Tex-Mex News

BBQ, pizza, and Tex-Mex join Farmers Branch mega-project from Centurion

BBQ from Barrel & Bones

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Mercer Boardwalk, a mixed-use project underway in Farmers Branch, has lined up three restaurants featuring Mexican food, BBQ, and pizza. What more do you need?

Located at the southeast corner of I-635 and Luna Road, Mercer Boardwalk is from Centurion American Development Group, the group headed up by CEO Mehrdad Moayedi, and is adjacent to Mercer Crossing, a multi-phase development of single-family, multi-family and commercial space spanning 370 acres in Farmers Branch.

The development is expanding with a new section that will include 69 townhomes debuting in early 2024 as well as a city-owned park, office space, amenity centers, and walking paths.

Moayedi says he recognizes how important it is to bring strong dining options to this growing North Texas area.

"Our neighbors in Farmers Branch and the surrounding communities are sophisticated and well-traveled diners, and we are pleased to bring a variety of cuisines and experiences to the area," he says in a release.

And if you think it'll stop at three restaurants, you don't know Mehrdad Moayedi. Mercer Boardwalk will eventually feature eight or more dining destinations and extensive retail when the 62,378-square-foot development is complete.

For now, let's focus on the three:

Black Agave Cocina y Cantina is the Mexican restaurant, serving upscale interpretations of both Tex-Mex and traditional Mexican cuisine, along with cocktails including a tequila and mezcal program. In addition to traditional favorites featuring seafood, beef, pork, and chicken, the restaurant will offer complete meals served family-style for the table designed to serve 3-4 people, perfect for either dine-in or take out. This is the first location for Black Agave, and it's from the same team behind Barrel & Bones Craft Bar and Smokehouse: Stephen Arrant (Kelcher Entertainment, HG Sply, Mexican Sugar) and Omar Adame (TruFire Kitchen & Bar).
Barrel & Bones Craft Bar and Smokehouse is the smokehouse serving brisket, turkey, sausages, and other traditional barbecue favorites. This will be the fourth location for Barrel & Bones, joining locations in Carrollton, The Colony, and a newly opened location in North Dallas.
Dough Bro’s To Go. Dough Bro’s is a small but growing chain that currently has three locations in North Dallas, Plano, and Bedford. This new interpretation of the brand offers the full menu of pizza, pasta and other Italian favorites for takeout or third-party delivery.

tex-mex

Wings News

New chicken wing joint sells 'em by the pound in Dallas' Deep Ellum

Wings By the Pound

A no-nonsense wing spot has debuted in Dallas' Deep Ellum: Called Wings By the Pound, it sells exactly that, at a shop at 2707 Main St., in the former home of the Slutty Vegan burger joint, which closed in 2024.

Wings by the Pound states proudly that it "isn't a combo joint" but is instead "a counter built on one idea — call your weight, watch it hit the scale, and take it off the scale." Then presumably you take it home, you eat it, end of story.

It presents itself as an alternative to typical wing spots which sell wings by the number. Numbers are complicated.

"We sell you weight. Pick wings or tenders, call your poundage from a half-pound to four, and we weigh it up in front of you," they say.

From there it's the standard wing-joint set of choices: wings or tenders, level of heat, sauces, and sides. "No combos, no guessing," they brag, although is there a lot of guessing with wings?

Here's some very specific numbers:

One pound of wings, which they approximate at 12 pieces, is $15.05. Two pounds, or 24 pieces, is $27.11.
One pound of tenders, which they approximate at 8 pieces, is $17.02. Two pounds, or 16 pieces, is $25.06.

They also sell french fries — crinkle cut — in choice of plain, cheese sauce, or "pound sauce" for $8 to $15. Pound sauce is their version of the prototypical secret sauce, which generally boils down to Russian-ish dressing, i.e., mayonnaise and ketchup with various add-ins, spicy and otherwise; the version at Wings By the Pound incorporates hot sauce.

There are wet sauces, including Thai, chipotle, hot honey, and garlic Parm; dry rubs, including suya (peanut) and jalapeño-lemon; and five dips: cheese sauce, ranch, bleu cheese, honey mustard, and pound sauce.

Some might recall that there was a Wings By the Pound concept that first debuted in 2020 at Trinity Groves, the restaurant incubator in West Dallas, but that closed in 2022.

This Wings By the Pound is a new concept from ArkDal Hospitality Group, headed by Cary Thompson, Royce Colley, and Mo Wells, which also operates Velour Restaurant in Victory Park.

The location in Deep Ellum has no seating on premise and functions as a take-out spot only. A spokesperson said that the location opened in mid-June.

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