California Cult-Favorite Mendocino Farms to Open in Downtown Dallas

Having opened its first four Texas locations in Houston, it’s about time Dallas got one of Los Angeles-based Mendocino Farms’ cult-favorite salad and sandwich shops. Located at 2000 Ross Avenue, where several new restaurants (Roti’s, Sloane’s Corner, Royal Blue, 400 Gradi) have opened up over the past few months, the California transplant will make the section of Ross Avenue at Harwood and Olive even more accessible for midday lunches and after-work drinks.

Opening day? March 11 at 11 am.

With a focus on supporting local farmers, the chef-driven eatery serves up a fresh, flavorful menu along with craft beer and wine. Sandwiches include the popular Farm Club, Mendo’s Original Pork Belly Banh Mi, and (a personal favorite) the “Not So Fried” Chicken sandwich.

Salads are a whole other adventure on the Mendocino Farms menu. One of the most popular items, the Avocado & Quinoa Superfood Ensalada, comes with the interesting addition of “superfood krunchies,” a blend of crunchy fried quinoa, millet, heirloom red rice, and nutritional yeast. Having recently tried the salad at a Houston Mendocino, I can attest that the healthful “krunchies” (though somewhat gravel-like) are strangely addicting.

Other salads include the “Save Drake Farm’s,” named for a goat dairy farm in California that was in fact saved from bankruptcy thanks to the success of the menu item. It features shaved, roasted chicken breast, dried cranberries, crushed honey roasted almonds, and Drake’s herb-marinated goat cheese.

Mendocino Farms was originally founded in 2005 in Los Angeles by husband-and-wife duo Mario Del Pero and Ellen Chen. The next expansion to Dallas is natural fit, given that Mendocino’s CEO Kevin Miles is a Dallas native.

“Our goal is to be a neighborhood gathering place for co-workers, friends, and families to come together over uniquely delicious, fresh, and seasonal food,” Miles says. “We cannot wait to bring our approachably adventurous menu to foodies in Downtown Dallas.”