Dallas restaurant news keeps on spinning with openings and closings

This edition of Dallas restaurant news includes a few new openings, an unexpected closure, some new menu items, and a couple of interesting company collaborations. There’s also a couple of crawfish things going on, just in time for peak crawfish season.

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

Banh Shop, the Dallas-based concept that does Asian street food, opened a location in Las Colinas at 7601 N. MacArthur Blvd. #105 on March 27. This is the company's third "street side" unit, joining four airport locations and gives them a variety of restaurant models: a campus site at TCU, a food hall restaurant at ATT Exchange which they opened in November 2023, and now a residential/office restaurant in Las Colinas.

Douglas Bar and Grill, a barbecue spot in University Park, will close down after experiencing parking problems in Snider Plaza. The restaurant opened in May 2022, and its last day is March 30, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Up Inspired Kitchen in Frisco closed at the end of January. They were known for their scratch-made breakfast and lunch. Company management wrote in a Facebook post, “Unfortunately, we just can’t continue to operate under the current circumstances and will be moving on to other endeavors.”

Salata, the built-to-order salad kitchen chain, is opening a new location in Frisco in The Shops of Eldorado at 4880 Eldorado Pkwy. #600. The restaurant is owned by franchisee Michael Mina, who manages four other Salata locations. The Frisco Salata is the company’s 98th location.

Sandwich Hag, the Vietnamese sandwich shop on Botham Jean Blvd., is cutting back its hours to implement a four-day work week. Starting Easter Sunday, the restaurant will be open Wednesday-Saturday 11 am-3 pm.

Sandoitchi, a Japanese restaurant in downtown, has added spring lunch and breakfast items as well as seasonal matcha drinks to its menu. There are several sandwich or “sando” offerings, including egg salad, strawberry cream, kiwi cream, classic chicken katsu, and spam and egg. Breakfast sandwiches come on a brioche bun with just egg and cheese or the option of potato or sausage as well.

Fearing's Restaurant, located inside The Ritz-Carlton in Uptown, has added several new items to its lunch menu, including buffalo tenderloin tacos with blue cheese, smoked chili aioli, sriracha, and fried avocado on white corn tortillas; Dr. Pepper-braised short ribs with whipped potatoes, honey/thyme glazed carrots, and tobacco onions; and fettuccine with white wine sauce, English peas, confit fennel, mushrooms, zucchini, and parmesan cheese. New dessert items include wild blueberry fried pies and brown butter carrot cake.

Tacodeli, the Austin-based taqueria chain, has introduced two salmon-pistachio specials for spring: the Salmon Pistachio Taco (salmon breaded and grilled with course-ground pistachios, drizzled with a housemade pistachio salsa, and topped with habanero escabeche) is available for $5.50 and the Strawberry Pistachio Salad (spinach-based salad, avocado, and strawberries, topped with strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, goat cheese, and candied chipotle pistachios) is $11 or $16.75 with salmon. Available at all Tacodeli locations through May 4 or while supplies last.

Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek has hired chef Charles Olalia as their new executive chef. Hailing from the Philippines, Olalia has more than 20 years of culinary experience; he was most recently the culinary director of Makeready Experience in Dallas, where he oversaw operations at twelve hotels and restaurants. Since joining Rosewood, he has been updating menus at the hotel’s restaurant and bar with French-Filipino influences.

Culpepper Cattle Co., the east Texas-inspired steakhouse in Rockwall, is hosting a crawfish boil April 13. The event will include $8 drink specials, live music, and lots of crawfish. $24 for one pound of crawfish with fixin’s. 3 pm-10 pm. Reservations are encouraged.

Evans’s Meat Market in The Shops of Highland Park is selling frozen crawfish dishes, including hand pies, fettucini, étouffée, and whole crawfish tails. Available through March 31.

JINYA Ramen Bar will offer their happy hour menu all day on Mondays in April. Starting April 1, customers can order small plates like tempura brussel sprouts, spicy tuna tacos, and JINYA buns.

Tacodeli, the Austin-based taqueria chain, now has four salsas and two dips available at H-E-B stores across Texas. The line includes 12-ounce containers of their famed Salsa Doña (creamy jalapeño), salsa verde, salsa roja, black bean dip, queso, and a new chunky salsa.

Birdcall, the fried chicken chain from Denver, has collaborated with Little Sesame, a boutique hummus company, to offer a crispy chicken shawarma sandwich, with tomato hummus and cucumber yogurt salad on a brioche bun for $10.25. $1 from each sandwich sale will support the Chef Ann Foundation. Available through April 2.

HTeaO, the Texas-based iced tea franchise, has launched HTeaO Energy Shots, tea-based energy shots available in four flavors: lemon, peach, watermelon, and blueberry. Available at all HTeaO locations in 2.5-ounce bottles for $3.29.

Globe Life Field in Arlington has formed a partnership withTeremana Tequila, the small-batch tequila founded by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, making it the official premium tequila of MLB’s Texas Rangers. Throughout the season, fans can visit the newly opened Teremana Terrace in centerfield which will be serving Teremana cocktails, including the signature People’s Margarita, a pineapple margarita sweetened with agave nectar.

Spoetzl Brewery & Distillery, the family-owned brewer of Shiner Bock, has added Shiner Craft Spirits to its distribution, bringing Shiner Craft Vodka, Shiner Craft Gin, and Shiner whiskey to liquor stores across DFW. Shiner Craft Spirits will be available on shelves April 1 for a suggested retail price of $19.99 for the vodka, and $25.99 for the gin and whiskey.

McDonald’s is planning to sell Krispy Kreme doughnuts at all of its restaurants nationwide by the end of 2026. The rollout will start in the second half of 2024 but take more than two years to reach all stores as Krispy Kreme will have to more than double its distribution to fulfill the partnership.

Lay’s has launched four new regionally inspired potato chip flavors: Crispy Taco, BLT Sandwich, Fried Pickles with Ranch, and Kettle Cooked Lime & Cracked Pepper. Available for a limited time.

Unilever, one of the top suppliers of beauty and personal care, home care, and food products, is spinning off its ice cream division into a stand-alone entity. Theit portfolio of brands includes Ben & Jerry's, Magnum, Wall’s, Breyers, Talenti, Popsicle, and Klondike.