Porttia Portis
Restaurants and Craft Beers Come and Go, But We Hope You Like Chicken and Rice!
Welcome to The Spread, our new weekly feature that aims to share all the area restaurant, food and beverage industry news that's fit to print. Except that this is the Internet, so space isn't a concern. Also: Good thing, because this is Dallas and this town always has breaking restaurant news going down like whoa.
Sure, restaurants pop up in Dallas more frequently than a Kardashian at an NBA Playoff game. But, still, this next bit of news is fairly notable: The folks over at Taco Cabana are planning on opening nearly 40 locations of their Carribean-infused chicken-and-rice Pollo Tropical franchise within the next two years. Whether the Florida-based chain finds success in a city that prides itself on their tacos remains to be seen, but that many openings marks a clear, substantial push. So get ready to see this place everywhere in the coming years.
Speaking of south-of-the-border fare: Despite their recent loss at Sunday's Margarita Meltdown, the newly opened Pozo Mercado restaurant on McKinney Avenue offers not one, not two, not three, but four different tequilas on tap, including Don Julio and Patron. But that's just the beginning of the laundry list of amazing-looking cocktails offered up at this new spot from the minds behind Sfuzzi and The Standard Pour. Most noteworthy of those other drinks? Their “Rio Grande,” in which frozen pieces of watermelon replace boring ice cubes, reports Thrillist. Clearly, we like this idea. Like, a lot.
Speaking of taps: The Mockingbird Taproom has closed according to a sign posted in the shop's window by the folks who run Mockingbird Station. The sign alleged that the restaurant had failed to pay rent and other fees, prompting the leaseholders to change the locks until payment had been received or other arrangements had been made.
Meanwhile, Rusty Taco is set to open the doors on their first Denton location. And while their Facebook page originally claimed the spot would be opened by April (and then later announced that the date had been pushed back to May) we're now hearing that the taco joint's new planned opening date is June 3rd.
Other recently opened restaurants around town include the following: Cafe 43, which is housed inside of the George W. Bush Library at SMU; Haystack Burgers and Barley in Richardson; Stupid Good Coffee in Downtown Dallas; Boxwood Tap and Grill in the old Thomas Avenue Beverage Co. spot that was vacated back in January; Freshii in Downtown Dallas; and Fish N Tails Oyster Bar in Richardson. And that's just the beginning, which speaks to our opening Kardashian joke.
Now that we're on the opening-and-closing front, let's talk beer, yes? Unfortunately, there's some bad news here: Local craft beer enthusiasts will most likely mourn the loss of the popular and limited Snowmacocoageddon brew from Rahr and Sons Brewing Company. Production of the delicious oatmeal stout rounded out with cocoa nibs has been indefinitely suspended, the brewery announced this week. On the same note, Lakewood Brewing Company announced the seasonal end of their popular Till and Toil Farmhouse Ale, but promises to resurrect the brew next spring. Meanwhile, Denton's Armadillo Ale Works, which now offers summer internships for aspiring brew masters, just recently launched their latest brew, Greenbelt Farmhouse Ale, to go with their already popular Quakertown Stout, which debuted at Denton's Oak St. Drafthouse back in March. And Deep Ellum Brewing Company also launched their latest beer creation Numb Comfort, a Pink Floyd-inspired American barley wine they began aging last April 20 — because of course. This news comes despite the fact that DEBC lost its head brewer, Drew Huerter, this past month. Lastly, Fort Worth's Martin House Brewing Company also launched a new brew called Day Break, a four-grain breakfast beer meant to taste just like a bowl of honey nut cheerios. Having tasted that one just the other day, I can say the following with confidence: It does not disappoint.
Lastly this week, we've learned that Hypnotic Donuts, which recently became the first doughnut shop in Dallas to also offer vegan doughnuts and cinnamon rolls, will now be launching BYOB, Rated-R bingo night. The concept: You bring some beer, grab a juicy chicken biscuit or a chocolate-covered, bacon-topped doughnut, and then play a racy round of bingo in the shop itself. The next bingo night is scheduled to take place on June 12, and you best act quickly and dial up the shop if you want in, as there are only 20 seats available each go. Just be sure you have $15 to spare on a deposit for your seat. The idea there? It helps prevent no-shows, apparently.
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