5 Surprising Dallas Restaurant Closings — Design District Staples, Lobster Roll Haven, and Deep Dish Pizza Joint

Your Weekly Need-To-Know Dish

BY Megan Ziots // 10.02.24

Shodo shutters along with two other Design District concepts from ARG. (Courtesy)

Three of Apheleia Restaurant Group's concepts have closed in Dallas' Design District including Pakpao. (Courtesy)

Yo Lobster shutters at Highland Park Village. (Courtesy)

Shodo shutters along with two other Design District concepts from ARG. (Courtesy)

The Dallas dining scene is forever evolving. To help you stay in the know, we’ve gathered the buzziest openings, the unfortunate closures, and any other food news we might find fitting. This Dallas Dish is your weekly helping of need-to-know Dallas restaurant closings.

Pakpao Dallas — Three of Apheleia Restaurant Group’s concepts have closed in Dallas’ Design District including Pakpao. (Courtesy)

Shodo, El Bolero, and Pakpao

Design District

As first reported by CultureMap, three of Apheleia Restaurant Group’s (owned by Richard Ellman) concepts have closed in Dallas’ Design District. The most surprising closure is the recent addition of Shodo in the former Wits Steakhouse (another ARG restaurant) — an upscale Japanese spot. Both the group’s Mexican restaurant El Bolero and Thai concept Pakpao lasted around 10 years. The news comes just after Dallas Observer published a story about employees of ARG being owed hundreds of dollars in tips and wages. This was during the time Local Favorite Restaurants was in talks to purchase Ellman’s company, but the deal fell through leading to these sudden closures.

YO! Lobster

33B Highland Park Village

Chef Nick Badovinus (Town Hearth, Brass Ram) has shuttered his Highland Park Village seafood concept, according to a “Permanently Closed” banner on its Google listing. The spot debuted in late 2020 and we enjoyed our visit to the East Coast-style restaurant a few months later. The lobster rolls were fresh and delicious, and the intimate ambiance was on point. Badovinus’ Perfect Union Pizza Company had also closed in the same space before Yo! Lobster opened so maybe we’ll see another of his creations debut in the now-empty space? We will keep you posted.

Taste of Chicago

14833 Midway Road, Addison

SHOP

Swipe

This long-time Addison pizza joint is closing after 10 years on Sunday, October 27. According to a release, the building is being sold to an apartment developer so Taste of Chicago has got to move. The owners are giving customers one last opportunity to dine at the original deep dish spot this month, but they hope to find a new home soon.