Arlington

Qariah Is Making Some Bang-Up Chicken Sandwiches

I want to love the shawarma at Qariah, but they don't sell enough of them. If you've ever seen the vertical spit at Bachman Lake Taqueria spinning full tilt, you know it's a sight to behold. The meatsicle sizzles as it twirls, spitting fat at the burners, which hiss and pop. But when business is slo ... More >>

Arlington PD Should Probably Start Testing its Officers for Steroids

Update: Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson agrees. Original post: There were a lot of surprising details that emerged as the feds were filing criminal charges against Arlington police officer Thomas Kantzos. There was the casual way Kantzos tipped off his steroid dealer, scuttling another agency's ... More >>

Police Are Looking for the Man Who Carjacked and Murdered an 83-Year-Old Arlington Woman [Update]

Updated on June 5: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram identifies the victim as Leona Swafford, who was described by relatives as "frail and very religious." The carjacker remains on the loose. Original post: A neighbor saw the scene unfold: an 84-year-old woman pulls her 2010 Lincoln into the driveway o ... More >>

Arlington Police Would Like An Exemption From State Rep's Proposed Anti-Drone Law

Last year, the Arlington Police Department bought a pair of teeny tiny adorable drones, which the FAA gave them the go-ahead to fly back in March. The APD was stoked, dubbing their new toys their "Aviation Unit" and issuing an FAQ about how the drones would never be used for "routine patrols and su ... More >>

Kenny Mills Expands His Smoky Empire with Chop House Steak and Seafood in Pantego

Chef Kenny Mills knows a thing or two about running a steakhouse. His resume includes The Capitol Grille, Sullivan's and Dallas Chop House. But a few years ago, Mills grew tired of the Dallas scene and took a chance on a burger joint in a pretty nondescript strip mall in central Arlington. He didn't ... More >>

Spoonfed Tribe Prepares Their Eighth Genre-Exploding Album

Spoonfed Tribe's music has served as a master class; a kind of Bob Villa-esque how-to in creating nebulous sounds within the infinite possible combinations of ethnomusicology and American pop genres from the last 15 years. Their sound throughout that timeframe has evolved and shifted, maturing and n ... More >>

Arlington High Suspends Student for Tweeting STAAR Test Photo, Inspires Predictable Backlash

Texas has never played around when it comes to its standardized tests, and the STAAR exam, the new assessment whose rigor is currently the center of debate in the state legislature, is no different. As one of the primary ways the state evaluates educational outcomes, and thus ensures accountability, ... More >>

Arlington PD Answers All Your Questions About Its "Aviation Unit," Which Consists Entirely of Two Drones

The Arlington Police Department recently got permission from the FAA to use the two small, battery-operated drones they purchased last year using grant money from Homeland Security. Presumably, the drones will mostly be used to hover over Jerry Jones while he's at work, clipping him in the head with ... More >>

A Cyclist Was Struck and Killed in Arlington This Afternoon

If it's not already there, add Pioneer Parkway in Arlington to the list of places it's probably wiser not to ride your bike. As you can see above, the two lanes are broad and straight, perfect for cars to pick up speed, with only a narrow shoulder that disappears to basically nothing at intersection ... More >>

Campo Verde in Arlington, Inside a Kaleidoscope of Crazy

No, that's not a picture from inside a kaleidoscope. That's actually from inside a restaurant, one that is bejeweled within an inch of its life in hundreds (perhaps thousands) of strands of lights and tinsel. How festive, you say? Yeah, I took that picture last week. In what might be called an Arl ... More >>

Arlington Cracks Down on Sidewalk Advertising, Ignoring Veterans Who "Fought and Died" for Right to Wear Sandwich Boards

It's a business practice that's as old as commerce: Pay some poor soul a few bucks to stand on a corner as a cartoonish chicken urging passersby to eat his crispy, fried brethren, a somber Statue of Liberty leading the masses to freedom, opportunity, and a great deal on a tax return, or, simply as a ... More >>

North Texas Cities Are Trapping Feral Hogs and Selling Them as Bacon. Mmm, Bacon.

Feral hogs are, by all accounts, a pain in the ass. They're voracious. They obliterate crops, gardens and natural vegetation. They can do a helluva lot of damage to your front fender. And mostly? They're just dicks. In Texas, their prevalence has prompted all sorts of countermeasures. One legislato ... More >>

Arlington Finally Invents a Public Transit System Voters Can't Reject: A Single Bus Route

In 2002, Arlington voters considered a proposal to establish a public transit system. The system would have been funded through a modest quarter-cent sales-tax increase that had the support of the City Council and every major business group in town but not, as the News reported at the time, the Con ... More >>

DIGG's Taco Shop Opens Near UTA

DIGG's Taco Shop has opened its second location in Arlington (445 S. Pecan St.) near UTA as part of the College Park Development, which includes a 7,000-seat stadium/center and 27,000 square feet of retail space. In addition to the Baja-style taco spot, there's also a Pho Xpress, Smiling Moose Deli, ... More >>

Chop House Burgers Announces Second Location, Plus Check the 12/12/12 Burger

Chef Kenny Mills of Chop House Burgers in Arlington (1700 W. Park Row Drive) is busy busy BIZ-EE! Last week we reported that he's expanding with a steak and seafood restaurant in Arlington. And today Mills signed a lease for a second Chop House Burgers, this one in Mansfield. See also: Don't Confu ... More >>

Kick Some Grass

Torchy's Tacos Is Coming to Arlington, Meanwhile Babe's Chicken Files Suit with Dallas-based Investment Firm

An article in the Star-Telegram reported a financial brouhaha between Dallas-based investment firm Southwest Securities and their dealings with the Arlington Babe's Chicken Dinner House and the recently renovated Arlington Music Hall, which is next door. Sandra Baker writes: "A state district jud ... More >>

Stonerpiphany: Pink Floyd + Lasers = Righteous

Midwesterners Take Heart: Maid-Rite is Now Open in Arlington

So, the deal with Maid-Rite is it's really old (85ish) and their meat is loose. And apparently the funny naming homophones are simply attributed to the original founder's inability to spell -- not that I'm throwing stones, seeing how my own house is kind of glassy there. Maid-Rite is a Midwestern s ... More >>

House of Blues' Chris Spinks: "Venues Should Be Able to Help Each Other, Rather Than Fight Tooth and Nail"

Chris Spinks' folks raised him on a strict diet of classic rock. His friends upgraded that diet to all things Epitaph and Fat Wreck Chords when he got a little older, starting with Social Distortion's Live at the Roxy. From there, he played in a pop-punk band or two, landed a gig at the Vans store, ... More >>

The Yu We're Looking For

I woke up this morning on the hunt for video of Yu Darvish's Arlington gem from last night, for those who may have missed it. The numbers don't do it justice (although with 10 Ks in 8 1/3, the numbers are great). The guy just looked like an ace last night, in total control of what seemed to be about ... More >>

Tornado Tally: No Deaths and Few Injuries, but Plenty of Wreckage Left Behind

The storms have moved on, but chaos is hanging around for another day: According to Oncor, some 4,000 people are still without power across the 'plex. NBCDFW reports that about 300 homes were damaged or destroyed in Lancaster, while an AP report from this morning says there were another 650 in Arlin ... More >>

What the Ballpark in Arlington Will Look Like When the Texas Rangers Return to the Field

Back in November the Texas Rangers invited media folk out to the Ballpark in Arlington for a sneak peek at $11.5 million worth of renovations being made out in Vandergriff Plaza, where, among other things, the team's adding a private-party zone, retooling the kids' area and building a new bar. Said ... More >>

Extreme Exremeness and Extreme Stuff!

Sardines! Doors! With Noises Off, Theatre Arlington Makes Slamming Good Comedy

Most of the laughs from Michael Frayn's farce Noises Off come from action, not dialogue. The play has three acts of nonstop physical comedy including doors slamming, pants falling, and plates of sardines and fire axes juggled among actors with split-second precision. In lesser productions than the g ... More >>

One of Arlington's Last Remaining Strip Clubs, Flashdancer, Takes City to Federal Court

​For years Flashdancer Cabaret -- the topless joint that sits on E. Randol Mill just across the freeway from Cowboys Stadium and the Ballpark in Arlington, or so I've been told -- has been at odds with the city and state, which have tried their best to shutter the joint. Used to be there were more ... More >>

Further Proof That the Only Thing Standing Between Civilization and Chaos is a "Deal"

In the end, that free-for-all at the Mesquite Walmart may turn out to be The Video That Defined Black Friday 2011 'round these parts. There are, though, other contenders, as revealed in home movies dispatched from Big Boxes from Hurst to McKinney to Arlington to the intersection of Skillman and Abra ... More >>

Before This Baseball Weekend, a Few of the Best Dive Bars in Arlington

Why Not? rules written over the bar include "No Overnight BS."​Recently we ran a little ditty about a few new eateries in central Arlington. In response, a couple of dive-savvy readers asked about the often-overlooked older bars in the area, all of which are just west of the Ballpark in Arling ... More >>

In Arlington, the Grease Monkey Offers Burgers, Beers, and a Ride to the Game

​ There's a little known yet painfully true secret amongst locals about central Arlington: "Division Street, it's not just for bums and hookers anymore." A perfect new example of this just off Division on Mesquite Street is The Grease Monkey Burger Shop, which is about a mile and half from Co ... More >>

Last Chance to Get in Line for Rangers Playoff Tickets, Fingers Crossed, and Other Game Notes

It's Colby v. McCarthy tonight. Hang on.​Nice to see our sports columnist thinks the race for the AL West is "over." Still, though, coulda sworn the Rangers have 18 games left on the schedule, including three against the Angels at season's end; the magic number remains a far-from-over 17. Guess th ... More >>

Mellow Mushroom and Grease Monky Burger Arrive on Arlington's Resurging Dining Scene

Lauren Drewes DanielsNew Mellow Mushroom in Central Arlington​See, you have to understand. This has been a long time coming. Sure, Arlington has some fine entertainment venues, but the restaurants surrounding said venues are like the high fructose corn syrup of eateries -- okay in small quanti ... More >>

Dallas Gas Drilling Task Force's Field Trip Was Practical, Educational and Quite Hot

Photos by Taryn WalkerThe crowd at yesterday's Arlington trip sizes up an actively drilling Chesapeake site.Tuesday, Dallas gas drilling task force members -- and city council members Angela Hunt, Linda Koop and, but of course, Sheffie Kadane -- poured out of two white 15-passenger vans and into the ... More >>

Just a Baby Headbanging To Pantera. That's All.

Baby likes Arlington's Own Pantera. Baby probably doesn't know that the song's called "Fucking Hostile," but he really doesn't care either. Baby has good headbanging form. Baby has solid rhythm for a toddler. Baby has the proto-circle pit arm swing thing down pat. Baby doesn't like when the song en ... More >>

Nammi's Vietnamese Food Truck: A Bit Pricey, but Convenience is Key

Kristy Yang​The Nammi food truck officially got rolling (poor pun intended) last week to much Internet fanfare. Social media was abuzz for the traveling Vietnamese food truck specializing in banh mi and Asian-influenced tacos. I was able to check out the colorful vehicle last Thursday and walk ... More >>

Taking It In Stride

Bonus MP3: The Famine -- "The New Hell"

Arlington's The Famine, not Andrew W.K. and friends.​In this week's paper, I take a close look at the new release from Arlington death metal quartet The Famine, called The Architects of Guilt, an album that, as early looks and listens revealed, is as technically proficient as it is brutal. In othe ... More >>

Watch: The Famine -- "Ad Mortem"

The Famine​In case you haven't been paying attention: Dallas-Fort Worth has been back on a metal kick of late, with new metal bands popping up and grabbing our attention -- like Warbeast and Maleveller, to name a few. Now there's another act to add to the list of attention-worthy upstarts: Arlingt ... More >>

Fill Your Super Bowl in Arlington. You're Going to Be Stuck in Traffic Anyway.

​As much as we hate to admit it, technically, the Super Bowl is being held in Arlington. So in honor of the big game in the little city west of us, here's a list of some Asian eateries to visit in Arlington. For banh mi: This is a toss up. Most locals are loyal to Ba Le on Browning. Indeed, ... More >>

Whitt's Merten's End: 12.31.10

One of Sports Pickle's best photos of 2010​It's been a fun two weeks, sports fans. Richie's back on Monday, but before I give him back his blog, here are some week-end thoughts before I go. *Sunday's Cowboys-Eagles game looks like it might be the first NFL start for Stephen McGee as Jon Kitna ... More >>

Dallas-FW, Briefly a Top-Five Contender in $1.5-Mil Food Bank Challenge, Is Falling Fast

​Two weeks ago today, Mayors Tom Leppert, Mike Moncrief and Robert Cluck asked locals to "like" Walmart's Fighting Hunger Together campaign, which is doling out $1.5 million to food banks nationwide -- $1 million to the top Facebook vote-getter, and $100,000 each to the next five highest-ranking c ... More >>

If You See This Man, And He's Wearing Cuffs, It's Because He Stole DPD Squad Car and Escaped

This morning, the Dallas Police Department sent some mugshots of a man named James Huffer Jr., who was arrested in the wee small hours of this morning near Cedar Springs and the Dallas North Tollway -- till he took off in a DPD squad car, which he drove to and ditched in Arlington. He remains on the ... More >>

Ba Le: Good Sandwiches, But Not Great

​A couple of weeks ago, when a visit to Ba Le in Garland proved disappointing, I teased that I would be trying out the much more highly recommended outpost in Arlington. The two restaurants couldn't be more opposite. While the Garland location is a small deli take-home type of establishmen ... More >>

Turns Out, It Takes Two Bushes to Throw Out One Opening Pitch for World Series Game Four

​This just in from John Blake and Major League Baseball: Yet again, Nolan Ryan will toss out the first pitch at the Ballpark in Arlington for a post-season game, when, tomorrow evening, he takes the mound for Game Three of the World Series. (And, no, apparently he's unavailable to work a few innin ... More >>

Randol Mill Road, You Ready For a Parade?

​Remember waaaay back in July when I posted this and took all kinda heat for getting ahead of myself and/or jinxing your Texas Rangers? With the Rangers seemingly headed for their first World Series championship, even the folks who matter are starting to ask the question: Where the heck ... More >>

You'll Flip At His Command

The House Is A-Rockin'

Out Of The Studio And Uncensored

Nolan Ryan Hints at Some Changes Coming to Ballpark in Arlington Next Season

Sam Merten​Speaking of the ballpark ...Texas Rangers president -- and, any day now, co-owner -- Nolan Ryan fielded some questions from ESPNDallas readers this afternoon, and during that chitchat he revealed: Yes, he and Chck Greenberg are going to make significant improvements at the 16-year-old B ... More >>

Have Yourself a (Cannon)Ball

FBI Confirms It's Investigating, With Arlington PD, a Series of Recent Attacks on Mosque

​The Council on American-Islamic Relations just sent word of that a handful of incidents at the Dar El-Eman Islamic Center in on Mansfield Road in Arlington in recent days have sparked an investigation involving the Arlington Police Department and the FBI. Says the release, on Sunday someone set i ... More >>