Uptown News

New Uptown Cajun sports bar makes it official: Dallas digs turkey legs

Pssst: There's a turkey leg buried under there.

Photo by Turkey DAM

When last we visited 2523 McKinney Ave., it was to lament the sad passing of Nickel & Rye, the likable Uptown bar which closed in December.

Now we return to the scene to mark the arrival of the coming-soon Turkey DAM, a new sports bar with a Cajun-themed menu starring turkey legs.

The restaurant-bar is a collaboration between friends and family, and will feature the food stylings of "Chef James," a Louisiana native who previously had a North Dallas restaurant called Flave2Crave and who also worked at the Omni Dallas Hotel.

The cuisine at Turkey DAM will be a creative fusion of Cajun and comfort food, with a few stars on the menu:

Crawfish mac & cheese, a mac & cheese with large elbow noodles topped with boiled crawfish, a match made in heaven (or at the very least in Natchitoches)
Stuffed turkey legs, a la Turkey Hut in Houston, dubbed home of the so-called world-famous stuffed turkey leg

There's a turkey leg trend in its nascent stage in Dallas. To wit:

A few restaurants have recently offered turkey legs as a limited-edition item to fill the nostalgia for State Fair food.
A turkey leg place called Turkey Leg Paradise opened in Dallas in late 2019, specializing in turkey legs that are ultra-tender.
Another Uptown sports bar, Harris' House of Heroes, which opened at the beginning of 2020 and is also owned by someone with Louisiana roots, former New Orleans Saints player De'Vante Harris, serves turkey legs.
Fancy restaurant Encina, which just opened in Oak Cliff where Bolsa used to be, has turkey leg confit on its menu.

The official rule is that "three makes a trend." This list has four. Turkey leg trend is on.

The turkey legs at Turkey DAM are stuffed. Stuffed turkey legs are not really so much "stuffed" as they are butterflied and piled high with "fillings." If it's a Louisiana-style restaurant, "fillings" could mean boudin, etouffee, or mac & cheese, with or without crawfish.

But Chef James, who likes to keep his ID to "Chef James," says that the food is about more than the dishes themselves.

"It goes deeper," he says. "I'm from Monroe, Louisiana, and if you know Louisiana, you know that the food is going to be good. We cook with love. We take pride in our food."

Chef James and his partners hoped to be open by mid-October but construction on the space is still being finished.

One final important thing is what the letters DAM stand for: Daiquiris and Margaritas. #Winning.

openings uptown nightlife

Matcha News

Calif bakery-cafe with creative drinks and snacks makes Dallas debut

Smoking Tiger

Garlic cheese bread and matcha latte from Smoking Tiger

A buzzy coffee shop and cafe from Southern California has made its Texas debut: Called Smoking Tiger, it opened in June in Carrollton, at The Great Oasis plaza at 2225 Old Denton Rd. #100, where it's serving Korean pastries, breads, coffee, and beverages.

Adored by Korean-Americans and possibly everyone on Instagram, the cafe is part of a chain founded in 2020 in Buena Vista, California, that encompasses both coffee shops as well as bakeries. The Carrollton location — full name "The Smoking Tiger Bread Factory" — is one of their most expansive, offering coffee, pastries, breads, and sandwiches.

Carrollton will be the first in the DFW area, but a spokesperson says it won't be the only, although they do not have specifics on other locations or timetable for opening.

Drinks
Their beverage menu is notably rich and creative, leading with the Tiger Latte, their signature brown sugar latte with caramel and frothed oat milk. The Smokin Spaniard is a twist on latte combining espresso, condensed milk, hazelnut, and cinnamon.

Other options summon favorite Korean flavors such as

banana milk latte
honey bori latte with barley milk and salted honey cold foam
sweet corn latte, with sweet corn milk and corn cold foam
chai latte
misugaru — a roasted rice latte served slightly sweetened over choice of milk

… plus matcha lattes including strawberry matcha latte; jeju matcha latte sweetened with maple syrup; hojicha latte, featuring jeju green tea — a green tea grown in South Korea — sweetened with vanilla.

Latte prices average about $6.50.

Other irresistible-sounding drinks include the Pineapple Express, featuring jasmine tea and pineapple concentrate, shaken with ice for a smooth texture; and "YSL" — Yuzu Sparkling Lemonade, featuring yuzu syrup, sparkling water, and lemon.

Garlic cheese bread at Smoking TigerSmoking Tiger

Food
Food options are equally as creative, led by three signature goodies:

Cream Cheese Garlic Bread — a large round roll with a heavy dose of garlic and cream cheese baked inside
Original Salt Bread — sort of like a cross between a roll and an everything bagel
Kimchi Musubi Croissant, featuring a croissant filled with a slice of Spam and kim chi, with a sheet of seaweed baked onto the top of the croissant

Plus "sconkies" — a cross between a scone and a cookie — in flavors such as Oreo or lemon earl grey. For Texas only, they also introduced a special menu of breakfast sandwiches such as a slider with scrambled egg, cheese, and habanero aioli on grilled King's Hawaiian rolls.

According to marketing director Andy Lee, part of its appeal is the way it channels similar cafes in South Korea offering both bread and coffee.

"We wanted to essentially create a space where people could experience modern Korean culture in a very authentic and approachable way," Lee told The Dallas Morning News.

That extends to the decor: They've outfitted the Carrollton location with vertical mahogany wood panels, often seen in cafes in South Korea and traditional Korean houses called hanoks.

coffee openings