1-20-2010 — Restaurant review of Twisted Root Burger Co., Commerce Street location. The restaurant quickly fills at lunch time. 07252013xBRIEFING 07262013xGUIDE
Evans Caglage
Twisted Root Burger Co. has closed its original Deep Ellum restaurant after 20 years, ending the run of a Dallas burger joint that gained national attention from Guy Fieri and grew into a Texas chain.
The restaurant at 2615 Commerce St. was closed when The Dallas Morning News visited Friday. No notice explaining the closure was posted on the door, and the address is no longer listed on Twisted Root’s official website.
“After many memorable years, Twisted Root Deep Ellum has permanently closed,” the company said in a statement reported by CultureMap Dallas.
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“As our original location, this restaurant will always hold a special place in our story,” the statement said. “We’re incredibly grateful to every guest, neighbor and team member who supported us along the way. Thank you for the memories and for being part of where Twisted Root began.”
The company did not disclose when the restaurant served its final customers or why it closed. Local Favorite Restaurants, which owns Twisted Root, did not immediately respond to a request for additional information.
Restaurant gains national attention
Chefs Jason Boso and Quincy Hart opened Twisted Root in 2006 in the former Crescent City Cafe space. Boso had worked at the Four Seasons Resort, while Hart worked at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse.
Twisted Root’s profile grew nationally in 2009 when Fieri featured the restaurant on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. It appeared in an episode titled “A Burger, a Bowl and a Slice.”
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Food Network reported at the time that Twisted Root was serving more than 2,000 burgers each week. Fieri sampled its Western Burger, a venison-and-bison burger and spicy fried pickles.
Twisted Root subsequently expanded across Texas and into neighboring states.
The company changed ownership in December 2020, when Local Favorite acquired it, according to previous reporting by The News. Earlier that year, entities operating three company-owned Twisted Root restaurants in Arlington, Carrollton and Coppell filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Local Favorite also owns El Fenix, Snuffer’s Restaurant & Bar, Village Burger Bar and Cotton Patch Cafe.
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Deep Ellum faces continued turnover
Twisted Root joins several restaurants, bars and entertainment venues that have recently closed or announced moves from Deep Ellum, although the businesses have cited different reasons.
Related: The North Texas bars and restaurants that have closed this summer
Zåtar Lebanese Tapas & Bar, about three blocks east of Twisted Root at 2825 Commerce St., plans to close by the end of August after nearly a decade. Zåtar cited ongoing construction and other challenges.
The closure comes amid prolonged road construction along Commerce Street that has narrowed the roadway, reduced parking and complicated access to businesses. Deep Ellum operators previously told The News that the disruption was discouraging customers and contributing to declining sales.
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Twisted Root has not said whether the construction played a role in its closure.
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Select Start Arcade & Bar has left its Main Street location and is relocating to 4503 Greenville Ave., near SMU. Its official website says the new venue is under construction and expected to open in September.
KANVAS, a restaurant and sports lounge that opened at 2823 Main St. in June 2024, permanently closed July 19. Owner Kevin Kelley cited violence in the surrounding neighborhood, saying the business could protect customers and employees inside the venue but could not control conditions outside it.
Other recent departures include Deep Sushi, which closed until further notice in early January after 29 years; Dot’s Hop House and Cocktail Courtyard, which closed Feb. 1 after a decade on Commerce Street; Komodo Dallas, which closed May 18; and Amor y Queso, which closed July 20 after its owner cited sluggish sales.
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Twisted Root’s website lists 12 remaining Texas locations. Seven are in D-FW: Arlington, Bedford, Carrollton, Coppell, Mansfield, Plano and DFW International Airport. The others are in Abilene, Athens, Lubbock, San Angelo and Waco.
The Deep Ellum closure leaves the chain without a restaurant in Dallas proper.