News You Can Eat

Fall menus make this a toasty edition of Dallas restaurant news

Turkey sandwich, so in season.

Photo courtesy of Mendocino Farms

This roundup of Dallas restaurant news has some recurring themes. There are fall menus, because it's fall. There are a slew of new pizzas, a few new tacos, and a couple of desserts. There is also a bunch of personnel news, and a new owner for Corner Bakery.

Here's what happening in Dallas dining this week:

City Works has expanded its menu at both its Frisco and Fort Worth locations with dishes that include:

smoked BBQ platter with baby back ribs, chili rubbed wings and drummies, pulled pork, Louisiana hot link, lime queso butter grilled corn, maple bacon baked beans
Southern Mac n Cheese with smoked pulled pork, pimiento cheese sauce, cornbread crumble, cavatappi
Crispy or grilled chicken sandwich with spicy bread and butter pickles, Carolina mustard BBQ sauce, shredded iceberg lettuce on a brioche bun
Crispy jumbo Buffalo shrimp with bleu cheese crumbles and bleu cheese dressing
1871 Chili made with Angus steak, milk stout, pork, chipotle peppers, sour cream, red onions, and a cornbread muffin

The eatery has also brought back a few of its most beloved menu items including the pulled pork sandwich, smokehouse burger, and fish & chips.

Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar has debuted its new fall menu, with innovative and appetizing twists on nostalgic comfort foods including Chicken Cordon Bleu, chicken breast topped with shaved smoked ham, melted swiss cheese, mustard cream sauce, and wild rice-almond-mushroom pilaf; Cheddar Cheese Curds with marinara sauce and Nashville hot ranch; Bananas Foster French toast with walnuts, caramelized bananas, and caramel sauce; Goat Cheese + Pepper Jelly, with garlic parmesan crisps; and lamb shank pot pie, served open face with mashed potatoes and salted-thyme pie crust. Two new recipes to their popular frozen TV Dinner lineup include Chicken Parmesan with green beans, bell peppers + onions, and a nutella brownie dessert; and Chicken Nuggets, with mac n cheese, steamed edamame, and a rainbow confetti cake dessert.

Mendocino Farms is bringing back one of its most popular menu items: the "November to Remember" sandwich with turkey, housemade kale-mushroom-turkey sausage stuffing, ancho chile-cranberry chutney, Havarti cheese, herb aioli, and shredded romaine on toasted cranberry walnut wheat. It's available through December 1 at 2000 Ross Ave.

Chipotle has a new location in Forney, at 825 E US Hwy 80. It features a Chipotlane, a drive-thru pickup lane allowing customers to pick up digital orders without leaving their cars. It is one of five new Chipotle restaurants slated to open in Dallas by the end of the year. The Forney restaurant incorporates the company's new Real Foodprint program which tracks the savings that Chipotle's ingredients have on the environment in terms of less carbon in the atmosphere, gallons of water saved, improved soil health, organic land supported, and antibiotics avoided.

The Salty Donut in the Bishop Arts District has three specials for Halloween weekend: Mint Chocolate Chip Frankenstein, a 24-hour brioche filled with whipped mint chocolate chip cream, fresh mint infused glaze, topped with crushed Oreo cookie + hand piped chocolate; Boo-berry Cheesecake, a ghost-shaped brioche filled with blueberry cheesecake, white chocolate glaze + topped with crushed freeze dried blueberries; and White Chocolate Skull, a 24-hour skull-shaped brioche with white chocolate glaze. They're available on October 30-31 at their shop and on Uber Eats delivery.

Cotton Patch Cafe has an updated Winter Menu beginning November 18 that includes chicken fried parmigiana topped with marinara and cheese with spaghetti and of two sides for $14; a 7-ounce Angus beef patty melt with Swiss and cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and bacon-mayo on grilled Texas toast, with French fries for $8. They're also bringing back pot roast, mozzarella sticks, spinach dip, and pecan pie.

The Cheesecake Factory has rolled out new menu items called Timeless Classics, which includes dishes such as Nashville hot chicken nuggets, crab wontons, bruschetta, kale-quinoa salad, chicken pot pie, blackened chicken pasta, and more. From small plates to pasta, these are fan favorites brought back with a modern twist, priced from $6.50 to $15.95.

Tacodeli has a new special: the barbacoa taco ($4.25) made with pork cheek barbacoa, cilantro, onion, avocado and chile de arbol salsa, available through mid-November. To order for pickup go to www.tacodeli.com/locations/?orderonline=y

Fuzzy's Taco Shop has two fried chicken tacos for the fall, available through November 22: Baja Hot Chicken Taco is a chicken tender dipped in Baja Hot Sauce, garlic sauce, lettuce, dill pickle slices, tomatoes, and feta on a flour tortilla; and Cluckin' Fried Chicken Taco, a crispy chicken tender, with garlic sauce, bacon, avocado slices, shredded cheese, tomatoes and ranch on a flour tortilla.

Ritas & Queso is serving an Election Taco Tuesday spread with 10 crispy tacos, borracho beans, green chile-cilantro queso fresco rice, guacamole, Mexican shrimp cocktail, chips, queso, salsa, Kahula brownies, and choice of frozen or rocks margarita jug, for $110. Add a 750-ml bottle of Siete Leguas Reposada Tequila for $60. Orders can be placed at www.ritasandqueso.com.

The Heritage Table has introduced pop-up butcher-inspired options such as house-cured, pecan-smoked, bourbon-brown sugar bacon and brown bag sandwiches such as bologna made from A Bar N Ranch Wagyu beef brisket with bacon marmalade, homemade brioche, pimiento cheese and spicy mustard. They're available in limited 30-minute pop-up windows; details can be found on @heritagetable.

Fireside Pies has a new Vietnamese Pizza, served on a thin rice paper crust and topped with sausage, caramelized onions, and chile aioli, available at all locations except Henderson Avenue.

Zalat Pizza is bringing back the Reuben pizza, with corned beef, sauerkraut, mozzarella, Swiss, chives, and Thousand Island sauce base, served with a side of sauerkraut. It'll be available November 2-December 13.

Greenville Avenue Pizza Company has released a pizza that's a collaboration with Café Momentum staff: The Café Momentum Pizza has a garlic butter-brushed crust topped with sausage, bacon, Canadian bacon, jalapeño, hot buffalo sauce, and red pepper. It's available through November for $24 for a large and $19 for a small.

Papa John's is bringing back the cult-favorite Double Cheeseburger Pizza for $12. They're also offering a sandwich version called the Papadia for $6. They contain seasoned beef, cheese, and pickles, held together by Papa John's never-frozen six-ingredient dough. They first introduced it five years ago.

Golden Chick has teamed up with Cholula Hot Sauce on two items: the Cholula Chicken Sandwich and Cholula Chicken Tenders. They're available through February 14.

Wingstop, known for serving wings, is teaming up with delivery partner DoorDash to offer free delivery October 30-November 13 and November 27-December 4 on orders placed through Wingstop.com and the Wingstop app.

Pressed Juicery will offer their seasonal Pumpkin Spice Freeze, a vegan soft serve, for $3 at all Pressed Juicery locations that serve Freeze on Halloween. The plant-based soft serve consists of only seven ingredients: water, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, almond butter, vanilla natural flavor, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.

Dairy Queen welcomes the return of the Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Blizzard, said to be one of their most well-known traditions, who knew. It combines vanilla soft serve with snickerdoodle cookie dough and cinnamon. It'll be available during November in four sizes: mini, small, medium and large, joining seasonal flavors Oreo Mocha Fudge Blizzard, Choco-dipped Strawberry Blizzard, and Brownie Dough Blizzard.

Boulder Canyon has introduced new Thin & Crispy potato chips. These are thin-cut potato chips cooked in avocado oil with a unique buttery flavor and extra-crispy bite. The company has more than 30 potato chip varieties, cooked in specialty oils including avocado oil, olive oil, and sunflower oil/safflower oil.

Franconia Brewing Co, the McKinney craft beer brewer, has added three new beers to its year-round core lineup: Run To The Pils, Walker Texas Radler Peach, and Walker Texas Radler Pineapple. To celebrate, the brewery is hosting a Hybrid Virtual & In-Person Happy Hour on November 7, 4-7 pm at the taproom at 495 McKinney Pkwy., featuring food, live music, and all three beers. It'll also be simulcast over Facebook Live. RSVP at franconiabrewing.com/launch-party-event/; capacity will be limited. The Taproom will be open 12-8 pm. Virtual attendees are invited to come early during the week to pick up a 6 pack or growler and celebrate the Happy Hour from home.

Delta Hotels by Marriott Dallas Southlake has appointed Enam Chowdhury as executive chef and director of food & beverage for the Sky Creek Kitchen + Bar. Chowdhury comes to Sky Creek Kitchen + Bar with more than 30 years' experience working in hotels and restaurants in Great Britain, Thailand, South Africa, Italy, and the United States. An acclaimed chef, maître d' and a master of cheese, Chowdhury spent 15 years at The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, before moving to Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and The Joule. Alongside Chowdhury will be Chef de Cuisine Jose Soto, most recently sous chef at Fearing's Restaurant at The Ritz Carlton Dallas; Nick Bray will be restaurant and bar manager. Dean Fearing collaborated with Chowdhury on the development and design of the restaurant which will serve locally hunted game and special cuts of beef, roasted chipotle tortilla soup, ceviche, and fresh pastas. The Marketplace will feature Grab-and-Go chef-prepared signature salads, pastries, sandwiches, breakfast migas, fresh fruits and parfaits.

The Beeman Hotel has appointed Corey Stewart as director of food & beverage, overseeing the property's culinary offerings including its BBQ restaurant Seely's Mill. Stewart has more than 15 years of experience at Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Headington Companies of Texas. He served as director of F&B for the Lumen Hotel, and most recently as director of F&B at The Historic Queen Mary in Long Beach California, which like the Beeman is an Evolution Hospitality property.

Silver Fox in Richardson has added two veterans to the team: Jason Campbell, most recently General Manager of III Forks, will become Proprietor for Silver Fox Richardson. Connie Trujillo, most recently Couer de Cuisine for III Forks, will become Executive Chef. III Forks and Silver Fox Steakhouse are both a part of Dallas-based CRO, Inc.

Corner Bakery has been acquired by Pandya Restaurant Growth Brands, one of the Rohan Group of Companies, owned by the real estate investor and restaurant operator, Jignesh (Jay) Pandya of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. PRGB will now assume ownership of Corner Bakery, purchasing the brand from affiliates of Roark Capital Partners. The Rohan Group of Companies is a franchisee of brands such as Pizza Hut and Checker's & Rally's, and their affiliate Engage Brands acquired Boston Market in April.

TABC has suspended alcohol permits on four more bars in Dallas: Shuck N Jive, Alamo Club, Bungalow, and High Fives. It's part of Operation Safe Open, in which TABC inspects businesses to ensure they're following state standards to slow the spread of COVID-19, including capacity limits of 50 percent for bars and 75 percent for restaurants, along with social distancing of at least 6 feet between groups of customers.

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All the Restaurant News

Holiday week is not slowing down this round of Dallas restaurant news

Shogun

This may be a holiday week but the Dallas restaurant scene is not slacking, with a whole wave of restaurants that are newly open or are just about to. There are also new menus, special dishes, and a nice celebrity tout for a local celebrity beer.

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

Sidelines Sports Tavern, a short-lived sports bar in Frisco just closed. It was the latest occupant of a space at 307 Main St. #105 at the corner of 423, which has had its share of turnover, starting out as Woody's Bar Kitchen, which closed in 2024. Sidelines opened in February 2025, and now it is gone.

Ateliê, a new restaurant from chef Wyl Lima, opened in Bishop Arts on December 15 at at 365 W. Jefferson Blvd. — a permanent home following years of underground dinners. It opens with a 12-item menu including vegetable-forward dishes such as Roasted Carrots with tofu curry, Garden Salad with frisée, fried egg, & radish, Mushroom Croquettes, Turkey Hot Pocket with truffle mornay & smoked gouda, Wagyu Melt with pastrami & caramelized onions, Fried Rice with egg yolk, garlic crisp, & nori, Cacio e Pepe, Lamb Shank with pomegranate & couscous, skirt steak with piquillo salsa and yuca, and Half Roasted Chicken with sweet plantains and Mediterranean chutney.

Noodle One is a new Asian restaurant in Frisco, 3311 Preston Rd. #1 in the former Nations diner space, serving dishes like beef noodle soup, stir-fried noodles, and wok-tossed fried rice. They specialize in handmade noodles — including a guy making them in plain view — along with lamb skewers, dumplings, and fried rice. owners are from Lanzhou, capital of the Gansu province in China. Nations closed that location in October but still has locations in Sunnyvale, Denton, Arlington, and Sachse.

Flying Fish, the Dallas-based mostly-Cajun seafood chain, is opening a location in Plano, in the former Dickeys space at 4032 Preston Rd., across from the H-E-B just south of Spring Creek Parkway. According to a spokesperson, they're in the thick of a remodeling with a grand opening coming in early 2026.

Caffe:in is a new restaurant and boba shop in Plano at 101 Spring Creek Pkwy. #735 on the northwest corner of US-75 in the same shopping center as 99 Ranch, taking over the space previously occupied by Tiger Sugar, another drink chain. The concept hails from California and specializes in authentic Taiwanese and Malaysian boba, desserts, and snacks such as Taiwanese popcorn chicken, a Malaysian street burger, and shaved ice topped with mango and cream — bringing back memories for California transplants.

Hoja Bubble Tea and Asian Street Food, an Asian restaurant that opened at 812 W. Spring Creek Pkwy. #208 in Plano in 2023, is another purveyor of Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken. Surely there is a third, so we can make it an official trend. Often called Taiwan’s favorite street food, the chicken comes in bite-size pieces, featuring a crunchy coating made with potato flour and flavored with five-spice seasoning and basil leaves.

Shogun Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar, a chain based in Houston, just opened its first DFW location in Plano, at 3916 Dallas Pkwy., in the space left vacant by Pappas Delta Blues Smokehouse, the upscale barbecue restaurant from Houston-based Pappas Restaurants which closed in 2024 after five years. Shogun, which is no relation to the Shogun in McKinney, or any other Shogun in the DFW area, serves sushi, sushi rolls — with a big selection of both cooked and raw — plus hibachi, hotpot, skewers, tempura, yakisoba noodles, plus favorites like teriyaki chicken and bento boxes. They're part of Shogun group from Houston which has 22 locations across Texas including Houston, Austin, and San Antonio — all cities which coincidentally have CultureMap bureaus as well.

Elm & Good, the restaurant at the historic 1916 Kimpton Pittman Hotel in Deep Ellum, has a new menu from newish chef JV Hernandez, which features a "modern American tavern" identity, with shareable plates and comfort-driven mains. Highlights include koji-aged Manhattan steak, cider-braised pork shank, Texas wild boar bolognese, hamachi crudo, and a warm sticky toffee cake based on his grandmother’s recipe. A native of Puerto Rico native and Dallas-trained chef, Hernandez grew up working on his great-grandmother’s farm, trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Dallas, and cooked in fine-dining kitchens from Maine to Denver to Salt Lake City alongside Michelin and James Beard recognized teams. A signature dish is the Puffy Potatoes — crisp, hollow potatoes with gribiche, parmesan, and chives, designed for the center of the table.

Soy Cowboy, the modern pan-Asian restaurant at Loews Arlington Hotel, has launched a new Dim Sum menu featuring sharable dishes like chicken dumplings, lobster wontons, Wagyu gyoza, crab tacos, Korean BBQ ribs, a variety of sushi rolls, plus sake flights and brunch cocktails available during daytime service.

Mirador in downtown Dallas is debuting new menus for weekday lunch and Saturday brunch which they say have a healthier slant for after the holidays. Highlights include chef’s selection of pickles, Caesar salad, farro bowl, lobster Cobb — although that dish has egg yolks and bacon, so can you really call that healthy? — wild mushrooms, chicken paillard with carrots & pickled golden raisins, ube bowl with fruit, and scrambled eggs with rosemary ham, also not particularly healthy, but whatever.

Grimaldi's, the pizza chain, has a new menu of winter specials, available through March 2 featuring the Duo Pizza with tomato and pesto sauce, topped with pepperoni and spicy cup ‘n’ char sausage; Cherry Pecan Salad with spinach and goat cheese; Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake; and Black Cherry Cheesecake.There are also drinks including a mocktail with cranberry juice, and a black cherry spritz with Aperol and Prosecco.

Mister O1 Pizza, the artisan pizza chain, has teamed up with Terry Blacks BBQ on the limited-edition Terry Black’s Brisket Pizza featuring Mister O1’s signature thin crust topped with brisket, tomato sauce, mozzarella, red onions, jalapeño, dill pickles, barbecue sauce, and cilantro — available at all Texas Mister O1 locations through February 28.

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill has a new limited-edition dish: Loaded Feta Fries, topped with choice of chicken or gyro meat, crumbled feta, and garlic sauce. Available through December 31. The chain has four locations in the DFW area — Lewisville, Fort Worth, The Colony, and McKinney — and is opening two more locations in early 2026 in Burleson and Coppell.

Sunny Street Café launched a new winter menu featuring shareable dishes and seasonal sweets: There are breakfast nachos (housemade tortilla chips with queso, egg, chorizo, & avocado); Queso Breakfast Burrito with cheesy eggs, bacon, potato, avocado, & queso; Turkey Melt with Monterey Jack, cheddar, tomato, & chipotle mayo on sourdough; Maple Pecan Muffin; Butter Pecan Pancakes with caramel sauce; and Salted Caramel Cold Brew with vanilla cold foam. DFW locations include Carrollton, Keller, Little Elm, Haltom City, North Richland Hills, and Weatherford.

Salad and Go has introduced its first sweet treat: a Chewy Marshmallow Bar. They've also added Cold Foam, which can be added to any drink. Plus two limited-edition beverages: Toasted Marshmallow Lemonade and Toasted Marshmallow Cold Brew. Last but not least, they've added pulled chicken which can be added to any salad or wrap.

DQ restaurants in Texas have new breaded chicken tenders, which can be ordered solo or in a new Chicken Tender Country Basket, with fries, Texas toast, and choice of creamy gravy or DQ Texas sauce.

Cheba Hut has a new limited-time cocktail called Sleigh’d and Confused featuring Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka, lemon juice, and Coconut Berry Red Bull, available through December 31 for $10, but $3 off all day on Fridays.

The Salty doughnut shop has holiday doughnuts: From December 22—24, they have a Gingerbread Cheesecake Donut, a 24-hour gingerbread-man-shaped brioche filled with gingerbread cheesecake; and the “Not Little Debbie” Christmas Tree Donut, a 24-hour tree-shaped brioche filled with marshmallow fluff, dipped in white chocolate glaze. Both are $4.95. From December 31-January 1, they have an Espresso Martini Donut for $4.50 with a 24-hour mini brioche dipped in espresso glaze, filled with whipped coffee cream, and topped with dark chocolate drizzle and espresso beans.

Luckys, the diner on Oak Lawn Avenue, will feature a special spiked eggnog the week after Christmas, from December 26-January 1 made with milk, cream, sugar, eggs, Makers Mark, and rum for $9.75.

Frenchie, the bistro at Preston Center, has a new executive chef, Reilly Brown, who was previously executive sous chef at Georgie. His new menu items include Hiramasa crudo, bluefin tuna with tomato-soy glaze, and Castelfranco salad with duck confit, candied walnuts, pickled pear, and shallot vinaigrette.

Eight Beer, the craft beer label founded by Troy Aikman, got a serious shout-out on Landman, the Taylor Sheridan TV show that's been filming around the DFW area. Aikman shared the clip which shows series star Billy Bob Thornton ordering the beer "just out of respect" to Aikman for founding it.

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