Where to Eat Right Now

Where to eat in Dallas right now: 10 hot new restaurants for August

Chicken sandwich at Sportsbook.

Sportsbook

The August installment of the monthly CultureMap Dallas Where to Eat column, offering recommendations on restaurants to check out, features all the places that have newly opened. With school back in session, hitting one of these 10 places is a welcome break, whether you're too busy to cook or ready for a night out.

Here's where to eat in Dallas right now:

Bruncheon Las Colinas
Brunch restaurant serving all-day brunch daily recently opened in Las Colinas in the former Ouzi Mediterranean space with some pretty elaborate brunch dishes. Consider the High Roller Steak & Eggs with a 12-oz ribeye, potato galette, bacon, eggs, and choice of pancakes or French toast, for $43. There's also a Philly steak omelet, nine kinds of waffles, benedicts, oatmeal, tacos, and smoothies.

Buca di Beppo
Italian chain has filed for bankruptcy, and while the DFW-area locations are still open, others have closed. You just never know. Don't be the person who laments the fact that you didn't get a chance to enjoy their garlic bread, stuffed mushrooms, and spicy chicken rigatoni, in a raucous atmosphere with gaudy wallpaper, strings of Xmas lights, and Dean Martin crooning in the background.

Chefika
Turkish restaurant serving brunch and dinner from industry veteran and Istanbul Grill owner Serdar "Sam" Sensel just opened in Preston Hollow Village. The food is a blend of Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine, such as hangar steak, lamb shank, pide (a Turkish flatbread), and a veggie-style tartare called muhammara. One unique amenity is the in-house cake shop with sweets such as cheesecake and magnolia custard.

Insomnio
Puerto Rican takeout concept opened in July in the Bishop Arts neighborhood with a menu of cultural dishes, such as a burger sandwiched between two fried plantains called tostones; De La Isla pasta, in a garlicky white sauce with skirt steak and fried plantains; and plantains made three ways: fried, sweetened, or mashed into mofongo. For backup, there are also chicken tenders.

Let’s Piada
Legacy Hall vendor specializes in Italian flatbread sandwiches called piadina — such as the Originale with prosciutto, stracchino cheese, arugula, and olive oil; the Chef’s favorita with Italian spicy salame, mozzarella, arugula, and tomatoes; and the Caprese with mozzarella, Heirloom tomatoes, and basil. There’s also a dessert piadina filled with Nutella and tiramisu.

Lucky Dog Saloon
New York Tavern-style bar from Katy Trail Ice House owner Buddy Cramer just opened in the former Asel Art Supply at 2701 Cedar Springs Rd. The menu offers a selection of bites, such as a Wagyu brisket taco or sandwich, burger, chicken salad sandwich, a hot dog, and a trio of sausages.

Mar Y Sol Cocina Latina
Newly opened Latin-themed restaurant from the Lombardi family features dishes from Argentina and Peru including crudo, ceviches, and meats cooked in the open-fire cooking method. Tempting options include mushroom empanadas, smoked chicken & potato croquettes, fried rice with brisket and shiitake mushrooms, and lomo saltado — beef tips with crispy potatoes.

Serious Eats
Food court-style restaurant founded by Milkshake Concepts has debuted in Grand Prairie’s entertainment venue, EpicCentral, wiith three adjacent kiosks serving pizza, sliders, and over-the-top milkshakes. The dining atmosphere is out-of-the-box, featuring graffiti interior, vivid outdoor signage, and an interior wall that opens to a stage for live music and interactive events.

Sportsbook
Upscale sports bar is now open in the former Krio space in Bishop Arts — a reboot from Krio owners Dan Bui and Connie Cheng, who've given the space a little Vegas flair including a huge sports ticker displaying the latest scores and stats. There are 24 high-definition TVs — 17 inside and 7 outside — and a menu featuring Nathan’s mini corndogs, chicken tenders, a patty melt, and fried appetizers, such as fried pickles and fried caulifower, battered with rice flour so they're GF.

Ten Sushi + Cocktail Bar
Sushi restaurant and cocktail bar just opened at The Union building, ready to serve lunch and dinner to visitors and tenants at downtown office buildings nearby. The menu combines sushi with a Pan-Asian hot kitchen that's turning out dishes like steak, curry, and Korean-style fried chicken. Artsy cocktails such as the Lychee Rose with Absolut Elix, rose petals, citrus, and lychee, are perfect to sip in the restaurant's dark, impeccably appointed space.

lists bests where-to-eat

East Dock development

'Chopped' champion opens Pan-Latin restaurant at Oak Cliff's East Dock

Photo courtesy of Barro y Fuego

Barro y Fuego specializes in parrilladas, or grilled meats.

A Latin American, chef-driven restaurant is one of the newest additions to Oak Cliff's vibrant dining scene: Barro y Fuego is now open in suite 100 of the refurbished historic East Dock, at 900 E. Clarendon Dr., joining Bite Sushi, Elevate Coffee, Kuluntu Bakery, and other neighbors.

The restaurant comes from longtime friends and business partners Robert Ramirez and Eric Spigner.

Spigner formerly was chef at Nova Oak Cliff, which won Restaurant of the Year in the 2018 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards; he was a Tastemakers Rising Star nominee in 2019. He's best known as champion of the Food Network competition show Chopped in 2021.

Ramirez is a 25-year veteran of the restaurant design business who also envisioned, designed, and developed East Dock, the mixed-use development that houses Barro y Fuego and an assortment of dining, retail, gym, and office spaces. The development is near the new five-acre Halperin Park, a bridge park spanning Interstate 35.

The partners named the restaurant Barro y Fuego — translating to “clay and fire”— to reflect their vision for the restaurant. The grill is always afire for parrilladas, or grilled meats, while decorative clay pots by artists from Peru and Mexico line the interior and are available for purchase.

Beyond a market area, the restaurant incorporates elements of a rustic cantina, with natural wood and earthy tones creating a cozy atmosphere. The indoor dining area accommodates up to 80 guests, with a communal table, booths, traditional tables, and bar seating along the open kitchen. An adjacent outdoor grill and patio overlooking a creek is open year-round and seats another 80.

“The open kitchen was important to us,” Ramirez says. “You can sit at the bar and watch the cooking; it's a natural gathering point. We focused on a design that is raw, minimal, and for everybody: dates, families, friends — come casual or come dressed up.”

The Pan-Latin menu draws on Ramirez’s upbringing and travels throughout the region, along with Spigner’s professional experience with Caribbean, Spanish, and Latin American flavors.

“Latin America is vast; my vision is to take it all in and present a concise statement of a broader culture — where you might not pinpoint a specific country, but rather a fusion of many in a single dish,” Spigner says.

This vision yields a unique menu spanning Latin America with subtle Spanish influences. The menu features shareable plates ranging from $20 to $40 and includes:

Gambas al Ajo Negro: Sautéed shrimp in a black garlic emulsion with charred okra and blistered tomatoes.
Costillas de Res Estofadas: Boneless beef ribs served with chimichurri crème fraîche, plantains, and charred zucchini.
Arroz con Pollo: Chicken confit over red rice, served with coconut milk collard greens and sauce africaine.
Panceta de Cerdo Estofada: Braised pork belly accompanied by chipotle-agave sweet potato puree and collard green chimichurri.

On weekdays, the restaurant offers a menu with items under $20, including sandwiches and smaller portions of main dishes. It’s designed for nearby business tenants, residents, and visitors to the Dallas Zoo and surrounding parks.

Brunch with live Latin jazz music takes places on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am-3 pm. The brunch menu includes clam, chorizo, and avocado tostadas; ropa vieja; torrijas, which are similar to French toast; and a pork belly and pisto manchego Benedict.

The full bar serves specialty cocktails such as a Negroni verde, caipirinha, and espresso martinis using ingredients from neighbor Elevate Coffee. The beer selection celebrates all of Latin America rather than focusing solely on Mexico, the proprietors say. They feature representative brands from nearly every country for $7. They also pour Mexican Lager from nearby, newly opened Smittox Brewery.

Looking ahead, the team says they plan to host ticketed community events, including paella nights, pig roasts, and live music showcasing local cumbia, rock en español bands, and DJs.

bar openings restaurant opening latin american food robert ramirez eric spigner. east dock oak cliff barro y fuego

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East Dock development

'Chopped' champion opens Pan-Latin restaurant at Oak Cliff's East Dock