Eat 'em up

Top 10 restaurant and bar stories that Dallas savored in 2018

Editor's note: As the year comes to a close, we look back at the 10 most popular restaurant and bar stories of 2018. These are the openings, closings, and newsy bits that Dallas readers gobbled up, all from CultureMap dining editor Teresa Gubbins.

1. Magical new dessert shop in Deep Ellum fulfills all your unicorn dreams. Do you love unicorns? Is that even a real question? Get ready for a ride to the Magical Dessert Bar, a new shop that opened in December in Deep Ellum, where everything is pastel iridescence and oh-so sweet. Think hot chocolate that's pink, topped with pastel sprinkles and fluffy whipped cream.

2. Kimbal Musk and Wyly heiress celebrate wedding at Dallas restaurant. Diners trying to grab a bite at Dallas restaurant Cedars Social on April 7 were out of luck, as the newly reimagined Mexican restaurant in the Southside neighborhood was shut down all day for a reception celebrating a high-profile wedding. The bride: Christiana Wyly, daughter of Texas billionaire Sam Wyly. The groom was Kimbal Musk, brother of Tesla founder Elon Musk.

3. Favorite Dallas fried chicken restaurant finally opens second location. In September, Frisco was set to get some fried chicken, oh yeah, with the arrival of a Dallas institution: Park Cities staple Bubba's Cooks Country said it would open a location in Frisco at 4585 Preston Rd. When it opens, will be only the second location for Bubba's, which has been doing fried chicken in Snider Plaza in a converted 1929 Texaco gas station since 1981.

4. The 10 best bars in Dallas for 2018 mix up old and new. The 2018 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, our annual event honoring the best in local food and drink, included awards to top chefs and restaurants and a party in April. But before we partied, we took a closer look at the nominees for Best Bar of the Year in Dallas.

5. Intriguing East Dallas restaurant unveils bike-friendly theme and top chef. A cool new restaurant that had piqued the interest of its East Dallas neighborhood was ready to throw open the doors in June. Called Local Traveler, it's an upscale-casual restaurant serving dinner seven nights a week, that is both bicycle-friendly and chef-driven. The restaurant is located at the high-profile intersection of Gaston and Grand, next door to The Lot — with whom it shares ownership.

6. Central Market unlocks new Dallas store in million-dollar neighborhood. At last, the newest Dallas location of Central Market, opening at the intersection of Midway Road and Northwest Highway, had a start date: Doors opened to the public at 8 am on Wednesday, September 5. This was the third Central Market in Dallas, following the original at Lovers Lane and Greenville Avenue, and a second at Preston Road and Royal Lane that opened in 2012.

7. 6 Dallas restaurants get a shot on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins & Dives. In January, Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives confirmed that three three Dallas restaurants definitely had made the cut for the latest season of the popular Food Network TV show: Tacos Mariachi, One90 Smoked Meats, and Whistle Britches. But wait! Then there were three more — Tutta Pizza, Nora's, and CrushCraft Thai — bringing the total to six DFW eateries.

8. Here's our master list of every Dallas restaurant opening in fall 2018. One of the best things about Dallas is its brisk restaurant scene. Keeping track of the comings and goings is practically a full-time job. (Actually, it IS a full-time job.) In our efforts to keep diners in the know, in October, we compiled our annual master list of all the restaurants coming soon in Dallas and beyond.

9. Mockingbird Station suffers big loss with closure of longtime Dallas restaurant. Cafe Express, the trail-blazing chain founded by Houston chef Robert del Grande and restaurateur (and CultureMap co-founder) Lonnie Schiller, shockingly and abruptly closed two flagship locations in Dallas. Mockingbird Station closed in September, followed by Uptown Dallas in November. Owners M. Terry Enterprises say they are focusing on their top-performing restaurants, and have engaged a firm to help restructure. One Dallas location on Lovers Lane remains, and there are six in Houston.

10. New shop crazy about pickles joins Jimmy's in East Dallas foodie zone. In a world that seems overrun with hamburger joints and poke places, bow down to entrepreneur Lee Theilen, who announced in May he was opening a concept that is completely original to Dallas: a pickle place. Called Pickletopia, it opened at 4812 Bryan St., at the southwest corner of Fitzhugh Avenue, where it sells pickles of all kinds.

Hot chocolate that's pink, now being served in Deep Ellum.

Photo courtesy of Magical Dessert Bar

Hot chocolate that's pink, now being served in Deep Ellum.

hot-headlines closings openings lists

Southlake Sizzle

Dallas' Hudson House totes its oysters and martinis to new DFW city

Photo courtesy of\u00a0Hudson House

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Southlake diners have been eager to get their hands on the Hudson House burgers and an icy martinis that Dallasites know and love - and the wait is almost over. The highly anticipated East Coast-inspired restaurant will debut on Friday, September 11.

First announced in fall 2025, the Southlake location will open at 1131 E. Southlake Blvd., taking over the former RA Sushi space next to Gloria’s.

The 5,000(ish)-square-foot restaurant will be the 12th Hudson House location from Dallas-based Vandelay Companies, according to a release. It's the second Tarrant County outpost, after a location that opened in west Fort Worth in 2023.

Founded in 2017 by restaurateur Hunter Pond, Hudson House is known for its neighborhood-restaurant vibe, seafood-driven menu, raw bar, sushi, burgers, and signature cocktails — particularly its claim of serving the “World’s Coldest Martini.”

“Southlake has the combination of energy, growth and appreciation for hospitality that we look for when entering a new neighborhood," says Pond, chairman of Vandelay Companies, in the release. "Our goal is never simply to add another location. We want every Hudson House to feel rooted in its community from the moment it opens and to become the kind of restaurant guests return to week after week.”

The large wraparound bar at Hudson House Southlake.Photo courtesy of Hudson House

The Southlake restaurant will feature warm leather booths, a large wraparound bar, a full sit-down raw bar, and an outdoor patio. The design is intended to evoke a traditional New England dining institution while incorporating Hudson House's polished, energetic style.

The menu will include Hudson House staples such as the Hudson’s Avocado Dip with ranch chips; The Cheeseburger with thin patties, American cheese, pickles, and house sauce; Chicken Parm with creamy tomato pasta and Reggiano; and the Hudson Salad with popcorn chicken, avocado, cherry tomato, bacon, sharp cheddar, and green goddess dressing.

Seafood remains a major focus, with East Coast oysters flown in daily, a dedicated raw bar, and sushi options including the Sunset Roll, Signature Roll, Pressed Ahi Tuna Roll, and Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice.

East Coast oysters and shrimp cocktail at Hudson House. Photo courtesy of Hudson House

Pro tip: Don't skip the Key Lime Pie for dessert.

Then there are the martinis. The restaurant's signature “World’s Coldest Martini” is made with Grey Goose vodka served on tap and chilled to 10 degrees.

Other martinis include The Classic, Bleu & Gold, The Lemon Drop, and The Espresso, while the cocktail list also includes the Frozen Bellini, Strawberry Spritz, Spicy Mexican, and Manhattan.

The restaurant offers a popular happy hour, which runs weekdays from 3-6 pm at the bar only, with half-price martinis, Bellinis, and wine by the glass, plus $3 East Coast oysters and $10 cheeseburgers.

The Hudson House's Fort Worth location, on "the bricks" of Camp Bowie Boulevard, earned a nomination for Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year in the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. The nomination read, "The East Coast-inspired restaurant ... has remained nonstop busy for its polished design, raw bar, cheeseburgers, lobster rolls, and ice-cold martinis served in frozen glassware. Just blocks from Rivercrest Country Club, the chic spot draws regulars from the nearby Crestline and Arlington Heights neighborhoods, as well moms who lunch, golf buddies, and couples from all over Fort Worth who return again and again for top-notch service and reliable, upscale American fare."

Given the Southlake restaurant's proximity to other local shopping and leisure spots, including Central Market, Southlake Town Square, and Timarron Country Club, it should be a perfect fit.

Hudson House will be open 11 am-9 pm Monday-Wednesday, 11 am-10 pm Thursday-Friday, 10 am-10 pm Saturday, and 10 am-9 pm Sunday.

southlake openings hudson house