Tex Mex News

Mexican restaurant in Irving adds chef spin to mom's authentic recipes

Mole: a Cielito specialty.

dallas.culturemap.com

At Cielito Mexican Flavors in Irving, you'll find carne asada, queso fundido, and cochinita pibil, but there is one thing you won't find: Tex-Mex.

"Tex-Mex is the enemy," says general manager Brian James. "The idea of the menu is modern Mexican. Everything has to be made from scratch, from the food to the cocktails."

This Mexican restaurant, which opened in June at 301 E. Las Colinas Blvd. in a clean, elegant space that once housed the sushi place Jinbeh, is a family affair from husband-and-wife Omar Rodriguez and Julieta Calderon, with Julieta's brother Antonio, who lives in Mexico but comes to Dallas to lend a hand.

The family hails from the Mexican state of Pueblo, 80 miles southeast of Mexico City, but have lived in Dallas for two decades, pondering their dream of opening a restaurant. Their vision is realized: to feature authentic flavors from Mexico and spotlight the recipes of Antonio and Julieta's mom and their homeland.

To help make her home-spun recipes "restaurant-ready," they recruited Armando Muñoz Vasconcelos, a pedigreed chef who owns a bakery in Mexico and has participated in gastronomic events around the world while also helping open a number of restaurants. Vasconcelos was hired to fine-tune the menu and assemble and train the staff.

"My sister wanted to have a place that was truly authentic to the food we grew up with, and most of the recipes are our mom's," Antonio says. "Armando is from a state near Puebla, and he knew the cuisine. So we could say to him, 'my mom makes mole like this,' and he put it together in a way that, if we have a person in the kitchen unfamiliar with the dish, they can recreate it."

If Puebla has a signature dish, it's mole poblano, the velvety rich dark sauce made from dried poblano peppers, ground nuts & seeds, and Mexican chocolate, which can be ladled over chicken or warm tortillas, made on premises, both corn and flour. Other favorites at Cielito include Puebla roasted quail and Mexican City street corn.

Cielito also serves weekend brunch, on both Saturdays and Sundays with breakfast tacos, huevos rancheros, and chilaquiles. But here you’re in for a blue-collar surprise. Nestled on the menu along with their traditional Mexican dishes is a very un-Mexican stack of pancakes.

“When we developed brunch, they told us that it's good to have something on the menu that is not Mexican like pancakes,” Antonio says. “Most of our brunch menu is Mexican…we know just to add pancakes.”

Complementing the ambitious menu is a full bar with a menu of crafty cocktails, with happy hour daily from 4-6 pm.

General manager Brian James, whose experience includes bartending at the Adolphus Hotel and managing Whiskey Cake Los Colinas, worked with Omar to create cocktails such as their jalapeno cucumber margarita, Mexpresso martini, and the carajillo, a hot drink of Spanish origin, made Mexican-style with espresso and Liqor 43.

The house margarita is an ambitious effort with emulsified egg white shaken with tequila, agave, lime juice, and orange liqueur, strained to create a white foam on the top, with lime and orange zest as an aromatic garnish.

Antonio says that "cielito" translates to "little piece of the sky."

"My sister says when you are eating here, you are lifted to heaven," Antonio says.

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Holiday dining

Master list of Dallas restaurants serving Easter brunch in 2026

Adolphus

Easter 2026 falls on April 5.

Before brunch was the staple it is today, there was Easter brunch. (Although maybe in olden times, they called it lunch.) Whatever it was called, the migration to munch following Easter Sunday services is a tradition that dates back decades.

In more recent years, brunch has evolved into a weekly celebration — but the Easter Sunday brunch will always remain a standout brunch and thus deserves its own list.

In 2026, Easter falls slightly on the early side: April 5. That's less than a month away. Never too soon to get those reservations in.

Here's our list of restaurants serving Easter brunch in Dallas for 2026. Bookmark it and check back. We'll add more as restaurants reveal their menus.

Adolphus. The downtown Dallas hotel will host Easter brunch in the Grand Ballroom with omelets, seafood, carving stations, pastry, and Easter-themed sweets, plus a complimentary glass of sparkling wine. $140, or $50 for children 12 and under. 214-742-8200.

Asador. Renaissance Hotel restaurant will host buffet featuring chilled seafood, omelet and carving stations, spring salads, charcuterie, and desserts. Stop for photos at the spring floral arch in the lobby. 10 am-3 pm, last seating at 2:30 pm. $95, or $40 for 12 and under.

Blue Mesa Grill. Southwestern chain will serve brunch with beef tenderloin chimichurri, glazed ham, red chile salmon, a build-your-own street taco bar, omelets, huevos rancheros, and waffles with fried chicken. Dessert will feature flan, sopapilla cheesecake, and fruit cobblers. Mimosas included. $45, or $15 for 11 and under. 8 am-4 pm. Addison 972-934-0165, Plano 214-387-4407, Fort Worth 817-332-6372.

Commons Club. Virgin Dallas hotel restaurant will host a four-course feast featuring shareables, off-menu entrees, dessert station, mimosas, and Bloody Marys. Seatings at 10 am, 12 pm, and 2 pm. $65, or $35 for 12 and under. Note: The Easter menu is the only dining option available during brunch.

Dakota's Steakhouse. Chef-inspired three-course brunch featuring seasonal dishes including lobster omelet, steak & eggs, smashburger, carrot cupcakes, and stuffed French toast. $58, or $30 for 12 and under. 10:30 am-2 pm. At dinner, it's Prime Rib Sunday from 5-9 pm.

Dee Lincoln Prime. Frisco steakhouse will host a special Easter menu with crabcakes, Nutella stuffed French toast, eggs Benedict, and 14-oz Prime rib. Plus regular menu selections such as filet duo and lobster mac & cheese. 10:30 am-2:30 pm. Dinner 3-10 pm.

Dolce Riviera. Brunch buffet featuring Italian favorites and brunch classics including bruschetta bar, salads, omelets, carving station, pasta, dessert station, and brunch cocktails. From 12-2 pm, the Easter Bunny will be available for photos. 10 am-4 pm. $90, or $40 for 12 and under.

El Carlos Elegante. Three-course Easter brunch served family-style will include crab cake tostada & squash tetelita, plus choices from yellowfin ceviche with osetra caviar and aguachile, empanadas poblano with chicken, Torrejas tres leches with fruit, Prime beef carne asada with chilaquiles & eggs, halibut a la Veracruzana, or roasted shishitos with crème fraîche, plus guava cheesecake for dessert. 11 am-3 pm. $99.

Golden Corral. Grill-buffet chain has brought back its All-You-Can-Eat Butterfly Shrimp & Steak special in time for Easter, featuring sirloin and shrimp — adding a surf-and-turf experience for $19 to their regular buffet, which is $15 at lunch and $19 at dinner. Available through April 19, from 11 am-9 pm at all seven DFW locations in Arlington, Grapevine, Grand Prairie, Dallas, Fort Worth, Mesquite, and North Richland Hills.

Hôtel Swexan. Annual Easter Bunny Brunch in the Grand Ballroom will feature chef specialties, spring desserts, and full-service bar with cocktails, sparkling selections, and non-alcoholic options. Three seatings: 9:30 am, 12 pm, and 2:30 p.m. $105, or $50 for 12 and under.

Lombardi Cucina Italiana. Italian restaurant at the Star in Frisco will host Easter brunch or dinner with chef specials alongside regular menu of authentic Italian pastas and seafood. 11 am-3 pm, dinner until 10 pm.

Mercat Bistro. Three-course brunch with seasonal starters, entrees, dessert, and seasonal drinks, with seating in open-air gazebo or dining room. 10 am-4 pm. $85, or $35 for 12 and under.

Mister Charles. Luxurious three-course brunch will feature choices from oysters with French 75 granita, crabcake with kohlrabi salad, brioche French toast with bananas foster and chantilly, beef filet with sauce bordelaise, halibut with sauce vierge, peekeytoe crab eggs benedict with uni hollandaise, pistachio tiramisu, or chocolate gateau with caffe latte gelato. 11 am-3 pm. $125.

Night Rooster. Design District restaurant will host a special dim sum brunch. 10 am-3 pm. Dinner service at 5 pm.

Nuri Steakhouse. Award-winning steakhouse will host special Easter brunch — a rare daytime experience. 11 am-2 pm.

The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas. Knife Steakhouse will host a lavish brunch with carving stations, raw bar, pastas swirled in a Parmesan wheel, wood-fired pizza, and a showstopping dessert display. Plus a family-friendly hands-on egg-decorating experience led by the pastry team.. $135, or $65 for 12 and under. 12-4 pm. 972-717-0700.

The Saint. Italian steakhouse in the Dallas Design District will host Italian-inspired brunch 10 am-3 pm, plus regular dinner service at 5 pm.

Saint Ann. Three-course brunch with refined interpretations of American brunch classics, and seasonal drink specials. The Easter Bunny will be available from 11 am-2 pm, and there'll be live music on the patio from 11 am-3 pm. 10 am-4 pm. $60, or $30 for 12 and under.

Sanjh. Upscale Indian restaurant will host Easter buffet with offerings that include kachumber & chickpea salad, deviled eggs, butter chicken, shahi paneer Makhana, and a chaat station with gol gappe and dahi bhalla papri. Plus desserts including mango cheesecake and gulab jamun. 11 am-3 pm. $65, or $32.50 for 12 and under.

SĒR Steak + Spirits. Brunch buffet with "egg hunt" station featuring lobster deviled eggs and egg dippers action station; carving spread with ham, pastrami pork belly porchetta, rotisserie chicken, and beef tomahawk; waffle & pancake station; pastries, macarons, panna cotta, flourless chocolate cake, and a chocolate fountain. 9 am-2 pm. $95, or $35 for 12 and under. Regular dinner menu also available.

Silver Fox Steakhouse. Richardson steakhouse will open early for a brunch with an Easter special: beef tenderloin benedict with asparagus and fingerling potatoes for $69. Brunch cocktails include bloody Mary with Tito’s Vodka, mimosa, and Southern Socialite with Garrison Brothers HoneyDew Bourbon, Aperol, Reàl Strawberry, bitters, and prosecco. 11 am-4 pm.

Sister. Greenville Avenue restaurant will host a three-course brunch with za’atar focaccia with chili olive tapenade, piquillo tahini dip with crudité & pita, smoked salmon carpaccio, cacio e pepe lumache, beef tenderloin with chimichurri, shakshuka in Vadouvan tomato sauce, bengali potatoes with currant & poblano chutney, and olive oil cake with raspberry ganache. 11 am-3 pm. $79. 214-888-8660.

III Forks. Steakhouse will open early for a special Sunday brunch featuring three Benedicts: beef tenderloin, crabcake, and lobster, served with asparagus and fingerling potatoes, $59 -$69. Brunch cocktails include bloody Mary with Tito’s Vodka, mimosa, and Southern Socialite with Garrison Brothers HoneyDew Bourbon, Aperol, Reàl Strawberry, bitters, and prosecco. 11 am-3 pm. Plus full menu 11 am-8 pm. Frisco 972-267-1776, Addison 945-299-1776.

Urban Italia. Brunch at Victory Park restaurant will feature Italian salumi & cheeses, Caprese and Caesar salad, crabcakes, shrimp cocktail, omelets, frittatas, penne vodka, meatballs, Atlantic salmon, Italian ricotta cheesecake, and tiramisu. April 5. 10 am-3 pm. $75 for adults, $38 for 12 and under.

Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse. West End restaurant will offer a three-course meal with lobster bisque, chicken-fried quail, buffalo filet oscar, and pecan crusted trout. $68. 11 am-4 pm.

brunch holidays easter brunch