Late Summer Round-Up: Opening and Closings in the Dallas Restaurant Scene

We're more than halfway through August  — the weekend, or perhaps the happy hour, of summer. And as has been the trend for the past year now, many restaurants have opened up in Dallas and others have closed.

The Dallas Morning News reported that Imoto, a fine dining Asian restaurant at Victory Park, served its last meal on July 30 after being open for four years. The concept was run by chef Kent Rathbun and was known for serving up sushi and classic Asian dishes. Rathbun made the tough decision to shutter the restaurant due to hardships from the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’re a regular, you might have to find a new spot to eat before a Mavericks game or a concert.

The Great American Hero is moving out of its iconic pink and yellow building on Lemmon Avenue. But that doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. Due to a rise in rent, the iconic sandwich shop will relocate to the Timber Creek Crossing shopping center at Skillman and Northwest Highway.

Shug's Bagels will move into the stand-alone building being vacated by The Great American Hero. This will be the second outpost for the locally owned bagel shop, which has its flagship location near SMU. The new store will open some time next year.
Spiral Diner and Bakery, known for its plant-based comfort food, closed its Oak Cliff location on Aug. 14 after 14 years of service due to the increase in maintenance costs in the almost-century-old building. While it may sound like the end, the owners plan to open a new Spiral Diner in Arlington by 2023 and expand monthly specials for other locations.

Naf Naf Grill, a Middle Eastern food chain out of Chicago, opened its first Texas location in Frisco. Here you can customize a pita sandwich or bowl, much like at Chipotle.

For burger lovers, Rodeo Goat opened its eighth location on Preston Road in Frisco. The menu includes grass-fed burgers as well as an extensive drink menu with a selection of Texas craft beers and unique cocktails.
The popular Dallas dive bar Lee Harvey’s opened a swimming pool just across the street from the bar. For $16, you can swim for the whole day and enjoy a variety of drinks and poolside snacks. We got to try it out, and it's a perfect addition to The Cedars.

For nacho lovers, Landmark Bar and Kitchen has taken over the spot on SMU Boulevard that was most recently Texas Republic, and a Twisted Root prior to that. Look for a free happy hour nacho bar Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with $4 drinks.

Lucky’s Chicken opened a new location in the Webb Chapel area, its first to include a drive-thru for pick-up orders. Another new location is on Lemmon Avenue where Einstein Bros. Bagels used to be. A third location is expected to open on East Belt Line Road in Richardson later this summer; it will also include a drive-thru.
Sol Dias in Irving opened its doors in late June and is “soft” serving up Mexican treats using fresh, high-quality ingredients.

For East Dallas residents who want a lazy Saturday breakfast, locally owned KEESH Bakery is your go-to for fresh pastries and savory quiches delivered to your front door on the weekends.

Lexy's Dallas officially opened in Trinity Groves just this week. This modern American restaurant serves a menu of Texas classics with a unique twist. This spot is all the rage on social media right now, mainly for the pink-out decor and a Moet vending machine. We'll have more on this soon.

Tim Love opened a new restaurant in Fort Worth called Caterina's, a red-sauce Italian spot. The most talked-about thing so far here is the no cell phone policy.

Lakewood Brewing Co. recently added a full-service kitchen to the lineup at its brewery in Garland. Enjoy a few appetizers (yes, there are pretzels), salads, sandwiches and flatbread pizzas in the recently revamped brewery. This is definitely worth checking out soon.

Autonomous Society Brewpub just opened in The Cedars. It's the work of veteran brewer Dean Weaver. Expect a few of Weaver's own brews soon, but for now, the taps are running with local craft beer picks.

Maple Street Food Hall opened near the Medical District. Inside this space, you'll find Mai Eats Lao Kitchen and La Calle, which serves Mexican street food including tacos, elotes and aquas frescas. There's also a full bar.

A new Lucchese-style Italian restaurant from San Francisco recently opened in Frisco. Cafe Baonecci should be on your short list of new restaurants to try. Read more about the dishes and history of the spot in a first look from Hank Vaughn.

Starbucks has opened a new community store in East Dallas in Casa View. It's part of Starbucks’ Community Store Program Initiative providing economic opportunity in underserved areas.

There's also a new Starbucks in the old Taco Cabana on Lower Greenville Avenue that will open any day now, if it isn't already. That should make traffic on the busy strip even better.

The Korean chain Ssong Hotdog opened a new store in Addison, sharing space with an R&B Tea location. Try the fried mozzarella cheese sticks and green tea with salted cream cheese.

Brentwood opened in what used to be Houston's on Belt Line Road. This new concept is from Vandalay Hospitality, which also owns East Hampton Sandwich Company, Hudson House, Drake’s and Lucky’s Chicken. The menu here ranges from sushi to classic Americana. But it smells exactly like Houston's did. Weird.

Alas, The Lost Cajun, a franchise Cajun restaurant in Keller, has closed. The restaurant sued to halt minority preference for COVID funds back in 2021, and the owners themselves received more than $350,000 in funds. On July 11 they posted on Facebook: "There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven: The season for The Lost Cajun Keller has come to an end."