5 Mid-January Dallas Restaurant Openings

“New year, new me” is a bit of an overused saying this time of year, but the Dallas restaurant scene seems to have embraced it wholeheartedly. Within the first weeks of 2024, we’re already seeing a flurry of exciting new restaurant openings. From the upscale to the lowkey and everything in between, January’s new restaurants are setting quite the tone for the rest of the year.

In addition to some much-hyped restaurants coming from out of town, this is also an exciting month for locals, including nightlife mainstay DJ Sober's first foray into the restaurant business, and veterans of the Bishop Arts dining scene Amy Wallace Cowan and Jason Roberts expanding their universe of restaurants.

Here are the first tastes (literally and figuratively) of what this new year of dining will have to offer.

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Esco Restaurant and Tapas

1300 Jackson St.

Esco, an Atlanta-based chain from rapper 2 Chainz and his business partner, Mychal “Snoop” Dillard, made its Dallas debut this month downtown, just around the corner from the AT&T Discovery District. The menu offers familiar Southern cuisine, seafood and bar food, including crab cakes, shrimp and grits and red velvet chicken and waffles. There's also a sizable cocktail menu as well as hookah available for purchase. Esco operates as a restaurant by day and a lounge by night. In other words, this spot from 2 Chainz is 2 Thingz at once.

Herby’s Burgers

2109 S. Edgefield Ave.

Herby’s is a new burger joint in Oak Cliff and an all-around delight. Dreamed up by Will Rhoten, the ubiquitous Dallas DJ and event producer known as DJ Sober, along with Peaberry Coffee owner Elijas Salazar and Rev’s Grilled Cheese’s Jake Saenz, Herby's oozes charm at every level, from the nostalgic, retro aesthetic to the mascot, Rhoten’s dog, for whom the restaurant is named. On top of all that, the hearty, unpretentious smash burgers are a hit. Salazar told us in an interview that he envisioned Herby’s as “a neighborhood spot anyone can enjoy.” We can’t say we disagree.

Jaquval Brewing Co. & Trades Delicatessen

312 W. Seventh St.

Owners Amy Wallace Cowan and Jason Roberts, the team behind Bishop Arts businesses Oddfellows and Revelers Hall, debuted the nanobrewery Jaquval Brewing earlier this month. In addition to the craft beer, head chef David Rodriguez has created a menu of pub food designed to compliment the drinks, including fish and chips, pastrami poutine and the much-requested comeback of the French dip formerly served at Oddfellows. Trades, a soon-to-open deli next door, will  serve bagels, sandwiches and coffees while it completes the pun. (Get it? “Jack of all trades?”)

JOEY Dallas

8687 N. Central Expressway

The first Dallas location of the Canadian-based, globally inspired restaurant chain is set to open at NorthPark Center on Jan. 18. Keeping with a tradition of honoring each location’s culture in the design, JOEY has commissioned works from local artists with an “edgy, western” aesthetic, including B. Shawn Cox, Whitney Avra and Melinda Blue. The menu for the Dallas location is already available online and provides a sense of the restaurant’s wide appeal; there's a vast selection of steak, sandwiches, sushi and pasta. JOEY seems like the ideal choice for your group of friends who can never agree on where to eat.

Sanjh

5250 N. O'Connor Blvd., Irving

Described as “paying homage to 3,500 years of rich, historic Indian cuisines,” Sanjh is an upscale Indian restaurant from entrepreneur Sanjay Joshi and Prob Arora, who was the co-owner and general manager of The Saffron House in Addison during its 14-year run. This new spot will open on Jan. 18 in Las Colinas. Three thousand five hundred years is a huge window to draw inspiration from, but the menu from chef Balpreet Singh Chadha is succinct, offering about two dozen mains. There’s plenty of seafood, poultry and vegetarian options as well as dosas, and Indian crepes made from rice and lentils. In addition to the cocktail menu, there’s a solid selection of mocktails, just in time for Dry January.