Openings

Dallas salad-sandwich pioneer Bread Zeppelin lands in McKinney

Sandwich at Bread Zeppelin.

Photo courtesy of Bread Zeppelin

A Dallas restaurant chain famous for its salad-stuffed-inside-baguettes approach to sandwich making has opened a new location in McKinney: Bread Zeppelin debuted at 3241 S. Custer Road, Suite 107, on Monday, February 2.

The new shop marks the eighth location in Dallas-Fort Worth since they launched in 2013 in Irving, with more to come in 2026, they tease in a release. According to the website, locations are also coming soon to Frisco, Richardson, and Allen. They're marching through the 'burbs.

Bread Zeppelin's unique sandwich-making process involves taking a freshly baked baguette, hollowing it out, and stuffing a salad inside. It's a portable salad on the go — one you can eat in the car, no fork, no muss.

Their Chicken Caesar, with bites of grilled chicken, croutons, Parmesan, and chopped Romaine, made CultureMap's "Definitive list of 16 great sandwiches in Dallas for fall 2024." The writer noted, "The bread is really good — crunchy but light, and absorbing the salad dressing ever so slightly. For only $10."

For those who eschew bread, a "Zeppelin" can also be ordered as a bowl; they also offer soups and limited-time offerings, including the Chicken Tinga, available at the new location.

“As we’ve grown from our first restaurant in Irving, Texas, McKinney has always felt like a natural fit,” says co-founder Troy Charhon in the release. “It’s a community that values quality and care, which mirrors how we’ve approached Bread Zeppelin from day one — making fresh food, served by engaged employees in a new unique way, our signature Zeppelin."

To celebrate opening week, Bread Zeppelin is offering free Zeppelins and bowls on Wednesday, February 4, available in-store only until 3 pm, limited to one entrée per guest.

“We can’t wait to introduce our Zeppelins to new friends in McKinney while we work to become a welcoming and supportive addition to this vibrant community," says co-founder Andrew Schoellkopf.

The McKinney restaurant is open daily from 10:30 am-9 pm.

sandwich shop openings

Yes, cheese

Nashville gourmet grilled cheese shop melts into Texas with Plano debut

Photo courtesy of Cheese Lab

Pimento Mac 'n' Cheese Melty at Cheese Lab.

A Nashville restaurant that puts gourmet twists on grilled cheese sandwiches has made its Texas debut in Plano. Called Cheese Lab, the shop has opened inside Legacy Hall, the three-story food hall at the Legacy West complex at 7800 Windrose Ave.

Plano is just the second location for Cheese Lab, and its first outside of Tennessee.

Founded by restaurateur Youssef Koutout, Cheese Lab serves elevated comfort food built around artisan cheeses, premium ingredients, and inventive flavor combinations, a release says. The concept debuted at Assembly Food Hall in downtown Nashville before expanding to North Texas.

Rather than sticking to the standard grilled cheese, the menu features a lineup of "melty" sandwiches with creative fillings.

The Cheese Lab offers creative twists on grilled cheese sandwiches. Photo courtesy of Cheese Lab

Signature options include the Nashville Smokehouse Melty with slow-smoked brisket; the Pimento Mac 'n' Cheese Melty; the Pulled Pork Meltstorm; the Southern Heritage Grilled Ham Duo; and the Brie & Fig Grilled Melty.

Sure to be a Texas favorite: The Birria on Broadway Melty, featuring slow-cooked chuck roll beef braised in-house for six hours, Monterey Jack cheese, onions, cilantro, and consommé dipping soup.

The menu also includes loaded mac and cheese, house-made soups, crispy Cheetos Balls, and breakfast items such as buttermilk biscuits, breakfast burritos, and bagel sandwiches.

BBQ Brisket Mac n Cheese Melty.Photo courtesy of Cheese Lab

"At Cheese Lab, we took one of America's most recognizable comfort foods and completely reimagined it," Koutout says in the release. "Every sandwich starts with quality ingredients and is built to bring unexpected flavors to a classic sandwich. We're excited to bring our second location to Legacy Hall and become part of the Plano community."

Amanda McFarland, executive vice president of FB Society, which operates Legacy Hall, says the concept fits the venue's focus on chef-driven dining.

Cheetos Ball.Photo courtesy of Cheese Lab

"Cheese Lab brings exactly the kind of creativity we look for at Legacy Hall," McFarland says. "Their menu takes something everyone knows and loves and turns it into a new culinary experience. We think guests are going to have a lot of fun working their way through the menu."

Cheese Lab is open 10 am-9 pm Monday-Wednesday, 10 am-10 pm Thursday, 10 am-1 am Friday-Saturday, and 10 am-9 pm Sunday.

cheese plano sandwiches legacy hall grilled cheese debut plano openings sandwich shop

Openings

Dallas salad-sandwich pioneer Bread Zeppelin lands in McKinney

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Yes, cheese

Nashville gourmet grilled cheese shop melts into Texas with Plano debut