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News You Can Eat

Loads of new eateries top off this rendition of Dallas restaurant news

Teresa Gubbins
Sep 17, 2018 | 6:04 pm
Olive Garden pumpkin cheesecake
Did you help name this pumpkin cheesecake?
Photo courtesy of Olive Garden

Lots of openings all around Dallas-Fort Worth make this an especially well-traveled episode of dining news. There's new ice cream, new seafood, new healthy restaurants, and with it being fall, pumpkin news.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Cow Tipping Creamery, the ice cream shop that made soft-serve a trend, has opened in Carrollton at 1309 S. Broadway St., next door to its sibling Cane Rosso. Cow Tipping Creamery previously had a truck outside Monkey King Noodle, but it shut down in winter 2017. Monkey King closed in June, so Cow Tipping took over the vacant building and is revamping the space with indoor and patio seating for ice cream any time of the year. It serves ice cream and sundae "stackers" such as the Southern charm with rum-caramel sauce, pecans, Southern cracker candy, and blue sugar crystals. It's open 4-9 pm Thursday, 12-10 pm Friday-Saturday, and 12-9 pm Sunday.

The Yard, the farmhouse chic eatery in McKinney serving backyard grub in one of McKinney’s most historic homes, is open. The restaurant is from 33 Restaurant Group, which owns Union Beer Brewing Co. in Plano, Cadillac Pizza Pub in McKinney, Taverna Rossa Craft Pizza and Beer in Plano and Southlake, and Heritage Pizza and Taproom in The Colony. The menu has chicken wings, beer cheese dip, a club, a signature burger, nachos, beer, cocktails, frozen, and tapped signature spirits such as the Perl Frosé. The historic home at 107 S. Church St. dates back to 1878 and for many years was home to Cafe Milagro.

Shell Shack, the seafood chain, has opened a restaurant in Denton at I-35 near the Golden Triangle Mall, inside the former Dani Rae’s Gulf Coast Kitchen. The completely remodeled interior features the same vibrant design as other Shell Shack locations, with chalkboard walls, white tables, and pops of color. The full bar is stocked with beer, wine, and cocktails to wash down the food. The Denton menu has boiled crab, shrimp, or crawfish, with potatoes, corn, and sausage, served in a giant bag for spilling onto the table. This is the sixth DFW location for Shell Shack, which started in Uptown Dallas in 2013.

Gather Kitchen, the fast-casual concept that opened in downtown Dallas in 2017, is opening a second location in Preston Center, at 6135 Luther Ln. It maintains its focus on all-natural meats and proteins and fresh ingredients, with tailored meal programs for vegan, vegetarian, Paleo, and Whole 30. New dishes include wild-caught marinated salmon; "everything but bagel" tofu nuggets; and black bean patties. Preston Center will also introduce new breakfast items including smoothie bowls and sweet potato toasts.

Popbar, famous for its gelato, sorbetto, and yogurt on a stick, has opened a location in Victory Park at 2420 Victory Park Ln. They make small batches, 26 popbars at a time, in 40 rotating flavors, with dippings and toppings, plus unique treats like the newly launched gelatoshake. There are also vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free options. Popbar currently has 19 stores in the U.S., and 11 stores internationally. Popbar Victory Park is the fifth new location to open in 2018.

Rush Bowls, the fast-casual chain known for meals-in-a-bowl, has opened a second location in Flower Mound, following the first Dallas-area location that opened in August in Mockingbird Station. Founded in 2004, Rush offers meals crafted from fruit, granola, and honey, blended with protein, vitamins, and other ingredients. Choose from more than 40 bowls or smoothies including acai, kale, and avocado. The Flower Mound store is at 2400 Lakeside Pkwy., and is from husband-and-wife Michael and April Fuchs, who also plan to open a location in their hometown Keller.

Bowen House, the cocktail bar in Uptown Dallas, has a new private Bar Within A Bar. Located in the back of the historical home of Ahab Bowen, the private room plays host with booth seating, bar area, mixologist, and server for 15-20 guests. General manager Joe Shirghio says they're excited to offer a private area to mix, mingle, enjoy our cocktails and food menu and relax.

Captain D's, the Nashville-based fast-food seafood chain, has opened a location in Plano, east of US-75 at 603 E. 15th St., in a former Wendy's. It's the 15th Captain D's in Texas, and the first for Collin County. It's owned and operated by first-time franchisees Mohammed and Amira Alalimiy, a husband-and-wife team with more than 20 years with Golden Chick. The signature at Captain D's, which has more than 530 restaurants in 22 states, is hand-battered fish, plus grilled shrimp, surf and turf, hushpuppies, desserts, and Southern-style sweet tea.

Jamba Now is a new concept from Jamba Juice, the national smoothie chain, and a location has opened in McKinney. It features drive-thru and walk-up ordering options, making it easy for guests to grab a healthful option on-the-go. It's located at 1658 W. University Dr., also known as "in the Sam’s Club parking lot."

Olive Garden, the Italian chain, is is releasing its first dessert named by guests: Chunkin' Pumpkin Cheesecake. A release says that fans named it via a July poll on various social media channels. That'll teach ya, Olive Garden. It's a pumpkin cheesecake on a chocolate cookie crust, studded and topped with brownie bites and drizzled with fudge. It'll show up on the menu on September 24, but you can also get it before then by asking for it.

Vidorra, the new restaurant and rooftop bar in Deep Ellum, has introduced weekend brunch Saturday-Sunday, 10 am-3 pm. Menu highlights include a Mexican egg casserole with chorizo, tortillas, black beans, corn, and fried avocado; and green chile eggs benedict with sweet potato hash, veggies, chorizo, poached eggs, green chili hollandaise, red onions, and micro greens. Churro toast is like a cinnamon sugar-dusted French toast with golden agave syrup and fried banana slices. Cocktails include the Muy Mimosa with pineapple, cilantro, coconut, jalapeño, St. Germaine, Cantarino, and bubbles.

Holy Grail Pub, the Plano gastropub, has a new menu by chef Shimond Bradley, who returns after a seven-year absence following stints at Casa Rubia and other eateries. He's elevated the menu with new dishes including a seasonal entree on Fridays, and improved signature items. Mushy peas have been reimagined as smashed pea toast, with farmer's cheese, pea tendrils, tomatoes, and pickled onion on sourdough bread. Caramelized cauliflower is tossed in green pepper Romano sauce with Craisins and candied pecans. Shrimp and grits has marinated peppers and Alabama white sauce. Mac and cheese has been promoted to entrée status with a larger portion that includes lardons and jalapeño jam. Half-chicken is cooked sous-vide then grilled and placed atop green garlic pistou sauce, with mashed potatoes. Two entrée sized salads are new: Wedge with everything dressing; and spicy kale, with serrano pepper vin and taco spiced pepitas.

Perry's Steakhouse & Grille, the Uptown steakhouse, is offering a red blend wine tasting flight featuring three 2-ounce pours of different Rodney Strong Red Blend wines: the 2014 Symmetry Meritage Red Wine, 2015 Rowen Red Wine, and 2015 Upshot Red Wine Blend. Perry’s corporate sommelier Susi Zivanovic says the the flight highlights the diversity of the flavor profiles available with red blends, providing an interesting contrast and encouraging guests to try the Rowan and the Upshot, which are new blends. The flight is $26 and is available through September.

The Rustic is hosting Taco & Tequila Tuesdays with a flight featuring three tacos and three samples of Cazadores Tequila: blanco, reposado, and añejo. The signature Joe Leo Tacos include carnitas pork shoulder, smoked brisket, and chicken tinga with tomatillo. It's $20 and will be offered through October 30.

Industry Alley Bar, in The Cedars neighborhood just south of downtown, has a new limited-edition cocktail menu with flavors inspired by the State Fair of Texas. It has a quartet of items such as the Lemon Chill, a vodka sweet and tart drink, and the Elotero, a buttery, salty, corn whiskey cocktail. It'll run the length of the fair.

Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen has three new menu items including chicken tender parmesan: chicken tenders with marinara sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese, over spaghetti. Two new desserts include the Painkiller Mini Cake, based on Cheddar's Painkiller cocktail; and the chocolate raspberry mini cake. The items are all prepared in the in-house scratch kitchen and all three can be tried for under $15.

Mimi's Café has two all-new menus: Pumpkin Everything, featuring the seasonal favorite pumpkin spice, is available now through November 11 and includes pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin griddlecakes, pumpkin crème muffin, and pumpkin pie cheesecake, paired with a salted caramel mimosa. Beginning September 26, Mimi’s will launch its Flavors of Fall menu featuring seasonal dishes made with Samuel Adams sauces, including pork chop with Samuel Adams glaze, brisket ciabatta sandwich, chicken ciabatta sandwich, and loaded brisket mac and cheese, paired with a cinnamon apple sangria.

Smoothie King has four seasonal pumpkin smoothies, made from organic pumpkin, although they don't say what else is in them. [Note: According to an email, they also have, depending on the smoothie, dates, milk, almond milk, frozen yogurt, and banana.] The Slim-N-Trim Pumpkin has 240 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and 15 grams of protein. The Coffee High Protein Pumpkin, which sounds a lot like the protein smoothies Starbucks recently introduced, has 31 grams of protein. Who needs all that protein? There's also a vegan pumpkin, and a "pumpkin D-lite" made with fro-yo and no sugar. Sounds D-lish. Available until December 26.

Twin Peaks has remodeled its location in Lewisville at 2601 Stemmons Fwy. Cool, did they ditch the exploitation of their female servers? They don't say. They've added seating, including communal tables, updated bar seating, and dining room booths. The bar area has been expanded and is now double-sided with outside roll-down screens. AV packages have been enhanced, including the restaurant’s 55 TVs. The number of beers on tap has doubled from 12 to 24. The bourbon and whiskey offerings have also been expanded to a more comprehensive list, including Texas-made bourbons. Nothing about the servers.

Dixon's Pale Ale is a new beer launched by Hop and Sting at Grapevine Craft Brewery in partnership with local rescue group Dallas Pets Alive. A portion of the proceeds from every beer sold will go directly to Dallas Pets Alive. Dixon’s Pale Ale is an American pale ale with intense hop flavor and aroma, balanced with a light caramel malt finish. It's available in the taproom at Grapevine Craft Brewery and through off-site sales. This is the first beer in North Texas to be created in honor of a rescue dog and the first brew where sales directly benefit a rescue organization.

Truluck's celebrates its 20-year anniversary in Uptown Dallas and with chef Manuel "Manny" Vera, who's worked there for 20 years. He's at the helm of all things culinary, and is a partner in the organization.

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Fair Foods for the Win

Behold the 15 finalists for State Fair of Texas Big Tex Choice Awards 2026

Alex Bentley
Aug 6, 2026 | 10:55 am
Texas Pecan Praline Cheescake Cone from State Fair of Texas' 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists
Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas
The Texas Pecan Praline Cheescake Cone is one of the finalists for the State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards in 2026.

The State Fair of Texas has unveiled the finalists for the 22nd Annual Big Tex Choice Awards, featuring all sorts of bold concoctions that can only be found at an event like that.

The finalists include five each in the categories of Best Taste - Savory, Best Taste - Sweet, Best Taste - Sipper. Winners from each of those categories will be announced on Tuesday, August 18, as well as one for Most Creative.

According to a release, the competition kicked off with a record-breaking 77 entries from 46 different concessionaires, each of which has at least two years of experience at the Fair.

Each concessionaire submitted an original recipe that went through a blind judging process, ensuring each entry was judged solely on its own merits.

The 15 finalists competing for the 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards titles include:

SAVORY

Flamin Crunch Pizza from State Fair of Texas' 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists Flamin’ Crunch Pizza is a finalist in the Savory category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

  • Burger Chop Tater Tacos, Tom Grace - A fresh chopped burger patty combined with sautéed onions and jalapeños, then topped with mozzarella and American cheese and laid on top a bed of cheddar cheese tater tots that have been formed into a taco shell. That is then finished with buffalo buttermilk ranch coleslaw, garlic parmesan buffalo sauce, and more tots.
  • Dickel's Texas Two Step Tacos, Dickel’s Smokehouse - The Dickel’s Texas Two Step Tacos features two tacos, the first with a warm blue corn tortilla filled with a fire-roasted jalapeño stuffed with pineapple pork sausage and melted mozzarella. The second taco contains tender-sliced brisket wrapped around a roasted jalapeño, layered with melted mozzarella, and served on a yellow corn tortilla finished with purple pickled onion and a drizzle of sweet, smoky barbecue sauce or house made Lone Star Habanero Fuego.
  • Flamin’ Crunch Pizza, Tom Grace - The Flamin’ Crunch Pizza consists of hand-tossed, fresh-made pizza dough topped with a jalapeño cheddar queso base and covered with a freshly grated blend of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. The pizza is topped with handfuls of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, a drizzle of jalapeño queso blanco and house-made buffalo buttermilk ranch dressing, and a hefty sprinkle of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dust.
  • Golden Crunch Melt, Tony & Terry Bednar - This entry features a tortilla brushed in a signature seasoned butter oil and packed with marinated chicken pastor, fire-roasted peppers, caramelized onions, smoky chipotle mayonnaise, melted three-cheese blend, and crispy potato strings, accompanied by a smoky chipotle crema.
  • Nacho Wings, Cody & Lauren Hays - Nacho Wings are crispy chicken wings tossed in zesty taco seasoning, smothered in creamy nacho cheese, and piled high with cilantro, green onions, cotija cheese, tomatoes, pickled red onions, and jalapeños. They are served on a bed of hot, golden fries and the whole thing is drizzled with ranch.

SWEET

Holy Flan! Buueloco from State Fair of Texas' 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists Holy Flan! Buñueloco is a finalist in the Sweet category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

  • Berry Me in Matcha, Stephen El Gidi - Berry Me in Matcha features a New York-style cheesecake that is hand-dipped in Belgian white chocolate, rolled in crushed matcha cookies and drizzled with white chocolate and sweet strawberry jam. The dessert is finished with a fresh strawberry slice on top.
  • Fernie’s Frozen Espresso-tini Bar, Christi Erpillo & Johnna McKee - This espresso martini popsicle features cold-brew espresso blended with a kick of Fernie's Funnel Cake Cream Cocktail. The bar is drizzled with ribbons of chocolate shell coating, hardening into a delicate, crackable bite.
  • Fletcher's Chocolate Corny Dog, Beck Fletcher - The Fletcher’s Chocolate Corny Dog consists of smooth milk chocolate fudge hand dipped in Fletcher’s famous Original Corny Dog batter and deep fried until golden perfection. It is topped with a drizzle of yellow vanilla icing and served with raspberry compote for a sweet twist on the iconic Corny Dog.
  • Holy Flan! Buñueloco, The Garza Family - The Holy Flan! Buñueloco starts with a warm, crispy buñuelo bowl filled with creamy, homemade arroz con leche and a scoop of cinnamon Blue Bell Ice Cream. The highlight is a deep-fried flan encased in a delicate puff pastry shell, topped with fluffy whipped cream topping and a rich caramel sauce drizzle.
  • Texas Pecan Praline Cheesecake Cone, Brad Weiss - This second take on cheesecake features a warm waffle cone dipped in white chocolate, rolled in buttery Texas pecan praline, crushed Biscoff cookies, and freeze-dried strawberries, and filled with homemade cookie butter cheesecake. It is then topped with a pinch of sea salt, whipped cream, Biscoff crumble, warm cookie butter drizzle, white chocolate sauce, and finished with a signature Biscoff® cookie.

SIPPER

Corn Flake Shapp\u00e9 from State Fair of Texas' 2026 Big Tex Choice Awards finalists Corn Flake Shappé is a finalist in the Sipper category in State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

  • Corn Flake Shappé, Milton & Gracie Whitley - The creamy Corn Flake Shappé blends toasted corn flakes into a rich creation with dulce de leche, Texas pecan notes, and a signature blend of warm spices. It is finished with whipped cream, golden corn flake crunch, sweet strawberry crumble, and a dusting of powdered sugar.
  • Nevins Soft Serve Peach Bellini Float, Tami & Josey Nevins Mayes - The Nevins Soft Serve Peach Bellini Float features creamy peach bellini soft serve infused with sparkling wine, topped with sparkling sugar and grated frozen peach. It is finished with a sugary-sweet golden topping.
  • Rousso's Bacon Jam Caramel Apple Hard Cider, Rousso’s Concessions - The Rousso's Bacon Jam Caramel Apple Hard Cider is crafted with hints of apples, caramel, churros, cinnamon sugar, and a smoky bacon jam twist.
  • Sunset Soft Serve Rita, Dwania Morris - The Sunset Soft Serve Rita combines a strawberry and mango margarita with vanilla soft-serve ice cream, a rim coated in Tajín rim, and topped with a chamoy drizzle and crunchy hot honey Tajín® topping.
  • Tropical Coco Fresca, Fruteria Cano - The Tropical Coco Fresca is a layered pineapple-watermelon agua fresca with chamoy lava Tajin® rim, paired with a scoop of icy coconut snow that melts into a creamy tropical explosion of flavors.

While these 15 creations earned a spot in the finalist round, the State Fair of Texas is also recognizing semi-finalists whose innovative entries will still make their debut at the 2026 State Fair as new foods.

Semi-finalists include:

  • All Shook Up
  • Butter-Dipped Toffee Crunch Nutty Bar
  • Deep Fried Thai Tea Tres Leches Cake
  • Dirty Dr Pepper® Do-Si-Do Float
  • Fried Gobbler Roll
  • Layered Mango Strawberry Shortcake
  • Limonata Fresca Float
  • Loaded Lone Star Rings
  • Love Me Jam Sandwich
  • Matcha Parfait
  • Midnight Ruby Rush
  • Soft Serve Smoked Peach Bourbon Smash
  • The Niece
  • Triple Chocolate Flautas
  • Twinkle Twinkle Brisket Star

During the final judging event, a panel of 35 judges, including hometown celebrities, television personalities, food experts, and well-known creators will evaluate each dish based on four key Fair-food elements: taste, value, creativity, and fairgoer appeal.

While the Big Tex Choice Awards event is closed to the public, the public can follow along online by tuning into one of the State Fair's social media channels - @StateFairofTX on Instagram and Facebook.

The winners will be announced on Tuesday, August 18 at 2 pm.

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