Hummus Is Here

Famed D.C. Mediterranean restaurant hands off hummus to Star Frisco

The flatbreads, called "pide," are topped with sausage, egg, and cheese.

Photo courtesy of Zaytinya

The openings keep coming for The Star in Frisco, and this one's big: After a year in the making, Zaytinya, the Mediterranean restaurant in Washington, D.C. from famed chef José Andrés, will finally open at the Dallas Cowboys facility in early February.

A collaboration between Andrés' ThinkFoodGroup and Turkey-based d.ream (Doğus Restaurant Entertainment and Management), Zaytinya Frisco will be Andrés' first restaurant in Texas and the second location of Zaytinya, a top D.C. dining destination, known since 2002 for its inventive Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisine.

In a release, Andrés calls The Star "amazing" and "an incredible development" by the Jones family. "I can’t think of a better home for this second location of my mezze restaurant and I can’t wait for the people to Texas to dine with us!!" he says.

Zaytinya's mezze menu features shared plates, cocktails, and Mediterranean wines. The wine list is unique in that it features only the wines of the Eastern Mediterranean, including Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, and Israel.

The menu includes classics such as hummus, tzatziki, labneh, and a dip called htipiti with red peppers and feta. There are vegetarian dishes such as eggplant stuffed with onion, tomato, and walnuts; crispy Bussels sprouts; seared red lentil patties; mushroom couscous; falafel; and a bulgar wheat dish with chickpeas and feta.

There is lamb shoulder, beef and lamb meatballs, pork belly, seafood, and potato-crusted snails. There are flatbreads, called "pide," topped with sausage, egg, and cheese.

Zaytinya Frisco will be helmed by chef Jonathan Thompson, who opened Samar and Stampede 66 with Stephan Pyles. Before coming to Dallas in 2009, he was chef de cuisine for Gerard Panguad in Washington D.C., and cooked at Bradley Ogden's in Las Vegas.

Zaytinya will be located in Building 6W of the development at 6655 Winning Drive, and will feature a modern, authentically Mediterranean decor.

José Andrés is a culinary innovator, author, educator, TV personality, humanitarian, and chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup, whose portfolio of 27 restaurants includes Jaleo at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Fish at MGM National Harbor, J by José Andrés at W Mexico City, Bazaar Meat at the SLS Las Vegas, and The Bazaar by José Andrés at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills and South Beach.

D.ream was founded in 2012 and has become an international player by introducing brand new concepts and offering wide variety of dining experiences worldwide. D.ream will separately debut an Italian restaurant at The Star called Da Mario, which is aiming to open in January.

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Tex-Mex News

Dallas Tex-Mex chain Uncle Julio's closes short-lived Frisco location

Uncle Julio's

Tex-Mex spread at Uncle Julio's

An ill-fated restaurant in Frisco has pulled the plug: Uncle Julio's, the Dallas-based Tex-Mex chain, closed its location by Stonebriar Center at 2401 Preston Rd. in mid-May, after only two years.

According to a release, the location closed due to lease issues.

"While the company explored every opportunity to continue operating at the location, the closure ultimately follows unresolved lease-related matters with the property," their statement said. "The decision was not made lightly, and the brand remains deeply appreciative of the loyal guest base that made the restaurant part of their traditions for so many years."

Their PR representative did not respond to a query for further comment.

The closure marked the final chapter in a prolonged journey that began in 2022 when plans for the location were first revealed. The opening date was originally targeted to be the second half of 2022 but construction dragged, and the restaurant did not open until April 2024.

Their menu features prototypical Tex-Mex favorites including fajitas, tacos, carne asada, enchiladas, quesadillas, tamales, nachos, and queso, plus specialties such as their bacon-wrapped shrimp. There are margaritas in varieties that include frozen, swirl, and special-edition fruity flavors such as strawberry.

In more recent years, they became known for their chocolate pinata, an interactive dish they introduced in 2016 featuring a hanging chocolate globe filled with churros and fruit that diners crack open with a hammer.

Uncle Julio's was founded in 1986 by a trio that included Rusty Fenton, who went on to open the Rusty Taco chain before passing away in 2013. Uncle Julio's experienced another tragedy when its president, Harper Caron, died in 2021 at age 45; he'd worked for the company for 25 years, moving up the ranks to become president in September 2019. The company called his passing "a profound loss."

The chain was acquired in 2017 by private equity firm L. Catterton, who subsequently sold it in December 2024 in a foreclosure auction to Sun Holdings, a Dallas-based company that owns Taco Bueno and Freebirds, and who more recently acquired the Bar Louie chain in October 2025, also in bankruptcy proceedings.

There are currently 33 Uncle Julio's locations, with six in the DFW area including the original location on Lemmon Avenue, plus Keller Springs, Allen, Arlington, Grapevine, and Fort Worth.

In a statement, Uncle Julio's VP John Herrera said that the company was grateful to the Frisco community for their loyalty and support.

"This location has meant so much to our team, and we are proud of the relationships built here," Herrera said. "While this chapter is coming to a close, our commitment to serving the DFW community remains as strong as ever.”

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