Events To Eat At

Movie pop-up tops 8 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

Fortune House will host a Freakier Friday-themed pop-up this week.

Fortune House

Fans of the cult classic Freaky Friday flick will want to take part in a Freakier Friday pop-up at a popular Dallas Chinese restaurant this week. (In the movie, the "switch" takes place at a Chinese dive.) There's also a seafood-centric dinner with yacht rock vibes, Pilates paired with brunch, and a dinner benefitting Texas Hill Country flood relief.

Tuesday, August 19

5-Course Tequila Pairing Dinner at Joe Leo Fine Tex-Mex
Maestro Dobel Tequila cocktails and neat pours will be paired with five courses, including dishes like ahi tuna tostadas, stuffed squash blossoms, and al pastor pork ribs. Price is $90 plus tax and gratuity, and dinner begins at 7 pm.

Wednesday, August 20

Third Coast Tasting Dinner at Restaurant Beatrice
Gulf seafood and yacht rock combine for a six-course tasting menu featuring guest chef Josh Harmon and guest sous chef Belal Kittan, who’ll collaborate with Restaurant Beatrice chef and owner Michelle Carpenter. Menu highlights range from tomato pie and cracker salad to Country Captain quail with crawfish and house-made boudin. Dinner is $100 plus tax and gratuity, and seating times are 5–7 pm.

Freakier Friday-Themed Pop-Up at Fortune House
Greenville Avenue Chinese restaurant will host a pop-up themed after the new release, Freakier Friday. (Note the event does not include a screening of the film.) The $25 ticket includes two cocktails by Weber Ranch Vodka and Mom Water, two movie tickets for Alamo Drafthouse Movie Theater good through the end of the year, fortune cookies, photo ops, DJ music, and happy hour pricing all night. The party starts at 6 pm.

Friday, August 22

BeKinder Coffee Anniversary
Nonprofit coffee shop founded by first-generation American and former refugee Jane Huong Gow celebrates its one-year anniversary — 12 months of creating jobs for refugees and asylum seekers, and building a welcoming community in Dallas. 1-4 pm. They'll offer free snacks, refreshments, and goodies. And all coffee drinks are $1 off after 1 pm. RSVP here.

Guinness x Van Leeuwen Scoop Shop Pop-Up
Enjoy a new limited-edition ice cream collaboration, consisting of a Guinness stout flavored ice cream with chocolate chunks, at this pop-up at the Van Leeuwen Dallas West Villge store at 3699 McKinney Ave. #1018, one of only three in the U.S. They'll be serving free scoops along with mini pints of Guinness Draught from 5-7 pm.

Saturday, August 23

Mango Joy Ride Tour
The National Mango Board will send its mango bus on a “joy ride” across the Southern U.S., and the only stops in Texas happen this weekend. (New this year is a spicy partnership with Tajin chile-lime seasoning.) Visit H-E-B in Melissa from 9 am–12 pm and H-E-B in McKinney from 2–5 pm for free mango samples, games, swag, recipes, and demos.

Pilates & Brunch at Cane Rosso
Pilates and Cane Rosso brunch? Say less. This 45-minute mat Pilates class will take place at the North Dallas Cane Rosso at 6959 Arapaho Rd. and includes choice of brunch entrée and a brunch cocktail. The event is $45 and check-in begins at 10 am for the 10:15 am class. Bring your own mat.

Monday, August 25

Together at the Table: For Texas at Monarch
Texas Hill Country flood relief benefit dinner will feature a four-course menu by Michelin Star chef Danny Grant. Menu items include Rosewood Wagyu carpaccio, Island Creek oysters, gnocchi with tomato crudo, South Texas Nilgai antelope, and Mystic chocolate mousse. Guests will receive a sweet sendoff of Tweety cookies made from the recipe of Camp Mystic owner, Tweety Eastland. There will also be a silent and live auction, and all proceeds will be donated to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. Tickets start at $200 plus tax and service fee. Dinner begins at 6 pm.

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Deep Ellum News

Mexican 'vibe' restaurant from California to open in Deep Ellum Dallas

Mama Por Dios

A buzzy concept from California is coming to Dallas: Mama Por Dios, a Mexican restaurant chain known for its vibe, will open its first location in Texas in Deep Ellum in the Epic development at 2525 Elm St., taking over the former La Neta space, which shuttered in May.

According to a spokesperson, the restaurant will open in early to mid-January.

Mama Por Dios was founded in Southern California in 2020 by chef Misael Guerrero, who famously got his start selling Mexican sushi out of his garage.

Since those early days, he's gone on to form a restaurant empire called Emme Group, with concepts that include Los Amores de Julia, El Rincon de Los Dolidos, and Culichi Town, a lower-priced chain known for Sinaloa-style Mexican sushi & seafood, which has a local presence: It opened a location in Mesquite in 2022.

Mama Por Dios — which translates to "Mother of God" — describes itself as modern Mexican, offering a unique blend of steakhouse, sushi bar, and seafood. The menu includes favorites like tacos and enchiladas, alongside luxe dishes like lobster with spaghetti, lobster enchiladas, and a surf & turf featuring a lobster tail balanced atop a skirt steak. Prices range from $18 for birria tacos to $48 for a bacon-wrapped filet mignon with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

But they also have a showy side that includes flamboyant presentations such as the bacon-wrapped shrimp which come strung on clothespins; or the trompito al pastor, served on a personal spit, as well as servers who walk around with shots while dancing with patrons.

There's a Gold Burger for $65 featuring Prime beef on a brioche bun garnished with 24k gold leaf, and a similarly gilded tomahawk steak for $400 that brings to mind the good old days of Salt Bae. Decor is swanky with low lighting, and there'll be a serious brunch offering on weekends.

Cocktails such as the Al Agua Pato — served in a mini bathtub with a rubber ducky — are made for Instagram. They offer margarita and mezcalita flights with flavors such as mango, tamarindo, and strawberry, and intriguing sips like Carajillo, a Spanish cocktail with Licor 43, espresso, and 43 different fruit, citrus, aromatic, and herbal ingredients.

There’s also a $20 per-person minimum spend, and the menu comes with a warning that everything is cooked to order — meaning some dishes may take 30 to 40 minutes. For many diners, waiting will surely be part of the experience.

deep-ellum tex-mex openings