Holiday Dining

These Dallas restaurants are open for brunch on New Year's Day 2021

No brunch on New Year's Day can go down without a little bubbly.

Photo by Becca Wright

One dining ritual slightly less impacted by coronavirus is brunch and that's because brunch is a daytime thing and it's easier to be outdoors.

They're not saying positive things about the weather in Dallas on New Year’s Day — but hopefully there'll be a little ray of sunshine to point us to better things for 2021.

Here are the Dallas restaurants open for brunch on New Year's Day. (If you're looking for places to go New Year's Eve, that list is here.)

Big Al’s is offering a Buy One Get One Free Rack of Rib Special for $28 available December 31 and January 1, and every Saturday through January. The restaurant is also featuring Hoppin' John for $10 Quart/$35 Gallon and Cornbread $5 a Quarter Pan. Big Al’s will close at 4pm on New Year’s Eve and Day — regular operating hours are Monday-Saturday from 10:30am-8pm. The restaurant also offers online ordering through chownow, curbside pick-up and delivery (within 3 miles of the restaurant); order online www.bigalsbbq.com or by calling 214-350-2649.

Bulla Gastrobar. Spanish restaurant at Legcy West in Plano is hosting a New Year's Day three course brunch menu, plus $6 mimosas and sangrias. Choices include Avocado Toast, Watermelon Salad, Smoked Salmon Montaditos, Garbanzo Frito, Grilled Flatbread, Benedict, Pork Hash, Burger, Huevos Bravos, Huevos ‘Bulla’, Steak + Eggs, Chicken & Waffles, Bikini, Torrija, Flan de Coco, Blueberry & Ricotta Pancakes, Churros con Chocolate, or Hazelnut waffles. $27.

City Works at The Star in Frisco hosts a Rock N’ Roll recovery brunch with dishes such as the Jon Bun Jovi, Chak Shuka Khan, and the Johnny Hash. 10 am-3 pm. Reservations online or call 469-850-1850.

Cotton Patch Cafe. Special limited-edition Black Eyed Peas and Cabbage are available on their own or as a side substitution, for dine-in and online orders, for $1.21, from December 31-January 3.

Dahlia On Ross will be open on New Year's Day for brunch from 11:30 am-3 pm with waffles, brunch biscuit, smoked salmon croissant, breakfast flatbread, and more. Also open for dinner 5-10 pm.

Fearing’s Restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas is serving New Year’s Day brunch from 12-3 pm with a three-course menu including jumbo gulf lump crab cake benedict, English Channel John Dory, pan seared Alaskan weathervane scallops, and a sampling of delectable desserts. $100 for adults, $85 for vegetarian and $35 for children, with a complimentary holiday cocktail. Reservations on Open Table or call 214-922-4848.

Manhattan Project hosts a New Year's Day brunch with Hoppin' John, micheladas, and beermosas beginning at 10 am.

Mercat Bistro. Open for brunch from 10 am-3 pm. Reserve at: www.mercatbistro.com.

Mi Dia From Scratch. Special menu includes Chicken Y Waffles and Huevos Rancheros, available to-go via curbside pickup or for dine-in. 11 am-3 pm. Available at all three locations: Grapevine, Plano, and Flower Mound. 817-421-4277.

Norma's Cafe. All five locations — Oak Cliff, North Dallas, Frisco, Park Lane, and Plano — will be serving free samples of black-eyed peas with all dine-in and to-go orders, and traditional meals for purchase including special menu items of corned beef and cabbage. They're also hosting a contest to win Chicken Fried Steak for a Year. Purchase 2 Family Pack Meals, receive a free Mile High Pie. 8 am-8 pm.

Nova. Oak Cliff restuarant will be open 4 pm-2 am with full menu and New Year's specials until 10 pm, followed by a late-night menu until 12 am. For reservations, call 214-484-7123.

Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe. Open all day with $5 Bloody Voodoo Marie and Traditional Black-Eyed Peas.

The Rustic. Hangover Cure Brunch from 10 am-3 pm, with free live music beginning at 12:30 pm.

Sloane's Corner. Special two-course brunch with shared Breakfast Pastries, Deviled Eggs, Cherry Tomato Bruschetta, Lemon Curd Ricotta Pancakes, Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast, or Prime Beef Burger with fries. 11 am-3 pm. Call 214-484-1395 or reserve online.

Snooze, An A.M. Eatery. In addition to regular menu, look for seasonal dishes like Peppermint Bark Pancakes topped with spiced cocoa sauce and peppermint bark, Jalapeno & Pomegranate Glazed Bacon, and the Holiday Harvest Bowl with butternut squash, sweet potato, onions, poblano peppers, corn, pork belly lardons, and poached egg. Snooze will also offer Holiday Kits with hot cocoa recipes, greeting cards, and choice of Holiday Harvest Egg Casserole, Cranberry French Toast Bake, or Holiday Pancake Party Kit, along with a jazz playlist. Kits come with spinach-arugula-kale salad, fruit salad, and bacon. Order 24 hours in advance, available through January 2.

Yardbird. Southern restaurant downtown is open New Year's Day with a limited-edition holiday menu for brunch from 10 am-4 pm, in plus regular menu available to-go. Dining in menu includes Charleston she-crab soup, Wagyu beef carpaccio, prime rib with pimento cheese grits, halibut, truffled gnocchi with mushrooms, and red velvet cake. 10 am-9 pm. Order online or call 469-208-2441.

holidays lists

Closure News

Mexican bar and restaurant on Dallas' Ross Ave closes after only 4 months

dallas.culturemap.com

A Mexican hangout from San Diego has departed Dallas: El Chingon, which served Mexican food, cocktails, and a clubby atmosphere near downtown at 3404 Ross Ave., closed on Sunday, September 6, after a mere four months.

The venue, which opened its doors on May 1, blamed the closure on the city of Dallas' code compliance department, citing repeated procedural issues that ultimately persuaded the operators that closing was the only option.

The short lifespan has to be a record, especially given the extensive investment made on the space — an abrupt ending to what was a prolonged birthing by GBOD Hospitality Group, the San Diego owners, who invested more than four years and millions of dollars to get it open.

"Our goal was simple: give Dallas the best, most Chingón experience we possibly could," their statement said. "And Dallas showed up for us…. Unfortunately, almost from the beginning, operating that vision became a constant fight with the City."

"We dealt with repeated Code Compliance visits, citations, and ongoing challenges to our Certificate of Occupancy and restaurant use," their post said. "Over time, it became increasingly clear that El Chingón simply was not what the City wanted us to be. Events, programming, dancing, the way we used our space — nearly every part of the experience became another opportunity to find fault with our identity."

El Chingon operated as a high-energy restaurant, bar, and nightlife destination known for its “Bad Ass Mexican” cuisine. The concept was founded in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter in 2017, where it built a following for its lively programming and street-food menu of tacos, burritos, and shareable bites.

It's part of GBOD Hospitality Group, a San Diego outfit founded by brothers Raymond and Patrick Davoudi, with third partner Joe Santos, who owns San Diego bars such as Havana and Prohibition Lounge. Dallas was the third El Chingon, following San Diego and Fort Worth, where a location opened in 2020 and has not experienced the issues that befell the Dallas outpost.

The company first acquired the Dallas location in 2022, and began what felt like a never-ending period of reconstruction and renovation of the rundown brick structure, first built in 1945, which years ago had been home to a wholesale floral shop.

"We made changes," they said. "We worked with City officials. We worked with the neighborhood. We hired consultants and attorneys. We met with elected officials. We repeatedly tried to find a reasonable path forward while continuing to operate the restaurant we spent millions of dollars building. Instead, the scrutiny intensified."

"Eventually, there comes a point where fighting City Hall becomes a bigger part of running the business than serving the people who came through our doors. So, City Hall wins this round."

They've since put the property up for sale but did hint that they might reopen, stating that "we have not given up on Dallas."

"We still believe in this city. We still believe there is a place here for what El Chingón does. And we hope that in the coming years, we will have the opportunity to invest in Dallas again and once more be part of this community," they said. 'For now, thank you, Dallas. For every taco. Every tequila. Every celebration. Every packed night. Every memory. Stay Chingón. This isn’t goodbye forever."

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