A 55,000-Square-Foot Food Hall Featuring 22 Eateries, A Brewery And Live Music Is Now Open In Plano’s Legacy West. Are You Ready?
If you live or work in Plano, you’re already most likely enamored with Legacy West. But with the addition of Legacy Hall to the area, the ‘burbs just got crazy appealing — yes, even to those living inside the I-635 bubble.
Spurred on by the recent additions of Toyota, Liberty Mutual, new residential building, a brand new Marriott boutique hotel and more entities either already there or one the way, the latest concept from Front Burner Restaurants (Whiskey Cake, Mexican Sugar, Velvet Taco, Ida Claire, The Ranch at Las Colinas, and Sixty Vines) aims to not just entertain the feed the uptick in bodies in this part of Plano, but to draw even more crowds from across the region into this specific area.
After getting a recent sneak peek at Legacy Hall, allow me to give you a virtual tour of this impressive new suburban destination.
Walking into the spot, the thing you’ll notice are its 22 food stalls, each of which is run by an independent restaurateur — but someone with a track record, most likely, who has been vetted, taste-tested and analyzed from an operations perspective by a five-person Legacy Hall committee. Picture a food court with class, where deciding what to get for lunch isn’t about choosing the lesser of all the evils, but something much, much more difficult. Everything sounds good.
Too stressed to decide on what to eat? No need to decide right away; you can grab a drink first. On the first floor of the building, there’s the main bar with its on-the-nose Bar Main name that features craft cocktails, a curated wine list and ice-cold beer piped directly into the taps from the third-floor upstart Unlawful Assembly Brewing Co. Up on Unlawful’s third-floor bar The Tap Room, you can order more beer along with classic pub fare. Wine more your speed? Sample the “natural” wines — sustainable and organic options with minimal additives — available from Détour, while indulging in a menu of charcuterie, cheese and paninis. Looking for cocktails? Beyond Bar Main, several options abound, including the Idol Time tiki bar, Texas Stillhouse bar, a margarita cantina Lime & Lager and the drinks served on the second-floor Good View bar that aim to be lighter, patio-style sips.
Looking for more distractions? When finished, the still-being-built outdoor concert venue called the Box Garden will host mostly regional and national acts performing on a 600-square-foot stage.
Finally, it’s time to make sure you’ve got a credit or debit card on you (interestingly, Legacy Hall is a completely cashless operation), take a deep breath and choose your lunch. Below is a rundown of your options.
- Berrynaked. All-natural, organic, even good-for-you food porn in the shape of a popsicle.
- Blist’r Naan Wraps. From restaurant veterans Mark Brezinski (Velvet Taco, Pei Wei), Pardeep Sharma (India Palace, Roti Grill) and Suze chef-owner Gilbert Garza comes these modern, Indian-spiced wraps and bowls.
- Bravazo Rotisserie. Because sometimes life gives you the bird and you need to eat a chicken.
- Carlton Provisions. Barbecue from the minds behind Chili’s can be found down by the live music stage.
- Degenhardt Brat Haus. Pork, beef and chicken-based brats from a German brat husband-and-wife team armed with 30 years of family recipes.
- Détour. As mentioned above, this spot has natural wines, cheeses, charcuterie and paninis.
- Enter the Bao. Chef Roger Wang is most likely slowly braising pork belly to stuff into soft, slightly sweet buns as you read this.
- Everett and Elaine. You’ve seen this baking duo’s goods at the Dallas Farmers Market, Royal Blue Grocery, Ascension Coffee, Market Provisions Co. and Sip Stir Cafe. Now, Legacy Hall is giving them their own space to play.
- FAQ:.Q: What do they serve? A: Flautas and quesadillas.
- Forno Nero. The name means black oven. Makes sense: There’s a big, black, 900-degree pizza oven turning out Neapolitan pies from the folks behind the Irving-sprung Cavalli Pizza brand.
- Freshfin Poke. On-trend food is a big focus for Legacy Hall, so obviously a poke joint is necessary.
- Glazed Donut Works. Creators of the late-night doughnut grilled cheese, the best-tasting vegan donuts in town and the most beautiful, high-quality doughnuts Deep Ellum has ever seen will now be slinging its stuff in Legacy West too.
- Haute Sweets Pâtisserie. This familiar, award-winning area brand will also be selling macarons, cookies, ice cream and ice cream sandwiches here.
- Knife Burger. Celebrity chef John Tesar will now be grilling up the beloved burgers from his Knife steakhouse in Dallas (read: The Ozersky, The Pimento, a patty melt and The Magic) counter-style in Plano.
- Monkey King Noodle Co. Outpost. Think scallion pancakes, noodles and veggies from MKNC’s Andrew Chen. (Opening December 17.)
- Press Waffle Co. One of the most Instagram-worthy eateries at Legacy Hall, this spot’s loaded waffles are offered as sweet or savory creations, so it’s perfectly acceptable to eat one for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- Red Stix Yakitori & Banh Mi. Chef Uno Immanivong has enjoyed much success out in Trinity Groves by merging Latin and Asian cuisines at Chino Chinatown. Now she’s bringing stick meats and banh mi sandwiches on toasty baguettes to Legacy Hall.
- Roots Chicken Shak. Another celebrity chef, another staple. This time, it’s chef Tiffany Derry of Master Chef, Top Chef Jr. and Hungry Investors fame whipping up her famous duck fat fried chicken.
- Sea Breeze Lobsta’ & Chowda’ House. Hold onto your “R”s, guys. This spot on the second floor, the second outpost of Sea Breeze in Plano, will be serving lobster rolls (both New England and Connecticut styles), plus shrimp cocktail, clam chowder and more.
- Shawarma Bar. Fans of Souk in Trinity Groves and Baboush in West Village will be eager to taste Shawarma Bar, the latest from Yasir Khalaf. Choose a wrap or a bowl with falafel, chicken, steak or the traditional lamb shawarma filling.
- Tacos Patron. Lunch without tacos is like a taco without a tortilla. These street tacos promise authenticity, swearing to leave the “Tex” out of its Mex.
- The Juice Bar. Don’t have time to chew? That’s cool; just grab-and-go from The Juice Bar, with its cleanses, juices, smoothies, bowls and more.
- Whisk & Eggs. Whisk Crepes over in Sylvan | Thirty is a cute little crepe joint run by a Frenchman named Julien Eelsen. This stall from that very same Frenchman will offer crepes, quiche and food porny-looking breakfast egg sandwiches on bread from Village Baking Co. Oui!
…and there’s your virtual tour. You can see the real thing yourself, starting today.