Gangway Advertising for Rousso’s Concessions
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The Old Mill Inn at Fair Park is a Dallas landmark, once the second-oldest restaurant in Dallas (behind El Fenix) that operated there.
It was built in 1936 as a replica of the historic Burrus Flour Mill that once stood in McKinney. The Old Mill Inn was constructed using the mill’s original timber, which dates back to the days of the Texas Republic.
Over the decades, the building has been the site of the Borden’s Dairy Exhibit that generations of young Texans have visited, Youngblood’s Fried Chicken and an El Chico restaurant, but since the pandemic, it has sat dormant amid Fair Park’s sea of art deco geometry.
This year, State Fair of Texas concessionaire Isaac Rousso is taking stewardship of the building and turning it into a full-service bar and restaurant celebrating 90 years of Texas history.
Rousso was behind the cotton candy bacon on a stick that won the Big Tex Award for “Best Sweet” in 2024, and he went viral last year for his Dubai chocolate funnel cake fries.
But Rousso’s history goes further back than the salty-sweet win a few years back.
Rousso is a Dallas native and the son of Cuban immigrants who came to Dallas in 1962. Rousso is a University of Texas graduate and has been a vendor at the State Fair of Texas since 2005.
Whether you know him or not, you’ve likely indulged in his food already at one of his 13 concession stands inside the state fair every year. He’s behind the Magnolia Beer Gardens, Shiner Beer Garden, Cajun Cowboy, Rousso’s Fat Bacon, Holy Biscuit and Who Dat Daiquiris.
Rousso’s Concessions is a 12-time finalist in the Big Tex Choice Awards and has won four different awards: “Best Sweet” in 2024 for cotton candy bacon on a stick, “Most Creative” in 2016 for state fair cookie fries and in 2015 for a smoky bacon margarita and “Best Taste” in 2013 for his deep-fried Cuban roll.
Gangway Advertising for Rousso’s Concessions
The revival of The Old Mill Inn at Fair Park will help celebrate Rousso’s Concessions’ 21st consecutive year of partnership with the State Fair of Texas.
“The Old Mill Inn is one of the most magical, irreplaceable buildings in all of Dallas,” Rousso said in a press release. “When I walked through those doors, I saw everything it could be — the history, the architecture, the soul of it. I’m not just reopening a restaurant. I’m restoring a Texas treasure, and I’m doing it right.”
Rousso created an atmosphere that channels the soul of the Texas frontier with Mexican tile floors and warm wood tones, while offering a modern dining and entertainment experience.
It will be an inside-and-out experience, where the first thing diners will see is a sprawling outdoor patio that will seat around 300 guests.
It will sport a massive big screen for watching the World Cup matches throughout the summer. Even the property’s exterior water-powdered paddle wheel is being restored to add that extra charm to the patio.
Inside will resemble a ranch-style gathering hall that can seat up to 120 guests. A bar and lounge area is the focal point, with plush couches and cowhide rugs that encourage lingering.
Framing the interior are rare photographs and archival artworks on loan from the State Fair of Texas, including commemorative belt buckles from previous Big Tex outfits.
Rousso’s Cuban pulled-pork sandwich will be on the menu, along with award-winning fair foods, burgers, wraps, salads, flatbreads and charcuterie boards, all paired with over 20 different wines.
The Old Mill Inn at Fair Park is at 3611 Grand Ave. inside Fair Park and will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for walk-ins only.
For now, it will operate throughout the FIFA Fan Festival, the free World Cup watch hub that’s running from Thursday, June 11, to Sunday, July 19. Early visitors will get a taste of the full concept Rousso will unveil later this summer, ahead of the State Fair of Texas.
It’s best accessed from Gate 5, and you’ll find the restaurant across from where Big Tex stands during the State Fair of Texas.
