It’s been a significant season of restaurant closures in Dallas-Fort Worth, a reminder that good things don’t always last. What to do? Make dinner reservations, of course!
The June 2025 Hot List is stocked with barbecue joints, cocktail bars, date-night spots and family-friendly eateries. Make your summer plans now.
Restaurants listed in alphabetical order.
Bangkok at Greenville in East Dallas
For more than 30 years, Joe Pumphaung has served Thai food on the corner of Greenville Avenue and SMU Boulevard. It seemed like it was always there. But it won’t be come June 30, 2025, when the restaurant will close so the owners can care for their aging parents. “We know in our hearts that it’s time,” Joe and his wife Sunny Pumphaung said in a statement announcing the closing date. Better go back.
Bangkok at Greenville is at 4503 Greenville Ave., Dallas.
Dayne’s Craft Barbecue in Aledo
Dayne’s in Aledo isn’t new (or new to me), but after a recent interview with co-owner Dayne Weaver, his food and his way of doing business are easy to like. He started smoking meat in 2018 as a weekend hobby while he worked for the U.S. Postal Service on weekdays. He eventually moved into barbecue full-time. In a sweet full-circle story, his former boss, Simone Tannahill, retired from the post office and went to work at Dayne’s.
“He’s one of the best people I’ve ever met,” she said.
It was May 21, 2025, and a steady but manageable line of lunchtime customers formed, with no one waiting more than a few minutes. Six days later, Texas Monthly named it the No. 7 best barbecue restaurant in the state, and you can be sure the lines will get much longer now. Dayne’s is worth the wait, especially if you order the cheeseburger in addition to the ribs and brisket.
A burger, with barbecue? Seriously, get one. “It could vie for top burger in Texas, not just top burger at a barbecue joint,” Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn told me the day his top 50 list was announced.
Dayne’s Craft Barbecue is at 100 S. Front St., Aledo. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Far Out in the Fair Park/East Dallas area
Food lovers in Dallas lamented the loss of Petra and the Beast, one of the region’s most inventive restaurants that closed in late 2024. Set your maps instead to Far Out, the restaurant where Petra chef Misti Norris has relocated. Google calls it “Best Outdoor Patio Restaurant & Fun Bar in TX.” We’re going for the food: roasted garlic white bean dip, Texas tri tip, tagliatelle with white bolognese and whatever else Norris has on special.
Far Out is at 1906 S. Haskell Ave., Dallas. Dinner only. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Flamant in Plano
Fresh off a Michelin award for “exceptional cocktails” in late 2024, the operators of Dallas’ Rye are opening a restaurant in Plano inspired by the food in Spain, Italy and France. Cocktails are especially fun here, such as the gin martini with a speared anchovy on top or the margarita infused with pepperoncini.
Co-owners Tanner Agar and Taylor Rause purposefully filled the menu with “gotta have” items — dips in the appetizer section, a burger, a chicken entree and three pastas — but each have a culinary twist for those looking close. We called it one of the most exciting new restaurants opening in 2025.
Give ‘em until June 10, 2025, to get fully open. Then go check out a new restaurant in the suburbs with a magnetic personality.
Flamant is at 5880 State Highway 121 (at Granite Park), Plano. It opens June 10, 2025.
Gigi’s Bar and Lounge in Plano
There’s an eggs Benedict bar at Gigi’s in Plano. Let’s stop right there for our friends who love brunch. OK, onward: The new restaurant is named for founder Giza “Gigi” Mayorga, who wanted to open a Latin restaurant and lounge that serves brunch but also stays up late, reports our Imelda Garcia. Expect DJs in the evenings and special events like Noche de Despecho on Thursdays. That translates to “Night of Spite” — savage! Bring a single friend.
Gigi’s Bar and Lounge is at 7300 Lone Star Drive, Plano.
Goldee’s Barbecue in Fort Worth
Dallas-Fort Worth’s best barbecue joint, according to Texas Monthly’s top 50 list, is still Goldee’s Barbecue. It was crowned No. 3 in the state recently, behind Burnt Bean Co. in Seguin and LeRoy and Lewis in Austin. Those are 250 miles and 210 miles, respectively, from downtown Dallas. Save yourself some time in the car and head to Goldee’s in Fort Worth, where the brisket, sausage, ribs and sides are expertly made by some of the youngest pitmasters in Major League Barbecue.
Go early and bring some patience: Everybody wants to eat here.
Goldee’s Barbecue is at 4645 Dick Price Road, Fort Worth. Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only, starting at 11 a.m.
Hank’s Hideaway in Dallas
Haven’t heard of Hank’s? That’s because it’s a rooftop bar on the second floor of The Henry, open this summer only for tiki drinks. The menu includes margaritas, piña coladas and frozen daiquiris, report The Dallas Morning News’ Anna Butler and Syra Castillo. Tiki drinks can come with poke bowls and pork sliders. Hey! This sounds kinda like Surf Camp, the seasonal rooftop bar in downtown Dallas that will trade its tropical theme for something new. Those who liked Surf Camp might try Hank’s Hideaway.
Hank’s Hideaway is at 2301 Akard St., Suite 250, Dallas. It’s open through July 27, 2025.
Los Charros Tex-Mex Smokehouse in University Park
Let’s say you’re entertaining someone from out of town and you want to show them “Texas” food. That’s hard to define, but barbecue and Tex-Mex might work. Los Charros does both, serving things like fajitas, tacos and more made with meat smoked over post oak wood, the way pitmasters in Texas do. And better yet: For years, Los Charros’ co-owner has been cooking on the former Peggy Sue smoker, ever since the restaurant closed. SMU students and Park Cities folks might feel a draw to this near-Snider Plaza restaurant.
Los Charros Tex-Mex Smokehouse is at 6101 Hillcrest Ave. (inside The Graduate hotel, formerly the Lumen), Dallas.
Pane Nostro in Oak Cliff
If you’re seeking a date night spot this summer, consider quaint Italian restaurant Pane Nostro, which opened in spring 2025 in a house on 7th Street in Oak Cliff. Menu items include burrata with tomatoes, basil and capers; mussels in white wine and tomato-saffron broth; linguine alle vongole (clams); penne arrabiata; truffle gnocchi; and more. Bottles of wine are half-price on Tuesdays.
Pane Nostro is at 508 W. 7th St., Dallas. Dinner only. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Pecan Lodge in Dallas’ Deep Ellum
It’s been a big month for barbecue in Texas, and we’ll add one more restaurant to your list. Pecan Lodge, once one of Dallas’ best barbecue joints, can add “celebrity hot spot” to its accolades. Tom Cruise stopped into Pecan Lodge in late May 2025 ahead of the premiere of Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning in Dallas. You can eat like Cruise: Just go up to the counter and ask the staff which item they think Cruise liked best. (We are hoping they say the fried chicken or Hot Mess loaded sweet potato. Better get those two just in case.)
Pecan Lodge is at 2702 Main St., Dallas.
Starship Bagel in downtown Dallas, North Dallas and Lewisville
You like restaurants that have been on TV? Me, too. Starship Bagel makes its Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives debut June 6, 2025. There are two schools of thought here:
- Go before June 6 and beat the lines. Order a bagel with Starship’s basil cream cheese, which won Schmear of the Year at a bagel festival in New York last year. Brag on Instagram about being there before the Guy Fieri crowds form.
- Go after June 6 and ride the hype. Chat up the tourists in line who traveled from far away to eat a Guy Fieri-approved bagel. Still: Brag on Instagram.
Starship Bagel has shops at 6859 Arapaho Road, Dallas; 1520 Elm St., Dallas; and 1108 W. Main St., Lewisville.
Stewart’s Croquet and Cocktails in Fort Worth
Is croquet the next thing to do at bars? I have no idea, but I’m kind of rooting for it. Try it out at Stewart’s Croquet and Cocktails, Fort Worth’s newest bar from chef Tim Love.
In the small 28-seat bar, there’s a martini cart and caviar. And if you’re thinking ooh la la, you nailed it.
Out back, there’s a pretty green lawn with a game that doesn’t require a ton of athletic prowess. You can even hold a drink when it’s not your turn. See you there?
Stewart’s Croquet Club & Cocktails is at 4424 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth.
The Yard in McKinney
Patio restaurant The Yard in McKinney was named one of the most kid-friendly restaurants in the country — not news to the Collin County residents who’ve been going there for years, but useful to those who haven’t been yet. I can confirm: The Yard has good food and drinks, with a backyard where kids can roam while Mom sips a glass of wine.
Happy hour runs 2-6 p.m. on weekdays, with $6 select wine and cocktails, $7 queso and more. We love the “when it rains, we pour” special: Happy hour pricing applies anytime it rains.
The Yard is at 107 S. Church St., McKinney.
Check out past Hot Lists
- May 2025 — emphasis on burgers
- April 2025
- March 2025
- February 2025
- January 2025
- December 2024 — theme was cozy and affordable
- November 2024 — theme was quiet restaurants
- October 2024 — theme was fancy restaurants
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024 — theme was cool spots in hot weather
- June 2024 — theme was steak frites