The Cowboys Bring a Southern Restaurant into Their New Jerry World: Giant Biscuits and Vegetarian Surprises Reign
BY Natalie Gempel // 09.22.17Southern restaurant Tupelo Honey opened its first Texas location in Frisco.
The Cowboys’ kingdom in Frisco just got a little more Southern with the arrival of Tupelo Honey, now open at The Star. It’s the North Carolina-based chain’s first restaurant in Texas and the largest location thus far.
Tupelo Honey serves upscale comfort food and modern reinventions of classic Southern dishes, with a local and seasonal spin. The Frisco location will have uniquely Texan touches like huevos rancheros and local beef. It’s open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
“Expanding into Texas was a natural move for the brand,” Tupelo Honey CEO Steve Frabitore said in a statement. “The Dallas/Fort Worth culinary scene is exploding, particularly in Frisco, and we found the perfect location at The Star.”
The large, stylish space includes an indoor bar, an outdoor bar, a huge patio, two private dining rooms, and a charcuterie and shellfish bar. There’s also a full jumbotron for Cowboys viewing parties, which the restaurant plans to host often.
The kitchen is headed by executive chef Thomas Robey, who was previously at the famous and James Beard award-winning restaurant, Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. Robey worked with Tupelo Honey’s corporate executive chef Eric Gabrynowicz to come up with the Frisco menu.
Robey’s expertise in Southern cuisine shines through in the restaurant’s lush offerings. The humongous biscuits, served with whipped butter and blueberry jam, are themselves worth the trek north. The Shoo Mercy Sweet Potato Pancakes with fried chicken, bacon and pecans are also super-indulgent and perfect for brunch. The Spicy Blue Corn & Coconut Grits proves that heavy Southern food can, in fact, be vegetarian.
But there are some unexpectedly light options as well. The Pear Salad with house-made cheese and honey mustard is tasty, as is the Kale & Quinoa Salad with watermelon radish and yogurt dressing.
In addition to the wide ranging food menu, Tupelo Honey has a pretty extensive beverage program. There are lots of fun craft cocktails (the Bluebonnet is a delicious tribute to the Lone Star State), sharable drinks, local beers, and wines.
It’s worth noting that martinis are $.75 during weekday lunch (be careful, y’all), and happy hour is 4 to 7 p.m. seven days a week with discounted drinks and $5 snacks.