Fred’s Texas Cafe will open a third location at 3505 Bluebonnet Circle in the space formerly occupied by Love Shack, which closed in June. The new Fred’s Texas TCU will also take over the neighboring Oui Lounge, formerly operated by Tim Love’s management team. “Of course, you can’t replicate the Fred’s original, so this is going to be Fred’s TCU,” said Fred’s Texas Cafe owner and chef Terry Chandler, who is co-owner of the new location with longtime business partner Quincy Wallace. “We’ll have lots of TVs and sports going on. If there will ever be a Fred’s sports bar, I guess this would be it.” Chandler is anticipating a late September opening and says there are plans for a patio down the road.
“The patio won’t be anywhere to the magnitude of the Fred’s original and won’t be as small as Fred’s North,” he said. Fred’s Texas TCU will offer the same hamburger-focused menu as previous locations, which include the decades-old original at 915 Currie St., which recently underwent an extensive patio remodel, and Fred’s Texas Cafe North at 2730 Western Center Blvd. There are plans for occasional live music at the new location, but the emphasis won’t be on music, Chandler says. “If the clientele wants music, we’ll have more, but I think this will be more sports oriented.” Kyle Poulson, managing partner for the property owners, said, “We couldn’t be more excited that Terry and Quincy will be bringing the Fred’s brand to the TCU area. Fred’s is an institution. It will be an incredible addition to the area and Bluebonnet Circle.”
More gourmet tacos Add 333’s Gourmet Taco Shop at 3809 Colleyville Blvd. to the list of gourmet taco destinations in Tarrant County, a list that already includes Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, Torchy’s Tacos and the new So-Cal Tacos, a food truck that will open its first brick-and-mortar location soon in Grapevine. What makes 333’s unique? All fish is market fresh and never frozen, bacon is cured in-house and nitrate-free, meats are roasted on-site, and flavor combinations feature American regional influences such as Hawaiian-inspired poke tacos, surf and turf tacos with grilled steak and shrimp, and chile relleno tacos offering deep-fried and stuffed poblano peppers. The game changer? How about a lobster mac-and-cheese taco? “It doesn’t take an experienced palate to try our food, but it’s definitely something people are surprised with,” said Valarie Proudfoot, a second grade teacher from Frisco who co-owns the new restaurant with Jesse Ford, who comes from a marketing background. The two opened the restaurant early this month in the former location of British restaurant From Across the Pond, which moved just down Boulevard 26 to North Richland Hills. The taco shop is the first restaurant endeavor for both Proudfoot and Ford, both foodies who’ve cooked for friends for years, Proudfoot says. Other unique selections include the chicken and waffle taco – fried chicken, fried sweet potatoes and bacon packed into a pancake tortilla shell and drizzled with syrup – and market-fresh fish tacos that feature rotating fish selections based on what’s available. “We keep hearing our fish tacos are some of the best that people have had,” Proudfoot said. “They come with a mango-infused barbecue sauce and guacamole and people really seem to like it.”
DFW Restaurant Week reservations are under way Make your reservations now for the 16th annual DFW Restaurant Week presented by Central Market, which begins Aug. 12 and runs up to three weeks at various locations. The fundraising event, which benefits Lena Pope Home, offers three-course dinners at dozens of fine dining venues for $35 or $45, depending on the restaurant. Standout menus include: from Tillman’s Roadhouse, a choice of salad or lobster bisque, seared scallops over potato pancakes, corn gnocchi or pork tenderloin, and banana bread pudding with almond ice cream or a sorbet trio ($35); from Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, a choice of salad, choice of duck, tenderloin or cod and a dessert surprise ($45); from Reata, a bacon and egg salad, choice of tenderloin, pork shank or redfish and crème brulee or molten chocolate cake ($35). Receive a complimentary fourth course at select DFW Restaurant Week participants with a voucher from Central Market, free with a purchase of $25 or more while the vouchers last. www.dfwrestaurantweek.com.
Miss Saigon Cafe II new on Camp Bowie The former Sonny’s Diner space at 6220 Camp Bowie Blvd., which had a brief stint as Sate Cafe, is now Miss Saigon Cafe II. The eatery is a sister restaurant of the original Miss Saigon Cafe in Hurst at 932 Melbourne Road. Owner Lydia Hont says she is serving strictly Vietnamese cuisine, including pho, the traditional Vietnamese noodle soup that’s served piping hot with fresh garnishes including bean sprouts, basil and limes, as well as beef and rice dishes, banh mi sandwiches and rice paper-wrapped spring rolls. Orders are taken at the counter and lunch and dinner are offered daily, but only until 6 p.m. on Sunday.