ARLINGTON
A new location of the Londoner Pub and a new upscale Tex-Mex restaurant will come to Arlington as the city prepares for the Texas Rangers’ baseball season and FIFA World Cup soccer matches.
The Londoner, a popular Dallas-area British pub and soccer hangout, will take over a former sports bar at 1409 N. Collins St. before Arlington hosts nine sold-out World Cup matches June 14-July 14 at AT&T Stadium, renamed for the matches as “Dallas Stadium.”
Loma TXMX, a contemporary Tex-Mex restaurant from barbecue pitmaster Brandon Hurtado, will open in two weeks at 1101 Nolan Ryan Expressway South, replacing a restaurant from Houston in the space under Choctaw Stadium across from the Loews Arlington hotel and Globe Life Field.
The Rangers’ first game is April 3 against the Cincinnati Reds.
Wagyu beef enchiladas at Loma TXMX in Arlington, Texas. Courtesy of Brandon Hurtado
The restaurants follow the new Arlington location of The Original Roy Hutchins Barbeque, which opened March 13 at 1600 E. Copeland Road, on Interstate 30 a half-mile north of AT&T Stadium and 1 mile from Globe Life Field,
All three restaurants mark a breakthrough around the stadiums, where concourse dining options have grown in recent years but surrounding eateries have suffered due to traffic, parking and a lack of neighborhood business in the city’s well-worn Entertainment District.
Pappadeaux Seafood remains busy, but two of the most popular nearby restaurants have been value-conscious dining options such as a recently remodeled Chili’s Grill & Bar and an all-you-can-eat Asian Buffet.
Inside Loma TXMX, a new contemporary Tex-Mex restaurant opening in a corner of Choctaw Stadium opposite the Loews Arlington and Globe Life Field. Courtesy of Brandon Hurtado
Loma TXMX lured highly regarded Dallas chef Humberto Lira from Ruins in Deep Ellum to put together its opening menu of wagyu fajitas and enchiladas, tortillas made with beef tallow and dishes such as an achiote pork chop with green posole grits or snapper over a poblano risotto.
Customers are already booking tables at Loma TXMX during the soccer matches, Hurtado said., He’s considering longer hours.
Chicken milanesa with elote velouté at Loma TXMX. Courtesy of Brandon Hurtado
At Zack’s Bistro, a cozy neighborhood steakhouse and wine bar at 900 E. Copeland Road, owner Zack Moutaouakil said he will open seven days a week during the World Cup and has heard from large groups booking lunch or dinner.
“What reataurants need to know,” Moutaouakil said, “is that these supporters don’t go to a restaurants and ask for a table for two. It’s usually a group of 10 or more traveling together and dining together.”
The Londoner, open nearly 30 years in various Dallas-area locations and nearly 15 years in Colleyville, will replace an Arlington location of the unfamiliar Shakertins sports bar.
England is one of the teams to play a Cup match in Arlington. It meets Croatia June 17.
Beer-battered Atlantic cod and chips at the Londoner Pub location in Colleyville. Bob Booth Special to the Star-Telegram
Online searches are increasing for “British pub Arlington” along with searches for stadium-area restaurants such as the historic Candlelite Inn, Pappadeaux, Roy Hutchins Barbeque and Pappasito’s Cantina, 1½ miles west of the stadiums.
The Londoner is a dimly lit pub known for soccer on TV, but also serves a consistent menu of pub food such as fish and chips, haddock and chips, Scotch eggs, bangers-and-mash, a Reuben and an award-winning sticky toffee pudding.
june 14
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Bud Kennedy is celebrating his 40th year writing about restaurants in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has written the “Eats Beat” dining column in print since 1985 and online since 1992 — that’s more than 3,000 columns about Texas cafes, barbecue, burgers and where to eat.
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