Where to Eat

Where to eat in Dallas right now: 8 newly opened restaurants in June

Spread from Culinary Dropout.

Courtesy photo

The summer heat of June is fueling our appetite for another edition of Where to Eat, CultureMap's monthly column highlighting restaurants to try.

From a family-owned cafe to chicken and waffles, here are the latest spots to eat this month:

Amelia
This Southern food and cocktails concept recently opened at 3005 Routh St. — a location with history dating back to the '80s when it was home to Stephan Pyles' legendary Routh Street Cafe. Amelia serves Cajun eats like gumbo, cajun pasta, lamb chops, and a twist on dirty rice, in a modern space with a marble bar, murals, a street-facing patio, and a second-floor cigar bar.

Cerulean Blue
Coffee shop newly opened in Flower Mound's Parker Square is designed to provide a space to wind down or get work done over pastries, sandwiches, quiches, biscuits, and salads. Owned by Paul and Jackie Dietzler, Cerulean Blue will also offer community events and a board to post local opportunities.

Culinary Dropout
Gastropub in Dallas Design District at 150 Turtle Creek Blvd. comes from Fox Restaurant Concepts, the same group that brought us Flower Child. Known for comfort food and sushi amidst rockstar decor and vibes, their menu includes California roll sushi, shrimp tempura crunch, pub burger, 36-hour pork ribs, steak frites, Peking duck, and shrimp fried rice.

Johnny's Chicken & Waffles
Brunch concept with music theme from Atlanta founded by singer Ne-Yo, ex-wife Crystal Renay, and reality star Karlie Redd recently made its Dallas debut at 1326 Botham Jean Blvd. It has chicken & waffles with choices from wings and tenders, with waffle flavors such as buttermilk, strawberry, red velvet, or pecan.

Kanvas Sport + Social
Elevated sports bar in Deep Ellum opened in the former Harlowe MXM space at 2823 Main St. on June 14. Founded by Kevin Kelley of Southern dining concept Kitchen + Kocktails, this new concept adds sports to the dining experience with a doughnut sandwich, wings, oysters, flamed nachos, egg rolls, and more. Kanvas also has a second level for its rooftop bar.

Mas Street Tacos
New taqueria from West End restaurateur Jay Khan serves street-style tacos and breakfast tacos. With dishes by chef Juan Sanchez, who leads the kitchen at Liam's Steakhouse, tacos aren't all that's on the menu. Meat comes either smoked or marinated, and there are quesadillas, sopas, burritos, tortas, and flautas, and all-day breakfast tacos.

Neon Cactus
Buzzy taco spot in Fairview at 241 E Stacy Rd. is in the former Wild Salsa where it offers Mexican classics, fusion dishes, and a couple meatless options: chicken tinga flautas, birria tacos, crispy orange chicken tacos, birria ramen, prickly cactus tacos, and avocado quesadilla.

Uchiko
Japanese restaurant from Austin chef Tyson Cole (Uchi) made its Plano debut June 18 inside Legacy West — the third Uchiko location in Texas. The menu features karaage-style fried chicken, smoked and cured meats, oysters, and roasted lobster. The Plano location also has a shareable family-style For the Table option.

bests lists

Opening News

Dallas diner & music venue will open in former Ferris Wheeler space

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Pancakes

A new restaurant has been unveiled that will take over the former Ferris Wheeler space near Dallas' Design District at 1950 Market Center Blvd.: Called AM/FM, it'll be an all-day diner and lounge with a big backyard and a stage for live music, and it's from Spune Productions, the music and event production company.

According to a release, it'll open in early January initially with evening hours, cocktails, and a few afternoon soccer matches. Music acts are already booked beginning January 8. More hours will be added down the road.

Ferris Wheelers BBQ, which was also a restaurant with a big backyard and a stage for live music, closed in November after eight years. Spune had already been involved since 2023 to help ramp up the live music side. Now they'll take it over with a fresh new personality and long hours.

They were famous for having a Ferris wheel on-site; an inquiry on its status went unanswered.

The diner will open daily at 7 am, serving "musicians coming off late nights, workers heading into morning shifts, and neighbors who want a place that remembers their name," says the release very poetically.

They've redecorated the interior with a new bar and banquettes that wrap the room. Alongside the renovations inside, the set-up outdoors will evolve over the coming weeks, with extra care given to the concert experience,

Menu
The food at AM/FM will be rooted in elevated Diner classics, with a menu overseen by chef Anastacia Quinones-Pittman (Oh, Hi! Hospitality) that's influenced by Mexican-American kitchens and Nuevo Southern traditions.

Breakfast offerings include huevos rancheros, breakfast tacos, breakfast empanadas, French toast, avocado toast, pork belly toast, and an intriguing twist on pancakes called masa pancakes, made using masa harina AKA corn flour.

Lunch includes a chicken Milanesa Caesar salad, Sonoran hot dog, fried catfish po'boy, kale salad, Cobb salad, and a Mexican twist on chicken noodle soup with fideo noodles.

Entree plates include pot roast, meatloaf, fried chicken, and a weekly pot pie.

The beverage program will aim for accessibility with coffee, cocktails, and craft beer, says Victor Rojas, Quinones-Pittman's partner at Oh, Hi! Hospitality.

openings

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Opening News

Dallas diner & music venue will open in former Ferris Wheeler space