Once a tiny start-up in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood, Tock’s network has grown rapidly in the past decade, earning a reputation as the industry’s most restaurant-friendly, all-in-one reservation system.
In recent years, Tock has become a go-to here in Dallas for businesses looking to drive incremental revenue through everyday reservations, events, takeout, and more.
Here’s how Tock works for every kind of business, from the avant-garde cocktail lounge to the storied steakhouse.
Apothecary
Tastemaker Awards nominee
Limited reservations with $10 deposits
Known for its whimsical cocktails and innovative techniques, Apothecary is the intimate, speakeasy-style bar from the team behind Rye. They offer limited reservations on Tock, while still holding select seats for walk-ins.
This hybrid system works great for guests who want to make plans in advance, or drop by on a whim — and the $10 deposit per person ensures they’ll actually show up.
Carte Blanche
Tastemaker Awards nominee
Prepaid tasting menu experiences
From a husband-and-wife team comes a fine dining experience that highlights unique wild game and native Texas ingredients.
Full chef’s tour and six-course menus can be booked with prepaid reservations. This allows the team “to anticipate who is coming in and to give guests an all-encompassing experience at the best price possible.”
Pappas Bros.
Tastemaker Awards nominee
Ticketed events
With locations in Dallas and Houston, this award-winning steakhouse, known for premium cuts and an impressive wine selection, dates all the way back to 1976.
Pappas Bros. use Tock to power (and sell out) unique events that suit their brand. For example, this month, they’re hosting a Treasures of Spain wine tasting and an exploration into "A Wonderful World of Pinot Noir."
Tatsu
Tastemaker Awards nominee
Limited, prepaid omakase reservations
Recently named a semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation, Tatsu offers a serene omakase experience in the historic Continental Gin Building. Each night, chef/owner Tatsuya Sekiguchi prepares a traditional menu for fewer than 20 guests.
By prepaying, the team knows exactly who is going to show up, so they can focus on creating the ultimate dining experience.
Petra and The Beast
Reservations + pickup
Since being named one of Esquire's Best New Restaurants in America back in 2018, this casual dining spot has developed something of a cult following. With a focus on whole utilization, fermentation, and sustainability, chef Misti Norris supports local farmers while delighting Dallas diners.
She utilizes Tock for à la carte reservations, six-course tasting menu reservations with $25 deposits, and limited takeout, which includes cheese and charcuterie boards for pickup. All of these experiences are displayed side-by-side on their Tock page.
Funky Picnic Brewery & Café
Reservations, classes, and unique events
Born in a Fort Worth garage amongst friends, this craft brewery has grown into a full-fledged business with a kitchen and a backroom.
Photo courtesy of Carte Blanche
Tock helps Carte Blanche book chef's tours and multi-course dinners.
The team utilizes Tock for both free reservations and one-of-a-kind ticketed events. Curious imbibers can book a beer and cheese class, a beer yoga session, seasonal beer dinners, or the occasional late-night drag show.
Interested in using Tock for your business? Learn more here.
Editor's Note: In prior stories, CultureMap contributor Lila Levy has sussed out the top bagels in Dallas, and tried pretty much every lavender latte in town. Now she's ready to offer her take on that summertime classic: hot dogs.
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Hot dogs are the quintessential summer food and an item that nearly everyone loves. They're simple, flavorful, easy to make at home, and affordable if you dine out.
Some cities like Chicago have a long-standing tradition with hot dogs, and while Dallas is not Windy-City-level quiet yet, we've seen an influx of some exciting new hot dog concepts come to town, joining a few locals who've been dishing out memorable hot dogs all along.
Here's the 7 most interesting hot dogs you can find in Dallas-Fort Worth:
Portillo’s in the Colony, Chicago-style hot dog, $4.50
Chicago-based fast casual brand known for its hot dogs and other favorite Chicago fare, has expanded to Texas, with its first restaurant in The Colony, which opened in January 2023. Chicago-style hot dogs are my favorite kind, and Portillo's does it right. Their basic hot dog comes with "everything": mustard, relish, celery salt, chopped onions, sliced tomato, pickle, and sport peppers on a steamed poppy seed bun. I loved the condiments, especially the peppers and relish. My companion thought the bun was too soft, but it was fine for me. Their hot dogs have a snappy casing with a robust tangy flavor.
Hunky'sHunky Dog, $4.25
Cedar Springs pioneer has been serving hamburgers, fries, and malts, since 1984. They're known for their burgers but they also do a trio of hot dogs including the classic "Hunky Dog," a hefty quarter-pounder with relish, onions, and mustard. I've been here before and know it's best to ask for the hot dog to be grilled extra, to give it that additional "burnt hot dog" cookout flavor. At $4.25, it's a bargain and their presentation is cool: They split the hot dog down the middle and place the onions and relish on top, and they toast the edges of their bun.
Fletcher's Original Corny DogsMake Mine Texan, $10
No story on hot dogs is complete without Fletcher's, famed purveyor of the classic corny dog. You used to have to wait for the State Fair of Texas to get them, but now that they have a food truck, you can find them camped at venues such as the Dallas Arboretum, and they're also at Klyde Warren Park Tuesdays-Sundays. They've expanded their lineup of flavors so I ordered their most recent invention: Called Make Mine Texan, it's a hot dog made of beef and brisket, with smoke seasoning that adds a heartier Texas flavor.
Dog Haus in RichardsonTooo Chi, $8
California hot dog chain takes a gourmet approach with jumbo hot dogs, veggie dogs, vegan sausages, and 40+ toppings including some you might not expect, such as arugula. I ordered the Tooo Chi, their version of the Chicago hot dog, which they brag is a hormone- and antibiotic-free beef hot dog, with tomato, pickle, neon-green pickle relish, mustard, diced onions, sport peppers, and celery salt. Their cooking added a nice char that emphasized the grilled flavor. It made me nostalgic to the days when my parents would grill hot dogs in the summer outside. Their point of distinction is their bread: sweet rich King's Hawaiian rolls, which they butter and grill, for a nice contrast of soft roll and crisp edges.
Angry DogAngry Dog, $8.95
Deep Ellum staple had hot dogs on the menu long before hot dogs became the foodie sensation they are today, and they offer a simple plain hot dog on a bun as a nod to those humble days. But everyone gets the signature Angry Dog: a kosher dog, split in half and grilled, placed on a toasted open-faced bun, then topped with chili, grilled red onions, mustard, and shredded cheddar cheese. It's more of a chili casserole than a hot dog, a knife-and-fork kind of deal where the bun gets soggy underneath the mountain of toppings, and you almost lose track of the hot dog. But unbeatable for a hangover cure or a big cheat meal.
Globe Life Field, Ballpark hot dog, $7
In recent years, the Texas Rangers' food service division has been jazzing up its ballpark menu, introducing new items, some of them crazy like the Boomstick 2-foot-long hot dog. I stick to the basic ballpark hot dog, with the only option being that you can get grilled onions at no additional charge. It's a standard six-inch hot dog, with self-serve mustard, ketchup, and relish, on a soft, nondescript bun, with a nice snap, the prototypical hot dog you eat while cheering on the hometown team.
Frank Seoul, Potato hot dog, $5.49
Korean hot dogs, also known as Korean corn dogs, are a Korean street food that started showing up in Dallas a few years ago, via Korean-born chains such as Two Hands and K-Town. Frank Seoul was one of the first and has locations in Carrollton and Frisco. Their specialty is hot dogs coated in a batter and deep-fried, like a corny dog but with a batter made from flour or rice flour, and additional ingredients such as the coating of diced potatoes in the potato hot dog that I ordered. They have a wild variety like a "cream cheese dog" — literally cream cheese on a stick &mdash and prices are all $6 or less.
This is not the place for a hot dog purist. The hot dog itself was lackluster, but the "shell" of crispy fried potatoes was magnificent, like a wonderful hash brown, and great on its own, didn't need the mustard I added a bit.
