List of All Lists

A master list of every Dallas restaurant opening in fall 2016

Bird Bakery is opening in Highland Park Village.

Bird Bakery/Facebook

The restaurant scene in Dallas remains vibrant, with dozens of openings on the table from here through 2017. There are so many coming, we needed a list — a list of every restaurant opening around Dallas for the rest of 2016.

Hopefully we got 'em all.

Betty Ringer Ice Cream
Stephen Smith, founder of Nib Chocolates. It's going into the empty space next to art gallery Iota, and it will offer ice cream, along with some of Smith's well-known confections, including his signature caramels. Construction on the shop — which is named for two of his pets — has just begun, with an opening scheduled in time for the 2016 holiday season.

Bird Bakery
New bakery opening in Highland Park Village is an offshoot of the acclaimed original in San Antonio. It'll do baked goods, plus breakfast with Cuvee Coffee and lunch.

Bonchon Chicken
After a noble but short-lived effort to expand to Dallas in 2013, this Korean fried-chicken chain takes another stab at the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with plans for several locations, beginning with The Colony, off Highway 121, between 423 and Plano Parkway, set to open by the end of 2016.

Bowls and Tacos
New restaurant from the team from Deep Ellum brewpub Braindead Brewing. It's located at 3400 Commerce St., in the gorgeous vintage Gulf station at the corner of Canton Street. In addition to tacos, the restaurant will serve poke bowls, a Hawaiian dish with raw fish, rice, seaweed, and avocado.

Bullion
From former Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek chef Bruno Davaillon, this new restaurant will do a lighter version of French food. It'll open in spring 2017 in the 400 Record building, i.e., the former Belo building currently being renovated.

Cane Rosso
Pizza chain opens a branch at The Star, the Cowboys facility in Frisco, right across from the main entrance to the stadium. It will be joined by a Cow Tipping Creamery, Cane Rosso's soft-serve ice cream sibling. This marks the ninth Cane Rosso and the sixth in Dallas.

Chip's Old Fashioned Hamburgers
Old-time burger chain has a new branch in the works, set to open in Frisco's Granite Park area. One of Dallas' original burger joints, Chip's has been around for more than 30 years, doing what many feel are the best burgers in town. The menu includes burgers, milkshakes, cheese fries, onion rings, tater tots, and sweet potato fries.

Cinco Tacos
New taqueria concept from the owners of Cinco Tacos Cocina in Addison (previously known as Lazaranda) will open in Preston Hollow Village, serving some similar dishes as the original but with a more narrow focus. They'll be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with breakfast tacos, plus chicken, pork, seafood, and a vegetarian taco of the week.

Cinnaholic
California-based chain, which debuted in Texas in 2015, is opening a branch in Richardson, next door to Alamo Drafthouse in the Richardson Heights shopping center. Cinnaholic is a custom cinnamon roll concept, with more than 30 frosting flavors and nearly two dozen toppings. Everything is dairy-free, lactose-free, egg-free, and cholesterol-free, making Cinnaholic vegan-friendly.

Circo Dallas
Casual little sister to Le Cirque, the New York restaurant from Sirio Maccioni will open in early 2017 on the bottom two floors of the tower under construction at 2519 McKinney Ave. The restaurant will be adjoined by resort-style features that include a glass-bottomed pool, private cabanas, and several bars.

Dot's Hop House & Cocktail Courtyard
Craft beer bar and beer garden opening in Deep Ellum from a quartet of guys who've carved out a reputation for craft beer excellence in Denton, at spots such as Lucky Lou's, EastSide Denton, and the highly respected craft beer emporium Oak Street Draft House. Food by chef Nick Wells will be American fare with a Texas flair.

Dough Pizzeria
Pizza concept opens branch on Parker Road near the Dallas North Tollway, in a former Pizza By Marco (the local chain forced to change its name to My Family's Pizza in 2014, which also has another branch in the neighborhood). This Dough will be a different, smaller "neighborhood" model than the original at Preston Road and Forest Lane.

Earl's Kitchen
Laid-back burger and beer joint concept from Canada with upscale, high-energy cuisine, including house-made sauces, locally sourced ingredients, and innovative chef-led experiments is one of the many concepts opening at the Legacy West project in West Plano.

Easy Slider
Food truck opens permanent space in Deep Ellum in fall, aiming to win over diners with items such as their beef slider patty topped with Texas sausage, Shiner-braised onions and peppers, and horseradish mustard.

El Pollo Loco
Chicken chain from California continues its Dallas-Fort Worth seep with new branches opening in Dallas (at 9455 Forest Ln.), Hurst, and Grand Prairie.

Ferris Wheeler's Backyard & BBQ
Fun restaurant concept is opening on the edge of the Dallas Design District, from This and That Concepts, the team behind Wayward Sons. It'll break new ground with a feature that surely no other restaurant offers: a Ferris wheel, barbecue, craft beer, patio, and an outdoor performance space à la The Rustic and The Foundry.

Fogo de Chao
Brazilian-style steakhouse will open a branch in Uptown in fall 2016. Menu features chicken, beef, lamb, and pork served on skewers and carved tableside by authentic Gaucho chefs. Sides include cheese bread, fried bananas, polenta, and seasoned mashed potatoes.

Grabbagreen
New concept will open its first Dallas location on the ground floor of the Gaston Medical Office Building, on the Baylor campus in the fall. It'll be the first of three locations to open in Dallas in the next few years.

Green House Market
Second branch of healthy restaurant from NorthPark Center will open in Uptown in late fall, at the Rosewood Court office building. It'll take over the old Paradise Bakery space. Green House Market is a spin-off from the team behind Green House Truck, Dallas' first food truck, which launched in 2009.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
International Japanese barbecue restaurant chain will go into the old India West space at the corner of Belt Line Road and Montfort Drive in Addison. Japanese barbecue, aka yakiniku, is said to be similar to Korean barbecue. Early fall.

Halal Guys
Quick-serve New York concept with chicken, falafel, and pita bread opens a second Dallas-area branch this fall, this time in Richardson. It will join VertsKebap and Rock Wood Fired Kitchen at Richardson Restaurant Park, on US Highway 75 at Belt Line Road.

Haywire
Three-story restaurant and bar from the team that owns Mexican Sugar and Whiskey Cake will open in 2017 next to the Legacy Food Hall in Plano. This one has a Texana theme, with a menu reminiscent of its Ranch at Las Colinas concept.

Honor Bar
New concept from the Hillstone group takes over the former Patrizio spot in Highland Park Village. It'll feature a patio with an oak tree and some of the company's favorite dishes from the locations in Beverly Hills and Montecito, including sandwiches, salads, snacks, and an extensive list of wines by the glass.

Ikigai Udon
Noodle concept opens in Plano in December at 8245 Preston Rd., near the Nylo Hotel. Noodle makers will make fresh udon in front of diners in a cafeteria-style dining room. The menu will also include musubi sandwiches and snacks such as tempura.

Kabuki Japanese Restaurant
Hip, casual California Asian chain comes to Dallas with a branch opening in fall 2016 at Galleria Dallas. The menu, devised by chef Masa Kurihara, is a sprawling document with appetizers, small plates, sushi, poke, teriyaki plates, noodles, rice, and hot pots.

~~Kai~~ Asian Bistro
Restaurateur Alberto Lombardi's Asian bistro will join the Legacy West complex in West Plano, opening in early 2017. Update: A spokesperson says that the Asian bistro concept has changed and may not be called Kai.

Kitchen LTO
Rotating-staff restaurant that was formerly in Trinity Groves has relocated to 2901 Elm St. in Deep Ellum, former home to Twenty-Seven. Chef for the October 25 opening is Josh Harmon, whose Southern menu includes fried chicken, short rib, shrimp and grits, Korean sticky duck leg, fried green tomatoes, and beef tartare.

Lovers Seafood and Market
Tentative name for a new seafood restaurant from Shinsei owners Lynae Fearing and Tracy Rathbun, with chef Aaron Staudenmaier, who is returning to Dallas from Boot Ranch in Fredericksburg. They plan to open in December in the former Rex's Seafood spot on West Lovers Lane.

Manny's Tex-Mex
Manny Rios, who comes from the Mia's Tex-Mex clan, tries another branch of his popular Uptown restaurant in Lakewood, in the space at Mockingbird and Abrams that was most recently occupied by Rex's Seafood. It'll open in mid-October.

Martha Stewart Cafe
Coffee shop at the Macy's store at Galleria Dallas from the queen of good taste will open in early November. It will be the third location. In addition to coffee drinks, the cafe will feature an assortment of pastries from local bakeries.

Mesa Grapevine
Second branch of the highly rated Oak Cliff authentic Mexican restaurant, will open November 7. At 6,000 square feet, it'll be three times bigger than the original. Chef-owner Raul Reyes, who is known for his handwork, did a lot of the building himself, from interior construction to fixtures to a welded metal wall sculpture.

Mesero
Fifth installment from Tex-Mex restaurateur Mico Rodriguez goes into Legacy West development in West Plano, in early 2017.

Moxie's Bar & Grill
Casual dining chain from Canada opens its first restaurant in the United States in Dallas at the Crescent in fall 2016. It's a place to get wings and drinks after work, or a pre- or post-game dinner-and-drinks destination. Favorites from their globally inspired menu include chipotle chicken, garlic steak, and their famous white chocolate brownie.

Nikkei
Imran and Asim Sheikh, owners of the hot Uptown bar Citizen, describe this new concept as vibrant, experiential, and the first of its kind in Texas. Sample dishes will include lima lomo, featuring a beef filet with picante teriyaki and cranberry salsa, and Nikkei sushi, with yellowtail, tomato, jalapeño, coriander, and yuzu soy. It will open in the former Medici space in the fall.

Niwa Japanese BBQ
Indie "yakiniku" concept opens in fall in Deep Ellum, next to Monkey King. Also known as Japanese barbecue, yakiniku is similar to Korean barbecue — or fondue spots, for that matter — in which diners cook their own food at the table. They're in a vintage building that was for many years an auto glass repair shop.

Nola Grill
Second branch of the French-Cajun restaurant that opened in Frisco Square in 2013, across from Toyota Stadium. It will open in the former Brackets space near the Highland Dallas hotel in early fall. Menu has all your Cajun basics, including gumbo, she-crab soup, oysters, and Andouille sausage.

North Italia
Fox Restaurants Concept offers its contemporary take on northern Italian food with pizza, pastas, sandwiches, and more. Brunch is offered on both Saturdays and Sundays. Chain was born in 2002 and has locations in Colorado, Arizona, California, Kansas, and Texas. Opening in West Plano's Legacy West development in early 2017.

Pilikia
New tiki-themed bar takes over the Three Sheets space on Ross Avenue, where it will open in early fall. It's a collaboration between Three Sheets owner Patrick Tetrick, Mark Beardon, and SBBC Hospitium, which owns bars such as Truth and Alibi and the Tipsy Alchemist.

Public School 972
Los Angeles gastropub concept with a cute academic theme does chef-driven food and craft beers. The first local branch debuted in Dallas in 2015. This second branch will open in Addison in the old Mi Piaci space at 14854 Montfort Ave. in fall 2016.

Ramen Hakata
Addison ramen shop opens a second location in late October in Lewisville at 500 E. Hwy. 3040, in a former Einstein Bros. Bagels. Menu will be the same as the Addison location.

Roots Southern Table
Tiffany Derry gets back into the restaurant world this winter, opening a new restaurant in Trinity Groves, in the space next to Off-Site Kitchen, right on Singleton Boulevard. Menu will include beef stuffed with collard, mustard, and turnip greens; and duck-fat fried chicken.

Skinny Pizza
Gourmet, healthy New York pizza experience in a fast-casual format will open its first Dallas-area branch in Addison Circle, in a spot with pizza DNA: the former location of Pastazio. The "skinny" part of the name refers to the crust: It's very thin and crisp. They also offer whole wheat and gluten-free crusts.

Taverna
Alberto Lombardi's Italian bistro will join the Legacy West complex in West Plano, opening in early 2017.

Tortaco
Mexican concept with tacos and more from restaurateur Mike Karns opens in fall in the former home of Stephan Pyles' San Salvaje. Karns has a big stake in downtown Dallas, where he already runs Meso Maya and Taqueria La Ventana, near the Perot Museum, and he has opened a Taqueria La Ventana at the Dallas Farmers Market.

Toulouse
Alberto Lombardi's authentic French bistro will join the Legacy West complex in West Plano, opening in early 2017.

True Food Kitchen
Flagship of Fox Restaurant Concepts expands its presence in Dallas from its original location at Preston Center with this new branch opening at the Legacy West development in Plano in early 2017.

Water Grill
Part of California-based King's Seafood Company, Water Grill premiered in Los Angeles in 1989. In Dallas, it's going in at 1920 McKinney Ave., an 11-story office and retail project one block from Klyde Warren Park. The menu will include oysters with up to 18 varieties, plus live sea urchin, lobster, and crab.

Wokk Asian Cookhouse
Modern Asian concept where old meets new in Asian dining will open in Richardson at US 75 and Spring Valley Road in the fall. The menu incorporates local produce on dishes such as sesame chicken salad, soy garlic chicken, and spicy popcorn chicken.

Zoli's NY Pizza Tavern
The original Zoli’s in the Bishop Arts District closed in 2015, leaving a huge loss in the local pizza landscape. This revival opening in Addison in late fall 2016 will take it to the next level, with a bigger space and broader menu of pizza, sandwiches, pastas, entrées, and more.

openings

Roundup of Restaurant News

Surprising string of closures surfaces in this Dallas restaurant news

Mom's Cafe

Farewell Mom's Cafe

This roundup of dining news around Dallas has more than the usual number of closures, from chains to small indie spots — and that's not even counting Dick's Last Resort, which closed after 40 years. But there are openings and comebacks, not to mention new menus for the season, and maybe even better, new cocktails, too.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill, a small Middle Eastern restaurant chain from Chicago which made its debut in Dallas market with a location in Frisco in 2022, has unfortunately closed. The chain is still opening locations in more receptive places like California, but is officially out of Texas.

Mom’s Cafe, a modest restaurant at 602 Main St. in Allen that was revered for its basic, reasonably-priced fare, closed in November after 10 years. The restaurant changed ownership in 2024 and the beloved founder known as "Grandma" recently passed away.

Natuur, the smoothie and bowls concept from Denver, closed its Dallas location at 1902 Henderson Ave. They opened in 2022 with great smoothies and smoothie bowls in blends such as açaí or super green, to which you could add fruits, toppings, and granola; plus sourdough toasts, salads, hot bowls such as oatmeal and tomato basil soup, and cold brew coffee. They also had a location in Austin, which recently closed as well.

Theo's Drive-In, an iconic favorite in Grand Prairie, closed on November 30, after decades of serving late-night burgers, curly fries, and memories. The restaurant was founded in 1956 by Theo Chokas, then subsequently taken over by his nephew Theo. It wasn't until 2013 that they finally accepted credit cards. With its classic red roadside sign, it was a longtime staple on East Main Street, serving as a hangout after games, dates, and long nights with burgers, hot dogs, floats, and more.

Jack in the Box at 6308 Gaston Ave. has mounted a comeback with a retro-inspired renovation. It's one of the original locations in Dallas which opened in 1969, and has been rebuilt with retro visuals and nostalgic touches such as an old-school speaker box, vintage signage, and a recreated classic menu board. The throwback is not a chain-wide initiative, but is only taking place at this location, which is owned by franchisee Chris Aslam, who operates 27 Jack in the Box locations in Dallas and more throughout the system.

Jack in the Box on Gaston AveJITB

Naturals Rolls & Ice Cream is now open in Frisco at 5266 Independence Pkwy #105, serving rolled ice cream — the third place to open doing rolled ice cream place to open in the last year, following Maya Creamery in Las Colinas, and Cream and Crepes at the Shops at Park Lane, in a trend that weirdly seems to be making a comeback. In addition to rolled ice cream, the oddly-plural Naturals also serves shakes, juices, bubble waffles, and Indian desserts.

Hugs Cafe, a nonprofit that employs adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will open in East Dallas on December 8 at 2918 Live Oak St. Hugs creates opportunities for adults with IDD to gain independence, confidence, and purpose through work. They'll be open for breakfast and lunch with dishes such as the Chickie Hug, Cheddar Biscuit Sandwich, salads, soups, and specials.

Kimiya Japanese Cuisine McKinney is a new All-You-Can-Eat restaurant which just opened in McKinney in a former Denny's (and before that, a TGI Friday's) at 1615 N Central Expy. The AYCE option features sushi, sushi rolls, appetizers like edamame and crab puffs, and is $24 at lunch, when it's limited to 90 minutes. In addition to AYCE, they have a huge a la carte menu with sushi rolls, teriyaki, tempura, hibachi lunch, ramen, kalbi, bento boxes, fried rice, udon noodles, and more.

Yemandi Yemeni Cuisine, a unique Middle Eastern restaurant at 888 S. Greenville Ave. #210 in Richardson, opened in May but only just celebrated a ribbon-cutting. The restaurant, which specializes in dishes from Yemen, the small coastal country south of Saudi Arabia, has enjoyed a whirlwind existence since it was featured in a TikTok video that showed its unique Sunnah-style dining option, available in a few secluded booths where you sit on the floor while you eat. The menu features familiar Middle Eastern staples such as hummus, but also less familiar dishes like hummus with liver.

Café Momentum, the non-profit and culinary training facility, has unveiled a new seasonal menu created by chef de cuisine Aaron Collins in collaboration with Café Momentum’s youth interns. Dishes include fried oysters with Cajun spice with caviar ranch; delicata squash with tahini, pomegranate molasses, & toasted pecans; mushroom bisque; cider-brined pork tenderloin with spaetzle & apple-cabbage slaw; halibut with sweet potato, cauliflower, & Brussels sprouts; coffee-rubbed 44 Farms NY strip with broccolini & potato gratin; butternut squash rigatoni with kale & pancetta; Moroccan chickpea and vegetable stew with couscous; fennel zucchini salad with candied pecans; bourbon pecan pie; and chai-spiced sweet potato cake.

White Rock Brewing Co. which is located in Oak Cliff, is serving holiday-themed cocktails through December that include a Cranberry Margarita and a Peppermint Espresso Martini. They're also making seasonal beers brewed with Noble Coffee including the Imperial Coffee Stout and Pumpkin Spice Ale.

Nothing Bundt Cakes has two holiday flavors for December: Coconut Cream Snowflake, a coconut cake filled with vanilla pudding, topped with coconut, available in personal-sized Bundtlets from December 1-14; and Peppermint Chocolate Chip chocolate cake with chocolate chips and peppermint pieces, available in all sizes December 8-January 4.

Dave’s Hot Chicken, the chain from California, has launched a new core menu offering: Saucy Bites, featuring Dave's Chicken Bites tossed in one of three sauces: Spicy Buffalo, Spicy BBQ, or Mike’s Hot Honey. They're also debuting a Ranch dip and a spicy version called the Reaper Ranch.

Snooze, the buzzy brunch chain, has unveil a new lineup of holiday specials as follows: Sticky toffee buttermilk pancakes topped with pecan sticky toffee sauce, espresso-date mascarpone and candied orange zest; spiked peppermint hot chocolate with blanco tequila, coffee liqueur, and peppermint syrup; gingerbread latte with espresso, milk, gingerbread syrup, and a ginger snap cookie; caramel haze hot chocolate with hazelnut and caramel syrup; peppermint hot chocolate, and peppermint mocha hot with crushed peppermint.

Toastique, the toast-loving chain with a location in Addison, has an amazing smoothie of the season: a spiced pumpkin smoothie with pumpkin, banana, almond milk, maple syrup, and pumpkin spice.

Jinya Ramen Bar has new winter chef’s specials by chef Kazuya Takebe: Tokyo Yatai Classic, a clear chicken broth with pork chashu, seasoned egg, spinach, green onion, chopped, onion and a slice of naruto Japanese fish cake, with thin noodles nori; and Crispy Chicken Wings in Asian sweet-sour sauce. Guests who order the Tokyo Yatai Classic will receive one of three limited-edition ramen spoons featuring Demon Slayer characters Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, or Inosuke Hashibara.

North Italia is offering a Holiday Lunch Prix Fixe where you can order a small plate and entrée duo for $25. The menu is available from 11 am-4 pm daily, featuring standouts from North’s latest seasonal menu like the Sunday Night Lasagna and Arancini along with exclusive dishes like the Chicken Parmigiana Verde, Bruschetta Duo, and Brussels Sprout & Medjool Pizza. It's available through December 23.

Chili’s is bringing back a top-selling Margarita of the Month for December: the Merry Maker Marg for $6, with Lunazul Blanco Tequila, Cointreau, Monin Blackberry, strawberry puree, and house-made sour, served with a reusable Santa ‘stache straw.

Fish City Grill and Half Shells have rolled out a wave of new menu items upgraded oyster nachos with housemade chips, chargrilled oysters, moked troup dip, the omega bowl with salmon, Havarti-cheddar mac & cheese, Mediterranean sea bass, and Texas redfish.

Perch Bistro & Bar is launching 12 holiday cocktails which they'll serve from December 1-12. They include frozen spiced cranberry paloma, pomegranate spritz, gingersnap martini, spiced cranberry whisky sour, banana bread old fashioned, and a stuffing martini.

Bellagreen American Bistro, the Texas-based healthy chain, has launched a new winter seasonal menu that will run through February in all Houston and Dallas locations. It's built around the Golden Glow diet, featuring nutrient-dense ingredients like turmeric, ginger, sweet potatoes, kale, berries, and green tea. Highlights include chicken soup; golden grain & arugula salad (with butternut wild rice pilaf, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, and goat cheese); roasted veggie quinoa-kale bowl with sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and tahini-sriracha sauce; seared salmon over turmeric cauliflower rice; peppermint cheesecake; and German chocolate cheesecake.

White Rhino Coffee, the DFW coffeehouse chain, has three new seasonal beverages: Chumpkin, a blend of spiced chai and pumpkin with steamed milk which can be made "dirty" by adding espresso or matcha; Gingerbread Latte with espresso, milk, and gingerbread spice; and Banana Bread Latte with oat milk, banana purée, cinnamon, and choice of espresso or matcha.

Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, the Italian Ice concept, is teaming up with Andes mint with holiday specials spotlighting Andes' chocolate-mint flavor in two new frozen treats: Mint Fudge Sundae features Rita’s Vanilla and Chocolate Twist Frozen Custard topped with Andes Mints, hot fudge, and whipped cream; Mint Cookie Crunch Concrete features Vanilla Frozen Custard blended with Andes Mints and Oreo cookie pieces. Available through January 11.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop is ringing in the holiday season with a festive limited-time cocktail: the Jingle Berry ‘Rita, available through December 31. It blends Fuzzy’s Frozen House Margarita with blackberry syrup, Ole Smoky Blackberry Moonshine, and a Black Cherry White Claw dunk, bringing a burst of berry-forward cheer to every sip.

Mister Charles, the acclaimed restaurant on Knox Street from Duro Hospitality, made the list in OpenTable's prestigious Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2025 — the only restaurant in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to earn a spot on this coveted list and one of only 10 in the entire state of Texas.

closings news-you-can-eat