Where to eat

Where to eat in Dallas right now: 10 new restaurants for June

Sweet Paris Creperie toasted bueno crepe

Crepes at Sweet Paris Creperie

Photo by Shannon O’Hara Photography

June is here and so is our latest edition of Where to Eat, our monthly column highlighting restaurant picks for you to eat at in the next 30 or so days. These all have a casual, summery vibe. Some are brand new, while others represent relocations of long-time favorites.

Here's where to eat in Dallas right now:

Armor Coffee
New coffee shop and cafe from Mike and Jenn Todryk — of No Demo Reno fame — has opened at 3040 FM 544, where it's serving coffee as well as breakfast and lunch. It's a second location for the couple, who opened the first Armor Coffee in Allen in 2019, but this one has a serious food offering that goes beyond usual coffeeshop fare, including breakfast sandwiches and breakfast tacos, toasts, Belgian liege waffles, sandwiches such as grilled cheese and vegetarian Caprese, pretzels, and baked goods.

Brisket Rules
Downtown Dallas casual barbecue kiosk recently opened inside the Exchange food hall, serving brisket sandwiches and loaded baked potatoes. The concept comes from chef Brett Curtis (Dock Local seafood restaurant), who opened the first location at Harvest Hall in Grapevine. Meats are smoked in-house with a menu featuring sandwiches, plates, a barbecue charcuterie board, and baked potatoes topped with brisket and BBQ sauce.

Chuy's on Greenville
Austin-based Tex-Mex chain just opened a location at 1520 Greenville Ave., in the troubled space that was most recently Desert Racer, the short-lived patio spot from chef Nick Badovinus which closed in March 2024. It replaces its longtime location on Knox Street, which closed after 32 years to make way for a new mixed-use development. Cue the chain's signature Big As Yo Face Burritos, Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom Enchiladas, and green chile fried chicken.

Fire Bowl McKinney
Build-your-own-bowl concept from Austin made its DFW debut in McKinney, where it’s serving a trio of Asian cuisines that include Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai. Leading the culinary team is Dallas chef Julian Rodarte. The menu features noodles and rice bowls topped with a choice of protein, soups, and tempura fried chicken.

Ghost Donkey
Mexican bar concept is one of two new restaurants from Flagship Restaurant Group (Blue Sushi Sake Grill, Plank Provisions) that opened side-by-side in Deep Ellum, along with Tex-Asian fusion restaurant-bar Palma, in the former Braindead Brewing space. Drinks are the main course at Ghost Donkey, but they have a some snacks to go with the drinks including guacamole, tacos (including a veggie mushroom & corn), quesadillas, and shrimp ceviche.

Jaxon Texas Kitchen
Jaxon is back: Southern-themed restaurant that originally opened at the AT&T Discovery District (and was nominated for a CultureMap Tastemaker Award for Best New Restaurant in 2021), re-emerges at the Toyota Music Factory in a 10,000-square-foot, two-story space with some of its original menu items plus some new twists from chef Andrew Dilda — including fried green tomatoes, chicken-fried steak, a burger, shrimp & grits, and brick chicken.

Ramen Belly Plano
Quaint, fast-casual ramen concept has opened in historic downtown Plano with a menu featuring four kinds of ramen, plus sashimi, potstickers, rice bowls, and poke bowls. They also offer alcohol such as sake, beer, and seltzer. Inside, the shop is laid back and simple, with wood chairs, tables for two, and bar seating. The concept was originally founded in Iowa; one of its owners moved to Plano to open this spinoff.

Sweet Paris Creperie
Crepe chain founded in Houston just opened a location in McKinney. They're big on crepes with 20 choices in sweet and savory flavors, such as dulce de leche or chicken enchilada. While crepes are the signature, they also serve waffles, egg breakfasts, panini, and salads. They also serve beer and wine, mimosas, milkshakes, espresso drinks such as lattes, and hot chocolate. This is their second in the DFW area, following Southlake; there are also plans for a location in Dallas' Snider Plaza.

Takara Ayce Las Colinas
This all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant opened in Las Colinas in early May, at 925 W. John Carpenter Fwy. #100 featuring a big menu with plenty to choose from including sushi rolls, sashimi, udon noodles, fried rice bowls, ramen, and lunch bento boxes. There's no alcohol but they do boba tea drinks. The AYCE price is $35. The restaurant is a spinoff from Takara Wok, an Asian restaurant that opened in Keller in 2023.

Ten50 BBQ
Barbecue restaurant from Richardson opened in the former Sonny Bryan's in the Park Cities with an upscale twist on BBQ featuring Prime brisket, Duroc Heritage pork ribs, pulled pork sandwich, salads, and banana pudding for dessert. An open kitchen offers diners a view of the pitmasters at work. The concept was founded by father-and-son John Evans and Preston Evans who opened the original location in Richardson in 2014.

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Coffee buzz

Suburban fave Lemma Coffee brews first Dallas cafe in high-profile spot

Photo courtesy of Lemma Coffee Co.

Lemma Coffee Co. is opening in Mockingbird Station.

After building a following in the Dallas 'burbs, Lemma Coffee Co. is finally opening inside the city limits: The specialty coffee chain will debut its first Dallas location at Mockingbird Station in mid-September.

Lemma will take over the former Starbucks space at 5331 Mockingbird Ln., Ste. 150, bringing its high-quality coffee to the area's busy mix of residents, office workers, shoppers, and nearby university students. Owner Daniel Baum revealed the new shop's location in an Instagram reel on Saturday, August 1.

Baum, a former photographer, founded Lemma Coffee Co. in 2017, initially serving coffee at the Denton County Farmers Market. After opening its first brick-and-mortar shop in Carrollton, the company added locations in Frisco in 2020 and downtown Plano in 2022.

“For us, it is exciting to have a shop within Dallas and show the work we have put in over the past nine years,” says Baum, who grew up in Dallas.

The Denim Danger is one of Lemma's popular specialty drinks.Photo courtesy of Lemma Coffee Co.

Lemma focuses on premium coffee, with a menu featuring classic espresso drinks alongside specialty beverages made with house-made syrups. Highlights include:

Citrusgoth Latte: Charcoal, chocolate, and citrus.
Denim Danger: Blueberry syrup, maple, and brown sugar.
The Great Bambino: Cold brew s’mores (inspired by the movie The Sandlot).
The Bees’ Knees: Latte with vanilla, honey, and lavender.
Seasonal Coffee Tonic: Espresso, lychee puree, fresh orange and lime, and citrus bitters.

The company has also expanded its matcha offerings to include drinks such as the Matcha Tropic with coconut cream and banana syrup, Strawberry Matcha, and Ube Matcha.

For food, Lemma partners with local Montecito Bakery. The menu typically includes butter and chocolate croissants, almond loaves, dulce de leche cruffins, avocado toast, sandwiches, and hoagies.

While the beverage menu remains consistent across its locations, Lemma designs each shop to fit its neighborhood. The 1,300-square-foot Mockingbird Station location will feature several single-person tables, plenty of natural light, and limited bar seating for guests who want to watch the baristas while working or studying.

“People will be able to grab what they need and get back to the hustle, and if they want to stay, we will accommodate them in our space,” Baum says.

In addition to its cafés, Lemma operates a roasting facility in Coppell that supplies its own shops and wholesale customers across North Texas, including DFW Common Good, Oak Cliff Bread, Brewed, Seventh Day, and Local Good.

The company prides itself on responsible sourcing, direct-impact relationships with farmers, and a meticulous roasting process. To highlight traceability, every bag of retail coffee sold in-store features the name of the farm, allowing customers to pinpoint the origin of their beans.

“We have a quiet but loyal customer base — our core customers come in, buy our coffee, and take bags home to brew,” Baum says. “It is a dream for us to bring our shop into the city and continue to grow.”

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