Sandwich News

Artisan vegan sandwich shop opens in unusual Lewisville setting

Sandwiches from Beyond the Bun

BTB

A new sandwich shop is opening in Lewisville that is not like the other sandwich shops: Called Beyond the Bun, it opened on January 15 at 1165 S. Stemmons Fwy. #128, inside an antique mall at the Lakeland Plaza Office Building where it's serving a lineup of classic artisanal sandwiches — roast beef, Buffalo chicken, a BLTA — but all plant-based.

The shop is from Danielle and Mason Strokes, an adorable young couple who are striking out as entrepreneurs and wanted to create a vegan-friendly destination with great sandwiches.

They are starting with a limited menu they plan to expand as they go. Current offerings include:

Italian Cuban with ham, provolone, Dijon, and dill pickles on focaccia bread
Buffalo Chicken with fried chicken, buffalo sauce, bleu cheese, and ranch on a sub-style brioche bun
Dill sandwich with turkey, ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickle aioli, lettuce, & tomato on white bread

Sides include a spicy Dijon potato salad and an unusual dill coleslaw. All of their breads are made in-house by Danielle’s sister Gabrielle Hernandez.

And one major selling point: They are using meats and cheese imported from The Herbivorous Butcher, the acclaimed vegan butcher shop based in Minneapolis.

“We experimented with the recipes for months to create our menu," Danielle says.

They're also offering a selection of desserts including chocolate chip cookies, white chocolate coconut cookies, and two cool "cake sandwiches" — to keep the sandwich theme — featuring slices of cake that sandwich a filling of icing, available in vanilla or chocolate.

They're open for lunch Monday-Friday 11 am-4 pm, and their set-up is also unique: It operates like a ghost kitchen where customers place their order at a self-serve kiosk. Customers get a text when the order is ready and can pick it up from one of eight cubbies. The side benefit of being in an antique mall is that you can look around and shop while the order is being prepared.

"When it comes to eating vegan, there is not really a niche option," Danielle says. "My hope is to give everyone a great plant-based choices."

vegan openings

Opening News

Dallas diner & music venue will open in former Ferris Wheeler space

Courtesy

Pancakes

A new restaurant has been unveiled that will take over the former Ferris Wheeler space near Dallas' Design District at 1950 Market Center Blvd.: Called AM/FM, it'll be an all-day diner and lounge with a big backyard and a stage for live music, and it's from Spune Productions, the music and event production company.

According to a release, it'll open in early January initially with evening hours, cocktails, and a few afternoon soccer matches. Music acts are already booked beginning January 8. More hours will be added down the road.

Ferris Wheelers BBQ, which was also a restaurant with a big backyard and a stage for live music, closed in November after eight years. Spune had already been involved since 2023 to help ramp up the live music side. Now they'll take it over with a fresh new personality and long hours.

They were famous for having a Ferris wheel on-site; an inquiry on its status went unanswered.

The diner will open daily at 7 am, serving "musicians coming off late nights, workers heading into morning shifts, and neighbors who want a place that remembers their name," says the release very poetically.

They've redecorated the interior with a new bar and banquettes that wrap the room. Alongside the renovations inside, the set-up outdoors will evolve over the coming weeks, with extra care given to the concert experience,

Menu
The food at AM/FM will be rooted in elevated Diner classics, with a menu overseen by chef Anastacia Quinones-Pittman (Oh, Hi! Hospitality) that's influenced by Mexican-American kitchens and Nuevo Southern traditions.

Breakfast offerings include huevos rancheros, breakfast tacos, breakfast empanadas, French toast, avocado toast, pork belly toast, and an intriguing twist on pancakes called masa pancakes, made using masa harina AKA corn flour.

Lunch includes a chicken Milanesa Caesar salad, Sonoran hot dog, fried catfish po'boy, kale salad, Cobb salad, and a Mexican twist on chicken noodle soup with fideo noodles.

Entree plates include pot roast, meatloaf, fried chicken, and a weekly pot pie.

The beverage program will aim for accessibility with coffee, cocktails, and craft beer, says Victor Rojas, Quinones-Pittman's partner at Oh, Hi! Hospitality.

openings