This week in gluttony

New supper series top 6 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Crossbuck BBQ will launch a new supper club this week.

Crossbuck BBQ

Two Dallas-area restaurants will launch new dinner series this week - one featuring celeb chefs and the other, craft cocktails and modern Texas barbecue. Also partake in some plant therapy paired with mocktails or a cocktail showdown featuring coconut and rum. Don't miss a Scottish January tradition at a local pub that'll host bagpipers to serenade guests during a three-course Scottish dinner.

Tuesday, January 20

Dallas Coquito Final Showdown at Saint Valentine
Top Dallas bartenders will compete to create their best coquito – a Puerto Rican Christmas cocktail similar to eggnog and made with rum and coconut – during this cocktail competition hosted by Tales of the Cocktail and Bacardi Rum. The competition will take place at Saint Valentine from 7-11 pm and guests are invited to sample each bartender’s entry and vote for their favorite. Entry and sampling are free, although an RSVP is encouraged.

Wednesday, January 21

Old Forester Whiskey Dinner Experience at Barrel & Bones
The Colony outlet of the craft bar and smokehouse will host a four-course dinner featuring bourbon expressions from Kentucky-based Old Forester. The menu includes salted cod croquettes, panzanella and panela cheese salad, roasted pork shoulder, and raspberry opera cake. There are a few tickets left and they’re $75, plus tax and a service fee. Dinner begins at 7 pm.

Thursday, January 22

Plant Project Sip & Shop 8 Hundred North
Get a dose of plant therapy during this a pop-up shopping experience in the lobby bar of JW Marriot Dallas Arts District by the team from The Plant Project. Enjoy a welcoming elixir upon arrival and take advantage of a $10 special on the bar’s signature Daisy mocktail. The event will run from 5-9 pm.

Celebrity Chef Dinner Series at The Crescent Club featuring Dean Fearing
Hotel Crescent Court has launched a monthly dining series featuring big-name chefs, with the first to include Dean Fearing, widely recognized as the “Father of Southwestern Cuisine.” Highlights from the three-course menu include Dean’s tortilla soup and a Texas surf and turf dish of chicken fried lobster and barbecue-spiced beef filet. Courses come with wine pairings, and the dinner will take place inside The Crescent Club located on the 17th floor, which is typically not open to the public. Reservations are $250 and the event begins at 6 pm with a cocktail reception. The new dinner series will run through June.

4th Annual Burns Night at The Londoner Pub Dallas
Burns Night is a Scottish tradition in January that celebrates the life and work noted Scottish poet, Robert Burns. A supper of haggis (a savory Scottish pudding) is served with scotch whiskey while bagpipers play. Experience The Londoner’s version of the tradition, which will include a three-course dinner, Glendronach Scotch whiskey, highland dancing, and bagpipes by North Texas Caledonian Pipes and Drums. Reservations are $60 and the event begins at 7 pm.

Friday, January 23

Supper Club at Crossbuck BBQ
UPDATE 1-22-26: The Crossbuck BBQ Supper Club has been postponed to Friday, January 30 due to weather.
The Farmers Branch destination for a modern take on Texas barbecue has launched a new monthly supper club series. Pitmaster and owner Tim McLaughlin will present five courses paired with craft cocktails. Highlights from this week’s inaugural supper club menu include smoked brisket empanadas, smoked cherry and star anise sorbet, twice-cooked bone-in pork chop with chipotle and pear compote, and blueberry ginger cobbler with peppermint ice cream. Tickets are $150, plus tax and dinner begins at 7:30 pm.

dinner food events

Spicy chicken joint

TikTok-famed hot halal chicken chain The Red Chickz pecks into Carrollton

Facebook/The Red Chickz

Dipping hot chicken into sauce is a big thing at The Red Chickz.

A California hot chicken chain that's famous for being TikTok-famous is making its Dallas-Fort Worth debut in Carrollton. Called The Red Chickz, it will open at 3204 E. Hebron Pkwy. #220, Carrollton, on Saturday, July 25.

This will be The Red Chickz's second location in Texas, following a restaurant in Cypress, outside Houston.

Founded in Los Angeles in 2018, The Red Chickz serves 100 percent halal chicken with a California twist on Nashville hot chicken, says a release. Halal refers to the method in which the chicken are slaughtered, one that focuses on humane treatment of animals, cleanliness, and acknowledging the value of life.

The Red Chickz menu features chicken sandwiches, tenders, wings, tacos, and loaded fries, with seven spice levels ranging from no heat to extra hot.

Their signature item is the Honey Butter Sandwich, which pairs a Nashville hot chicken breast with honey butter, pickles, and slaw on a brioche bun. Other menu standouts include a French Toast Sandwich, Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos, cauliflower for vegetarians, plus sides such as cheese curds, corn ribs, mac and cheese, and seasoned fries.

They also offer a range of sauces for dipping, including Comeback Sauce, Honey Butter, Smoky Honey Mustard, and Homemade Buffalo Sauce.

The Carrollton restaurant is owned by franchisee Nazar Osman, an entrepreneur from Northeast Africa, who moved to the United States in 1992. He says he plans to open two more locations around Dallas.

CEO and co-founder Shawn Lalehzarian says the success of the Cypress restaurant made expanding further into Texas a logical decision.

"The incredible response we've seen in Cypress confirmed Texans have a strong appetite for bold flavors, quality food, and memorable dining experiences," he says in a release. "As the Dallas-Fort Worth region continues to attract new residents, businesses, and investment from across the country, Carrollton is a natural next step for our expansion."

Part of the chain's appeal comes from its modern social media strategy. Rather than relying on traditional advertising, The Red Chickz built its brand through TikTok videos showcasing the crunch, texture, and spice of its chicken, often tapping into viral trends and encouraging customers to create their own content.

Some (ie, those who don't work in traditional media) might say the strategy has paid off: The chain has amassed more than 1.2 million TikTok followers and recently was named a finalist for the 2026 Chicken Marketer of the Year award.

Similarly, their strategy to build buzz around the Carrollton store seems to have been to invite influencers to post videos of chicken being dipped in giant buckets of sauce, like this one and this one and this one and this one. Yummy!

To celebrate the grand opening in Carrollton, the first 150 customers on July 25 and 26 will receive a free Honey Butter Sandwich with a purchase, and all guests will get 25 percent off their order during opening weekend. Sauce for everyone!

hot chicken carrollton trends chicken