Shake Shack OMG

Praise the burger gods because Dallas finally gets a Shake Shack

Shake Shack will open at The Crescent in 2016.

Shake Shack/Facebook

Dallas is at long last getting its own branch of Shake Shack, the New York burger chain that began in 2001 as a hot dog cart. The first Dallas location will open at la-dee-da The Crescent in Uptown Dallas.

Situated in The Crescent's newly proposed park area at the corner of McKinney Avenue and Pearl Street, the restaurant will have indoor and outdoor seating. It's expected to open in 2016.

"Shake Shack is a home run for The Crescent," says John Zogg, managing director of Crescent Real Estate Equities, in a release. "It will open just as The Crescent finalizes its first major renovation in three decades, and it will launch our new corner park in a big way, helping it to become a very energetic and vibrant spot.

"Based on the reception that Shake Shack gets at its restaurants across the world, we think those who live, work, and visit Uptown are going to love it," he says.

Shake Shack's menu includes Angus beef burgers, hot dogs, frozen custard, crinkle cut fries, beer, and wine. There's also an item for dogs, called a Pooch-ini, with dog biscuits and vanilla custard.

Like many big burger chains, Shake Shack has a cult-like following. It now has branches in Chicago, D.C., Atlanta, and Austin, plus international locations including London, Istanbul, and Dubai. The Dallas site will resemble Shake Shack's original 2004 location in Madison Square Park.

Crescent officials announced plans a year ago to spend more than $30 million to upgrade The Crescent, with an emphasis on opening the office towers and adjacent hotel, retail, and entertainment amenities as a gathering space for Uptown.

This is the first major renovation for the multi-office complex, designed by John Burgee and award-winning architect Philip Johnson, since its 1986 completion. Renovations are expected to be complete by mid-2016.

This is the second new restaurant coming to The Crescent. Ascension coffee house and wine bar, which originated in the Dallas Design District, will open its second location by early 2016 adjacent to the Bank of America offices at the 200 Lobby fronting the motor court. The Crescent will now operate a total of 12 restaurants, from casual spots to fine dining.

burgers openings

Coming soon

Chinese restaurant from celeb chef to debut in Dallas Design District

A table spread at Night Rooster with tea smoked duck, noodles, and steamed redfish

Samantha Marie Photography

Tea-smoked duck, steamed redfish, and more await at Night Rooster

A new Chinese fine dining restaurant from a celebrity chef will debut in Dallas’ Design District later this month: Called Night Rooster, it will open at 1000 N. Riverfront Blvd., taking over the first floor of the building that's home to Italian steakhouse The Saint.

A Saint-sibling concept from Hooper Hospitality Concepts, Night Rooster is the culmination of 20 years of conversations between restaurateur Andy Hooper and Los Angeles chef Shirley Chung, the Beijing-born chef who’s appeared on food competition shows such as Top Chef and Food Network’s Tournament of Champions.

This is the first Dallas restaurant for Chung, whose kitchen experience includes working alongside culinary heavy-hitters like Thomas Keller and Jose Andres.

“Shirley and I have talked about building something together for over 20 years, and Night Rooster is the realization of that dream,” Hooper says in a release. “Night Rooster tells a story — of friendship, perseverance, and starting fresh — and we’re incredibly proud to bring that story to life.”

Chef Shirley Chung.Photo by Samantha Marie Photography

Chung, dubbed the “Dumpling Queen of Los Angeles,” brings her own brand of perseverance to the restaurant. In 2024, Chung was at the top of her culinary game when she was diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, says the release.

After undergoing an “intensive” treatment regimen, her cancer is now in full remission, and she’s been busy dreaming up a menu of Texas-inflected Chinese dishes ranging from orange quail, a play on the classic Chinese-American orange chicken, to cheeseburger-stuffed potstickers.

Elsewhere on the menu, diners will find creative, shareable dishes like jasmine tea smoked duck, tequila-marinated Drunken Yellowtail, and multiple noodle options, including the Cacio e Sichuan Pepe, a tingly riff on the classic Italian pasta with Sichuan peppercorn.

Many dishes will be made with ingredients from local purveyors, like beef from Outpost 76 Ranch in Sulphur Springs and mushrooms from Arlington’s Texas Fungus.

Night Rooster dumplings Chef Shirley Chung is known as the "Dumpling Queen of Los Angeles."Photo by Samantha Marie Photography

Night Rooster's cocktail menu will have a similar focus on blending Texas ingredients with Chinese flavors and techniques, all with a modern twist. Drinks like the East Meets West, mixed with Nikka Coffey malt whisky, bourbon, black sugar, bitters, and cherrywood smoke, await.

When it debuts on January 31, Night Rooster will be open for dinner service only. The restaurant will serve dinner Sunday-Thursday from 5-10 pm, and Friday-Saturday from 5-11 pm.

chefs chinese restaurant design district openings