Closure News
Master list of every Dallas restaurant and bar that closed in 2021
After getting walloped by the pandemic, the restaurant industry remains in a crazy churn, a contradictory mix of optimistic openings and lingering closures.
Most of the closures on this list are still pandemic-related. It's a tragedy that some of these Dallas restaurants managed to cling on through the horror of 2020, but were unable to pick up the pieces.
Here's a list of restaurants that closed in Dallas in 2021:
Anju. Uptown restaurant-bar doing Asian food closed but it was to make way for a concept with Mexican food called Tequila Delicious, serving street tacos, Mexican food, and margaritas.
Anvil Pub. Authentic, laid-back bar in Deep Ellum closed on October 31 after more than a decade due primarily to the pandemic, leading to unpaid rent and landlord issues.
Braindead Brewing. Pioneering Deep Ellum brewpub closed on November 28 after nearly seven years, due primarily to the pandemic, leading to unpaid rent and landlord issues.
Burguesa Burger. The Mexican twist on a burger joint from Jeff Sinelli closed both of its remaining locations in downtown Dallas and Oak Cliff in 2021; Sinelli's newest concept is Birdguesa, which does chicken tenders.
Cantina Laredo. Mexican restaurant at Preston and Royal initially closed after getting hit by the October 2019 tornado. They remodeled, then reopened in January 2020, but closed a year later.
Carlo's Bakery. Celebrity bakery from Buddy Valastro of TLC's Cake Boss fame closed its Preston Center location; a spokesperson said it wasn't doing well. A Frisco location closed in 2019.
Cosmic Cafe. Longtime vegetarian restaurant in Dallas closed in October after serving unpretentious vegetarian food at 2912 Oak Lawn Ave. for more than 25 years.
Cultivar Coffee Roasting Co. Roaster closed its Oak Cliff location in late February, due to the pandemic and lease issues; it had been there five years.
Del Frisco's Grille. Once-hopping location at 3232 McKinney Ave. in Uptown Dallas closed rather unexpectedly, to be replaced by Mi Cocina, which left the West Village after nearly 20 years. The problem was not Del Frisco's Grille, which still has locations in Southlake, Plano, and Fort Worth.
Eureka. The Dallas location of this California concept featuring great food and craft beer did not survive the pandemic, and closed after nearly seven years. One Texas location remains on 6th Street in Austin.
Ginger Man. Craft beer chain shrunk majorly, with closures in Dallas and Houston, including Uptown Dallas. At one point, this chain had locations in Austin, Boston, and New York, but is now down to one in Las Colinas.
Godiva. Luxury chocolatier shuttered all 128 of its brick-and-mortar outlets, due to the pandemic and a shift away from retail shopping. That included three in the DFW area, all located in malls, all closed in March including North Park Center in Dallas, Stonebriar in Frisco, and Hulen Mall in Fort Worth.
Go Fish Poke. Poke concept closed its location in Plano at 8245 Preston Rd. It had been open since 2018. The original location in Dallas' Preston Center at 6030 Luther Ln., which owner Tony Lin opened in 2017, is still open.
Healthy Hippie Cafe. Sweet vegetarian cafe in Watauga, which had served vegetarian and vegan eats for nearly five years, closed on August 23. Owners Kelli and Darrell Myatt said they were closing due to the effects of the pandemic.
Hub Streat. Food truck and outdoor park in old downtown Plano, closed on August 25, with an announcement on Facebook, after four years. The space at 1212 14th St. already has a new tenant: a new location of Twisted Root Burger Co.
Hurdy Gurdy. Restaurant in anchor spot at Dallas Farmers Market closed in early 2021, due to COVID-19 and a lack of business. A new restaurant will open in the space at 900 S. Harwood St.: The Reserve, from the founders of the Taqueria Taxco chain.
Jasper's Uptown. The former Abacus-turned-Jasper's closed quietly in mid-summer. The website says they're closed for a remodel and are excited for the "next chapter."
Jonathon's Oak Cliff. Breakfast institution closed August 29 after being hit with a rent increase. They'd been at that 1111 N. Beckley Ave. space since 2011, but are relocating to the old Kel's Restaurant space. Jonathon's Diner, a spinoff at 1619 N. Beckley Ave., is still open.
Kozy Kitchen. Gluten-free restaurant made an ill-fated move from McKinney Avenue to Lakewood, then back to Uptown in the former Casa Komali space on Cole Ave. before calling it quits in April 2021.
Lada. Fast-casual restaurant specializing in enchiladas closed its doors on October 10, just short of a year after it opened, although the owners are holding out for a lifeline.
Lakewood Smokehouse. Beer & BBQ spot closed after five years on July 22, felled by the pandemic.
Luby's. Beleaguered Texas cafeteria chain underwent a liquidation that included ceasing most restaurant operations. The company has been steadily closing locations statewide, including three DFW locations: Duncanville, Dallas at 6221 East Mockingbird Ln., and Fort Worth at 1200 Bridgewood Dr.
Luna's Tortillas y Hacienda. Old-time Mexican restaurant closed in October 2021 to focus on their tortilla and tamale business.
Mac's Bar-B-Que. Old-time family-run BBQ restaurant on the edge of Deep Ellum closed in July after 66 years, so that owner Billy McDonald could retire; the space had been for sale for a number of years.
Malibu Poke. Seafood concept from restaurateur Jon Alexis (TJ's Seafood) closed its location at the McKinney & Olive building at 2355 Olive St. in June. The original on Oak Lawn is still open.
Meccha Matcha. Matcha-themed dessert shop closed its location in Plano on February 14; due to COVID-19 and other reasons, the owners decided not to renew the lease. The location in Asia Times Square in Grand Prairie is still open.
Metropolitan Cafe. Low-profile restaurant in downtown Dallas in the old Masonic Lodge/Western Union building closed the day before Thanksgiving, after 20 years. Owner Mike Vouras said it was time to move on.
Mot Hai Ba Victory Park. The downtown location of this Asian restaurant from chef Peja Krstic led a troubled existence, first opening at the height of the pandemic in June 2020 after a year-long delay, then closing a little over a year later.
Nick & Sam's Grill. The lease was up at the end of June for the Park Cities location of this Nick & Sam's steakhouse spinoff, and they chose not to renew.
Orno. Cosmopolitan spot on Cedar Springs serving small bites and wine closed in May after four years, due to the pandemic. A "Vegas-style" bar called Lava Lounge was/is supposedly taking over the space.
Oak. Upscale chef-driven restaurant, and one of the first to open in Dallas' Design District, closed in July. Owner Richard Ellman (El Bolero, Hawthorn) reopened it as Wits, a new steakhouse, in December.
Public School 972. The Addison location of this California-based concept with a cute school theme closed very quietly in November, to be replaced by TK's, a new comedy club and restaurant opening New Year's Eve. Public School 214 in Dallas is still open.
Ragin' Crab. Greenville Avenue seafood and crab house closed on July 1, due to a lease issue; they'd been there since January 2016, taking over the former rather sketchy Kush space. The location was taken over by Meyboom, a new brasserie still to come.
Royal Blue Grocery. Dallas grocery chain rebranded itself as Berkley's Market, and simultaneously closed its original location at Highland Park Village — a favorite for Park Cities meet-ups and people watching — on June 27, pushed aside to make room for Sadelle's.
Ruby’s Sno-Balls. New Orleans-style shaved ice stand in Old East Dallas closed. According to a Facebook post, they unexpectedly lost their space on Haskell Avenue, then tried to get a new location but ran into zoning issues with the city that they could not get resolved.
Rush Patisserie. Bakery with croissants, tarts, cakes, and pastries closed its shop near the Bishop Arts neighborhood after 12 years. The closure was prompted by a freak accident in early May that decimated the shop.
SkinnyFats. Restaurant concept from Las Vegas with side-by-side healthy and decadent menu options closed its location at the West Village after nearly three years. A spokesperson confirmed that the restaurant was closed permanently, citing a decline in business following the pandemic.
Snowbaby. Unique shaved snow concept in Lakewood closed on November 21, after four years; owner Chrissy Kuo is pursuing other adventures.
Sweet Daze Dessert Bar. Richardson shop known for its visually stunning desserts closed September 19. The lease was ending, and founder-owner Holly Nguyen decided not to renew.
Taco Diner. After nearly 20 years at the West Village, upscale taqueria closed on September 1. The once thriving chain also closed locations in Las Colinas and Fort Worth's Sundance Square, although there is still a location open in Lake Highlands.
Trinity Hall. Mockingbird Station Irish pub closed in August. Owner Marius Donnelly said that after 20 years, he decided not to renew his lease.
20 Feet Seafood Joint. East Dallas seafood spot from chef Marc Cassel closed early in the pandemic, and then confirmed the closure was permanent in March when his lease was up.
TNT Tacos and Tequila. Upscale Southwestern restaurant at the Quadrangle closed after seven years, predicated on the fact that their location will soon be razed.
Val's Cheesecakes. Small dessert chain closed its Shack on Maple Avenue location on November 21, as well as its location at the AT&T Discovery District in downtown Dallas. The Greenville Avenue location is still open.
Victor Hugo's. New American bistro closed on May 30, after nearly seven years. Husband-and-wife owners Victor Hugo and Brianna Ruelas blamed the pandemic; the space has since been taken over by Beckley 1115, a wine bar that opened in October.
Wild About Harry's. Custard stand closed July 4. The shop had relocated from its original Knox Street address to an interim location at 4527 Travis St. in 2018, but couldn't make a permanent go of it.
Zoës Kitchen. Plano-based Mediterranean chain was acquired by Cava Group and went pouf; its locations in Frisco, Flower Mound, Lakewood, and Fort Worth are now operating as Cava locations.
