Hummus news

Greek-Mediterranean chain Taziki’s Cafe to open first location in Dallas

Taziki's Cafe salad

Photo courtesy of Taziki's Cafe

A fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant is making its Dallas debut: Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe, known for its gyro sandwiches and fresh salads, will bring the pitas to Old Town Village shopping center at 5500 Greenville Ave. #507, where it's taking over a space formerly occupied by Coolgreens.

Overseeing the Dallas opening is franchisee Benny Farzad, who says it'll open in early April. This will be the third DFW location for the Alabama-based chain, which opened its first location in Texas in Southlake in 2014, followed by Plano in 2016.

UPDATE 4-23-2024: Taziki's is opening on April 23.
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Taziki's was founded by Amy and Keith Richards, who became enchanted with the cuisine after a visit to Greece. The menu features gyro sandwiches, entrées with grilled meats and rice, salads, and hummus.

“One of the things we take pride in is that most of our menu is scratch-kitchen, so it’s made in-house,” Farzad says.

Their most popular sandwiches include a spicy harissa chicken and a Mediterranean lamb burger, served on a kaiser bun with feta, tomato, onion, red pepper, and Taziki sauce. Salads include both a classic Greek salad as well as an appealing Mediterranean salad with garbanzo beans, feta, and candied pecans.

Prices are cheap, with salads for $10 and gyro sandwiches ranging from $10 to $13. They also offer daily features including a special Taziki's pasta on weekends Friday-Sunday featuring penne with grilled chicken for $11.

Of course there is hummus, regular and a spicy harissa hummus, plus taziki dip. Desserts are supplied by Hellas Authentic Greek Bakery and include baklava, baklava cheesecake, and chocolate chip cookies.

The Dallas restaurant will be an intimate space, with seating for 50 indoors and 10 on the patio. One notable menu difference is that Dallas won’t serve beer or wine, as they do at other locations.

The store is a familiar space for Farzad — he was previously the franchisee for Coolgreens at that address before joining Taziki’s in 2022.

“We’ve been trying really hard for a while now to get this going,” he says. “This is our first location to open in DFW since 2016, so we’re very excited to open.”

dallas restaurant opening greek mediterranean greenville avenue taziki's cafe

Irish Pub News

Beloved downtown Dallas Crafty Irishman pub expands to Victory Park

Kennedy's Irish Pub

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A favorite Irish pub in downtown Dallas is expanding: The Crafty Irishman, which opened in downtown a decade ago, will open a spinoff location in nearby Victory Park at 2401 Victory Park Ln. #190, in the former Dibs on Victory space.

According to a release, it'll open in the next few months.

“Victory Park has been on our radar for many years,” says The Crafty Irishman founder Alan Kearney. “It’s a community in itself, with a great mix of residential, retail, and office. We will absolutely be geared for the games at Victory Park. Sports play a huge role in any pub back in Dublin, and that same energy will be part of what we do here.”

The new location will be larger than the downtown original and will feature a second-floor patio deck. It has been designed with the same characteristics and atmosphere as a great metropolitan city-center pub, the kind you would find in the heart of Dublin.

The menu will feature The Crafty Irishman’s staples such as fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, and Scotch eggs, along with hundreds of whiskeys and a wide selection of European and local beers.

While the food may be the same, the vibe will not, Kearney says.

“This isn’t a copy and paste version of our downtown pub,” he say. “Every community is different and has its own personality. But one thing that never changes is our commitment to genuine hospitality, great food, and that warm, authentic Irish feel.”

Kearney is a native of Ireland who has emerged as a leading figure in Dallas' Irish pub scene, particularly in highly urban areas such as downtown and Bishop Arts-adjacent, with concepts that include Patrick Kennedy's Irish Pub, also in downtown Dallas and The Playwright Irish Pub located in Dallas' Arts District. He was the first to open an Irish pub in North Oak Cliff with Cannon's Irish Pub, which he opened in the cool Cannon's Village building in 2019.

He's shown a knack for being able to find an audience in locations that prior operators were not, such as the One Arts Plaza space where The Playwright is located — a space that saw a number businesses come and go before he came along.

The Victory Park location will offer lunch, dinner, happy hour, and late-night food, providing guests with a full-day dining and social experience. Validated parking and valet service will be available directly beside the pub.

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