Margarita Crisis

Family Tex-Mex shutters and more Dallas restaurant news

Fernando's

This roundup of Dallas restaurant news has one tragic closure, but also some upbeat reopenings and relocations. There are also new sandwiches and lots of new lunch action, from expansions to great new deals.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news this week:

Fernando's Mexican Cuisine is closing both locations in Preston Hollow and Richardson after 20 years on May 18. The restaurant was founded by Fernando Padilla and his wife, Anna, who first opened the restaurant on Midway Road in Preston Hollow in 2005, serving enchiladas, fajitas, and margaritas. According to a post, the owners couldn’t reach an agreement with the landlord at the original location and the Richardson location lease is expiring soon.

Van Leeuwen, the gourmet ice cream chain, will open a new location at 8061 Walnut Hill Lane #C-928 in North Dallas on May 1. Van Leeuwen ice cream is inventive, with flavors such as Hidden Valley Ranch and Honeycomb, and they also do excellent vegan options. This is their fifth location in Dallas-Fort Worth, and their eighth store in Texas. Their pints are also sold at upscale grocers such as Sprouts.

Dog Haus, the hot dog restaurant and biergarten, has reopened its Richardson location under new ownership at 744 S. Central Expy. #210. The California-based restaurant made its DFW debut at this location when it opened in 2017, bit closed in 2024. Aside from hot dogs, they're also known for burgers and sausages, all served on Hawaiian rolls.

Moriya Shokudo, a Japanese ramen shop in Richardson, relocated to a new address — a brick and mortar — at 1920 N. Coit Rd. #250. Owner Tadashi Nakazawa first opened the restaurant as a food stand inside a Korean grocery store at 11422 Harry Hines Blvd. in 2023. They serve small plates, like seaweed salad and pork gyoza, and a range of curries, ramen, and rice bowls.

Dee Lincoln Concepts, the Dallas-based hospitality group behind Dee Lincoln Prime and Dee’s Table Burgers & More, has appointed Julian Rodarte as culinary director. Rodarte co-founded Trinity Groves restaurant Beto & Son and was also CEO of Trinity Groves. He most recently served as executive chef at COSM at Grandscape. Rodarte aims to introduce immersive programming at Dee Lincoln Prime, including an exclusive chef’s table experience and an omakase experience led by Dee Lincoln’s sushi chef.

Nikki Greek Bistro is launching a new "six under $20" lunch menu featuring seasonal dishes such as meze combo platter with hummus, beet-whipped feta, tiropita, dolmas and a Greek salad, chicken souvlaki, Greek meatball, and chef’s daily pasta. Available Tuesday-Friday from 11 am-3 pm.

Rose Cafe at LePasSage has expanded to lunch and patio dining including papaya salad with peanuts and tamarind sauce, coconut rice noodle bowl with fried spring rolls, pork shoulder bao buns, summer rolls, and Cambodian lemongrass beef skewers. Lunch is Monday-Friday from 11 am-3 pm.

North Italia has a spring and summer menu available featuring garlic knot sliders, chicken scarpariello, and brunch items like strawberries & cream French toast and poached eggs & polenta. They've also added cocktails such as Cacio E Pepe Dirty Martini and Alta Rossa.

Corner Bakery Cafe has three new sandwiches on the menu: roast beef bleu, DC chicken salad, pretzel with turkey or ham, and ham or turkey and Swiss and croissant. Sandwiches range from $8-$13.

Bourbon & Banter, the underground speakeasy at The Statler, has a new menu featuring charcuterie board, pretzel sticks wrapped in prosciutto, Knob Creek bread pudding, and ice cream with a choice of vanilla bean, salted chocolate chunk, caramel, or raspberry sorbet. Additionally, new cocktails include Cold Brew Martini and The Pompadour.

Socorro Tequila, the Dallas-based liquor brand, has a limited-edition release of Reserva de Pablo, a five-year Extra Añejo tequila made from forgotten barrels. It features agave notes followed by notes of oak aged maple, prunes, and smoked spices.

Tom Thumb stores now have strawberry madeleines, the French-inspired shell-shaped soft cookie, from Sugar Bowl Bakery, a San Francisco-based company that supplies hotels, cafes, restaurants, convention centers, and colleges. They're made without artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, and contain no high-fructose corn syrup.

FB Society, the Dallas hospitality group, is opening a food hall in the historic Lord & Taylor building at 424 Fifth Ave. in New York City. Called Shaver Hall, it features 11 food stalls including an omakase concept, wine and cheese bar, steakhouse, and bodega.

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Grocery News

Urban grocery market will join scene in historic downtown Carrollton

Street Corner Urban Market

A new grocery store brand is making its Texas debut in Carrollton: Called Street Corner Urban Market, it's a small chain from Kansas that will go into a former vintage store at 1105 South Broadway St., across from the historic downtown square, with an opening slated for spring 2026.

The Street Corner brand is headquartered in Topeka, and comprises several concepts, from express kiosks to gas station companions. The urban market concept has 47 locations across the United States as of early 2025, in cities such as Fresno, California and Rochester, New York.

Carrollton will be a 2,500 square-foot store — bigger than a convenience store but smaller than a large-scale grocery store.

Bringing the concept to Carrollton is franchisee Leon Smith, a longtime downtown Carrollton resident looking to fill a gap in the neighborhood's retail lineup.

“I've lived in the downtown Carrollton area probably for about seven, eight years,” Smith says. “I've always noticed the need for some type of grocery chain down here. There's just nothing down here for the residents — nowhere for them to go grab something quick.”

The historic downtown area nearly has it all: family housing, four luxury apartment complexes, a townhome development in the works, a DART station, dining, parks, entertainment, and locally-owned retail and beauty services.

The missing link: a place to grab groceries, beer & wine, flowers, produce, and ready-to-eat meals without hopping on a train or driving.

Smith, an HR professional at Baylor Scott & White venturing into franchising, says the Street Corner Market shopping experience is reminiscent of Trader Joe’s, including stocking many of the same vendors, but on a smaller scale.

Catering to the community is a priority, and they'll be open to product recommendations so that the store’s offerings reflect residents’ needs.

“It's not cookie cutter ‘this is the only way that it’s going to go,’” Smith says. “I'm here to try to make it welcoming for everybody that's around here. I'm a part of this community, so this is important to me, because I know the need for it.”

supermarkets openings