Downtown News

Stylish L.A. omakase-style sushi restaurant to open in downtown Dallas

Sushi Bar/Ginger Lounge

Sushi Bar

A sushi bar with California roots is coming to downtown Dallas: Called Sushi | Bar, it's an omakase-style restaurant set to open in Downtown Dallas’ East Quarter development at 2115 Jackson St.

According to a release, it'll open on December 1, with an accompanying lounge called Ginger's.

This will be the second location in Texas and the fourth in the U.S.: The omakase style speakeasy concept already has a location in Austin which opened in 2020, as well as Miami, where it opened in 2022, and Chicago which just opened in October.

The Dallas location will feature two subterranean omakase rooms, each seating a maximum of 12 guests, who will partake of a 17-course omakase experience showcasing fresh fish flown in weekly.

The nigiri offerings change with the season and availability, but feature signatures like

Aged Bluefin Akami with dehydrated red miso and everything bagel spice
Hokkaido Scallop with white truffle salt, shaved black truffle and truffle caviar
A5 Wagyu with brown butter miso

Nightly diners will be offered a selection of available drink pairings including sake, cocktails, wine and beer.

Getting to the restaurant is fun: Guests enter a dimly lit 100-year-old car lift platform where they will descend into the basement level by stair or lift.

Old finishes were maintained such as the weathered cement plaster, worn wood, air vents and piping. The space is adorned with black and white marble checkered floors, wood trimmed walls of cement, and contrasting wall coverings, with nods to Japanese style throughout.

Guests are encouraged to arrive 20 minutes prior to their designated seating and enjoy a cocktail.

Reservations are available via Tock for bookings Wednesday-Sunday with 7 days/week dining available early 2024. Nightly seating times are 5 pm, 7:15 pm, and 9:30 pm. The signature experience is $165++ per person with the option to add curated sake and wine pairings. Reservations are released on a monthly basis on the first day of each month.

Ginger’s
Sushi | Bar Hospitality’s new classic cocktail lounge concept is connected to Sushi | Bar but also has a separate entrance. Guests dining at Sushi | Bar will be escorted through the exit of Ginger’s where they can enjoy a post-omakase cocktail in the 1200-square-foot space.

Ginger’s bar program was created by award-winning mixologist Sean Kenyon and focuses on premium spirits and classic cocktails. A rotation of small snacks will also be available shortly after the Ginger’s opening.

Ginger’s will be open Monday- hursday from 5 - 11 pm and Friday-Sunday from 4 pm - 1 am.

Sushi | Bar was founded in 2019 and opened in Los Angeles and Montecito, California (2019). In 2020, Adept Hospitality, (a partnership between Ryan Stock, Josh Tohl, and Jonathan Husby), joined forces with partner Steve Michaels of Asylum Entertainment Group, to expand the Sushi | Bar concept into Austin.

In December 2021, a decision between Michaels and Adept Hospitality - Sushi | Bar Hospitality’s partners - was made to amicably part with the group's then chef, a minority shareholder.

Adept Hospitality CEO Ryan Stock says in a statement that “Dallas has been a focal point for bringing our concept to the market since day one and we are thrilled we finally found the perfect location to do so.”

downtown openings

New and Noteworthy

Dallas Mexican hot spot makes The Infatuation list of best new restaurants

Photo by Dan Padgett

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Three new Texas restaurants have charmed restaurant review platform The Infatuation and ended up on its Best New Restaurants of 2026 list. One Dallas restaurant, Olōyō, is among the 25 selected across the United States.

In addition to Olōyō, Roya in Austin and Zaranda in Houston made the list. The Infatuation has a presence in each of those cities plus more across Texas. The platform specializes in themed lists and also posts reviews of single businesses to add context for readers.

The Infatuation team ate at more than 2,600 new restaurants in 2026, the introduction to the list explains. It doesn't list criteria or points for consideration, except that there was much debate over favorites and they would "recommend them to pretty much anyone."

The expandable list lays out some key notes such as price, cuisine, neighborhood, a tagline, dish recommendations, and other unique highlights. Users can then click through to see a longform review with a numerical rating.

Olōyō's fixation on heirloom masa had its intended effect on The Infatuation's Kevin Gray, who wrote, "Olōyō will give you a new appreciation for corn." The East Dallas Mexican eatery that made its list began with two people — that is, acclaimed chef Olivia López and partner Jonathan Percival — "building a following through their pop-ups, turning heirloom corn into incredible tortillas and tamales," Gray notes. "Now they have a permanent spot in East Dallas, where they're serving upscale Mexican food in a homey room packed with Mexican art and jugs carved into animal shapes."

Gray recommended a number of dishes, including the barbacoa huarache and any mole on the menu.

Known in its pop-up days as Molino Olōyō, Olōyō restaurant opened in May, after nearly yearlong wait, and also was included in Texas Monthly's 2026 Top 50 Tacos list.

Olōyō received the highest rating of the three Texas restaurants, though the others weren't far off. At a 9.3, it should be well worth the price, which falls in the highest possible category.

Like Olōyō, Austin's Roya was also a pop-up first, serving beautiful Persian food for holidays and special events. It was so popular, it was only a matter of time before Chef Amir Hajimaleki opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant, and it's just as ornate as the food. That was in February.

Zaranda has a Mexican hyperfocus similar to Olōyō, but on fish rather than corn. James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega and his wife, Tracy Vaught, opened it in October of 2025, imagining an alternate history in which California remained united across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Like Zaranda itself, reviewer Brooke Viggiano mostly kept the focus on the fish, breaking down the different ways to eat it: with tortillas, salsas, and really "whatever you throw at it." She also broadened her scope to recommend the ribeye with bone marrow butter.

True to the Best New Restaurants list intro, Viggiano basically recommended Zaranda to everyone, including diners celebrating special occasions, going on a date, and having a casual meal. "It’s also great for impressing out-of-towners who want the full Houston picture in one meal," Viggiano wrote.

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