This week in gluttony

These are the 8 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Dine out cheaper at some of Dallas' priciest restaurants, like Nobu, during DFW Restaurant Week.

Courtesy of Nobu

This week marks the beginning of DFW Restaurant Week, where more than 100 area eateries will offer specials to benefit a good cause. August also means Hatch chile season is here, and one gourmet grocery chain is ready to celebrate the piquant pepper with a month-long festival. Also on the schedule: a wine dinner, taco and margarita tour, and a hangover brunch to end the week.

Tuesday, August 3

Evil Cooks & Metalachi at José
It's an exclusive night of tacos with Evil Cooks, the dynamic husband-and-wife duo of Chef Alex and Chef Huerta, known for their trompo style tacos and flan dessert tacos. They don't do set menus, so you won't know what's being served till they arrive at José and plan the night with Chef AQ. Margaritas, cocktails, beer, and wine available for purchase at the outside bar or inside at the main bar. Metalachi, a metal, fiddle-swinging, trumpet-blasting, guitar-strumming Mariachi band, will also perform. It's from 7-10 pm, and tickets are $75, available here.

Wednesday, August 4

Annual Hatch Chile Fest at Central Market
Hatch peppers are here, and the gourmet grocer will feature the popular pepper in everything from crab cakes and brioche to mac and cheese and tortillas. Named for their origin of Hatch, New Mexico, the pepper is harvested only a few weeks out of the year and more 250,000 pounds will make their way to Central Market stores across Texas. The festival will run through August 26 at all locations.

Thursday, August 5

Prisoner Wine Dinner at The Ranch at Las Colinas
The four-course dinner will be paired with wine from the popular Napa Valley label. Menu items include grilled and chilled peach soup with goat cheese and basil, yellow tuna tartare, coffee-infused filet, and peach mousse with Italian meringue. Dinner is $95 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6 pm.

Friday, August 6

DFW Restaurant Week
The 2021 edition of the annual dine-out fundraiser kicks off its preview weekend on Friday, with the official “week” running August 9-15. Patrons can indulge in a pre-set, multicourse dinner for either $39 or $49 per person — a bargain for some of Dallas’ priciest establishments like Nobu, Al Biernat’s, and Mansion on Turtle Creek. A two-course lunch option is available for $19. There are dozens of restaurants in Dallas and surrounding areas participating in the 24th annual event, which benefits the North Texas Food Bank and Lena Pope Home. Note that some restaurants are extending their specials through September 5.

Saturday, August 7

La Cruda Brunch at Four Corners Brewing Company
The Dallas brewery and taproom will launch brunch this week, set for the first Saturday of every month. La Cruda means “hangover” in Spanish, and menu items follow the theme. Go for hangover-curing dishes like breakfast tacos with fillings including migas, beef fajitas, or chorizo; and burritos with eggs, queso, avocado, and potatoes. There’ll also be coffee, micheladas, and boozy kombucha seltzer. Brunch will be served from 10 am-1 pm.

Dallas’ Best Tacos & Margaritas Tour
Hop aboard a motorcoach for a four-stop tour of tacos and margs around Dallas. There’ll be street tacos and gourmet tacos (four total) along with two margaritas and some taco trivia along the way. (More margaritas available at additional cost. Participants may also BYOB on the motorcoach.) Tickets are $70 per person and the tour begins at 12:30 pm.

Black Bourbon Society Bourbon-Q Paired Tasting at Sandaga 813
Black Bourbon Society, in partnership with Jim Beam, is bringing The Open Door Tour to Dallas, and the featured event is a family barbecue that allows adults to sample the Beam portfolio paired with BBQ small bites. The tour spotlights Black-owned bars and restaurants in the community; the barbecue will take place 3-4:30 pm at Sandaga 813 (813 Exposition Ave., Dallas). For more information and other events through the weekend, visit the tour's website.

Sunday, August 8

Bubbles & Brunch at The Whiskey Spot
In addition to a brunch buffet that includes bottomless bubbly and mimosas, there’ll be a local vendor market and even DIY crafting at this Sunday brunch event. Menu highlights include house-cured smoked salmon and fig balsamic-glazed chicken. Tickets are $50 per persona and brunch begins at 11 am.

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Cool new hang

Rollin Joe's coffee shop to open in old New York Sub space by SMU Dallas

Rendering courtesy of Rollin Joes

Rollin Joe's is going into the old New York Sub space across from SMU.

The iconic former New York Sub space across from Southern Methodist University is being amped up as a cool new off-campus hang: Rollin Joe's, an all-day, music-driven, coffee and beverage shop, will open at 3411 Asbury St., Dallas.

It will debut in late summer or early fall 2026, says a release, in time to serve espresso drinks, matcha, smoothies, and teas to a new crop of undergrads who need caffeine.

Rollin Joe's comes from SMU alumnus (and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' nephew) Jerry W. Mooty, Jr. and hospitality veteran Kirk Thompson, who are transforming the longtime campus-area location into an all-day destination "pairing quality beverages with curated music, comfortable spaces and a community-focused atmosphere," the release says.

The location is notable for generations of SMU students and Park Cities residents who loved New York Sub, which had occupied the space since 1974, before closing earlier this year.

According to the release, Rollin Joe's will encompass 1,373 square feet with seating for 45 to 50. Features will include a covered patio, walk-up ordering, and a "Quick Sip" window for customers on the go.

The menu will focus on beverages, including coffee and espresso drinks, matcha beverages, specialty teas, smoothies, protein drinks, refreshers, energy beverages, grab-and-go sandwiches and snacks.

Notably, it will not sell alcohol. This is not a bar, frat boys.

Rollin Joe's will be an all-day coffee spot.Rendering courtesy of Rollin Joe's

Rollin Joe's will operate from morning through late evening, transitioning from coffee runs and study sessions to afternoon meetups and evening gatherings.

Music will also be a priority. According to the release, house music will be part of the daily soundtrack, with live DJs performing several nights per week and occasional guest DJs to help set the vibe.

For Mooty, the location was a key part of the project.

"The former New York Sub location holds a special place in the hearts of generations of SMU students and Park Cities residents," Mooty said in a statement. "When the opportunity arose to bring new life to the space, we saw a chance to honor that legacy while creating a new gathering place built around great drinks, music, community and meaningful connections."

Mooty is CEO and principal of Christie's International Real Estate @properties Lone Star. He says the idea for Rollin Joe's dates back more than a decade.

To clarify, the namesake "Joe" is not necessarily a person, but a concept, and what he's "rollin'" is, well, left to the imagination. As the release explains, "At the center of the brand is 'Joe' - a laid-back, music-loving personality who embodies the culture and spirit of Rollin Joe's. More than a host, Joe represents the welcoming, upbeat experience the founders hope to create for every guest who walks through the door."

Mooty explains, "The Rollin Joe's concept - and Joe's distinctive look and personality - has been a passion project of mine since I left the legal profession in 2012. I always believed in Joe as the focus of a beverage concept, but I knew bringing him to life would require operational expertise I didn't yet have."

Thompson joined the project after moving to Texas in 2024. His background includes owning and operating Panera Bread franchises in Kentucky and Florida, as well as Jimmy John's locations in Austin.

"When Jerry showed me what he had created, I immediately saw the potential," Thompson says. "The beverage category is evolving rapidly, and there was an opportunity to build something different - something that combines exceptional drinks, hospitality, music, and community."

The space was designed by Alexander Quintanilla of Q-ARC. According to the release, the design draws inspiration from music culture, vinyl listening lounges, and modern cafés, with comfortable seating, greenery, and lighting intended to complement the music-focused atmosphere.

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