Burger News

Hamburger Mary's brings sassy burgers and drag show fun to Dallas

Burger from Hamburger Mary's

A burger concept known for its "flamboyant" dining experience is coming to Dallas: Hamburger Mary’s, which serves "burgers with a side of sass," is opening a location on Cedars Spring Road, specifically the Illume building at 4123 Cedar Springs Rd. #101.

According to owner and franchisee Arthur Hood, the restaurant will open in early June, ideally in time for Dallas Pride weekend.

"HV Entertainment and Hamburger Mary’s look forward to bringing this internationally-loved franchise to the Dallas community and the Oak Lawn neighborhood," Hood says in a statement.

“Since its inception, Hamburger Mary’s has served as a safe haven for both employees and customers alike in the LGBTQIA+ community, and that tradition will proudly continue at the Dallas location,” he says.

Hamburger Mary’s was founded in 1972 in San Francisco as a bar & grill meets drag show, with many (if not all) of the servers in drag. The popularity of the concept has ebbed and flowed over the years, including a previous location in Dallas at 4140 Lemmon Ave. which closed more than a decade ago.

But with drag shows currently a target among conservatives, there's been a surge of support from the other side, and there are now 13 Hamburger Mary's locations across the country, in cities including Denver and Houston.

Along with the burgers comes nightly entertainment such as "Dining with the Divas" drag shows, charity "HamBingo Mary’s," "Mary-Oke Karaoke" and trivia nights.

Much of the entertainment at the Dallas location will be coordinated and hosted by local drag legend Danny Lee Cabrera, stage name Liquor Mini, who is also a flight attendant and lead for the Fly Queens, a group of drag queens who travel the world to entertain.

Hood and his partner Erwing Villanueva own Dallas-based HV Entertainment, which operates entertainment venues across the U.S. including restaurants, bars, and nightclubs.

"I remember visiting the Dallas location when it was open, and we've visited other locations on trips out of town," Hood says. "Each location has a little leeway for individuality. I thought would be a welcome addition to Dallas, and it also fits the neighborhood which is growing and changing with more people living nearby."

While a big part of the appeal is surely that it's a destination "for open-minded people," it's also, at heart, a bar and grill with a big menu ranging from burgers to appetizers to salads, and entrees, as well as a full bar with craft beer and cocktails.

The exact menu changes from location to location but staples include basics like wings, nachos, sandwiches, with up to 16 burger options.

Still, even the menu offers a few cheeky asides: Nachos are called "Macho Mary Nachos," the spinach-artichoke dip is "Rainbow Dip," and the mac & cheese is dubbed "Mary Mac & Cheese Balls."

burgers openings

Matcha News

Calif bakery-cafe with creative drinks and snacks makes Dallas debut

Smoking Tiger

Garlic cheese bread and matcha latte from Smoking Tiger

A buzzy coffee shop and cafe from Southern California has made its Texas debut: Called Smoking Tiger, it opened in June in Carrollton, at The Great Oasis plaza at 2225 Old Denton Rd. #100, where it's serving Korean pastries, breads, coffee, and beverages.

Adored by Korean-Americans and possibly everyone on Instagram, the cafe is part of a chain founded in 2020 in Buena Vista, California, that encompasses both coffee shops as well as bakeries. The Carrollton location — full name "The Smoking Tiger Bread Factory" — is one of their most expansive, offering coffee, pastries, breads, and sandwiches.

Carrollton will be the first in the DFW area, but a spokesperson says it won't be the only, although they do not have specifics on other locations or timetable for opening.

Drinks
Their beverage menu is notably rich and creative, leading with the Tiger Latte, their signature brown sugar latte with caramel and frothed oat milk. The Smokin Spaniard is a twist on latte combining espresso, condensed milk, hazelnut, and cinnamon.

Other options summon favorite Korean flavors such as

banana milk latte
honey bori latte with barley milk and salted honey cold foam
sweet corn latte, with sweet corn milk and corn cold foam
chai latte
misugaru — a roasted rice latte served slightly sweetened over choice of milk

… plus matcha lattes including strawberry matcha latte; jeju matcha latte sweetened with maple syrup; hojicha latte, featuring jeju green tea — a green tea grown in South Korea — sweetened with vanilla.

Latte prices average about $6.50.

Other irresistible-sounding drinks include the Pineapple Express, featuring jasmine tea and pineapple concentrate, shaken with ice for a smooth texture; and "YSL" — Yuzu Sparkling Lemonade, featuring yuzu syrup, sparkling water, and lemon.

Garlic cheese bread at Smoking TigerSmoking Tiger

Food
Food options are equally as creative, led by three signature goodies:

Cream Cheese Garlic Bread — a large round roll with a heavy dose of garlic and cream cheese baked inside
Original Salt Bread — sort of like a cross between a roll and an everything bagel
Kimchi Musubi Croissant, featuring a croissant filled with a slice of Spam and kim chi, with a sheet of seaweed baked onto the top of the croissant

Plus "sconkies" — a cross between a scone and a cookie — in flavors such as Oreo or lemon earl grey. For Texas only, they also introduced a special menu of breakfast sandwiches such as a slider with scrambled egg, cheese, and habanero aioli on grilled King's Hawaiian rolls.

According to marketing director Andy Lee, part of its appeal is the way it channels similar cafes in South Korea offering both bread and coffee.

"We wanted to essentially create a space where people could experience modern Korean culture in a very authentic and approachable way," Lee told The Dallas Morning News.

That extends to the decor: They've outfitted the Carrollton location with vertical mahogany wood panels, often seen in cafes in South Korea and traditional Korean houses called hanoks.

coffee openings