Where to Eat

Where to eat in Dallas right now: 8 fresh new restaurants for November

Pizza at Centrale Italia.

Google/Siqi Wang

For many people, the big dining-out event in November will be Thanksgiving, and wouldn't you know it, CultureMap Dallas has a list for that. But you can't eat tofurkey every day. You crave something different, something new, and this edition of Where to Eat has them all.

Here’s where to eat in Dallas for November:

Casa Brasa
New restaurant in the former Nick & Sam's Grill space across from Preston Center is the latest from prolific chef Omar Flores (Whistle Britches, Muchacho Tex-Mex). It's an Argentinian take on grilled meats and sushi with Prime cuts of beef and seafood. Menu items range from Black Hawk Farms Ribeye Tomahawk to the house signature roll with snow crab, grilled jalapeño, asparagus, smoked daikon, chili mayo, topped with Wagyu beef, crispy leeks, and roasted piña salsa.

Centralé Italia
Buzzy concept from Restaurant Works (Cru, Princi Italia) just opened at Preston Hollow Village in the former Pakpao space across from Trader Joe's, with a menu of wood-fired dishes, pizza, and pasta. Founder Patrick Colombo (of Sfuzzi's fame) calls the pizzas "neo-Neapolitan" with a non-floppy crust — achieved via a long-fermented dough and an oven that uses gas, wood, and coal to add to the flavor profile. The wine selection focuses on Italian vintages, and a rectangular bar in the center of the dining room creates an instant scene.

The Devonshire Club
New neighborhood spot by Lisa and Elia “Tom” Georgalis (Ivy Tavern) replaces Nikki Greek Bistro & Lounge, the couple's attempt to do upscale Greek food. They're giving the people what they want: a more casual bar with upscale bites, dominated by sharable items you can drink to, such as Smoked Salmon Rillettes with spoon-shaped crackers, and Duck Confit Quesadilla with Brie and tart cherry. With the bar focus, that means cocktails, happy hour (from 3-7 pm), and late night hours on weekends until 2 am.

Dragon Casa
North Dallas newcomer boasts an unusual fusion on its menu with Mexican-inspired Chinese dishes. The owners, who also own Dragon House, call it “Chino Mex,” with fun items such as pork bun fajita, with pan-fried pork buns served in a fajita skillet, and tacos with Chinese fillings, such as kung pao chicken and Mongolian beef. The menu also includes Dragon House favorites including their acclaimed dumplings along with house-made noodles and dim sum.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
New Japanese barbecue house in Deep Ellum, which took over the former Niwa Japanese space, is part of a Tokyo-based chain which has 50 locations across the U.S. including Plano and Addison. They do yakiniku-style dining where you grill your meat yourself, from choices such as miso-marinated Angus skirt steak, shabu beef, and hanger steak. It’s a group experience: The table chooses a course of proteins and shares salad, miso soup, rice, and vegetables. The menu also offers a la carte items including sushi rolls, cabbage salad and dumplings.

Jakes Burgers
Many a Jakes fan lamented the day that the Jakes Burgers on Henderson Avenue closed in 2021 after 18 years. But now the local burger chain is back in East Dallas on Greenville Avenue, providing easier access to double patty burgers on poppyseed buns and frosty schooners of beer. The menu also offers sandwiches like the chicken club, mac & cheese, and seasonal items like poutine or funnel cake fries. The new location is in the former Grub Burger Bar space in Energy Square, and is one of 12 locations in DFW.

Le Beef Steak + Frites
New Plano restaurant at The Shops at Legacy North seems to be "inspired" by Medium Rare, the Washington, D.C. concept with a pared-down menu featuring steak frites — steak and French fries — and little else. Le Beef takes the same basic approach, charging $29.95 at dinner or $23.95 at lunch and throwing in an artisan salad. If you don't want the obvious top blade steak, Le Beef also offers chicken, house jalapeño cheese sausage, or vegetarian plate. One nice note: Their wine list includes many French varieties, including Billecart Champagne for a mere $80 per bottle.

Live Más Café
New drink concept from Taco Bell just made its Dallas debut — one of the first places in the U.S. to get it. The concept is similar to McDonald's (now closed) CosMc's venture, with a focus on drinks: specialty coffee, fruity Refrescas, Churro Chillers made with pastry crumbles, and Baja Blast Dream sodas. Everyone's chasing the young consumers who crave specialty drinks. The concept is like a restaurant-inside-a-restaurant and is located at the Taco Bell across from DART's Mockingbird Station. More locations are in the works including one that will open in Houston on November 20.

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new roots

L.A. celebrity favorite The Ivy plants Dallas branch near Katy Trail

Photo courtesy of The Ivy/Facebook

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A Los Angeles restaurant famous for celebrity sightings on its bright floral patios is opening a branch in Dallas: The Ivy will debut in fall 2027 at 4205 Buena Vista St. inside The Terminal at Katy Trail.

“This will be the first Ivy outside of Southern California,” says India Wolfe, the restaurant founders' daughter, in a release. "I felt a strong calling to bring The Ivy somewhere new and to plant roots there with our family.”

India’s parents opened The Ivy on Robertson Boulevard in 1980, followed by Ivy at the Shore in Santa Monica five years later.

While her father, chef Richard Irving, and mother, Lynn von Kersting, remain in LA, Wolfe and her husband, Ernest Wolfe IV, will move to Dallas in February with their two children and dogs, to operate The Ivy. The restaurant will be located inside a luxury apartment tower overlooking the Katy Trail.

India started working as a teen at the family's third branch in Santa Monica and learned everything "from greeting guests and waiting tables to staging events, filming viral social media, and modernizing the business for a new generation," says the release.

Both she and her husband spent time in other professions but were drawn to the dining field. Ernest helped his in-laws so often at The Ivy that they finally employed him full-time.

“I love working with him," India says, "and we complement each other’s skills really well, not unlike my mom and dad.”

The Ivy The family behind The Ivy.Courtesy photo

The Wolfes say they want the Dallas restaurant to retain The Ivy’s familiar cooking, warmth and character, while making it feel like home in a new city.

“I love the idea of people taking a walk on the Katy Trail and then meeting friends for brunch at The Ivy,” India says.

Her parents are assisting with the design and menu; India wants a contemporary vibe but doesn’t plan to change what works so well.

“I don’t want to make it too different because I think the reason that people from Dallas come to The Ivy is because they love The Ivy,” she says. “That said, this new restaurant will certainly stand on its own two feet.”

Unlike the original, the Dallas Ivy will have a bar, an idea India dreamed up. While restaurant bars are nothing unusual, India actually envisioned what her family jokingly calls “the D Bar" (so named for Dallas), where guests can clink glasses and share good energy around a curved, D-shaped counter.

Her interest in art and flowers will result in a space well-appointed with roses, a family tradition, and local blooms like zinnias and snapdragons.

The Ivy serves upscale American comfort food and Californian cuisine with influences from Italian, French, Cajun, and Mexican cooking. Dishes are made with seasonal ingredients, so the menus evolve throughout the year.

While the Dallas menu is being developed, the restaurant's Southern California winter menus, for example, include starters such as crab cakes, Caesar salad, and grilled-vegetable salad. Pasta options include lobster ravioli with Ivy pink sauce and lobster tagliatelle. Wood- or stone-fired pizzas include margherita and Cajun shrimp pies, while house-baked breads, old-fashioned red velvet cake, coconut cake, and chocolate chip cookies round out the menu.

The Ivy has always been at the center of family life, India notes. Now she and Ernest are bringing that way of life to Dallas.

She adds, “I am confident it will be a great home for The Ivy and for our family.”

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