Where To Eat Now

Where to eat in Dallas right now: 10 best new underdog restaurants

There are the new restaurants everyone knows about, the ones with the high-profile chefs and $60 steaks. Which is to say, Knife; we are, of course, talking about Knife.

But there are other new restaurants in Dallas, you know — new restaurants with good food, diligent staffers and noteworthy stature. Restaurants with their own rich stories that we simply haven't had the time to tell yet. So this is that time, to acknowledge these 10 new spots which have yet to receive their glorious moment in our spotlight. So what if they don't have their own reality show?

Here is our list of the top 10 new underdog restaurants in Dallas right now.

Banh Shop
New prototype from Yum! Brands (Taco Bell, KFC) champions the banh mi sandwich, which everyone knows needs all the help it can get. That's a little joke, because the banh mi sandwich is one of the hottest things on restaurant menus right now. Banh Shop does nearly a dozen sandwiches, with fillings that run from pork to American cold cuts to steak and eggs. If you're asking if this is authentic, you're missing the point.

Big State Fountain and Grill
Rescued from the brink of closure by Rick and Susan Fairless, owners of Strokers (the motorcycle-tattoo-shop-bar-and-grill), this former pharmacy has been refashioned into a '50s-style soda fountain and grill. The menu is a classic, whether it's biscuits and gravy for breakfast, burgers and bologna sandwiches for lunch, chicken fried steak for dinner, or malts and milkshakes all day long. Prices are cheap, topping out at $8.95 for a chopped steak and dinner salad with grilled onions on request.

Carso
Brand newly opened restaurant in the Hilton Granite Park makes this underdog list only because it is so so far north. But there's a dream team at Carso, including Anthony Bombaci, famed for his high-flying cuisine at the Hilton Anatole, and food and beverage manager Edward Searle, previously at Central 214 at Hotel Palomar. Bombaci's inspiration at Carso is Mediterranean, with dishes such as lamb shank, 72-hour short rib and cavatappi pasta with guanciale, egg and parsley.

Cold Beer Company
New bar in Deep Ellum in the cool old Vern's space is more a bar than a restaurant, but it does boast a small menu of sandwiches, including peanut butter and jelly, plus hot dogs, tacos, chips, house-made pickles (served in Mason jars) and ice cream sandwiches. Owners are Carter Voekel, Gabe Whatley and Kelly Wesner, who know this bar-menu turf because they co-own the Fillmore Pub in Plano and The Pub in McKinney.

Green House Market
This food truck-turned-mall restaurant is tucked behind the AMC theater, but it's well worth tracking down. The food they're putting out in this stark, clean space — it's where the Starbucks used to be — is gorgeously gourmet. Daily specials such as Wagyu chili pie with toasted corn nuts or roasted poblano soup play off the season, and all dining tribes are welcome, from Paleo to vegan to gluten-free. The latest new dish is a keeper: chocolate chia pudding, perfect for breakfast or dessert.

Pollo Tropical
As a chain, Pollo Tropical is officially ruled out from being taken truly seriously. On the other hand, this Miami-based fast-casual concept specializing in flame-grilled chicken has a cult following, making it a perfect underdog pick. The menu has a Caribbean flair, with sauces such as pineapple-rum, guava BBQ and cilantro garlic, plus soups, salads, wraps, plantains and yuca with garlic sauce. The four branches around Dallas include Addison and Frisco.

Rollngo
Offshoot of Bistro B on Greenville Avenue has become a favorite for its solid, cheap lunch with spring rolls, banh mi sandwiches and pho. Seating is limited, making it more of a place to grab and go, but a new updated menu features upscale options like five-spice Cornish hen with rice that'll have you searching for a table. Rollngo also does a full line of drinks, including smoothies and boba tea.

The Sir
Former Ketchup Burger Bar space now bears the unfortunate name of The Sir, a restaurant-bar with an expanded menu that includes not just burgers but also wings and things. Its three managing partners include Ben Scott, a contestant on Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise. Chefs consulting on this debacle include Norman Grimm of Baboush and Peja Krstic of Souk. If for some reason you feel compelled to try this place, do not delay, if you catch our drift.

TJ's Fresh Seafood Market
Jon and Natalie Alexis moved the original TJ's into the old Purple Cow space at Preston Road and Royal Lane, with a bigger commitment to sit-down dining. Along with the fish market, there's seating for 90 with a menu of surprisingly affordable seafood dishes from chef Nick Harrison that expands beyond classics like steamed lobster, mussels, clams, potatoes and drawn butter. Full bar too.

Urban Acres Cafe
Formerly just a farm stand, Urban Acres has stepped up its dining game with the recent hire of David Rodriguez, former chef at Oddfellows. The menu will rotate weekly; typical new menu items include the "Pig and Fig" sandwich, tacos with chorizo, chicken salad, and organic pizza with garden sorrel pesto. They make their own granola and cookies, and there is always pizza on Friday nights and Sundays.

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Green House Market's chocolate chia pudding.

Chocolate chia pudding at Green House Market

Green House Market/Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/greenhousemrkt]

Green House Market's chocolate chia pudding.

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Comings and Goings

It's a big week for restaurant openings and closings in Dallas

Alara

Deconstructed baklava at Alara.

The headline says it best: It's a big week for restaurant openings and closings in Dallas. Sometimes forces come together to make a week like this busy, whether it's the alignment of the stars or just a Dallas code compliance inspector who finally decides to give a thumbs up.

But along with the good news of openings comes the not-so-good news of closings. Let's do good news first with openings, followed by closings.

OPENINGS

Alara, a Mediterranean restaurant from Turkish-born chef Onur Akan, has opened in Dallas' Design District at 1628 Oak Lawn Ave. #120, in the former Pakpao Thai space. Akan, who previously worked as a chef at Nonna and had his own catering company, is calling it "modern Mediterranean," with twists such as deconstructed baklava and the so-called Caesar salad, whose gem lettuce, fried anchovies, and green goddess dressing make it seem like not a Caesar at all. During lunch, Alara will feature a casual European cafe-style menu with mezze, doner kebab, sandwiches, and salads. Dinner service expands into a larger menu with nightly specials.

Bojangles, the Carolina chicken chain, opened a location in Plano at 3840 SH-121, in a newly-constructed building west of Kroger Marketplace at the corner of Coit Road. Bojangles specializes in fried chicken, biscuits, and Southern sides such as dirty rice, mac & cheese, and Cajun pinto beans. They made their Dallas-area debut in 2023 with the usual fanfare that first surrounds a chain, followed by the usual fading fanfare that surrounds a chain after it has opened multiple locations. In this case, Plano marks the company’s ninth location in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Maman, the New York café chain making a big expansion in Dallas, opens its new location at Hillside Village, the centrally situated center at Mockingbird Lane and Abrams Road, on April 23 in the former Palmer's Hot Chicken space, with pastries, sandwiches, coffee, and exclusive Texas menu items. Opening day will feature an 8 am ribbon cutting with complimentary cookies for the first 100 customers who make a purchase. They made their Texas debut in November 2025 when they opened a location in the Plaza at Preston Center. There are also plans for locations in Frisco, Casa Linda, and the Design District.

PopUp Bagels, a buzzy bagel concept from the Northeast, will make its Texas debut on April 24, opening its first location in Dallas at Inwood Village, in the former I Heart Yogurt shop next to the Inwood Theatre at 5450 W Lovers Ln. #143. PopUp started as a backyard project during the pandemic. Their menu is limited — no sandwiches— and their bagels are sold whole only, not sliced, leading to their nickname "rip and dip," in which customers rip the bagels in half and dip them into spreads. (Their texture is softer and lighter than the traditional New York dense bagel, making them easier to "rip.") On opening day only, they'll serve a Lemon Pepper Schmear that's a collaboration with Wingstop.

Portillo's, the Chicago-based street food chain, opened a location in Frisco at 16499 FM Rd. #423 on April 21, with Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, crinkle-cut fries, salads, shakes, and chocolate cake. Hot dogs come in regular, chili cheese, Polish sausage, and Maxwell Street Polish sausage with mustard and grilled onions. The location features Portillo's "restaurant of the future" design, comprising a smaller, more efficient footprint. It is the 11th location of Portillo's in Dallas-Fort Worth and first in Frisco; the first opened at the Grandscape development in The Colony in January 2023.

CLOSINGS

Super Duper Cookie Co., a social enterprise that employs people with disabilities, is closing its storefront in May. The shop, which opened in 2024 in the former Baldo's Ice Cream space across from SMU at 6401 Hillcrest Rd., will be closing on May 1, according to a post on Instagram. Company founder Benjamin Crosland told the DMN that they're closing because they couldn't afford to stay in business. "We are sad to go but we know that we have made an impact in our community," their post said. "We will be here until May 1, so come and say goodbye and get a cookie and dance under the disco ball one last time."

Bon bons by Kate Weiser Chocolate. Photo courtesy of Kate Weiser Chocolate

Dozo Omakase. Omakase sushi restaurant at Trinity Groves closed on April 14, after a little more than a year. The sushi spot opened in early 2025 with an embrace of the then-trendy multi-course omakase style of dining, in small or large versions with basically four options: 7 or 15 courses, plus hand rolls and a nigiri-handroll combination, with prices ranging from $28 to $120. They had a cool happy hour with a new menu nearly every month, but it wasn't enough. In their closure announcement, they said it was a difficult decision but invited fans to visit their sister restaurant Dozo Sushi in Richardson.

Kate Weiser Chocolate, Dallas' renowned chocolatier famous for its colorful and artistic chocolates, is closing down. That includes all four locations: its flagship at Trinity Groves as well as NorthPark Center, Fort Worth, and Southlake, as well as online sales. Founder Kate Weiser, a pastry chef who founded her chocolate company in 2014 as part of the "incubator" program at Trinity Groves, told the DMN that Trinity Groves' investors owned 60 percent of the company, and that they hadn't been profitable in four years. She's arranged for her signature "Carl the Snowman" hot chocolate kit to have one final Christmas season with Central Market for the 2026 holiday.

Stirr, the brunchy restaurant from Dallas-based Milkshake Concepts, has closed its final location in Addison. According to a post from the owners, they decided not to renew their lease; April 19 was their last day of service. Stirr made its debut in Deep Ellum in 2016, serving chef-driven dishes and cocktails. A second location opened in Fort Worth in 2019, then closed in 2021. Milkshake seems to be in a time of transition. In 2025, they closed Citizen, their lounge on Swiss Avenue and recently replaced it with a dance-music venue called Ctrl Room. They also own the small Mexican chain Vidorra, Serious Pizza, and The Finch, an American grill with locations in Dallas, Grand Prairie, and Nashville.
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Stephanie Allmon Merry contributed to this story.

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