Seafood News

Spicy boiled seafood restaurant shacks up with Fort Worth's Alliance Town Center

Boiled seafood is coming to Fort Worth.

Photo courtesy of Shell Shack

A small, popular seafood restaurant chain is making its Fort Worth debut. Shell Shack will open a location at Parkside at Alliance Town Center, where it will serve seasoned crab, shrimp, oysters, and more. The restaurant is anticipated to open in summer 2018.

Shell Shack debuted in Uptown Dallas in 2013. Since then, three more branches have opened, in Plano, Mesquite, and Arlington's Lincoln Square.

The Fort Worth location will have a 5,000-square-foot interior, with an additional 2,262-square-foot patio. Parkside at Alliance Town Center is the 3.5-acre project in North Fort Worth, bringing dining and nightlife to a beautiful setting that looks onto Bluestem Park and includes a live music stage, outdoor seating, bocce ball, and cornhole.

Shell Shack is noted for its vibrant interior, eye-catching colors, chalkboard walls, and full bar. The menu is anchored by crab and proprietary seasoning blends that infuse everything with intense, delicious flavors.

The bestseller is the boil, a giant shareable bag to spread on your table, loaded with choice of crab, shrimp, or crawfish, plus potatoes, corn, and sausage — all mixed up with one of the flavorful seasonings and spiced to your preferred heat level.

Other dishes include oysters, catfish, burgers, wings, hushpuppies, and hand-cut fries.

Shell Shack is also known for its convenient, late-night hours. The kitchen and bar stay open until 1 am seven days per week.

President/CEO Dallas Hale says that they're looking forward to sharing their concept with diners in Fort Worth. "We've had our sights set on Fort Worth for a while now, and we're so excited to be making this a reality," he says.

openings

Hot Dog News

Hot dog king Portillo's debuts new design at new location in Grapevine

Portillo's

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Chicago-style hot dog chain Portillo's is opening a new location in DFW, and it'll be the first of its kind for the chain. The restaurant is headed for Grapevine, at 460 W. SH-114, in the former Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, next door to Son of a Butcher, where it will open its doors on December 5.

According to a release, the location is the very first to feature the chain's "restaurant of the future" design comprising a smaller, more efficient footprint.

Most Portillo's are about 8,000 square feet (and some from the early days could go up to 10,000 square feet). The Grapevine location spans 6,250 square feet, with seating for up to 125 inside, and 40 on the patio. It will feature a Southwest Garage theme, and will also have their signature double drive-thru.

The menu will be the same: Italian beef sandwiches, Chicago-style hot dogs, burgers, chicken sandwiches, and two-layer chocolate cake.

Grapevine is not the only location in Texas to follow this new design: A similar location measuring 6,200 square feet is opening in Stafford, near Houston, as well.

Portillo's exteriorPortillo's

The driver with this smaller size is a greater emphasis on take-out and (probably) an effort not to pay so much rent.

Grapevine officials are enthusiastic about having the chain within city limits and what it says about the great city of Grapevine.

“The addition of Portillo’s to the more than 200 curated dining options in Grapevine is a testament to our city’s commitment to offering diverse and exceptional culinary experiences,” says Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate in a statement.

Portillo's made their first debut in DFW with a location at Grandscape in The Colony in January 2023.

The Illinois-based chain has six other locations in Dallas-Fort Worth, including Fort Worth, Arlington, Allen, Denton, and Mansfield. Grapevine will be the seventh to open. There are also plans to open a location in Grand Prairie.

Founder Dick Portillo opened the first Portillo’s hot dog stand in Illinois in 1963. There are now more than 90 locations across 10 states.

openings