Chicago-style hot dogs are coming to Fort Worth via Portillo's, the fast-casual restaurant concept known for Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, chocolate cake, and shakes.

This will be the chain's first restaurant in Fort Worth, and while they do not yet have a street address, a release says it'll be located in the North City Development on N. Tarrant Parkway between highway I-35 and 287.

It's scheduled to open later this year, when exactly, they can or will not say.

The Chicago-based brand began its expansion to Texas with its first restaurant in The Colony, which opened in January 2023. There are also locations opening in Arlington and Allen.

The Fort Worth location will span 7,800 square feet with seating for 180-plus guests inside plus 50 more on the patio. The design will be "Lone Star State garage theme," and the location will have double drive-thru lanes.

Signature menu items include Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, burgers, and chocolate cake.

Hot dogs feature a beef frank with mustard, relish, chopped onions, tomato, celery salt, kosher pickle, and sport peppers on a poppy seed bun. Their Italian beef features sliced roast beef on French bread, with the option to have it dry or dipped in gravy.

Their double-layer chocolate cake is iced with chocolate frosting; it also appears in their Chocolate Cake Shake combining a shake with a slice of chocolate cake.

“Since opening our first location in Texas this past January, we have loved serving fans from all across the Dallas-Fort Worth area,” says Portillo's CEO Michael Osanloo in a statement. “We quickly followed the successful opening of our restaurant in The Colony by announcing plans to open restaurants in Allen and Arlington, and are thrilled to share additional plans to further expand into the DFW area. We can’t wait to bring our unrivaled Chicago street food to even more fans and newcomers in Fort Worth.”

Fort Worth is due to get an exciting new restaurant specializing in a trendy Asian sandwich, with some big names behind it. Called Banh Shop, it's a concept originally founded in 2014 about to catch its second wind and it'll open near TCU at 3051 S University Dr., in the space previously occupied by Pizza Snob, which, bummer, closed in March.

According to president and CEO Ken Myres, the restaurant will open in fall 2023.

Banh Shop has an interesting history: Named for the banh mi, the Asian sandwich that comes on a French baguette and is filled with meats and pickled vegetables, it was originally developed by restaurant guru Mark Brezinski with Braden and Yasmin Wages, the husband-and-wife owners of Malai Kitchen, for Yum! Brands (Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut).

The first location opened near SMU in September 2014, followed by an outlet at DFW Airport two months later.

Their menu includes Fried Rice Bowl featuring wok-seared white rice, egg, broccoli, scallions, bean sprouts, and cherry tomatoes tossed in garlic soy sauce with choice of protein; pad Thai, the classic noodle dish; Vietnamese-style chicken soup; and five sandwiches including a tofu version of banh mi, and a turkey sandwich on a baguette.

The SMU location closed in 2017, and Yum! sold most of its ownership to a company called Essential Asian. There are now four airport locations including two in Canada, and plans for more, Myres says.

"We have only been operating in airports, but we're looking at expanding and that includes some street-side locations," he says. "The company is still small but we’ve been successful and we have some opportunities with a franchisee who is going to open some locations here in Dallas-Fort Worth including this one in the TCU area and another in Irving."

Myres is a hospitality veteran who worked for many years for the Tony Roma's restaurant chain, including serving as president of the company, as well as Metromedia Restaurant Group (Steak and Ale, Bennigan's, Bonanza).

"I spent quite a bit of time in airports, and that's where I became familiar with Banh Shop," he says.

The TCU location resonated since their original location was also near a university. "It's such a great area with students, plus it has a good lunch and dinner mix," he says.

They expect a bigger offering and broader menu.

"Airports have limited space," he says. "At DFW Airport, our location near Gate C21 has 500 square feet. The street-side locations will still have our signature bowls, soups, and appetizers but with additional items including more sushi. They'll also have an opportunity for an extended bar."

A TV-famous hot dog joint from Atlanta has debuted in Fort Worth: The Original Hot Dog Factory which you may have seen featured on BRAVO’s Real Housewives of Atlanta, has opened a location at 6318 Hulen Bend Blvd. next to the AMC movie theater with an expansive menu of hot dogs of all kinds.

The Original Hot Dog Factory owner and founder is Dennis McKinley, a restaurateur, promoter, and entrepreneur who appeared in Bravo's Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2018-19, while he was dating cast member Porsha Williams. The first location opened in 2010 but he rebranded and revamped the concept in 2015, with a plan to expand.

There are currently 16 locations including Fort Worth and Houston which opened in 2020. For the FW location, he's partnered with Jazzy Lady Entertainment, which also owns a printing and promotion company in Fort Worth.

McKinley is no stranger to DFW: In 2021, he opened a location of his Cru Hemp Lounge chain in Carrollton, which has since closed.

A native of Detroit, McKinley grew up eating Coney Island style hot dogs, on a steamed bun, topped with chili sauce, chopped raw onion, and yellow mustard, but became intrigued by the variety of different hot dog styles driven by regional differences.

That array can be found on the menu where options include pretty much a variety for every city in the U.S.:

• All American - beef hot dog topped with ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions
• Corn dog - beef hot dog battered and fried and topped with mustard and ketchup
• Philly dog - beef hot dog topped with melted cheese, sweet peppers, and grilled onions
• Detroit Coney - beef hot dog topped with chili, shredded cheese, and chopped onions
• "BLT" - bacon wrapped beef hot dog topped with lettuce, tomato and mayo
• LA dog - bacon wrapped beef hot dog topped with chili cheese fries and grilled onions
• Jamaican jerk seasoned chicken hot dog - with grilled pineapple, chopped onions and sweet island sauce
• San Francisco veggie soy dog - topped with onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and brown mustard
• Italian dog - deep fried Italian sausage topped with grilled bell peppers and onions
• Taco dog - beef hot dog topped with chili, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole, jalapeños, and tortilla chips
• Street Polish dog - Polish sausage on a poppy seed bun, topped with grilled onions, mustard and sport peppers
• Chicago dog - beef hot dog topped with tomato, pickle, sport peppers, sweet relish, onions, mustard, and celery salt on a poppy seed bun
• New Yorker - beef hot dog topped with sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard
• Texas rodeo - bacon wrapped beef hot dog topped with onion rings and chili
• Fire dog - beef hot dog topped with Arizona heat hot sauce, jalapeno peppers, and sport peppers
• Boston dog - steamed beef hot dog topped with baked beans, bacon bits, and chopped onions
• Atlanta XL - footlong beef hot dog topped any way you like
• Bratwurst dog - deep fried bratwurst topped with kraut and grilled onions
• Memphis dog - bacon-wrapped hot dog, topped with shredded cheese, BBQ sauce and green onions
• Seattle dog - beef hot dog topped with cream cheese and grilled onions
• California baby dog - beef dog topped with lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions, avocado and try me sauce
• Martha's Vineyard - jumbo beef hotdog topped any way you like
• Surf & Turf - hot dog topped with super lump crab meat, lettuce, tomato, and try me sauce
• Vegas Red hot dog - red hot sausage split and charbroiled

They also offer plant-based Beyond Sausage as an option.

Other items include wings, grilled chicken sandwich, chili cheese fries with bacon, diced hot dogs, jalapeño, green onions and try me sauce, a half-pound Angus burger, and deep-fried corn dog nuggets.

According to a spokesperson, nine more locations are in the works including one coming to Dallas later this year.

"We're taking it slowly to make sure we are putting out a great hot dog in Fort Worth before expanding," she says.