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16 bar and restaurant closures in Dallas-Fort Worth you should know about

It's that time of the year again, and we're not talking about the "most wonderful."

Several restaurants and bars in Dallas-Fort Worth, some longstanding, are planning to close soon. It's common for restaurants to call it quits after the holiday season, as restaurateurs and chefs weigh their budgets against the prospects of a new year.

Local foodies take note: Here are the places you should know about that have gone dark or plan to in the coming weeks.

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Mattito's (Frisco)

Downtown Frisco is less one Tex-Mex joint. Mattito's on the square reportedly closed on Jan. 15. The location's Facebook page has been marked "permanently closed" and the restaurant has been removed from the official website. Owner Jeff Frankel told the local Community Impact Newspaper, "We've been battling all the changes up there in Frisco for nine years. It's just finally enough is enough." (Frankel could not immediately be reached for comment.) With four other locations, Mattito's is widely known as a go-to for Tex-Mex in Dallas-Fort Worth and for its famous cocktail, the Rumba Rita. But recent reviews on the Frisco restaurant's Facebook page say the service was lacking.

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According to the newspaper, Frankel also closed a neighboring restaurant called Tavolo Italia. The restaurant announced "with heavy hearts" it closed on Jan. 17 via Facebook. "We appreciate each and every one of you for being a part of our family over these last 2 years," the announcement said.

Villa-O

Villa-O, a brunch staple of Dallas' Uptown neighborhood, has closed. CultureMap first reported the news and a note on the restaurant's website says it is closed. A representative told CultureMap that Villa-O was fledgling when owner Culinaire International acquired it in 2013, but brunch was always the most popular meal among customers. The restaurant was known for its bottomless mimosas. Culinaire expects to open a new concept in its place.

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Top Knot

Top Knot, the sister restaurant to revered Japanese haunt Uchi in Uptown Dallas, closed to make way for a new concept. Known as a hot spot for ramen and Asian-inspired brunch dishes, Top Knot served its last meals on Sunday, Jan. 14; now owners plan to reinvent the space as Uchiba, a bar that's more of a direct extension of Uchi. Top Knot opened in early 2016 in the space above Uchi, to much fanfare. It garnered four stars in a July 2016 review, when GuideLive's then-dining critic praised not only the food, but also the service. Uchiba is expected to open at the end of January.

Rise Biscuits and Donuts

Despite the fact that lines were a common occurrence when this bakery first opened in spring 2017, Rise Biscuits and Donuts in Allen has closed, according to CultureMap. It was the first Texas location from the North Carolina-based chain. The shop specialized in all things baked, including classic and wacky doughnut flavors, such as pineapple-basil-pistachio, and sandwiches on house-made biscuits. The franchise owners told CultureMap they are not working to open any new Rise locations in the area at this time.

District 30 Craft Bar and Kitchen

A note posted on the door of this catch-all bar and restaurant says the locks were changed on Dec. 15 after the owners failed to pay the rent. According to D Magazine, District 30 had originally said it temporarily closed "for renovations" on its website and Facebook page, both of which are now defunct. The spot, which opened over the summer, claimed to be a modern American gastropub. We've reached out to the building's landlord for more information.

Fat Rabbit and Masque

This one is a double whammy from locally-based WhiteROC Hospitality Group. The management company is closing two concepts, Fat Rabbit restaurant and Masque nightclub, in anticipation of opening Circo, a glitzy French-Italian restaurant expected to open in February or March. (We're pretty excited about it.) According to a statement, the spaces will be renovated and rebranded as PL8 Bistro and Gallery, an eatery and art gallery. Fat Rabbit and Masque will close on Jan. 21, with PL8's expected open date in March.

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Times Ten Cellars (Fort Worth)

Times Ten Cellars, a winery and bar located in Fort Worth's bustling West 7th neighborhood, is planning to close "after eight amazing years," the business announced on Facebook. The bar is known for its proprietary line of wines, which are made in-house. A representative of the business was not immediately available to comment on the circumstances of the closure; however, someone did acknowledge on Facebook that the location in Dallas will remain open. Times Ten Cellars in Fort Worth pours its last glass on Jan. 27.

Rye

McKinney's best known spot for craft cocktails has closed. Rye, which was located on the downtown square, announced it would "permanently cease operations" on Jan. 5 via Facebook. Though the owners could not be immediately reached for comment, they promised "wonderful new adventures" to come in their social media announcement and thanked the farmers and artisans who helped shape the business. The bar and restaurant had been open for two years.

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Dish

Dish, an upscale eatery in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas, has closed "due to unresolvable concerns with our building and location," said Tim McEneny, CEO of parent company NL Group, in a statement. The restaurant, known for its brunch offerings and cocktail program, was located in a strip mall with an Equinox gym and several doctor offices where parking can often be tight. In 2015, our then-dining critic praised the plates at Dish, saying "flavors were fun and festive" in a three-star in review. The restaurant's last day was Jan. 2.

Fat Chicken

This all-things-chicken joint in Trinity Groves has closed. The restaurant was the second concept from chef DJ Quintanilla and co-owner Linda Mazzei, who previously opened Resto Gastro Bistro in the same space in 2013. At the time, owners rebranded saying the bistro had "run its course." Fat Chicken opened in February of 2016; it closed Jan. 2. "We put our heart and soul into taking care of customers and creating delicious food," Mazzei said in a statement. "I'm proud of what we built here."

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Haymaker

This sports bar on Lower Greenville in Dallas was barely a year old when it shuttered. The Austin export was a massive space great for gameday sports watching. Or playing: the bar had shuffleboard, darts, billiards and a large outdoor beer garden with games such as cornhole. A note on Haymaker's Facebook page did not give a reason for the closure — we've reached out to the owners for comment — but said only that "we have given it our all." It closed on Dec. 14.

Victor Tangos

After 10 years as a stalwart on Henderson Avenue in Dallas, gastropub Victor Tangos will close at year's end, according to CultureMap. (GuideLive confirmed the closing with staff Tuesday night.) The restaurant, which is owned by Headington Companies, is renown for its cocktail program, including it's annual Repeal Day celebration that offers excellent libations for less than $1. Headington Companies owns several new and buzzy eateries, such as the Commissary, which GuideLive's Sarah Blaskovich recently called one of the most interesting openings of 2017. Get your fill before Victor Tangos closes on Jan. 1.

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Idle Rich Pub

If you patronized Uptown Dallas in the early 2000s, there's a good chance you stumbled through Idle Rich Pub. The beloved watering hole opened in 2004, back when owner Feargal McKinney remembers the neighborhood being "downright sleepy." Idle Rich was a hot spot for imported beers, during soccer matches, and for its welcoming vibe that cultivated a staunch group of regulars over the years. The bar is expected to close January 24 to make room for an 18-story high-rise building.

San Francisco Rose

We're a little late to the punch with this one: Beloved bar and karaoke mainstay the San Francisco Rose shuttered in November. The closing slipped by quietly, after a raucous, five-year legal battle with the building's landlord. (You can read a summary of the case here and find official court documents here.) Following a ruling by the Texas Supreme Court in September, owners knew the bar's days were numbered, as they waited for the landlord to come claim the property. On Nov. 14, that day came. Staff turned out the lights on a 40-year Dallas bar institution.

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Let's pour one out for these other beloved restaurants that closed in 2017:

Know of another notable closing? Tweet me at @tineywristwatch.