Mango News

Upscale Indian fusion restaurant Mango Yard to open in Frisco

The mango

Courtesy

An Indian restaurant that promises to be much more is coming to Frisco: Called The Mango Yard, it's set to open in early 2026 at the booming intersection of University Drive and Coit Road on the border of Prosper, in a new center at 12275 University Dr. #100.

The restaurant is ambitious in concept and decor, featuring a menu with Indian classics such as biryani and lamb seekh kebabs, but that goes beyond with a more diverse offering, incorporating elements from other cuisines such as Italian, Asian, and Mediterranean.

The restaurant is from childhood friends Santosh Kota and Prem Kumar, who reconnected after Kota visited Kumar in Dallas. Kota is a veteran restaurateur who owns locations of the Dal Moro's Italian pasta chain; Kumar is a financial analyst and investor.

"During my visit to Dallas, I noticed there was great potential for a high-end, high-ambience, high-quality Indian restaurant that also could provide entertainment experiences," Kota says. "The restaurant scene back home in India has seen big changes, and we want to provide a taste of that in Dallas."

That means a menu that incorporates global and contemporary influences. One example is their flatbread featuring chicken tikka — one of India's most popular dishes consisting of chicken marinated in spiced yogurt and grilled — but served on a flatbread with onions, cheese, and coriander.

Some of their dishes will combine Indian and Italian elements such as alfredo-style rigatoni flavored with Indian spices; or chicken rigatoni, with Indian-spiced grilled chicken and chili flakes. Other dishes will feature Asian ingredients or techniques such as bao buns and Indo-Chinese Manchurian veggie bites with chili mayo.

Weekend brunch will lean heavily into fusion with dishes such as masala avocado croissant, masala omelet, gulab jamum French toast, and bone marrow uttapam, a gluten-free rice-batter pancake topped with mutton bone marrow broth.

The space, which seats 120 with 30 additional seats on the patio, will reflect their ambition with natural materials used to create an upscale, inviting lounge atmosphere, and a full bar with cocktails.

The restaurant name speaks not only to the strong role that mangoes play in India but also to the mango yards in South India, where people gather and relax.

"We want to offer a different experience with modern cuisine, ambience, and a high level of service," Kota says.

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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