16 new restaurants open in North Texas, and 14 coming soon

Jul 6

Use this list when you need lunch or dinner recommendations in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Mexican Sugar Cocina y Cantina serves a flight of margaritas. The three drinks are (from left) a classic marg, a hibiscus-infused tequila cocktail with lime and a Machete infused with serrano and cucumber water. A new Mexican Sugar opens in May 2023 in Uptown Dallas.(Kayla Enright)
We see you, Fort Worth. We’re still sad over the closures of La Onda and the Beast and Co., but several other high-profile restaurants, clubs and dessert shops are opening in Dallas’ neighbor to the west. Now’s a good time to scoot your boots to Fort Worth.

Check out this list to find new restaurants open across North Texas, plus some others that will debut soon. The geographical reach here is impressive: from Grapevine to Grand Prairie, Allen to Arlington.

16 new restaurants in North Texas

Listed in chronological order

Wayback Burgers in Allen

Wayback Burgers originated in the Northeast and is now being franchised across the United States. Allen owner Zalak Patel says her favorite menu item is the garden burger with fries. Other items include a cheeseburger, Impossible Burger melt, chicken BLT and sides like Cajun tater tots, mac and cheese bites, and fried pickles.
Wayback Burgers is at 380 E. Bethany Drive, Allen. It opened March 7, 2023.

Leela’s Pizza & Wine in Uptown Dallas

What started as a stylish wine bar on Greenville Avenue has become a scalable restaurant and bar across North Texas. There’s a second Leela’s in Trophy Club, and the third opened in mid-March 2023 at McKinney & Olive in Uptown Dallas. The shop pours 16 wines on tap and serves cheese boards, salads and pizzas. At happy hour — weekdays, 4 to 6 p.m. — house wine and sparkling wine cocktails cost $7.
Leela’s Pizza & Wine is at 2355 Olive St., Dallas. It opened March 14, 2023.

Koe Wetzel’s Riot Room in Fort Worth

Bad boy country singer Koe Wetzel traveled to Fort Worth on April 20, 2023 to pop bottles at the grand opening of his restaurant and nightclub. But the “country clubby” Riot Room has technically been open since mid-March 2023. Guests go for the beer-can chicken and chicken-fried steak for dinner. It gets rowdy late at night.

Koe Wetzel’s Riot Room is at 1100 Foch St., Fort Worth. It opened March 16, 2023.

Quince in Fort Worth

Even though it’s just a month old, Quince has already made our list of best patios in Dallas-Fort Worth. It has good DNA: The original Quince in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, has one of the best restaurant rooftops in the world. In Fort Worth, the views of the Trinity River are serene. Quince seems like a great spot to grab a cocktail and a snack with a friend after work.
Quince is at 1701 River Run (in the WestBend development), Fort Worth. It opened March 27, 2023. Resy reservations are now open.

Ranchman’s Ponder Steakhouse in Ponder

The 75-year-old chicken-fried steak joint enjoyed by Cindy Crawford, Bobby Flay and Meat Loaf has reopened after a three-year closure. Tell a friend who loves country cookin’.

Ranchman’s is at 110 W. Bailey St., Ponder. It reopened March 28. Lunch only, for now.

Old 75 Beer Garden in Richardson

If driving to Katy Trail Ice House in Dallas or Truck Yard in The Colony seems too far in either direction, Old 75 Beer Garden in Richardson has a lot of the same patio vibes and is right in the center of the Metroplex. It’s easily accessible from several Dallas-area suburbs, off of Central Expressway in Richardson. Claire Ballor has details.

Old 75 Beer Garden is at 740 S. Central Expressway, Richardson. It opened April 3, 2023.

Tina’s Continental in Deep Ellum

Before or after dinner in Dallas, stop at Tina’s for martinis. It’s stylish and small, great for a date. I put it on our Hot List in May 2023.

Tina’s Continental is at 3309 Elm St., (in the Continental Gin building), Dallas. It opened April 4, 2023.

JOA Korean BBQ in Dallas

The CEO of Smoothie King has opened a Korean restaurant in Dallas named JOA. (It replaces Nuri Grill, which CEO Wan Kim also operated.) JOA specializes in marinated beef short ribs called galbi. The menu also includes fried rice, cold and hot noodles, and marinated pork, shrimp and lamb.

JOA Korean BBQ is at 2254 Royal Lane, Dallas. It opened April 4, 2023.

Komodo near Deep Ellum

Seared A5 Wagyu is on the menu at Komodo in Dallas.(Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer)

You like big and bold? Komodo is a two-story, 22,500-square-foot restaurant and club with Southeast Asian-inspired food and drinks. The original Komodo is in Miami and another will open in Las Vegas, and we see glittery inspiration from both of those cities in the Dallas location.

If you think you’re just going for drinks, consider getting a dessert created by corporate pastry chef Tiffany Pascua. The miso molten cake “blooms” as it’s brought to the table — pretty and fun.

Komodo is at 2550 Pacific Ave. (in the Epic), Dallas. It opened April 7, 2023. Reservations via Seven Rooms.

Fig & Favor in Dallas’ Harwood District

Stop into Fig & Favor for an espresso drink, a scoop of gelato, or dinner and wine to-go. This foodie market is tucked in between the buildings in the Harwood District, which lies north of the American Airlines Center and south of Uptown Dallas. Regulars can join the new Harwood Wine Club.

Fig & Favor is at 2850 N. Harwood St., Dallas. It opened April 10, 2023.

The Finch in Grand Prairie

The Finch is the newest brunch, lunch and dinner spot at EpicCentral, a new development off of SH 161 in Grand Prairie. It’s similar to the restaurant by the same name in Dallas’ Mockingbird Station that opened in late 2022. Menu items include blue crab dip (I love it); oysters; a katsu sandwich with furikake French fries; pizzas; pastas; and entrees like striped bass, Ora King salmon and filet mignon.
The Finch is at 2955 S. SH 161, Grand Prairie. It opened April 17, 2023.

Velvet Taco in North Frisco

Velvet Taco continues its rapid expansion across North Texas, with the newest shop in North Frisco near US-380 and FM 423.
The restaurant is known for the surprising ingredients put in tacos like chicken tikka; candied bacon and tater tots; Nashville hot tofu; and grilled flank steak with queso blanco.
The fast-growing company just announced it has plans to open a taco shop at Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Okla., in fall 2023.
Velvet Taco is at 16930 Doe Creek Road, Frisco. It opened April 24, 2023.

Barsotti’s Fine Food and Liqueurs in Highland Park

Fans of Carbone’s Fine Food and Wine, the restaurant is now called Barsotti’s Fine Food and Liqueurs, post-lawsuit. Bring your kids, bring a group, because owner Julian Barsotti wants his eponymous restaurant to be a jovial hangout.

Barsotti’s Fine Food and Liqueurs is at 4208 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas. It reopened April 24, 2023. Reservations are recommended but not required.

Cookies!(Courtesy of Sugar and Sage Baker)

Sugar and Sage Bakery in University Park

Adorable University Park dessert shop Sugar and Sage has some star power in the kitchen. Chef Jill Bates, who worked for Fearing’s for more than a decade before moving over to Cafe Momentum, is making croissants, cookies, cupcakes and brownies at Sugar and Sage. The shop was created by a Dallas mom and her teen daughter.

Sugar and Sage Bakery is at 4314 Lovers Lane, Dallas. It opened April 29, 2023.

Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza in Grapevine

Miami pizzeria Mister O1 has landed its second restaurant in North Texas. The Grapevine shop serves all the signatures — the star-shaped pizza with ricotta in the crust, a Nutella calzone and more than a dozen pies topped with Italian ingredients.

Mister O1 is at 129 S. Main St., Grapevine. It opened May 2, 2023.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop in South Arlington

Baja-style taco shop Fuzzy’s is expanding south and west of Dallas. The new South Arlington shop will sell the expected Fuzzy’s menu: queso, guac, tacos, nachos, quesadillas and the like. Fuzzy’s is now owned by Dine Brands Global, a California company that owns thousands of Applebee’s and IHOP franchises around the world.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop is at 5904 S. Cooper St., Arlington. It opened May 2, 2023.

The Saint is a moody Italian steakhouse located near a stretch of restaurants and nightclubs on Good-Latimer Expressway in Dallas. (Kayla Enright)

14 coming-soon restaurants and bars in North Texas

Listed in approximate chronological order; dates could change

The Saint in Dallas: An Italian steakhouse with a saints and sinners motif opens soon in the former Two Sisters Catering space in Dallas. The Saint moves in near a new district of Dallas clubs, including Green Light Social, Citizen and Blüm at the Sporting Club. Menu items at The Saint include lobster arancini; pappardelle bolognese made with chickpea pasta; and prime filets with the option of foie gras butter, confit garlic or gorgonzola raviolo. Expected to open May 11, 2023.

Dreamboat Donuts & Scoops in Fort Worth: Vegan restaurateur Amy McNutt has big plans for dairy-free desserts in Cowtown. Expected to open May 11, 2023.
Voodoo Brewing Co. in Grand Prairie: This franchise from Pennsylvania is opening its first brewpub in Texas near the expansive development off of SH 161 in Grand Prairie. Expected to open May 12, 2023.

Brooklyn Dumpling Shop in Deep Ellum: We called it “a restaurant for the TikTok generation.” Brooklyn Dumpling Shop will be a late-night, quick-service restaurant where customers pick up their orders from a locker. Expected to open May 15, 2023.
Temakeria in West Dallas: The husband-wife team behind the resurgence of Trinity Groves, Julian and Alexa Rodarte, has created another Instagrammable restaurant. Temakeria is a Japanese restaurant specializing in temaki, or sushi hand rolls, which can be held like a taco. The name Temakeria is a combination of temaki and taqueria. Expected to open May 16, 2023.

Sushi hand roll restaurant Temakeria is expected to open May 16, 2023 in the West Dallas development of Trinity Groves. The black-and-white interior of the restaurant was inspired by a cafe in Seoul. Jonathan Freeman, known in the art community as Jonathan Krown, drew all the black lines in the restaurant by hand, with markers.(Jason Janik / Special Contributor)

Mexican Sugar Cocina y Cantina in Uptown Dallas: The company that created Whiskey Cake and Sixty Vines is now growing Mexican Sugar across D-FW. This two-story, 12,000-square-foot restaurant has views of the AAC and the Crescent hotel. Expected to open May 16, 2023.
Oak’d in Addison: Co-founder and pitmaster Michael Lane is reinventing the Chamberlain’s Fish Market Grill space in Addison as Oak’d, where he’ll sell barbecue, pastries and beer. Expected to open May 22, 2023.
Devil’s Back Porch: St. Rocco’s New York Italian in Trinity Groves is adding a speakeasy on the second floor. Customers will enter from the back and find a room with Peaky Blinders inspo like gangster photos and a poker table. The space is also available to rent for parties. Expected to open May 25, 2023. Hours will be Thursday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to midnight.
Tequila Social in Dallas’ Harwood District: Reps from the Harwood District call this an “energetic environment” where customers can eat nachos and quesadillas and drink margaritas near the Katy Trail. Opening date is TBD.

Birdcall in Frisco: This better-for-you chicken sandwich shop is opening at the northeast corner of Preston and Lebanon roads in Frisco. There’s already one in West Plano. Expected to open in early summer 2023.
Second Bar + Kitchen in Mineral Wells: We’re taking a detour to the west, but it’s worth it: Second Bar + Kitchen will open in the Crazy Water Hotel, the long-time-coming renovation of a historic spot that’s been around since 1912. Expected to open in early summer 2023.
Sickies Garage Burgers & Brews in Irving: From North Dakota to Irving, this company will sell “over-the-top burgers and a monster list of delicious brews” in a car-themed setting. What’s the deal with the name? It comes from the slang term to take a “sickie” by playing hooky from work. Expected to open in June 2023.
Slutty Vegan in Deep Ellum: A late-night cravings spot, but make it vegan? Slutty Vegan comes to Dallas by way of Atlanta. Expected to open in summer 2023.
Postino in Addison: The wine and charcuterie shop that closed in Deep Ellum will try again in Addison, CultureMap reports. Expected to open in summer 2023.
Did we miss any new or coming-soon restaurants? Email sblaskovich@dallasnews.com.