wings, has two locations locked down in the Dallas-Fort Worth area: one in Little Elm and the other in far north Fort Worth.

According to a release, the first franchise location in Texas will open in Little Elm, in the Little Elm Corners Shopping Center, on the SW corner of US380 and Navo Road. Official address: 26742 E University Dr., Aubrey.

It'll open on July 19.

The Fort Worth location is at 5301 Golden Triangle Blvd., east of I-35, across the street from a Walmart store. That location is still "coming soon."

The arrival of Hoots in DFW is via Dallas-based AE Restaurant Group, led by Cary and Jackie Albert, who signed a deal to open 60 locations in Texas. That may sound ambitious, but as we can now see, they have two down, which is just another 58 to go.

They're opening not only in Dallas-Fort Worth but also Austin, and have another nine locations in development: seven in Dallas-Fort Worth and two in Austin, set to open by year-end. The husband-and-wife duo plan to open 10-15 locations each year. So see, this 60 locations thing can be done.

"From the second we learned about hoots wings, we knew this was the perfect opportunity for us," Jackie says in a statement. "The people of Little Elm and the surrounding communities will love the diverse menu of over 10,000 flavor combinations. We’re so excited to play a role in the history of hoots wings as their first-ever franchisees and bring their great food to the people of Texas."

Hoots was first launched by Hooters' parent company HOA Brands in 2016, with the idea of doing a fast-casual version of itself, with a menu of its best-selling most popular items. There are currently seven Hoots Wings locations, in Illinois, Georgia, and Florida. Hooters has been doing wings since 1983.

But Hoots is all about takeout and delivery. They've partnered with third-party delivery platforms like Uber Eats and Grubhub, and units include a designated area for takeout orders to reduce friction. No dining room, no servers.

The menu features wings with a variety of sauces and rubs. Customers have the choice of:

five cooking options: breaded, smoked, naked, boneless, or roasted
14 sauces and dry rubs including 3-mile island, spicy garlic, garlic habanero, lemon pepper, Texas BBQ, and parmesan garlic

In addition to wings, the menu includes shrimp, chicken sandwiches, and sides like waffle fries, tots, mac & cheese, and mozzarella sticks.

Hours at the Little Elm location will be Sunday-Wednesday 11 am-10 pm, and Thursday-Saturday 11 am-11 pm.

openings

Deep Ellum News

Mexican 'vibe' restaurant from California to open in Deep Ellum Dallas

Mama Por Dios

A buzzy concept from California is coming to Dallas: Mama Por Dios, a Mexican restaurant chain known for its vibe, will open its first location in Texas in Deep Ellum in the Epic development at 2525 Elm St., taking over the former La Neta space, which shuttered in May.

According to a spokesperson, the restaurant will open in early to mid-January.

Mama Por Dios was founded in Southern California in 2020 by chef Misael Guerrero, who famously got his start selling Mexican sushi out of his garage.

Since those early days, he's gone on to form a restaurant empire called Emme Group, with concepts that include Los Amores de Julia, El Rincon de Los Dolidos, and Culichi Town, a lower-priced chain known for Sinaloa-style Mexican sushi & seafood, which has a local presence: It opened a location in Mesquite in 2022.

Mama Por Dios — which translates to "Mother of God" — describes itself as modern Mexican, offering a unique blend of steakhouse, sushi bar, and seafood. The menu includes favorites like tacos and enchiladas, alongside luxe dishes like lobster with spaghetti, lobster enchiladas, and a surf & turf featuring a lobster tail balanced atop a skirt steak. Prices range from $18 for birria tacos to $48 for a bacon-wrapped filet mignon with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

But they also have a showy side that includes flamboyant presentations such as the bacon-wrapped shrimp which come strung on clothespins; or the trompito al pastor, served on a personal spit, as well as servers who walk around with shots while dancing with patrons.

There's a Gold Burger for $65 featuring Prime beef on a brioche bun garnished with 24k gold leaf, and a similarly gilded tomahawk steak for $400 that brings to mind the good old days of Salt Bae. Decor is swanky with low lighting, and there'll be a serious brunch offering on weekends.

Cocktails such as the Al Agua Pato — served in a mini bathtub with a rubber ducky — are made for Instagram. They offer margarita and mezcalita flights with flavors such as mango, tamarindo, and strawberry, and intriguing sips like Carajillo, a Spanish cocktail with Licor 43, espresso, and 43 different fruit, citrus, aromatic, and herbal ingredients.

There’s also a $20 per-person minimum spend, and the menu comes with a warning that everything is cooked to order — meaning some dishes may take 30 to 40 minutes. For many diners, waiting will surely be part of the experience.

deep-ellum tex-mex openings