But fear not, veteran Dallas chefs are coming in full force this summer with a bunch of exciting new concepts from downtown Dallas to, dare we say it, Plano.
We've already covered a few big openings this year, like Plama in Deep Ellum, Burger Schmurger in East Dallas and Vaquero's Bar-B-Q in Allen. Richard Rawlings of Fast N' Loud has a new spot in The Colony, too.
Our dining scene is about to get a whole lot smokier with a brand-new restaurant from Casey and Amy La Rue; Julian Shaffer is spreading his mixology genius across the city, and more Dallas chefs are giving us plenty to be excited for this summer.
Flamant
5880 State Highway 121 Flamant, a European-inspired bistro from the team behind Rye (which Guy Fieri visited recently) and Apothecary, was set to open in March 2025, but is now promised for June. When it opens, we can expect inventive dishes like croquettes with a dirty martini dip paired and a killer bar program with three espresso martini options (three!) and classics like a Vesper martini, and a Jamon Rye made with a jamon serrano washed in a private barrel of Ironroot rye. For the first time, we're stoked to drive to Plano.Projected opening: June 2025
Frenchie
8420 Preston Center Plaza Last year, Travis Street Hospitality of Knox Bistro, Le Bilboquet and Georgie, among others, nabbed the old Corner Bakery spot within The Plaza at Preston Center. Their vision is an all-day eatery and bar with French fusion food curated by lauded chef Bruno Davaillon. This concept will feature a more casual atmosphere with an even more attractive price point for diners.Projected opening: early June
Kilmac's
813 W. Davis St. Davis Street could support a pretty decent Irish pub crawl. The Dallas Morning News reports that Fergal McKinney, who owns Old Monk, Spider Murphy's, The Skellig and more, is opening Kilmac's, which is "more of a cocktail spot than a restaurant," just across the street from Old Monk in Oak Cliff. It's expected to open this summer and we will be watching closely.Projected opening: sometime this summer
Ayat
Potentially, 111 Spring Valley Road One of New York's top Palestinian restaurants is opening its first-ever location in Texas–Richardson, to be more specific. In an Instagram post shared by Ayat owner Abdul Elenani, he touched on the entire story of how this new outpost came to fruition, finishing the story by asking to "be welcomed with open arms. We promise to bring value, to give back, and to be a real part of this beautiful community."Note: The actual location has not been released, but we believe we found it using the photos they posted. It's allegedly across the street from the Waffle House in Richardson, and Beyond the Bottle Shop commented that they were excited to be on the same street as each other. All signs point to the now bulldozed Bold Sales Solutions on Spring Valley Road.
Projected opening: TBD
Ella
7949 Walnut Hill Lane Chido Taco Lounge in Frisco was rebranded to Casa Alma, but the Chido location in Dallas is transforming into Ella Dine + Drinks this summer. Desiree Gutierrez with the Observer reported that it will serve dressed-up comfort foods, such as chicken salad served on crispy chicken skin crackers and topped with sliced grapes. The bar program will be led by 2024 Michelin Guide Exceptional Cocktails award recipient Julian Shaffer, who earned the distinction while at Rye.Projected opening: June 2025
Mamani
2681 Howell St. The last of The Quad's buzziest openings will be Mamani, a fine European restaurant by Brandon and Henry Cohanim of Namo and Bar Colette. The brothers lured French-born chef Christophe de Lellis from the three-Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon restaurant in Las Vegas to tap into the Dallas market. The menu will feature French and Italian influences, but still be comfortable and approachable. The Mamani Instagram account uploaded three rendering photos in late May, so we can expect some opening murmurs to happen soon.Projected opening: early summer 2025
Night Rooster
1000 N. Riverfront Blvd. Night Rooster has had us perplexed for almost two years now. In December of 2023, The Woodmont Company announced they broke ground on this project, and it's been crickets ever since. But an Instagram post from four weeks ago gives us hope. Ambiguous hope, but still hope. "2025, Year of the Night Rooster," reads the caption. The 4,000-square-foot space will be a destination for Asian fusion food served in a dark and moody atmosphere. Night Rooster will also have a rooftop area with a view of the Dallas skyline and 3,000 square feet of outdoor seating inspired by a Hong Kong alleyway.Projected opening: late summer to early fall 2025
Cris and John's
5555 Preston Oaks RoadThe popular Mexican and Vietnamese fusion spot, Cris and John's, is relocating a wee bit further north to a space that promises the same large trays of amazing fare but with a wee bit more parking. This is one of our top 100 restaurants, meaning we're loyalists. Where thou goest, you know. Projected opening: late spring
The Oxford Rose Tavern & Supper Club
1900 Cedar Springs Road Back in March, we reported that the old Sugar Factory space was getting a glow-up, and this summer, a brand new tavern and supper club will be unveiled called The Oxford Rose. The tavern side is outfitted with a wrap-around bar, an ample number of TVs and a custom shuffleboard table, while the supper club side will be a destination for dinner and a nightcap. Also, live music will be at appropriate BPMs throughout the day for brunch and late nights. We don't have eyes on a menu, but we received the restaurant's press release back in March, so we imagine it's gearing up to open soon.Projected opening: summer 2025
Sauvage
1914 Commerce Street (inside The Statler) Woodfired omakase is the most recent unveiling from Casey and Amy La Rue, previously of Carte Blanche and currently of La Rue Doughnuts. The new concept will open inside The Statler Hotel in Downtown Dallas and serve 16-18-course tasting menus that will parallel the original vision for Carte Blanche, which closed last summer. Prices per person will start at $245, making it one of the most expensive tasting menus in Dallas.Projected opening: late summer 2025
The Mont
3729 Saint Amand Circle The Mont is bringing '50s and '60s mid-century modern luxury to Fort Worth's dining scene. The restaurant hopes to enhance what's there, but also stand out as an approachable neighborhood restaurant. It will have a chef-driven New American menu with handmade pastas, wagyu steaks and seafood that will be on rotation. Backing the menu is chef Michael Duff, who is known for his tenure at Eddie V’s in Fort Worth. Projected opening: summer 2025
Eledi
Location not disclosed Chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman, Victor Rojas and Carlos Marquez, all of José, are parting ways with the regional Mexican restaurant to embark on their own concept, Eledi. The new restaurant will emphasize live-fire cooking and embrace the flavors and techniques of Mexico, although they wouldn't call it a Mexican restaurant. It's slated to open later this year, and for the time being, they will be doing pop-ups around Dallas to introduce the dishes that will appear at the new place, reported Eater Dallas.Projected opening: TBD
