Bishop Arts News

Bishop Arts restaurant reboots, this time plying Dallas' favorite cuisine

Tejas Oak Cliff
The new menu is looking pretty darn good. Photo courtesy of Tejas

A Bishop Arts restaurant is reopening following COVID-19 with a new direction, menu, and look. Tejas, which initially opened in 2019 as a taco and burger haunt, is returning but this time as a Tex-Mex spot. According to a release, it will open on September 22.

 

Located at 250 N. Bishop Ave., Tejas is one in a family of restaurants from Exxir Hospitality, along with Paradiso, Botanist, and Good Companions. Exxir is a restaurant group based in Bishop Arts District headed by COO Jeremy Hargrove (Proof + Pantry, Madrina).

 

The release says that Tejas' initial launch was a temporary thing and that Exxir was working on a final iteration all along. Voila, it is here: a playful, more moody sit-down space with an elevated menu of elegant Tex-Mex flavors, great music, and an agave-forward spirits program.

 

The menu is by executive chef Nicholas Hurry, who also helms the kitchen at Exxir concept Paradiso; and chef Diego Montoya, previously at Gemma.

 

It centers on healthy dishes with rich flavor such as:

 
     
  • a trio of guacamoles, including a mole spiced version with pepitas, peanuts, coriander, cumin and árbol
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  • pan-seared spiced cod served in a guajillo-tomato broth
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  • mix-and-match mini tacos filled with cochinita, picadillo, and veggies
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Under "light, healthy, and veggie" categories, they have:

 
     
  • mussels in a jalapeño-infused garlic-tomato broth
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  • "skinny" fajitas featuring colorful sautéed vegetables and pickled red onions
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  • vegan squash and mushroom tacos with radish, green onion, toasted pumpkin seed and plantain chips
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  • vegan braised fennel fajitas
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 Spirits
The new spirits program is created by Iluggy Recinos, a former West Coast barman who was previously at L.A. hotspots Bestia and NoMad. The release calls it fruity, herbaceous, and agave-forward, and notes that every drink, such as the margaritas made with native Texas prickly pear, will feature a Tejas twist.

 

Recinos' cocktails are said to be elaborate yet easy to drink and include:

 
     
  • Eres Mi Chingona, with chamomile-infused white vermouth, lemon, black pepper, strawberry, amontillado sherry and sotol
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  • Tex-Mex Railway, with tamarind, ancho chili, lime, habanero tequila, minted pimms and ginger ale
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They've kept original Tejas dishes including breakfast tacos and burgers that you'll be able to get at a walk-up window along their back breezeway, starting in October.

 

Hours are Monday-Thursday 5-10 pm, Friday-Saturday 5-11 pm, and Sunday 5-9 pm. Breakfast and lunch hours will follow soon.

 
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