Downtown News
Chicago restaurant Hampton Social to bring rosé all day to downtown Dallas
Tacos and rose at Hampton Social
A fresh new restaurant that pays tribute to the ultimate East Coast getaway is coming to Dallas: Called The Hampton Social, it's a breezy hangout with lobster rolls and rosé, and will open in downtown Dallas, taking over the former Iron Cactus space at 1520 Main St.
The concept is from Parker Hospitality, a Chicago-based restaurant group founded by entrepreneur Brad Parker, who opened the first Hampton Social in Chicago in 2015. There are currently 11 locations in Chicago, Florida, and Nashville.
Construction in Dallas has just begun, and Parker says they look forward to opening in the fall.
"We're excited to open in Dallas, and feel like we found the perfect location," he says.
Hampton Social is all about the ladies, with a menu featuring shareable dishes and large-format drinks, and a "rosé all day" theme with more than a dozen selections of rose by the glass, plus rose cocktails such as the Hampton Frosé, a Bellini-esque frozen drink with Tito's vodka, rosé, and peach puree.
"Dallas has that female demographic that wants to go have brunch, wants to be lively and socialize," Parker says.
The menu skews towards seafood with oysters, a seafood tower, fish & chips, and Baja fish tacos. But their smashburger is also a signature, and they offer steak frites, a chicken sandwich, and short rib over creamy polenta. Prices range from $16 for a Caesar salad to $39 for balsamic-glazed skirt steak.
"I'd put our lobster roll up against anyone's, and I know it seems simple but our smashburger is one of the best burgers around," Parker says.
Like their other locations, Dallas will have up to 10 percent local-only menu items as well as a distinctive atmosphere.
"We're always trying to make it fun - we're not cookie-cutter, we strive to find unique spaces and give them touches that reflect the location," he says. "When you walk in, you know it's a Hampton Social but you also know that each location has its own style, based on the market it's in."
Parker's inspiration for Hampton Social arose from a memory from his childhood.
"When I was 15, my father had just passed away - I was in Naples, Florida, and we went to eat at Tommy Bahamas," he says. "I got a bowl of she-crab soup, there was live music, the fans were blowing, it was like an escape, a breath of fresh air."
When he got into the restaurant business, he wanted to recreate that experience of being transported to another location, and considered all the iconic places to escape.
"I thought of the Hamptons, where everyone escapes in the summer, and thought, 'How do we achieve that timeless feel?'," he says.
Their entry into downtown Dallas was encouraged by the landlord, Headington Companies, owner of the Joule Hotel as well as that entire block of Main Street, who were seeking a vibrant concept that would make an impact on the neighborhood.
"You have the Joule Hotel complex and we felt like this could create a tidal wave," Parker says.
They have big plans for the former Iron Cactus: It'll be an 18,000-square-foot space, as large as the location they opened in Nashville in 2019, with three levels, plus a 3,000-square-foot members-only underground lounge.
"The top three floors will be open to the public, while the basement will be a nice place where you can find a great ambience that's less crowded," he says. "It won't be expensive but it will allow people who want to pay to get more space in a classier setting, and an opportunity to network with other members."
As a company founded in Chicago, they're conversant in downtown settings.
"There are plenty of young people who don’t want to be going to places situated off a highway, who love urban areas like downtown Dallas," he says.
