Hot Dogs Out

Gourmet hot dog restaurant in Lakewood goes down for the count

Say it isn't so: Jerry's Wood-Fired Dogs in Lakewood will close on October 8.

Photo courtesy of Jerry's Wood-Fired Grill

The hot dog landscape across Dallas is about to suffer a loss, with the looming closure of Jerry's Wood-Fired Dogs on Gaston Road. According to a manager, the restaurant will close on October 8.

He attributed the closure to rising costs, exacerbated by the retirement of the chain's founder.

Jerry's opened its Dallas location in the former Lakewood Bar and Grill spot in 2012. It was a franchised location of a casual chain from California, specializing in hot dogs, sausages, burgers, wine, and beer.

The hot dogs were grilled over an open flame of mesquite, which added a smoky flavor. There were also a bounty of toppings — more than 30 — such as grilled onions, bell peppers, peppadew peppers, and grilled jalapeños. A typical gourmet special consisted of a hot dog topped with sauerkraut, blossom horseradish, and chopped parsley on a pretzel bun.

They offered a veggie dog and sides such as tater tots, fries, and sweet potato fries that earned high marks, as did the surprisingly broad selection of beer and wine.

The Dallas branch had a following of devout fans who really liked the food; but the following was perhaps not large enough, as seats could be found at almost any time of day.

The viability of the chain suffered a blow when founder Jerry O'Connell decided to retire earlier this year. A native of Ohio, O'Connell founded the chain in 2003 and at one point had numerous branches; there will now be just two.

Dedicated hot dog restaurants haven't had an easy time of it in Dallas, with recent closures including Samson's Hot Dogs on Oak Lawn and Hofmann Hots near Trinity Groves. Heroic Luscher's Red Hots and Angry Dog, both in Deep Ellum, are staying the course.

burgers closings

Burger News

Twisted Root Burger Co. closes original Dallas location in Deep Ellum

Twisted Root Burger

Twisted Root Burger Co.

An iconic burger joint in Dallas' Deep Ellum has closed: Twisted Root Burger Co., which helped usher in the "better" burger trend, has closed its original location at 2615 Commerce St. after 20 years.

The restaurant issued a statement, saying that, "After many memorable years, Twisted Root Deep Ellum has permanently closed."

"As our original location, this restaurant will always hold a special place in our story," their statement said. "We're incredibly grateful to every guest, neighbor, and team member who supported us along the way. Thank you for the memories and for being part of where Twisted Root Began."

Twisted Root founding chefs Jason Bôso & Quincy Hart ditched Wall Street to launch Twisted Root Burger Co. in Deep Ellum in 2006, serving up half-pound burgers with over-the-top toppings and a saucy attitude long before gourmet burgers were a thing.

The "better burger" trend began in the early 2000s, taking what was previously a fast-food item and gave it a chef spin, with gourmet ingredients and more upscale surroundings. Twisted Root was one of the pioneers in DFW alongside names such as John Tesar's The Commissary and the Liberty Burger chain.

Boso took an especially cheeky approach, adding ingredients like peanut butter and giving menu items humorous names like the Kevin Bacon burger stacked with three slices of bacon.

Their "Low Rider" features a burger with taco seasoning, avocado, pico de gallo, and tortilla strips, while their "Steak Me Home Tonight" is a beef patty with shaved roast beef, American cheese, provolone, grilled onion, and beer sauce. They have a worthy vegan burger; four robust salads including a Cobb salad and "My Big Fat Greek Salad"; and milkshakes you can customize with ingredients such as Oreos and M&M's. They also serve beer, wine, and cocktails at some locations.

Prices range from $11 to $16.

Things changed forever for Twisted Root in 2009 when the Deep Ellum restaurant was spotlighted by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives — securing its continued success indefinitely (since Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives airs frequent repeats which bring another round of customers).

They went on to open many locations of Twisted Root across Texas and neighboring states. However, they struggled during the pandemic, with some locations declaring bankruptcy and some locations closing.

The chain was rescued by Local Favorite Restaurants, who acquired the concept in 2020. Local Favorites maintained Twisted Root's culinary stance as well as their resolve to "not taking ourselves too seriously." There are currently locations in Carrollton, Coppell, East Plano, Arlington, Mansfield, Bedford, Waco, Lubbock, Athens, and Abilene. (Local Favorites also recently acquired the Cotton Patch Cafe chain.)

Twisted Root is not the only restaurant to close in Deep Ellum: Zåtar Lebanese Tapas & Bar, a Mediterranean restaurant which has been open since 2016, just announced that it will close in late August. Like Twisted Root, Zatar is also located on Commerce Street, which is currently the victim of a multi-year conversion from one-way to two-way street, which has dragged on and on through multiple, unexplainable delays, with completion just getting pushed back again to 2027.

burgers deep-ellum closings