Roundup of Restaurant News

Surprising string of closures surfaces in this Dallas restaurant news

Farewell Mom's Cafe

Mom's Cafe

This roundup of dining news around Dallas has more than the usual number of closures, from chains to small indie spots — and that's not even counting Dick's Last Resort, which closed after 40 years. But there are openings and comebacks, not to mention new menus for the season, and maybe even better, new cocktails, too.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill, a small Middle Eastern restaurant chain from Chicago which made its debut in Dallas market with a location in Frisco in 2022, has unfortunately closed. The chain is still opening locations in more receptive places like California, but is officially out of Texas.

Mom’s Cafe, a modest restaurant at 602 Main St. in Allen that was revered for its basic, reasonably-priced fare, closed in November after 10 years. The restaurant changed ownership in 2024 and the beloved founder known as "Grandma" recently passed away.

Natuur, the smoothie and bowls concept from Denver, closed its Dallas location at 1902 Henderson Ave. They opened in 2022 with great smoothies and smoothie bowls in blends such as açaí or super green, to which you could add fruits, toppings, and granola; plus sourdough toasts, salads, hot bowls such as oatmeal and tomato basil soup, and cold brew coffee. They also had a location in Austin, which recently closed as well.

Theo's Drive-In, an iconic favorite in Grand Prairie, closed on November 30, after decades of serving late-night burgers, curly fries, and memories. The restaurant was founded in 1956 by Theo Chokas, then subsequently taken over by his nephew Theo. It wasn't until 2013 that they finally accepted credit cards. With its classic red roadside sign, it was a longtime staple on East Main Street, serving as a hangout after games, dates, and long nights with burgers, hot dogs, floats, and more.

Jack in the Box at 6308 Gaston Ave. has mounted a comeback with a retro-inspired renovation. It's one of the original locations in Dallas which opened in 1969, and has been rebuilt with retro visuals and nostalgic touches such as an old-school speaker box, vintage signage, and a recreated classic menu board. The throwback is not a chain-wide initiative, but is only taking place at this location, which is owned by franchisee Chris Aslam, who operates 27 Jack in the Box locations in Dallas and more throughout the system.

Jack in the Box on Gaston AveJITB

Naturals Rolls & Ice Cream is now open in Frisco at 5266 Independence Pkwy #105, serving rolled ice cream — the third place to open doing rolled ice cream place to open in the last year, following Maya Creamery in Las Colinas, and Cream and Crepes at the Shops at Park Lane, in a trend that weirdly seems to be making a comeback. In addition to rolled ice cream, the oddly-plural Naturals also serves shakes, juices, bubble waffles, and Indian desserts.

Hugs Cafe, a nonprofit that employs adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will open in East Dallas on December 8 at 2918 Live Oak St. Hugs creates opportunities for adults with IDD to gain independence, confidence, and purpose through work. They'll be open for breakfast and lunch with dishes such as the Chickie Hug, Cheddar Biscuit Sandwich, salads, soups, and specials.

Kimiya Japanese Cuisine McKinney is a new All-You-Can-Eat restaurant which just opened in McKinney in a former Denny's (and before that, a TGI Friday's) at 1615 N Central Expy. The AYCE option features sushi, sushi rolls, appetizers like edamame and crab puffs, and is $24 at lunch, when it's limited to 90 minutes. In addition to AYCE, they have a huge a la carte menu with sushi rolls, teriyaki, tempura, hibachi lunch, ramen, kalbi, bento boxes, fried rice, udon noodles, and more.

Yemandi Yemeni Cuisine, a unique Middle Eastern restaurant at 888 S. Greenville Ave. #210 in Richardson, opened in May but only just celebrated a ribbon-cutting. The restaurant, which specializes in dishes from Yemen, the small coastal country south of Saudi Arabia, has enjoyed a whirlwind existence since it was featured in a TikTok video that showed its unique Sunnah-style dining option, available in a few secluded booths where you sit on the floor while you eat. The menu features familiar Middle Eastern staples such as hummus, but also less familiar dishes like hummus with liver.

Café Momentum, the non-profit and culinary training facility, has unveiled a new seasonal menu created by chef de cuisine Aaron Collins in collaboration with Café Momentum’s youth interns. Dishes include fried oysters with Cajun spice with caviar ranch; delicata squash with tahini, pomegranate molasses, & toasted pecans; mushroom bisque; cider-brined pork tenderloin with spaetzle & apple-cabbage slaw; halibut with sweet potato, cauliflower, & Brussels sprouts; coffee-rubbed 44 Farms NY strip with broccolini & potato gratin; butternut squash rigatoni with kale & pancetta; Moroccan chickpea and vegetable stew with couscous; fennel zucchini salad with candied pecans; bourbon pecan pie; and chai-spiced sweet potato cake.

White Rock Brewing Co. which is located in Oak Cliff, is serving holiday-themed cocktails through December that include a Cranberry Margarita and a Peppermint Espresso Martini. They're also making seasonal beers brewed with Noble Coffee including the Imperial Coffee Stout and Pumpkin Spice Ale.

Nothing Bundt Cakes has two holiday flavors for December: Coconut Cream Snowflake, a coconut cake filled with vanilla pudding, topped with coconut, available in personal-sized Bundtlets from December 1-14; and Peppermint Chocolate Chip chocolate cake with chocolate chips and peppermint pieces, available in all sizes December 8-January 4.

Dave’s Hot Chicken, the chain from California, has launched a new core menu offering: Saucy Bites, featuring Dave's Chicken Bites tossed in one of three sauces: Spicy Buffalo, Spicy BBQ, or Mike’s Hot Honey. They're also debuting a Ranch dip and a spicy version called the Reaper Ranch.

Snooze, the buzzy brunch chain, has unveil a new lineup of holiday specials as follows: Sticky toffee buttermilk pancakes topped with pecan sticky toffee sauce, espresso-date mascarpone and candied orange zest; spiked peppermint hot chocolate with blanco tequila, coffee liqueur, and peppermint syrup; gingerbread latte with espresso, milk, gingerbread syrup, and a ginger snap cookie; caramel haze hot chocolate with hazelnut and caramel syrup; peppermint hot chocolate, and peppermint mocha hot with crushed peppermint.

Toastique, the toast-loving chain with a location in Addison, has an amazing smoothie of the season: a spiced pumpkin smoothie with pumpkin, banana, almond milk, maple syrup, and pumpkin spice.

Jinya Ramen Bar has new winter chef’s specials by chef Kazuya Takebe: Tokyo Yatai Classic, a clear chicken broth with pork chashu, seasoned egg, spinach, green onion, chopped, onion and a slice of naruto Japanese fish cake, with thin noodles nori; and Crispy Chicken Wings in Asian sweet-sour sauce. Guests who order the Tokyo Yatai Classic will receive one of three limited-edition ramen spoons featuring Demon Slayer characters Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, or Inosuke Hashibara.

North Italia is offering a Holiday Lunch Prix Fixe where you can order a small plate and entrée duo for $25. The menu is available from 11 am-4 pm daily, featuring standouts from North’s latest seasonal menu like the Sunday Night Lasagna and Arancini along with exclusive dishes like the Chicken Parmigiana Verde, Bruschetta Duo, and Brussels Sprout & Medjool Pizza. It's available through December 23.

Chili’s is bringing back a top-selling Margarita of the Month for December: the Merry Maker Marg for $6, with Lunazul Blanco Tequila, Cointreau, Monin Blackberry, strawberry puree, and house-made sour, served with a reusable Santa ‘stache straw.

Fish City Grill and Half Shells have rolled out a wave of new menu items upgraded oyster nachos with housemade chips, chargrilled oysters, moked troup dip, the omega bowl with salmon, Havarti-cheddar mac & cheese, Mediterranean sea bass, and Texas redfish.

Perch Bistro & Bar is launching 12 holiday cocktails which they'll serve from December 1-12. They include frozen spiced cranberry paloma, pomegranate spritz, gingersnap martini, spiced cranberry whisky sour, banana bread old fashioned, and a stuffing martini.

Bellagreen American Bistro, the Texas-based healthy chain, has launched a new winter seasonal menu that will run through February in all Houston and Dallas locations. It's built around the Golden Glow diet, featuring nutrient-dense ingredients like turmeric, ginger, sweet potatoes, kale, berries, and green tea. Highlights include chicken soup; golden grain & arugula salad (with butternut wild rice pilaf, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, and goat cheese); roasted veggie quinoa-kale bowl with sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and tahini-sriracha sauce; seared salmon over turmeric cauliflower rice; peppermint cheesecake; and German chocolate cheesecake.

White Rhino Coffee, the DFW coffeehouse chain, has three new seasonal beverages: Chumpkin, a blend of spiced chai and pumpkin with steamed milk which can be made "dirty" by adding espresso or matcha; Gingerbread Latte with espresso, milk, and gingerbread spice; and Banana Bread Latte with oat milk, banana purée, cinnamon, and choice of espresso or matcha.

Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, the Italian Ice concept, is teaming up with Andes mint with holiday specials spotlighting Andes' chocolate-mint flavor in two new frozen treats: Mint Fudge Sundae features Rita’s Vanilla and Chocolate Twist Frozen Custard topped with Andes Mints, hot fudge, and whipped cream; Mint Cookie Crunch Concrete features Vanilla Frozen Custard blended with Andes Mints and Oreo cookie pieces. Available through January 11.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop is ringing in the holiday season with a festive limited-time cocktail: the Jingle Berry ‘Rita, available through December 31. It blends Fuzzy’s Frozen House Margarita with blackberry syrup, Ole Smoky Blackberry Moonshine, and a Black Cherry White Claw dunk, bringing a burst of berry-forward cheer to every sip.

Mister Charles, the acclaimed restaurant on Knox Street from Duro Hospitality, made the list in OpenTable's prestigious Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2025 — the only restaurant in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to earn a spot on this coveted list and one of only 10 in the entire state of Texas.

closings news-you-can-eat

Restaurant News Roundup

Catch up on all that's happening in this Dallas restaurant news

Chase Hall

Latin flavors at Mar Y Sol

There's always a lot going on in the Dallas restaurant world, but the action this month seems unsurpassed. There are openings, closings, relocations, expansions, rebrandings, and new owners. So much news. There's also a wave of new menus just introduced for spring, because it's that time of the year.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Delhi6 Indian Kitchen & Bar, an authentic Indian restaurant in Highland Village, has moved to a new, larger location at 2420 Justin Rd., in the former Lost Colony space. The restaurant was previously located at The Shops at Highland Village. Driven by growing demand and a loyal customer base, owner Vipul Jain made the decision to relocate and elevate the dining experience. A full-service bar is set to open soon, alongside an expanded menu that will feature Indian-Chinese specialties and creative fusion dishes. New offerings include wraps; tacos; pizzas; and an indulgent dessert selection, highlighted by cheesecakes infused with unique Indian flavors.

Too Thai Street Eats, a Thai restaurant that opened in Carrollton in 2017, now has a second location in Frisco, at 9150 Warren Pkwy. #100, in a shopping center at Preston Road that is home to Asian chains such as 99 Ranch, Daiso, Teso Life, Royce Chocolate, and 85 Bakery. Specialties include khao soi, a coconut chicken curry noodle dish from northern Vietnam, and pad kra pao, a stir-fry with meat, garlic, chili, and basil, served with jasmine rice and a fried egg. Owner Kunya Chaiwasun, a native of Bangkok, also owns Best Thai Signature and Boba Tea and Treats.

Honeybird, a small local chain specializing in sandwiches, doughnuts, coffee, and matcha drinks, has opened a location in Allen at 803 E. Main St. #G, in a strip center off Greenville Avenue. They do fried chicken sandwiches with buttermilk fried chicken and Havarti cheese, and a roast beef sandwich with onion and Gruyere cheese. Doughnuts are decadent, such as Banana Pudding with maple icing, or the Churro Cronut — a croissant doughnut with cinnamon sugar and cream cheese frosting. They stay on top of trends like their recent debut of the Dubai Chewy Cookie with a kataifi filling. Allen is their third location, joining their original location in Flower Mound which opened in 2022, and a location in Plano.

Deviled Egg Co., a small local chain, just opened at The Sound at Cypress Waters at 3001 Olympus Blvd. #100 in Coppell, where it's serving deviled eggs in 18 varieties: traditional, everything seasoning, smoked salmon, south of the border, sriracha bacon, jalapeño popper, crab rangoon, chicken bacon ranch, Cali roll, Buffalo blue cheese, Buffalo chicken, chicken n a pickle, chicken Caesar, gyro, cheeseburger, BBQ chicken, gyro, and a rotating flavor. In addition to deviled eggs, they also offer protein bowls, coffee, and bagels. The company was founded by entrepreneur Raechel Van Buskirk and has three other locations: McKinney and Rockwall, which are, like Coppell, takeout only; and the original in Denison, which is also dine-in with a more extensive menu that includes appetizers, shareable dishes, and a full bar of fun cocktails.

Hide Bar at 1928 Greenville Ave. quietly closed at the end of March, following the St. Patrick's Day festivities. The bar — which originally opened in Deep Ellum in 2017, then closed in 2020 during the pandemic — relocated to Lower Greenville in 2022, following a time-consuming and expensive makeover. Owner Nick Backlund told the DMN that he was closing Hide because he was not allowed to keep the bar open after midnight, due to limits in the neighborhood.

Mirador Whipped ricotta with spring peas at Mar Y Sol.Mirador

San Marzano Italian, a New York restaurant that opened a location in Uptown in 2024, has closed. The original location opened in New York's East Village in 2014, where it draws locals and NYU students for its mix-and-match approach where you choose a pasta and pair it with choice of sauce from selections, such as Bolognese, wild boar ragù, tomato-vodka, pesto, meatball, or shrimp scampi. They opened on a prominent corner at 3700 McKinney Ave., in the spot previously occupied by Public School 214.

Dave's Hot Chicken has opened at 4909 Ross Ave. #100, in Dallas, in a space that was previously Marzano's Pizza. This is Dave's 15th location in DFW, joining Mesquite, Richardson, Irving, Addison, Plano, Arlington, Lewisville, Hurst, McKinney, Fort Worth, and Denton.

Bit of Grub is a new restaurant in North Dallas at 19129 Preston Rd. #100 with a wide-ranging menu of American and Tex-Mex basics including fajitas, enchiladas, burritos, nachos, chicken-fried steak, Caesar salad, smashburgers, chicken sandwich, patty melt, onion rings, banana pudding, and fried apple pie. That location was previously a Dunkin Donuts, a Kenny's Cafe, and a Mexican place called Casa Mama's for a decade.

Stan's Blue Note at 2908 Greenville Ave. has a new ownership team in Mo Sherbi & Reid McRae, who state that they are honored to carry on its legacy while bringing fresh energy. They're hatching a new menu, a new upstairs private E-lounge (a private area that can host game-watching parties or people can play games), and upgrades to the bathrooms and patios. They're adding a smashburger, but they promise that the patty melt is "safe and sound," as well as fried mozzarella sticks and spaghetti and meatballs.

Ellie's Cafe & Tea Room is a renamed and refreshed cafe and tea room now open Plano in the High Street Antique Mall at 800 N. Central Expy., in the former Chocolate Angel space. The owners and staff are the same, but the name change took place because the Chocolate Angel license expired and was not renewed. The menu — featuring deviled eggs, avocado toast, spinach salad, quinoa bowl, turkey and Brie sandwich, and more — has been updated with new recipes and an overall refreshed experience.

Bulla Gastrobar in Plano has a new menu for spring that includes calamari slow-cooked in its own ink, pork belly with piquillo confit, roasted sweet potatoes with goat cheese spread, cannelloni pasta filled with lamb and Idiazabal cheese, tempura asparagus with goat cheese and yogurt, and dulce de leche cheesecake.

Mar y Sol, the Latin American restaurant, has updated its menu including adding a dedicated Nikkei section, showcasing Japanese-Peruvian inspired crudos and tiraditos; new street tacos; and a new Wood Fire Grill section. New dishes include lobster rice with lobster bisque, tacos with skirt steak or shrimp, quesabirria, branzino, and Lomo NY strip.

Mirador has new dishes for spring including ricotta with English peas, butter lettuce salad, and cavatelli pesto with green garlic and arugula. New cocktails include a white Negroni with Bombay Sapphire and bianco vermouth, and a Ruby Spritz with hibiscus-infused tequila, elderflower, and prosecco.

Ube pancakes at Hash Kitchen.Hash Kitchen

Lazy Dog Restaurants has a new menu of seasonal dishes and cocktails for spring. Highlights include Korean fried chicken bao buns, chicken shawarma salad, deviled egg salad sandwich, chili-garlic cucumbers, and rigatori with burrata cheese and greens. New cocktails include a watermelon margarita and a yuzu skinny margarita. It's available at all six DFW locations in Addison, Allen, Arlington, Euless/Glade Springs, Plano, and Garland.

Hash Kitchen has a new lineup of limited-time brunch items available through June including ube buttermilk pancakes with blueberry compote; strawberry shortcake pancakes layered with cream cheese frosting and strawberry compote; and the Hash brunch sammie with bacon, hash browns, eggs, cheddar, and hollandaise, served with fries.

Snooze Eatery is expanding beyond its breakfast-and-brunch roots with a new lineup of lunch dishes rolling out nationwide: The Rachel sandwich with turkey, Swiss, slaw, and spicy bacon Thousand Island; Grilled 3-cheese and tomato soup; Cobb salad with habanero pork belly, avocado, pickled red onion, and chickpeas; beef-and-cheddar smashburger on pretzel bun; whipped cottage cheese toast with balsamic date spread; and steel-cut oats with maple cinnamon vanilla cream, berries, and toasted brown butter granola.

Cantina Laredo has new dishes for spring at its Addison and Frisco locations, including carnitas nachos, sopecitos with carnitas and black beans; mahi mahi with cilantro lime rice and asparagus; and chopped salad with field greens, black beans, avocado, strawberries, queso fresco, spicy pumpkin seeds, and cilantro-lime vinaigrette. New tacos served with Mexican rice and ranchero beans include carnitas, chicken in cascabel sauce, and Angus beef brisket.

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden has contracted Proof of the Pudding, an Atlanta-based catering operation, as its preferred food and beverage provider. Proof's portfolio includes the PGA Tour, Gas South Arena, and The World of Coca-Cola, among others. They'll be doing the food for events such as neo-expressionist artist Hunt Slonem: Bunnies, Birds & Butterflies Exhibition (April 20-September 30) with a limited-edition drink that brings the magic of the exhibit to the table in a whimsical, themed tea at the DeGoyler House; plus new menus and picnic offerings for the Cool Thursdays Concert Series from April 23-June 11. For the first time, guests can also pre-order food.

Hotel ZaZa has appointed new corporate executive chef Chad Blunston, who will oversee culinary operations across all properties including Group Therapy in Austin, Dragonfly in Dallas, Tipping Point in Memorial City, and Monarch in Houston. He previously served as VP of culinary at HM Alpha Hotels & Resorts.

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