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Behind the wall of greenery and other Dallas restaurant must-haves

Wall of greenery at Vidorra Mexican restaurant.

Vidorra

If you're a Dallas restaurant in 2023, you're nowhere without a wall of greenery.

We're talking an entire wall covered in ivy, or else a wall made up entirely of flowers. Also, throw in a neon sign.

Walls covered with greenery are among the features restaurants are deploying these days to lure in diners. Food is still the official reason people go out to eat, but as Restaurant Dive notes, restaurants these days are more visual — more experience-oriented.

It's almost as if the eating part of dining out is an afterthought, a sideshow to the stylish extras restaurants are adding to lure them in.

Here's a few features being rolled out at restaurants around town:

The wall of greenery
This is the trend where a restaurant dedicates one wall to some kind of greenery, be it ivy or flowers, sometimes real, usually fake.

The greenery wall has a transporting effect — you may not be traveling as frequently as you used to, so you can pretend you're at an exotic locale with your friends.

Dining out has always been a social experience, but the social aspect has become a much bigger part. For a lot of people, dining out is what they do for entertainment. Where people in the '90s might have gone to a rock club to see a band, now they go out to a restaurant and make a night of it.

One of the original green walls in Dallas was at Vidorra, the upscale Mexican restaurant in Deep Ellum.

vidorra green wall Green wall at Vidorra.Vidorra

"We put the wall up in 2018," says co-owner Imran Sheikh. "What sparked it for us was a trip we made to Guadalajara to source some authentic fixtures from Mexico. We came back with the idea of an oasis of nature in the middle of urban Deep Ellum, to create the illusion that you were in another place."

And just as people like to take photos in scenic vacation spots, they took photos of themselves against the green wall. But the social media aspect was a byproduct, not the origin.

Mexico was also the source of inspiration for Alexa Rodarte, co-founder of Lexy's in Trinity Groves, which boasts fabric and silk flowers on the walls, the ceiling, flowers everywhere. The prime photo-op spot is in front of a unique Champagne vending machine that's stocked with Moet & Chandon splits, set against a wall of flowers.

"I wanted to make Lexy's pretty, and I loved the flower walls at places in Mexico City, like Azul Historico, Ling Ling, Beluga, Artemisia Flower Bar," Rodarte says. "My goal was to create a space that was feminine, to attract women, and they make up 90 percent of our clientele."

The Glen flower wall Flower wall + neon sign + swing at The Glen in Frisco.The Glen

The ironic neon sign
A cousin to the wall of greenery is the custom-made neon sign, positioned prominently on a photo-ready wall. The sign could be the name of the restaurant, or a clever slogan like "Feed me tacos."

Neon signs have always beguiled, and in the social media world, they're a magnet for photos — especially when the neon sign is elusive. It becomes a secret code where the only people who recognize it have been there and are therefore in the know.

For example, at Zoli's Pizza in Addison, one of the first restaurants in Dallas to install such a neon vignette, their sign is a tongue-in-cheek "Y U No Eat Gluten?"

Restaurants such as Ebb & Flow in Plano double down by combining a wall of greenery with a neon sign ("Don't worry about a thing"). La Comida, the new Mexican restaurant in Oak Cliff, has a wall of green with a neon sign that says "Flock Yeah."

For The Glen in Frisco and XOXO Dining Room & Garden near downtown Dallas, the wall of greenery + a neon sign are not enough. They've added a swing. Boom.

Robots
Robots that deliver your order to your table is a trend that first surfaced in DFW at Asian restaurants like Kura Sushi in Plano and Frisco, but has crossed over to non-Asian restaurants like Green Papaya Plant Based vegan restaurant on Oak Lawn, and La Pesca, a seafood restaurant in Oak Cliff.

They look like little roving shelving units. The kitchen stacks your order on the shelves, and the robot moseys over to your table.

Manufacturers like Bear Robotics, who make the most common Servi model, pitch them as a help to restaurants grappling with staff shortages after the pandemic.

The jury is out on whether they pan out as an actual solution, but Robert Sullivan, a Dallas food & beverage veteran who worked for Bear Robotics, says that they still hold an inexorable appeal.

"India Bistro 14 in Arlington had one and got a lot of mileage out of it," he says. "They put an apron on it, and they'd run it to the host stand with to-go orders. You can upload audio so that when the robot gets to the table, it'll say, 'Here's your order.' They're hokey, and their shelf life may be short — but diners, especially those with kids, love them."

On the bright side, the robot won't get your order wrong (that is, unless the staff loads them incorrectly). But robots can't refill your drink. For that, you still need a human.

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News you can eat

This Dallas restaurant news goes straight to the dog days of summer

Photo courtesy of SusieCakes

SusieCakes is offering special Dog Days of Summer treats for pups.

It's hot outside; let's go in and eat. This end-of-July restaurant news roundup covers some recent openings and closures, new baked goods, new menu items, and two great August traditions: DFW Restaurant Week and Hatch chile season.

Here's what's happening on the Dallas dining scene:

SusieCakes is rolling out a month-long Dog Days of Summer collection, available August 1-31. The lineup includes dog-shaped Frosted Sugar Cookies, dog-friendly PupCakes made with banana and peanut butter, homemade dog treats, and a dog-themed decorated cake. Coinciding with National Dog Day (August 26) to promote shelter adoption, the bakery will donate $1 from every Frosted Sugar Cookie and PupCake sold throughout August to local animal rescue organizations, including Saving Hope Animal Rescue, Dogslife, Dallas Pets Alive!, and Chew Animal Clinic. Orders are available in-store and online.

Shi-Ya Modern Asian Cuisine opened in late June inside kosher steakhouse Meat Point, at 7114 Campbell Rd. #102 in far North Dallas, bringing a new kosher sushi lounge concept to the city. Access via an unmarked entrance inside Meat Point, the speakeasy-style restaurant features sushi, sashimi, rolls, and other modern Asian dishes, all prepared under kosher standards.

Manpuku Japanese Yakiniku Grill at 2023 Greenville Ave. has closed. Manpuku, a chain of Japanese barbecue (yakiniku) restaurants from Tokyo, brought its distinctive interactive Japanese yakiniku dining experience to Texas, opening its first restaurant in the Lone Star State on Dallas' Lower Greenville in 2021. It has a sister Japanese restaurant, Takumi Hachi, in Addison.

PopUp Bagels is teaming up with Natalie's Juices for a limited-time collaboration featuring Tangerine Dream Butter, a citrus-infused schmear made with fresh-squeezed tangerine juice. Available August 6-19 at all PopUp Bagels locations, the spread is paired with 12-ounce bottles of Natalie's Tangerine Juice. The promotion also includes free tangerine juice tastings at select locations — including Dallas — on August 7, plus a gift-with-purchase weekend August 15-16, when the first 25 customers each day who order the Tangerine Dream Butter will receive a limited-edition Natalie's tote bag.

Paris Baguette has opened a new bakery-café at 5500 State Highway 121, Suite 100 in Plano, marking the chain's 27th location in Texas. The café features the brand's signature self-serve selection of artisan pastries, breads, cakes, and specialty coffee. The new shop is locally owned by CJ Singh and Punya Kushalappa, who say they hope to make it a gathering place for the Plano community.

Mountain Mike's Pizza has opened a new restaurant in Murphy, at 511 E. FM 544. The family-friendly pizzeria features eight TVs, an outdoor patio, a kids' arcade, and an all-you-can-eat weekday lunch buffet. It's the chain's 16th location in Texas and is owned by husband-and-wife franchisees Timothy Fogarty and Vanessa Lomelí-Fogarty, who are planning additional North Texas expansion. The menu includes the brand's signature crispy curly pepperoni pizzas, wings, garlic knots, salads, and desserts and is open daily for dine-in, carryout, and delivery.

Mountain Mike's Pizza with its curly pepperoni. Photo courtesy of Mountain Mike's

Beto and Son has closed after 10 years in the Trinity Groves development in West Dallas, but chef Julian Rodarte promises that, as his father Beto retires, "It's not the end, just the beginning of the next chapter." The father-son team opened the restaurant in 2016. They became known for their novel twists on Mexican cuisine, but even better known for their smoking liquid nitrogen margaritas.

Café Momentum has been named one of 10 recipients of a $10,000 summer grant from the Jacques Pépin Foundation. The Dallas nonprofit restaurant, which provides paid culinary training and wraparound support for justice-involved youth ages 15-19, was recognized for its workforce development program that serves 80 to 120 interns annually. In addition to the grant, Café Momentum will receive branded aprons for its students and a foundation group membership. The organization is also preparing to open its new flagship campus in 2027.

DFW Restaurant Week returns August 10-September 7 to celebrate its 30th anniversary with more than 160 restaurants across North Texas offering special prix-fixe menus that benefit the North Texas Food Bank and Lena Pope. Participating restaurants will serve two-course lunches and brunches for $29, three-course dinners for $49 or $59, and select $99 signature dinners, with a portion of every meal donated to charity. Reservations are open now.

KANVAS has closed in Deep Ellum. The nightlife venue said it made the decision because of ongoing violence in the surrounding neighborhood. While noting it had maintained a safe environment inside the venue, KANVAS said it could not control conditions in the surrounding area and no longer believed operating in Deep Ellum aligned with its standards. The company said it will continue operating its other concepts, including Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley and Club VIVO, while expanding into additional U.S. cities.

Long John Silver's has reopened its remodeled restaurant at 1414 N. Town East Blvd. in Mesquite following a major renovation. The updated restaurant features a refreshed coastal-inspired design, digital menu boards, self-order kiosks, and a redesigned layout to streamline dine-in, drive-thru, carryout, mobile, and online orders. The restaurant serves the chain's full menu of seafood, chicken, shrimp, tacos, bowls, and hushpuppies.

Kenny's East Coast Pizza in Plano has closed after a decade. Chef and restaurateur Kenny Bowers opened the pizzeria in 2016, adding to his "Kenny's" empire that then included Kenny’s Wood Fired Grill and Kenny's Italian Kitchen in Addison, Kenny's Burger Joint in Plano and Frisco, and Kenny's Smoke House in Plano. The pizzeria's prime Park and Preston location housed Bowers' ode to his Boston upbringing, with 14-inch pies prepared in a Bakers Pride Deck Oven.

Blue Mesa Grill is toasting the 30th anniversary of its annual Hatch Chile Festival with a month-long menu of New Mexico-inspired specials available August 1-31. Included are Asadero Cheese Bites with hatch salsa verde and sweet red chile sauce; Santa Fe stacked chicken enchiladas; Hatch cheese relleno and steak taco combos; Pozole; a Hatch brownie, and more, plus the commemorative, Hatch-infused Dirty Thirty Margarita. The celebration will include a Hatch Chile Weekend Brunch on August 15-16 ($30 adults; $15 kids 6-11, kids 5 and younger eat for free.)

Blue Mesa Hatch chile It's Hatch chile time at Blue Mesa. Photo courtesy of Blue Mesa Grill

Eatzi's Market & Bakery is celebrating Hatch chile season with the return of its annual lineup of limited-time menu items, available through August at all locations and online. Highlights include Hatch Pimento Spread, a Beef Slider with Hatch Pimento Cheese, Hatch Chicken Salad, and Hatch Queso, all featuring roasted Hatch chiles. The seasonal offerings are available through the end of August while supplies last.

Blue Goose Cantina welcomes the return of its 24th Annual Hatch Chile Fest, running August 4 through September at all eight North Texas locations. The limited-time menu features 11 seasonal food and drink specials, including Hatch tamales, Hatch pulled chicken enchiladas, Hatch street tacos, Hatch margaritas, and weekend brunch dishes, all made with authentic Hatch chiles from New Mexico.

Burger Schmurger will mark Hatch chile season with The Hatchback, its August Burger of the Month. Available August 1-31 for $12, the limited-time burger features a double smashburger topped with roasted Hatch green chiles, white American cheese, tomato, red onion, butter lettuce, and roasted Hatch green chile sauce on a potato bun.

Prince St. Pizza has teamed up with rock bands Avenged Sevenfold and Good Charlotte on two limited-edition specialty pizzas, available through August 30. The collaboration features A Little Pizza Heaven, an Avenged Sevenfold pie with activated charcoal dough, spicy vodka sauce, smoked mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, and Calabrian peppers; and The Deserve You Pie, a Good Charlotte creation topped with garlic cream, mozzarella, mushrooms, sausage, basil pesto, whipped lemon ricotta, and edible blue borage flowers. Each order comes in a collectible band-themed pizza box, and loyalty members who order a tour pie or slice are entered to win concert tickets.

Apothecary has introduced a new three-course prix-fixe dinner for $45. Available alongside the regular à la carte menu, the offering pays tribute to the tasting-menu format of the restaurant's former sister concept, Rye, which closed earlier this year. Diners choose one dish from each course, with first-course options including Japanese Elotes, Caesar Salad, or Local Summer Vegetables; entrées such as Cacio e Pepe, Mediterranean Salmon, Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken, or the Apo Burger, with optional upgrades for Seared Scallops or Wagyu Steak Frites; and desserts including Strawberry Basil Cheesecake, Sauerkraut Cake, or S'mores.

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse has added a shareable Pennsylvania Heritage Fried Chicken Bucket for two, served with house-made ranch, truffle hot sauce aioli, and honey mustard. The limited-time dish is paired with Belvedere martinis or Moët & Chandon Champagne, with optional upgrades including Dom Pérignon or American sturgeon caviar for a luxe twist on comfort food.

The Sicilian Butcher has rolled out a summer menu refresh with 14 new dishes at its Dallas-Fort Worth locations. New additions include appetizers, build-your-own entrées, and Italian classics such as Nonna's Garlic Bread, Ravioli Cacio e Pepe, Lasagna, Pentolino, East Coast Stuffed Pepper, and Chicken Alla Tomasso. The restaurant is also continuing several value specials, including a two-course lunch for $18 from 11 am-3 pm, all-day happy hour, a Vino for Two deal, and 50 percent off select bottles of wine every Wednesday.

Fuzzy's Taco Shop has launched Fuzzy's Beach Club, a limited-time summer menu with California beach vibes, including a Cali-Style Steak Taco ($5.35) topped with fries and guacamole, a Baja Fish Taco ($4.55) with Pacifico beer-battered fish, Brisket Queso Fries ($12), Churritos ($4.25), and the Malibu Daydream cocktail ($8), plus $5 Pacifico draft beers. Available through August 30.

The Keg Steakhouse + Bar is now offering delivery for the first time in its 50-plus-year history through a partnership with DoorDash. Guests at the Arlington location can order signature dishes such as the New York Striploin, Keg Burger, Mushrooms Neptune, and Cheesecake for delivery. To celebrate the launch, DoorDash customers can get $10 off orders of $40 or more through August 5 with the code 10KEG.

Flix Brewhouse Frisco earned a gold medal at the 2026 U.S. Open Beer Championship for its Cumbersome Blonde in the Field Beer category, helping the cinema brewery chain achieve a record 17 medals across all locations. Each Flix brewery is judged independently, making the Frisco team's win part of the highest medal count by any brewery group in this year's competition.

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