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Food

8 Dallas restaurant closures: Max's Wine Dive, Amsterdam Falafelshop, El Fenix and more

Update on Aug. 11, 2017: This story has been updated to reflect more closures in Dallas-Fort Worth. 

In late July and early August, Dallas-Fort Worth diners saw the closures of eight notable restaurants in six neighborhoods. It's common to see closures at the end of a month, but it isn't as common to see so many -- some which are quite beloved -- in such a short amount of time.

Perhaps the most surprising is the closure of El Fenix in Addison, because the Tex-Mex chain is one of the best-known brands in D-FW. Other El Fenixes are not on the chopping block as far as we know.

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Two other tough closures are small restaurant Joyce & Gigi's in East Dallas and artsy shop Bolsa Mercado in Oak Cliff. Both are expected to close in August after a handful of years in business.

Here are details on each of the eight restaurants or shops that are closed now or are closing soon:

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Max's Wine Dive in Uptown

On Aug. 10, 2017, Max's Wine Dive on McKinney Avenue in Uptown Dallas shuttered. The Houston-based restaurant's slogan was "fried chicken and Champagne ... why the hell not?!" They make a good point. The Max's Wine Dive in Fort Worth remains open.

Amsterdam Falafelshop in Deep Ellum

There wasn't enough foot traffic in Deep Ellum to keep vegetarian-friendly restaurant Amsterdam Falafelshop open, a spokeswoman tells GuideLive.

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Read more about the closure of Amsterdam Falafelshop here.

Joyce & Gigi's Kitchen near East Dallas

The quaint little restaurant on Hall Street near East Dallas and downtown Dallas, Joyce & Gigi's Kitchen, is closing the last week of August, according to a statement from owner Gigliola Zimmermann. "We believe it's time to complete this chapter of our lives and begin a new one," she writes. "We are moving forward to focus on new priorities with our new family."

It appears as though a new restaurant will take its place, Zimmermann says: "We wish this upcoming business (which you will find out soon) much success, and we hope you will all support them as much as you have supported us."

Sugarbacon Proper Kitchen in Lakewood

Sugarbacon was named after this dish: pork belly and spicy pickles on a crostini.
Sugarbacon was named after this dish: pork belly and spicy pickles on a crostini. (Kevin Marple)

Lakewood restaurant Sugarbacon has closed. While the original Sugarbacon in McKinney is still cookin', the East Dallas sibling restaurant never quite saw the same success. It shuttered after less than one year in business. Notably, its McKinney counterpart landed on restaurant critic Leslie Brenner's list of The Best in DFW: New Restaurants in 2015.

As CultureMap and The Advocate point out, a sign says Sugarbacon in Dallas is closed temporarily for renovations, but OpenTable and Yelp say it's permanent. Don't expect it to reopen.

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East Dallasites probably remember that storefront in Lakewood as the former home — for nearly 40 years — of comfort food spot Dixie House.

Zuzu in East Dallas

Mexican restaurant Zuzu at Mockingbird Lane and Abrams Road in East Dallas closed on Sunday, July 23. The restaurant had been in that location for several decades.

Zuzu in Addison and Frisco, both still open, are not affiliated with the Zuzu at Mockingbird and Abrams in Dallas.

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Zuzu in Dallas has closed as of July 23.
Zuzu in Dallas has closed as of July 23.

Casa Rubia in West Dallas

Here's a stylish quail dish from Casa Rubia back in 2014.
Here's a stylish quail dish from Casa Rubia back in 2014.(Kye R. Lee / Staff Photographer)

The Modern Spanish restaurant headed up by chef Omar Flores has closed as of Sunday, July 23. Flores and his colorful cooking earned a nod on Brenner's list of D-FW's best chefs in 2012 and 2013 (then, for seafood restaurant Driftwood), and in 2014 for Casa Rubia. Brenner said of Flores in 2014 that he's "a fearless chef who cooks with elegance, style, soul and a magnificent grasp of flavor." Casa Rubia earned an impressive four-star review.

Casa Rubia was one of the first notable restaurants in Trinity Groves, the restaurant park at the base of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. But Trinity Groves co-founder Phil Romano has decided to move on, says a news release: "As an incubator, we are constantly evolving and gaining valuable insight from our customers. As Trinity Groves expands to include new residential, commercial and retail development, we are more excited than ever to welcome new concepts from aspiring restaurateurs."

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We await details on what will move in once Casa Rubia moves out.

Bolsa Mercado in Oak Cliff

Well, darn: Oak Cliff shop Bolsa Mercado is expected to close in August. Its owners say the popular restaurant it was named for down the street, Bolsa, is not closing. More info here.

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El Fenix in Addison

The El Fenix in Addison on Belt Line Road has closed after serving food there since the '80s, says a statement from the restaurant. The 20-plus other El Fenix restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth are still serving Tex-Mex.

The Addison El Fenix is going to become a Meso Maya, says a spokesman. "While El Fenix has done very well at this particular location, we feel that Meso Maya is a better fit with the surrounding businesses and other restaurants in the area," a statement reads.

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(The company that owns El Fenix also owns Meso Maya. They also own Snuffer's burgers and several other Dallas brands, too.)

El Fenix parent company Firebird Restaurant Group is looking for a new Addison location for El Fenix, it says.

Meso Maya at 5280 Belt Line Road (a.k.a. the former El Fenix in Addison) is expected to open in October.

How about some happier news? Check out guidelive.com/restaurant-openings for news on restaurants coming soon to D-FW.