Matt's Rancho Martinez in Lakewood Has Closed

Matt's Rancho Martinez has closed shop in East Dallas after opening a large new restaurant in Allen.

April 3, 2023

Matt's has closed in East Dallas, but two other locations are still open. Taryn Walker

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On April Fool's Day we casually perused social media for clever jokes. We expected something from Burger King, AriZona Iced Tea perhaps, or even the snarky, yet hilarious, social media alter-ego of the braided red-headed mascot at Wendy's. Nope.

But we really hoped that Matt's Rancho Martinez was joking when it posted that, after 34 years in East Dallas, it was permanently closing. No such luck. Matt's last day of service was Sunday, April 2.

Matt's originally opened in Austin in 1952, moved up to Dallas in 1989 and has moved a couple of times, but was at this spot on Skillman Avenue for 11 years. There have been several Matt's across North Texas over the years.
In addition to the standard excellent Tex-Mex fare, there were some gems on the menu, like a fried chicken sandwich that former Observer contributor Nick Rallo swooned over. There's also the ginormous Bob Style chicken-fried steak topped with queso, sour cream and guacamole with rice and beans. And it'd be irresponsible not to mention the Bob Armstrong Dip, a bowl of queso with ground beef, guacamole and sour cream all in the same bowl, just like God intended. Yum.

Don't sweat it. These things aren't gone for good, just a bit of a drive. The Martinez family is hoping to push business to a new, larger restaurant in Allen at Central Expressway and McDermott. The Lakewood Advocate reported the family owns this new property and wanted to get out of leases. Certainly can't blame a family business for that.

And one commenter on social media confirmed they've moved the large mural of local personalities to the new location in Allen.

In addition to the Allen location at 401 S. Central Expressway, there's another Matt's in Royse City at 4765 State Highway 276.

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Lauren Drewes Daniels is the food editor of the Dallas Observer. She started working as a freelance writer in 2013 and became editor in 2021. She covers Dallas' evolving dining scene, the many openings and closings as well as trends and breaking news. She oversees annual lists including Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants and contributes to the Best of Dallas. If you have a tip about an amazing pastry, pie or taco, let her know.

Contact: Lauren Drewes Daniels

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