Ice Cream News

Northeast fave Handel's Ice Cream to open shops in Prosper and Frisco

Handel's ice cream

Photo courtesy of Handel's

Ice cream to the rescue just in time for summer: Acclaimed ice cream concept Handel's Ice Cream is opening two new locations in Dallas, on the north side of town, as follows:

Prosper at 201 W Frontier Pkwy. #50
Frisco at 13600 Coit Rd.

The Frisco location is from brothers Spencer and Craig Moore and their father, who also own the locations in Little Elm, Plano, and McKinney. The Prosper location is from husband-and-wife Mike and Angela Davis, longtime residents of Prosper, who plan to open the shop — their first — on June 26.

"We love Prosper and we love Handel’s," Mike Davis says in a statement. "We are over the moon about the opportunity to bring Handel’s to our hometown."

Handel's Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Ohio. The chain began when founder Alice Handel began serving ice cream out of her husband's gas station in Youngstown, Ohio. Her first batches were made using fruit she picked from her own backyard.

Handel's is known for good-quantity ingredients and for making their ice cream daily, starting with a base made by Handel's corporate that's shipped to the store. Ech shop features 48 rotating flavors that are made in-store.

Their flavors include cherry vanilla, black cherry (with whole black cherries), blueberry cheesecake chunk, banana pudding, banana (with fresh bananas), black walnut, praline pecan, and mint chip.

There are Northeast-style flavors such as peppermint stick, black raspberry truffle, and orange pineapple, and eight different vanilla options including vanilla, vanilla raspberry chip, and vanilla with lemon Oreos.

There are seasonal flavors such as egg nog and pumpkin with marshmallow ripple, and offbeat flavors such as grape ice cream and "pizelle," based on the flat stamped cookies, flavored with anise.

They do ice cream, banana splits, and sundaes; milkshakes and malted milkshakes; smoothies; ice cream sandwiches, cakes, and pies; chocolate-covered ice cream bars; and "hurricanes" - soft-serve vanilla with candy bars mixed in.

While some of the locations are walk-up only, the locations in Texas include a sit-down ice cream parlor, with a party room for birthday parties and team events.

They've been in growth mode, and currently have more than 150 stores, both corporate and franchise, in 15 states. Prosper is the 10th location in DFW for the chain which first entered the market in 2019. There are also locations in Flower Mound, Highland Village, Grapevine, Arlington, and Burleson.

desserts ice-cream openings

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