Where to Eat Now

Where to eat in Dallas right now: 10 brand new restaurants for fall

Tupelo Honey just opened at The Star in Frisco.

Photo courtesy of Tupelo Honey

With more than 50 restaurants slated to open around the Dallas area (listed here), it's crucial for diners to stay on top of what's coming and what's already arrived. Openings are happening fast and furious. This list, for example, includes two restaurants opening this very day, September 25. There's no rest for the wicked on this. Must keep up.

For this edition of Where to Eat, we look at 10 of the latest, newest openings:

City Works Eatery & Pour House
One of the many openings at The Star in Frisco, City Works is a growing sports bar chain with craft beer and bar food such as burgers and "handhelds," the annoying new word for "sandwiches." Newly opened in September, it's already featuring a limited-time menu celebrating Oktoberfest, with a chicken schnitzel sandwich with bacon sauerkraut, served with potato pancakes and apple onion jam; spätzle stroganoff with short rib; and smoked potato croquettes with sauerkraut.

Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ
Over-the-top restaurant lands in Dallas' Design District with barbecue on the menu and a functional Ferris wheel on site. The restaurant comes from This & That Concepts, the group that also owns Parlay, High Fives, Tiny Victories, and Whipper Snapper. Pitmaster is Doug Pickering, who previously worked with NL Group (Dish, Dakota’s Steakhouse, Front Room Tavern), and before that, opened his own restaurant Work Bar & Grill in Deep Ellum. This one opens September 25.

Fusion Kitchen
Former Fuddrucker's space off US 75 near Park Boulevard is now home to Fusion Kitchen, whose fusion includes Korean BBQ, hot pot, Chinese food, and sushi (at lunch only). That's a lot to carve out, but they're making waves thanks to a generous buffet, with cooked dishes such as sweet and sour fish, fried rice, noodles, plus the ingredients for cook-your-own Korean BBQ and hot pot. Locally, buffets are always a hit, as are the words "all you can eat." The service here is also good, and there's a full bar.

Harlowe MXM
Just-opened restaurant in Deep Ellum is part of the well-oiled machine that owns the Bread Winners chain as well as Henry's Majestic on McKinney, and it's already a smooth operator, with a great location that boasts lots of windows and seating areas, including three bars. The menu is more ambitious than Henry's, and with prices to match: from a $20 lobster roll to a $48 Akaushi rib eye. Cocktails include a Singapore sling on tap, and you can order donut holes as a side dish.

The Keeper
Stunning new seafood restaurant at the Shops at Legacy comes from Frontburner, who own The Ranch at Las Colinas, Whiskey Cake, Velvet Taco, Sixty Vines, and Mexican Sugar, across from which The Keeper sits. The menu combines an obsession with seafood with global fusion influences - think crab fried rice - smartly executed by chef Colleen O'Hare. A display kitchen is enclosed in glass for the ultimate transparency. The bar is, of all things, tiki-centric. Much rum.

Meso Maya
Plano branch of this growing Mexican restaurant chain opens at 4800 W. Park Blvd., in a former Chili's. Firebird Restaurant Group has been savvy in its location scouting, and there's no reason to think that this branch won't be see the same mobs of customers that have greeted its recently opened sibling in Lakewood, eager to try the signature budin casserole and avocado margaritas. This opens September 25.

Neighborhood Services
Chef-owner Nick Badovinus extends his empire to Frisco, where he's launched a branch of his signature concept at the newly-opened location at the Omni Frisco, with former CBD Provisions chef Richard Blankenship running theshow. This being a hotel, brunch is important, with dishes such as avocado toast, pulled pork toast, and churro French toast.

Oni Ramen
Fort Worth ramen shop from Jesús García made its Dallas debut in September in Deep Ellum, with a neighborhood-friendly goal of staying open late at night: from 5 pm-4 am on Fridays, and from 12 pm-3 am on Saturdays. The menu includes dumplings, steamed buns, and an array of ramen options that includes a super-spicy ramen called the Oni Reaper. Oh, and there's poke, too.

Sachet
New eatery from Gemma chef/owner Stephen Rogers and his wife, Allison Yoder, at the Shops of Highland Park is inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean coast, drawing from a broad array of countries such as Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, Tunisia, and Morocco. It's one of Dallas' biggest restaurant debuts of the fall.

Tommy Bahama Restaurant, Bar & Store
Once known as Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe, the first Tommy Bahama restaurant opened in Naples, Florida in 1996. There are now 18 branches, including this one in Plano's Legacy West. The cafe boasts a tropical theme, island atmosphere and menu. Their best known dish is coconut shrimp served with mango chutney. Other trademark items include crab cakes, tacos, sliders, roast pork sandwich, baby back ribs, and their island slaw dressed in a refreshing lime vinaigrette.

Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar
First Texas location of this North Carolina-based chain opens at The Star in Frisco, featuring Southern dishes such as honey-dusted fried chicken, Tex-Mex dishes such as huevos rancheros, and steaks from Akashi and Black Angus. Executive chef Thomas Robey, formerly of Commander’s Palace, worked with corporate executive chef Eric Gabrynowicz to develop the Frisco menu.

openings where-to-eat

East Dock development

'Chopped' champion opens Pan-Latin restaurant at Oak Cliff's East Dock

Photo courtesy of Barro y Fuego

Barro y Fuego specializes in parrilladas, or grilled meats.

A Latin American, chef-driven restaurant is one of the newest additions to Oak Cliff's vibrant dining scene: Barro y Fuego is now open in suite 100 of the refurbished historic East Dock, at 900 E. Clarendon Dr., joining Bite Sushi, Elevate Coffee, Kuluntu Bakery, and other neighbors.

The restaurant comes from longtime friends and business partners Robert Ramirez and Eric Spigner.

Spigner formerly was chef at Nova Oak Cliff, which won Restaurant of the Year in the 2018 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards; he was a Tastemakers Rising Star nominee in 2019. He's best known as champion of the Food Network competition show Chopped in 2021.

Ramirez is a 25-year veteran of the restaurant design business who also envisioned, designed, and developed East Dock, the mixed-use development that houses Barro y Fuego and an assortment of dining, retail, gym, and office spaces. The development is near the new five-acre Halperin Park, a bridge park spanning Interstate 35.

The partners named the restaurant Barro y Fuego — translating to “clay and fire”— to reflect their vision for the restaurant. The grill is always afire for parrilladas, or grilled meats, while decorative clay pots by artists from Peru and Mexico line the interior and are available for purchase.

Beyond a market area, the restaurant incorporates elements of a rustic cantina, with natural wood and earthy tones creating a cozy atmosphere. The indoor dining area accommodates up to 80 guests, with a communal table, booths, traditional tables, and bar seating along the open kitchen. An adjacent outdoor grill and patio overlooking a creek is open year-round and seats another 80.

“The open kitchen was important to us,” Ramirez says. “You can sit at the bar and watch the cooking; it's a natural gathering point. We focused on a design that is raw, minimal, and for everybody: dates, families, friends — come casual or come dressed up.”

The Pan-Latin menu draws on Ramirez’s upbringing and travels throughout the region, along with Spigner’s professional experience with Caribbean, Spanish, and Latin American flavors.

“Latin America is vast; my vision is to take it all in and present a concise statement of a broader culture — where you might not pinpoint a specific country, but rather a fusion of many in a single dish,” Spigner says.

This vision yields a unique menu spanning Latin America with subtle Spanish influences. The menu features shareable plates ranging from $20 to $40 and includes:

Gambas al Ajo Negro: Sautéed shrimp in a black garlic emulsion with charred okra and blistered tomatoes.
Costillas de Res Estofadas: Boneless beef ribs served with chimichurri crème fraîche, plantains, and charred zucchini.
Arroz con Pollo: Chicken confit over red rice, served with coconut milk collard greens and sauce africaine.
Panceta de Cerdo Estofada: Braised pork belly accompanied by chipotle-agave sweet potato puree and collard green chimichurri.

On weekdays, the restaurant offers a menu with items under $20, including sandwiches and smaller portions of main dishes. It’s designed for nearby business tenants, residents, and visitors to the Dallas Zoo and surrounding parks.

Brunch with live Latin jazz music takes places on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am-3 pm. The brunch menu includes clam, chorizo, and avocado tostadas; ropa vieja; torrijas, which are similar to French toast; and a pork belly and pisto manchego Benedict.

The full bar serves specialty cocktails such as a Negroni verde, caipirinha, and espresso martinis using ingredients from neighbor Elevate Coffee. The beer selection celebrates all of Latin America rather than focusing solely on Mexico, the proprietors say. They feature representative brands from nearly every country for $7. They also pour Mexican Lager from nearby, newly opened Smittox Brewery.

Looking ahead, the team says they plan to host ticketed community events, including paella nights, pig roasts, and live music showcasing local cumbia, rock en español bands, and DJs.

bar openings restaurant opening latin american food robert ramirez eric spigner. east dock oak cliff barro y fuego