Downtown News

Famous Food Network chef opens sweet cafe in downtown Dallas

The menu will include avocado toast.

Photo by Kathy Tran

A new restaurant is coming to downtown Dallas with coffee, pastries, and avocado toast. Called Rise & Thyme, it's a seasonal American cafe from celebrity chef Amanda Freitag and according to a release, will open in the new AT&T Discovery District on September 18.

Located at 211 S. Akard St., this will be the second restaurant to open in the AT&T Discovery District, following Jaxon, the restaurant and beer garden that opened in March.

Rise & Thyme will open first for breakfast and lunch, and add dinner later with a menu of salads, sandwiches, pastas, and patty melts.

Freitag is the acclaimed chef and Food Network regular who has battled Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America, competed for the title of America's Next Iron Chef, and serves as a judge on Chopped.

The R&T menu will include:

Taco Thyme – scrambled eggs, muenster, bacon, thyme potatoes, griddled onion on a flour tortilla
Smoked Salmon & Everything Toast – cream cheese, pickled red onion, capers, cucumber, tomato, dill, "everything" spice on sourdough or seeded whole-wheat
AF Chicken Salad – thyme- and lemon-roasted chicken breast, tarragon, house mayo, lemon, pickled celery and red onion, on bibb lettuce, tomato, and cucumber
Impossibly Perfect Patty Melt – Impossible patty, secret sauce, muenster, and pickle on sourdough bread
Roasted Chicken French Dip – crispy shredded leg and thigh meat, provolone, caramelized onion, horseradish mayo, arugula on a baguette with a side of chicken jus
Salmon a la Plancha – 6-ounce skin-on Scottish salmon filet, thyme potatoes, tartar sauce

Rise & Thyme will also offer fresh pastries from local favorites La Casita Bakeshop and bread from Village Baking Co.

Located on the corner of Commerce and Akard, Rise & Thyme was designed by The Johnson Studios, with an interior described as both sleek and rustic, plus floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the space with light.

The restaurant will be open for takeout, delivery, limited indoor seating, and a full range of outdoor seating in the Discovery District.

"I can't even begin to say how happy we are to finally be able to open this restaurant with Amanda," says Kevin Lillis, CEO/founder of Hospitality Alliance, with whom Freitag is partnering on the restaurant. "I've been a fan and friend of hers for years, and while this opening may be a little later than we originally planned, we definitely believe it was worth the wait. We're looking forward to bringing something truly special to Downtown Dallas and the Discovery District."

coffee downtown openings

Bar News

Rodeo Dallas bar takes party to Uptown Dallas at new location

Rodeo

Rodeo bar is open in Uptown

A bar with Deep Ellum roots is expanding to Uptown Dallas: Called Rodeo Dallas, it'll open at 2922 N. Hall St. in the space previously occupied by Palms Bar. According to co-owner Joseph "JD" Ybanez, it'll open on November 28.

The first Rodeo location in Dallas opened in 2023 at 2724 Elm St. from Ybanez and partner Josh Reagan, a pair of hospitality veterans whose prior venues include Longshots in Dallas, plus two locations of Varsity Tavern, in Fort Worth and in Tempe.

Ybanez' first bar was Trophy Ranch in Fort Worth which had a mechanical bull. "That's where I learned how popular it was," he says. (He also became familiar with Fort Worth's bar scene and went on to open a Rodeo spinoff in 2024.)

In August 2025, the Deep Ellum location became the focal point of neighborhood concerns about crime and was closed via an order from the Dallas city attorney. Ybanez says the city is scapegoating Rodeo for other problems in the neighborhood, and that the Deep Ellum location isn't going anywhere.

“This is not a relocation,” he says. “We maintain an ongoing legal dispute with our landlord Asana Partners regarding the re-opening of our Deep Ellum establishment. The Uptown location represents an expansion of the brand.”

Prior to opening Rodeo in Deep Ellum, they opened a bar in Tempe in 2018 called Rodeo Ranch which served as a template for the concept, featuring an "adult playground" with mechanical bull, bottle service, girls in bikinis, DJs, dancing, and light show.

According to Ybanez, visitors to the Uptown location can expect to take these factors to the next level.

“The Uptown space offers an expansive back patio,” Ybanez says. “This area will feature a massive video wall, optimizing it for communal sports viewing. Furthermore, we have executed a comprehensive refinement of our food menu, which we are confident will elevate the guest experience."

The menu is rendered by Donde Los Tacos, the highly regarded Mexican taqueria in Oak Clifff, with $3 and $4 tacos, like trompo, barbacoa, and suadero. The Uptown location will also serve brunch with dishes such as chilaquiles.

"We have meticulously preserved the core of the Rodeo experience: the unparalleled atmosphere and vibes, our commitment to genuine hospitality, the homegrown character of the brand, and the inclusive spirit that welcomes every member of the community," Ybanez says.

uptown openings