Two Beloved Restaurants Announce Unexpected Closings — The Dallas Dining Scene Changes to Know

It’s been a sad couple of days in the Dallas dining community to find out that two great restaurants in the city have announced closings. From a favorite sandwich spot to a Design District gem, these are the Dallas restaurant closings to know.

Great American Hero

4001 Lemmon Avenue

A favorite sandwich spot since its first downtown location opened in 1974, Great American Hero is closing its doors. Fortunately, it’s not for pandemic-related reasons. Owner Dominick Oliverie is simply ready to retire, according to the Dallas Morning News. He tells the paper he had hoped to make it to 50 years, but the spot, now located in the Oak Lawn neighborhood, is too successful (i.e. too busy) for its size. It’s a fact that fans of Great American Hero know well — the drive-thru queue is almost always spilling onto Lemmon Avenue during lunchtime. With fresh-baked breads like the popular focaccia and pickle samples they always offer when you come inside, it will be a sad day when the shop officially closes, but we’re happy Oliverie will be able to take a much-deserved break.

Oak

1628 Oak Lawn Avenue, Suite 110

A Design District gem for the last decade, Oak officially closed on July 31. Owned by Richard Ellman and restaurant group Apheleia, the space will eventually be replaced with something new from the same group. Ellman also owns Pakpao and El Bolero in the same neighborhood, but it was Oak that he opened first. Many Dallas chefs have run the kitchen at Oak over the past 10 years, including chefs Brian Zenner, Jason Maddy (who opened the spot), and Bill Trevino (most recent). Chef John Tesar also had a brief stint at the restaurant in 2015. Ellman also recently opened Hawthorn in downtown, in the AT&T Discovery District, if you’re looking to satisfy your sushi cravings while the restaurant group prep a new concept for the Design District space.

Teasom

3699 McKinney Avenue, Suite 510

Sadly, this favorite Dallas tea shop has closed their brick-and-mortar store in West Village, which just opened at the end of 2019, right before the pandemic began. Despite this solemn news, sisters and owners Minji and Jahee Son will continue to sell their artisanal teas on their website, and according to their Instagram post, will be attending some events soon in Dallas.