Opening News

Dallas' West Village welcomes 2 new well-known local restaurants

Vandelay

Dallas' West Village, the mixed-use center in Uptown, is adding two new restaurants to its roster, both from Dallas-based Vandelay Hospitality. One does oysters, the other does pizza.

Hudson House will open in the space at 3699 McKinney Ave. #200 that was most recently Hugo's Invitados but was previously Mi Cocina.
D.L. Mack’s will open at 3699 McKinney Ave. #106, in the former Medici space.

Hudson House debuted in 2017 with a theme of East Coast comfort food set in an upscale neighborhood atmosphere. Signatures include oysters and being home to the "World’s Coldest Martini" — their claim, one that's hard to challenge.

The West Village space will span 5,600 square feet and will be the seventh Hudson House location in DFW.

D.L. Mack’s is Vandelay's Chicago-inspired neighborhood tavern serving cracker crust pizzas and classic American fare. Designed to reflect the timeless appeal of a Midwest-style corner tavern, the space features rich, nostalgic details.

This location will span 4,600 square feet and will be the third D.L. Mack’s outpost in Dallas with the original in University Park and the second location in Preston Hollow.

Both will open in the West Village in late fall.

Vandelay Hospitality CEO Hunter Pond says in a statement that they're thrilled, calling West Village "one of the heartbeats of Dallas’ entertainment and shopping districts for decades."

The center is currently home to the Violet Crown theater as well as restaurants such as UnaVida and Malai Kitchen.

"We’re excited to contribute to its vibrant dining scene with two concepts that we believe truly resonate with the community," Pond says. "DL Mack’s and Hudson House will not only bring distinct energy and flavor to the area, but also complement the existing tenant mix by offering elevated yet approachable dining experiences."

openings

Taco News

Upscale Dallas taqueria Velvet Taco to open first McKinney location

Courtesy of Velvet Taco

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A Dallas taco chain is opening a new location in a booming Collin County metropolis: Velvet Taco, which specializes in globally inspired tacos, will open its first location in McKinney at 8565 W. University Dr. #150, on Monday, April 14.

The restaurant will open with 20-plus tacos and bowls, plus a signature rotating Weekly Taco Feature. Their number one seller is the Spicy Tikka Chicken Taco, but the Bacon Smash Burger Taco is also a popular dish, according to a release.

Everything is prepared in-house, including brisket roasted for 18 hours and their popular Backdoor Chicken marinated for 48 hours.

The menu features unexpected foodie-level ingredients like cilantro basmati rice, candied pepitas, and Thai basil — unusual in the fast-casual restaurant world.

They also serve alcohol, including margaritas, local, and Mexican beer, and they have one notable signature dessert: Red Velvet cake.

The chain was founded in 2011 with a location on Henderson Avenue at the intersection of US-75 — a location that's now closed. But there's no shortage, with 16 in the DFW area, stretching from Fort Worth on the west to Rockwall on the east, and more than 50 locations across the U.S.

The McKinney location, which is a newly constructed 2,939-square-foot space, will feature indoor seating for 64 guests and an additional 48 seats on its patio. The restaurant will feature a mural by local artist Paxton Grigsby, a 15-year-old freshman at McKinney North High School.

They'll open at 11 am with giveaways: The first 50 dine-in guests will get free Velvet Taco hats.

Monday April 14 seems to be a big day for tacos in the great white north, as Velvet Taco will not be the only restaurant with tacos to open in the 'hood: On that very same day, Chicago-based Cilantro Taco Grill will make its Texas debut in Prosper with a restaurant just seven miles away.

tacos openings