News You Can Eat

Ramen wins in this week's spicy chapter of Dallas restaurant news

Our ramen situation just got more rameny with two new ramen-serving restaurants — one to the north, one to the west. There's also sausage, steak and build-your-own Bloody Marys. Onward:

Ramen restaurant No. 1 is on Belt Line Road by Addison: Ramen Hakata has a long list of a dozen varieties of ramen, from the traditional tonkotsu, to garlic ramen, vegetable ramen, spicy miso ramen, cold ramen and more. The menu helpfully includes photos next to each option. There are also rice bowls, dumplings and appetizers such as takoyaki (octopus balls). Small plates start at $4, and the ramen costs $8-$10. The place is BYOB and already enjoying crowds at both lunch and dinner; according to a commenter on Eater, the restaurant was sold out of food by 6:30 pm.

Ramen No. 2 is in Fort Worth's Cultural District: Hanabi Ramen & Izakaya, which comes from the owners of Hanabi Hibachi and Sushi in Fort Worth, offers eight varieties of ramen, from tonkotsu to spicy karami tonkotsu with seasoned ground pork, to spicy miso tsukemen, with the noodles in a separate bowl for dipping. The izakaya, or small plates, includes skewers, tempura plates, salads and dumplings.

Scotch & Sausage, the Oak Lawn restaurant whose name positively reeks testosterone, has opened and is drawing members of the male species from all over DFW. BBQ Snob Daniel Vaughn was there on opening day, enjoying the lamb sausage but wrinkling his nose at the veggie he tried. The menu features 20 options, including pork, beef, chicken, venison, antelope and quail, plus three vegetarian options, all priced from $6 to $8. You can get them in a bun or in a gluten-free lettuce wrap. There are also Scotch eggs and Belgian fries, plus scotch, whiskey, and Belgian and German beers.

Southpaw's Organic Cafe is opening at Equinox, in the Highland Park and Preston Hollow locations; the cafes are open to both members and non-members. The Highland Park branch is already open, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes such as oatmeal, granola, egg wraps, sandwiches and gluten-free bowls. Favorites include an avocado bowl filled with hummus, tabbouleh or tuna on a bed of baby spinach. The Preston Hollow cafe opens in August.

Landmark Bar & Kitchen is a new watering hole ~~going into the space previously occupied by Brownstone. Landmark~~ featuring vintage arcade games such as Skeeball, Ms. Pacman, Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong and more. The fun doesn't stop there: There are 30 TVs, a mechanical bull, fishbowl and carafe cocktails, and 29° beer. The menu includes cilantro jalapeño hummus, meatball sliders and Buffalo chicken pizza. There is a cocktail called the Cereal Killer, with vodka and cereal milk.

A third branch of Dee Lincoln Steak Bar will open in Fort Worth in 2015, at 3280 W. Seventh St. in the Museum Place project. Both the Dallas and Plano locations have been known as Dee Lincoln Steak & Burger Bar, but from now on, it's Steak Bar only, to avoid confusion. "Dee Lincoln Steak Bar is a casual but chic steakhouse that also happens to have a nice presence of gourmet burgers on the menu," Lincoln says in a release. She opened her first steakhouse in Fort Worth nearly 20 years ago.

A new farm-to-table dining concept called Harvest will open this September in historic downtown McKinney, from restaurateur Rick Wells, owner of Rick's Chophouse. This restaurant will feature cage-free chicken from Pottsboro and shrimp from the Texas Gulf Coast. Chef is Andrea Shackelford, who currently oversees culinary direction for Rick's Chophouse.

The newest location of McAlister's Deli will open in August on Heritage Trace Parkway in Fort Worth, with a new interior design that includes all digital menu boards along with a new color scheme and décor.

Brio Tuscan Grille at Watters Creek has new menu items, such as proscuitto and mushroom pizza; a pork porterhouse with seasonal vegetables, arugula and mashed potatoes; spaghettini with broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers, asparagus, capers and pine nuts; and sausage and tomato pasta. New cocktails include strawberry Fresca with rum, strawberries and lime juice.

Pakpao has a new build-your-own Bloody Mary bar at Sunday brunch. A shot of vodka is $8 and comes with choice of toppings such as jalapeño olives, pickles, palm olives, celery sticks and Thai chili. Three Bloody Mary mixes include one with Sriracha, one with a Thai theme and one with a curry theme. Pair them with brunch items such as taro pancake or Thai omelet with pork, onion and cilantro.

Last but not least, there's an update on the closing date of Bonchon Chicken. According to manager Wyatt Hurt, the restaurant will serve its last round of Korean-style wings and tenders on Sunday August 3.

Pakpao is the place to be if you like Bloody Marys.

Photo via Baking with Basil

Pakpao is the place to be if you like Bloody Marys.

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News you can eat

This Dallas restaurant news goes straight to the dog days of summer

Photo courtesy of SusieCakes

SusieCakes is offering special Dog Days of Summer treats for pups.

It's hot outside; let's go in and eat. This end-of-July restaurant news roundup covers some recent openings and closures, new baked goods, new menu items, and two great August traditions: DFW Restaurant Week and Hatch chile season.

Here's what's happening on the Dallas dining scene:

SusieCakes is rolling out a month-long Dog Days of Summer collection, available August 1-31. The lineup includes dog-shaped Frosted Sugar Cookies, dog-friendly PupCakes made with banana and peanut butter, homemade dog treats, and a dog-themed decorated cake. Coinciding with National Dog Day (August 26) to promote shelter adoption, the bakery will donate $1 from every Frosted Sugar Cookie and PupCake sold throughout August to local animal rescue organizations, including Saving Hope Animal Rescue, Dogslife, Dallas Pets Alive!, and Chew Animal Clinic. Orders are available in-store and online.

Shi-Ya Modern Asian Cuisine opened in late June inside kosher steakhouse Meat Point, at 7114 Campbell Rd. #102 in far North Dallas, bringing a new kosher sushi lounge concept to the city. Access via an unmarked entrance inside Meat Point, the speakeasy-style restaurant features sushi, sashimi, rolls, and other modern Asian dishes, all prepared under kosher standards.

Manpuku Japanese Yakiniku Grill at 2023 Greenville Ave. has closed. Manpuku, a chain of Japanese barbecue (yakiniku) restaurants from Tokyo, brought its distinctive interactive Japanese yakiniku dining experience to Texas, opening its first restaurant in the Lone Star State on Dallas' Lower Greenville in 2021. It has a sister Japanese restaurant, Takumi Hachi, in Addison.

PopUp Bagels is teaming up with Natalie's Juices for a limited-time collaboration featuring Tangerine Dream Butter, a citrus-infused schmear made with fresh-squeezed tangerine juice. Available August 6-19 at all PopUp Bagels locations, the spread is paired with 12-ounce bottles of Natalie's Tangerine Juice. The promotion also includes free tangerine juice tastings at select locations — including Dallas — on August 7, plus a gift-with-purchase weekend August 15-16, when the first 25 customers each day who order the Tangerine Dream Butter will receive a limited-edition Natalie's tote bag.

Paris Baguette has opened a new bakery-café at 5500 State Highway 121, Suite 100 in Plano, marking the chain's 27th location in Texas. The café features the brand's signature self-serve selection of artisan pastries, breads, cakes, and specialty coffee. The new shop is locally owned by CJ Singh and Punya Kushalappa, who say they hope to make it a gathering place for the Plano community.

Mountain Mike's Pizza has opened a new restaurant in Murphy, at 511 E. FM 544. The family-friendly pizzeria features eight TVs, an outdoor patio, a kids' arcade, and an all-you-can-eat weekday lunch buffet. It's the chain's 16th location in Texas and is owned by husband-and-wife franchisees Timothy Fogarty and Vanessa Lomelí-Fogarty, who are planning additional North Texas expansion. The menu includes the brand's signature crispy curly pepperoni pizzas, wings, garlic knots, salads, and desserts and is open daily for dine-in, carryout, and delivery.

Mountain Mike's Pizza with its curly pepperoni. Photo courtesy of Mountain Mike's

Beto and Son has closed after 10 years in the Trinity Groves development in West Dallas, but chef Julian Rodarte promises that, as his father Beto retires, "It's not the end, just the beginning of the next chapter." The father-son team opened the restaurant in 2016. They became known for their novel twists on Mexican cuisine, but even better known for their smoking liquid nitrogen margaritas.

Café Momentum has been named one of 10 recipients of a $10,000 summer grant from the Jacques Pépin Foundation. The Dallas nonprofit restaurant, which provides paid culinary training and wraparound support for justice-involved youth ages 15-19, was recognized for its workforce development program that serves 80 to 120 interns annually. In addition to the grant, Café Momentum will receive branded aprons for its students and a foundation group membership. The organization is also preparing to open its new flagship campus in 2027.

DFW Restaurant Week returns August 10-September 7 to celebrate its 30th anniversary with more than 160 restaurants across North Texas offering special prix-fixe menus that benefit the North Texas Food Bank and Lena Pope. Participating restaurants will serve two-course lunches and brunches for $29, three-course dinners for $49 or $59, and select $99 signature dinners, with a portion of every meal donated to charity. Reservations are open now.

KANVAS has closed in Deep Ellum. The nightlife venue said it made the decision because of ongoing violence in the surrounding neighborhood. While noting it had maintained a safe environment inside the venue, KANVAS said it could not control conditions in the surrounding area and no longer believed operating in Deep Ellum aligned with its standards. The company said it will continue operating its other concepts, including Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley and Club VIVO, while expanding into additional U.S. cities.

Long John Silver's has reopened its remodeled restaurant at 1414 N. Town East Blvd. in Mesquite following a major renovation. The updated restaurant features a refreshed coastal-inspired design, digital menu boards, self-order kiosks, and a redesigned layout to streamline dine-in, drive-thru, carryout, mobile, and online orders. The restaurant serves the chain's full menu of seafood, chicken, shrimp, tacos, bowls, and hushpuppies.

Kenny's East Coast Pizza in Plano has closed after a decade. Chef and restaurateur Kenny Bowers opened the pizzeria in 2016, adding to his "Kenny's" empire that then included Kenny’s Wood Fired Grill and Kenny's Italian Kitchen in Addison, Kenny's Burger Joint in Plano and Frisco, and Kenny's Smoke House in Plano. The pizzeria's prime Park and Preston location housed Bowers' ode to his Boston upbringing, with 14-inch pies prepared in a Bakers Pride Deck Oven.

Blue Mesa Grill is toasting the 30th anniversary of its annual Hatch Chile Festival with a month-long menu of New Mexico-inspired specials available August 1-31. Included are Asadero Cheese Bites with hatch salsa verde and sweet red chile sauce; Santa Fe stacked chicken enchiladas; Hatch cheese relleno and steak taco combos; Pozole; a Hatch brownie, and more, plus the commemorative, Hatch-infused Dirty Thirty Margarita. The celebration will include a Hatch Chile Weekend Brunch on August 15-16 ($30 adults; $15 kids 6-11, kids 5 and younger eat for free.)

Blue Mesa Hatch chile It's Hatch chile time at Blue Mesa. Photo courtesy of Blue Mesa Grill

Eatzi's Market & Bakery is celebrating Hatch chile season with the return of its annual lineup of limited-time menu items, available through August at all locations and online. Highlights include Hatch Pimento Spread, a Beef Slider with Hatch Pimento Cheese, Hatch Chicken Salad, and Hatch Queso, all featuring roasted Hatch chiles. The seasonal offerings are available through the end of August while supplies last.

Blue Goose Cantina welcomes the return of its 24th Annual Hatch Chile Fest, running August 4 through September at all eight North Texas locations. The limited-time menu features 11 seasonal food and drink specials, including Hatch tamales, Hatch pulled chicken enchiladas, Hatch street tacos, Hatch margaritas, and weekend brunch dishes, all made with authentic Hatch chiles from New Mexico.

Burger Schmurger will mark Hatch chile season with The Hatchback, its August Burger of the Month. Available August 1-31 for $12, the limited-time burger features a double smashburger topped with roasted Hatch green chiles, white American cheese, tomato, red onion, butter lettuce, and roasted Hatch green chile sauce on a potato bun.

Prince St. Pizza has teamed up with rock bands Avenged Sevenfold and Good Charlotte on two limited-edition specialty pizzas, available through August 30. The collaboration features A Little Pizza Heaven, an Avenged Sevenfold pie with activated charcoal dough, spicy vodka sauce, smoked mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, and Calabrian peppers; and The Deserve You Pie, a Good Charlotte creation topped with garlic cream, mozzarella, mushrooms, sausage, basil pesto, whipped lemon ricotta, and edible blue borage flowers. Each order comes in a collectible band-themed pizza box, and loyalty members who order a tour pie or slice are entered to win concert tickets.

Apothecary has introduced a new three-course prix-fixe dinner for $45. Available alongside the regular à la carte menu, the offering pays tribute to the tasting-menu format of the restaurant's former sister concept, Rye, which closed earlier this year. Diners choose one dish from each course, with first-course options including Japanese Elotes, Caesar Salad, or Local Summer Vegetables; entrées such as Cacio e Pepe, Mediterranean Salmon, Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken, or the Apo Burger, with optional upgrades for Seared Scallops or Wagyu Steak Frites; and desserts including Strawberry Basil Cheesecake, Sauerkraut Cake, or S'mores.

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse has added a shareable Pennsylvania Heritage Fried Chicken Bucket for two, served with house-made ranch, truffle hot sauce aioli, and honey mustard. The limited-time dish is paired with Belvedere martinis or Moët & Chandon Champagne, with optional upgrades including Dom Pérignon or American sturgeon caviar for a luxe twist on comfort food.

The Sicilian Butcher has rolled out a summer menu refresh with 14 new dishes at its Dallas-Fort Worth locations. New additions include appetizers, build-your-own entrées, and Italian classics such as Nonna's Garlic Bread, Ravioli Cacio e Pepe, Lasagna, Pentolino, East Coast Stuffed Pepper, and Chicken Alla Tomasso. The restaurant is also continuing several value specials, including a two-course lunch for $18 from 11 am-3 pm, all-day happy hour, a Vino for Two deal, and 50 percent off select bottles of wine every Wednesday.

Fuzzy's Taco Shop has launched Fuzzy's Beach Club, a limited-time summer menu with California beach vibes, including a Cali-Style Steak Taco ($5.35) topped with fries and guacamole, a Baja Fish Taco ($4.55) with Pacifico beer-battered fish, Brisket Queso Fries ($12), Churritos ($4.25), and the Malibu Daydream cocktail ($8), plus $5 Pacifico draft beers. Available through August 30.

The Keg Steakhouse + Bar is now offering delivery for the first time in its 50-plus-year history through a partnership with DoorDash. Guests at the Arlington location can order signature dishes such as the New York Striploin, Keg Burger, Mushrooms Neptune, and Cheesecake for delivery. To celebrate the launch, DoorDash customers can get $10 off orders of $40 or more through August 5 with the code 10KEG.

Flix Brewhouse Frisco earned a gold medal at the 2026 U.S. Open Beer Championship for its Cumbersome Blonde in the Field Beer category, helping the cinema brewery chain achieve a record 17 medals across all locations. Each Flix brewery is judged independently, making the Frisco team's win part of the highest medal count by any brewery group in this year's competition.

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