Dallas’ 9 hottest meals and restaurant tales in 2022

The largest story from the Dallas Morning Information meals crew in 2022 was not a meals story in any respect. It was about Buc-ee’s opening its largest-ever journey heart outdoors of Texas. The corporate has since seen the error of its methods — or, possibly, it capitalized upon yet one more juicy information second — and is now constructing the corporate’s greatest journey heart again residence within the Lone Star State. Disaster averted.

We’ve tossed the Buc-ee’s story apart. What you’ll discover listed below are our 9 most clicked-on meals tales in Dallas from 2022. You care about out-of-town restaurant expansions, resurrections of beloved Dallas manufacturers and something to do with beef.

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Beef: Let’s name it a theme. It was a meaty 2022, and we’ve received the information to show it.

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Portillo’s brings the meat to Texas

Portillo’s is greatest recognized for its Italian beef sandwich, says CEO Michael Osanloo.

The Dallas Morning Information’ most-read meals story of 2022 was a scoop about Chicago restaurant Portillo’s planting its first Texas location at Grandscape in The Colony. Earlier than that, all we knew was that the corporate would open a restaurant “close to Frisco.” And what’s the large take care of Portillo’s anyhow, some have requested? Portillo’s is a legendary Chicago firm promoting cheap, dependable meals. Its entry into Texas is huge for Chicago ex-pats and people who love Italian beef sandwiches and sizzling canine — two gadgets that may be exhausting to search out in Dallas-Fort Value.

You’ll need to hold impatiently ready for Texas’ first Portillo’s to open.

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McDonald’s goes excessive tech

Only a few weeks in the past, McDonald’s opened a take a look at restaurant within the D-FW city of White Settlement. It’s a smaller-than-usual Mickie D’s designed for third-party supply and grab-and-go service. It’s not full-on Jetsons over there but, however Claire Ballor experiences that there’s a conveyor belt that sends meals out to drive-through clients.

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Casa Rosa returns

There’s one thing particular about your favourite restaurant reopening. Casa Rosa, which opened in Dallas in 1981, is again after a virtually 20-year hiatus. (Ben Torres / Particular Contributor)

The headline “Beloved Dallas Tex-Mex restaurant returns after practically 20-year hiatus” caught your consideration, most likely as a result of Dallas-Fort Value has numerous beloved Tex-Mex manufacturers. This newest resurrection was Casa Rosa, a onetime restaurant open in Dallas beginning in 1981. Gilbert Cuellar Jr., of the El Chico household, introduced Casa Rosa again in 2022 and painted the partitions “unabashedly pink” like the unique’s.

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The story stirred up recollections for longtime Dallasites, and it felt like a contented return within the midst of a pandemic.

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Why are Dallas eating places charging service charges?

Talking of beef, numerous you had been miffed after studying a narrative about why Dallas eating places had been tacking on additional charges for dine-in and takeout meals in 2022. These charges had been a manner for native eating places to make up for misplaced cash through the pandemic. A standard service charge was 3% at some Dallas eating places, however I noticed one at a surprising 10%. Emily Williams Knight, CEO of the Texas Restaurant Affiliation, mentioned in February 2022 that these charges felt like an unfair tax on shoppers who had been shouldering the pandemic alongside struggling companies.

Knight made a suggestion that has now develop into the norm: Eating places must be clear in the event that they’re charging service charges. Or, extra generally, eating places ought to improve their meals prices as a substitute of charging charges clients don’t appear to grasp.

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Smokin’ the competitors

Smokey John’s BBQ went up towards Pecan Lodge in a contest hosted by Good Morning America in Could 2022. Smokey John’s gained, however for as soon as, there’s not a lot beef right here. The competitors made many people proud that Texas barbecue is getting a nationwide viewers.

The massive deal behind Shaq’s eating places

Shaquille O’Neal is the face of a rising rooster model referred to as Huge Rooster. Greater than 50 eating places are anticipated to open in Texas within the coming years, after a franchise settlement was inked in 2022. (Courtesy of Huge Rooster)

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After we discovered that Shaquille O’Neal bought a home in Collin County got here the extra scrumptious information: His Huge Rooster chain is shifting into Texas in an enormous manner in 2023. Most Huge Rooster clients order a fried rooster sandwich, CEO Josh Halpern tells us. (But additionally: We actually must see the cookie that’s apparently the circumference of a basketball. Name it a 2023 private purpose.)

Extra to come back on the place in D-FW Huge Rooster will land, and when.

No, not the enchiladas!

A number of you reacted to the information that 51-year-old Tex-Mex restaurant Herrera’s Cafe closed in April 2022. So how about some excellent news? In line with Fb, members of the Herrera’s household will open a brand new restaurant quickly in Dallas.

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Ranchman’s, will you ever be again?

On this DMN file picture, proprietor Dave Ross exhibits off the 24-ounze porterhouse steak with a baked potato at Ranchman’s Cafe in Ponder. Well-known people have eaten right here. (JAU, Helen / 134804)

We mentioned in January 2022 that Ranchman’s Cafe in Ponder, Texas had been closed briefly for 662 days. It’s now been over 1,000 days: nonetheless closed. What’s the deal? The proprietor instructed The Information that the 75-year-old restaurant is getting a major renovation. “My mission is survival,” proprietor Dave Ross mentioned.

He’s below a good quantity of strain as a result of Ranchman’s is a time capsule and a small-town gem. Meatloaf filmed a music video there, and chef Bobby Flay taped a Meals Community present. Cindy Crawford has eaten there. Within the late ‘60s, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway stopped in a number of occasions throughout film shoots for Bonnie and Clyde, during which they portrayed the robbers at close by financial institution.

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This out-of-the-way spot merely should stay on. Ross tells us in December 2022 that he’s getting nearer to the day when you’ll be able to come again in for a slab of beef and a fluffy sourdough roll.

An ode to the oldies

El Fenix is Dallas-Fort Value’s oldest restaurant. Are you able to identify the opposite oldies? (El Fenix / Employees Photographer)

What a delight to be taught that my favourite restaurant challenge of the 12 months was additionally probably the most common. (Thanks!) In Could 2022, I printed a listing of Dallas’ oldest eating places alongside profiles of probably the most historic ones, ages 75 years and up. A number of of those eating places closed in 2022. Those which have held on live legends — proof that in a fickle eating scene, the place the whole lot appears to be overpriced and overblown, eating places promoting tacos, barbecue, burgers or scrambled eggs can stay by means of three generations or extra.

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For extra meals information, comply with Sarah Blaskovich on Twitter at @sblaskovich.

To maintain up with the newest restaurant information, try dallasnews.com/meals.