We’ve had a great summer full of all kinds of delicious food! Just in case you missed a week or two of our featured Foodie Friday restaurants over the past couple months, here’s a list of everywhere we visited from June through August.
And if you haven’t quite found time to visit all of these places yet, make some time this weekend to give one or two of them you’re unfamiliar with a try! You can’t go wrong no matter which one you choose.
Tredway’s BBQ
721 E Hundley Dr, Lake Dallas TX 75065
How does the idea of enjoying some delicious BBQ steps away from the shores of Lake Lewisville sound to you? We thought it sounded awesome as well which is why we decided to visit Tredway’s BBQ!
Owned by Lori and James Tredway, the restaurant actually started out as a traveling BBQ stand, going from fair to fair for nine years, before finally settling in Denton County where they initially sold their home-cooked ‘cue on the side of the road off FM 2181. In April 2015 they opened their brick and mortar restaurant in the old Neil’s Italian location. They have quite the loyal following and you can tell they treat their customers like family.
Lori and James are looking into expanding the restaurant by adding an outdoor stage so they can host bigger bands than they’re able to currently. And they also have plans to open up a front patio to compliment their recently-opened back bar area.
When you visit, here’s what we recommend: the Rib Basket with a side of Mac ‘n Cheese. Their ribs are the definition of “fall off the bone” and they give you a very healthy portion! And the Mac ‘n Cheese is rich, creamy deliciousness topped with shredded cheese and bacon.
Earl’s 377 Pizza
427 U.S. 377, Argyle TX 76226
We love a little bit of imagination to go along with our meal. And if you want someplace that has a great (albeit fictional) story behind it, you must visit Earl’s 377 Pizza in Argyle!
Earl’s is the unique brain child of well-known local restaurateur, John “Sparky” Pearson, who had grand visions of turning the old Argyle Volunteer Fire Department building into something really special. And “special” is exactly what Earl’s is!
The restaurant is based off the story of Earl, a fictitious military veteran who met his lovely wife in Italy and decided to open a pizzeria to help her realize her dream of sharing her family’s recipes with others.
And every aspect of Earl’s feels like it could be straight out of Earl and his wife’s home with rustic furniture and chandeliers made out of all the random junk Earl had laying around the house.
And while there’s lots of incredible visual interest to the restaurant, the menu is just as interesting! Executive Chef Chad Kelly created the restaurant’s menu which is all made from scratch and is cooked-to-order in a high-end Wood Stone oven.
Here’s what we recommend you try when you go: Definitely start out with an order of Nonna’s Meatballs and the Crawfish and Artichoke Fondue. And be sure to save room at the end of your meal to order the Perfect Pizza – one of their dessert pizzas which comes smothered with a thick layer of Nutella topped with melted chocolate chips, toasted marshmallows and a healthy sprinkling of powdered sugar. Yum.
Verf’s
2221 Justin Rd, Flower Mound TX 75028
Verf’s has been one of our favorites ever since we first visited them when they opened in summer of 2015. So we decided to head back this summer to celebrate their one-year anniversary with them! We revisited some old favorite dishes and tried some of their new menu offerings as well.
Each time we visit Verf’s, we continue to be impressed by their diverse and delicious menu, as well as the feeling of family the staff are able to establish with the customers. It always feels like coming home when we visit Verf’s.
If you’re not familiar with how Verf’s got started, it’s owned by Jim Verfurth who you may recognize as the owner of the Village Grill in Highland Village. After 18 years with the Village Grill, Jim decided to close it down to pursue a new dream and opened Verf’s.
They’ve made a couple of changes since they originally opened. The most notable of which is their air-conditioned patio so you can eat outside no matter what time of year it is!
Here are our recommendations: You can never go wrong starting out with an order of The Bread – bread scored and stuffed with cheese, garlic butter and green onions. One of our other personal favorite dishes is their Bone in Pork Chop with Rosemary Wild Mushroom Sauce. It’s a healthy portion and is it ever delicious! And we always love ending our meal with their Drunken Donut which is a cinnamon-sugar crusted donut filled with Frangelico cream.
Giovanni’s Pizza & Pasta
100 Country Club Rd, Argyle TX
This year we celebrated National Lasagna Day at Giovanni’s Pizza & Pasta in Argyle located at the intersection of 377 and Country Club.
As impressed as we were with the delicious pastas and pizzas, we were equally impressed with the restaurant’s owner, Al Berisha, who is just 25 years old and already owns 3 restaurants.
You don’t have to worry about getting skimped on portions at Giovanni’s. Al has established a reputation since taking over the restaurant of serving up huge portions of everything and loading up all of their pizzas with plenty of toppings.
The menu is simple and delicious with lots of Italian favorites like calzones, pizzas, salads and pastas.
Here’s what you should try when you visit: The Lasagna was killer and was so big you could have fed a whole family off of it. We also loved their Supreme pizza which came served with an abundance of fresh toppings. And if you’re feeling really brave, end your meal with an order of their Cina-twists which are sinfully delicious.
HipPop
Photo courtesy of HipPop
520 S Main St, Grapevine TX 76051
Occasionally we get a little out of our usual stomping grounds and go visit someplace in one of our neighboring cities. So when the weather really got steamy, we took a break and headed to Grapevine’s HipPop.
Created by husband-and-wife team Ben Bates and Rosy Gurung, HipPop is the result of their idea to create some “adult” frozen pop flavors, taking cues from cocktail mixologists in the way they combine fresh fruit juices and herbs.
They started out serving their concoctions out of a cart at the Dallas Farmers Market for a couple of years before they opened their storefront off Main Street in Grapevine in 2013.
HipPop serves an assortment of unique pop flavors, all of which are made with freshly juiced fruit, organic sugar and filtered water. And they offer both fruit-based and milk-based options.
In addition to their pops, HipPop also serves up a creative offering of slushes and shaved ice. They offer both natural shaved ice flavors like White Peach, or you can choose one of their Hawaiian options like Cotton Candy or even Pickle Juice! You can also include one of their add-ins: ice cream, condensed milk, and coconut cream.
Here’s what we recommend: It’s hard to go wrong but some of our favorite flavors include Kiwi Lamar (kiwi and lime), Insane in the Membrane (mango and habanero) and Key Lime Pie.
Paradise Bistro & Coffee Co.
2451 Lakeside Pkwy #100, Flower Mound TX 75022
We first visited Paradise Bistro & Coffee Co soon after they opened at the beginning of this year. And after months of waiting, we finally made it back to sample some of their brunch menu items that are served Friday-Sunday.
And I have to say that everything we tried actually exceeded my expectations. It was all incredible.
Paradise Bistro is owned by brothers Aaron and Nathan McDaniel, who opened the location in Lakeside DFW in hopes of becoming an extension of Lakeside DFW’s residents own homes. And they actually do have customers who come in for breakfast, lunch AND dinner some days! No matter what time of day you visit, there are tons of wonderful options to choose from whether it’s pancakes in the morning, a sandwich at lunch, and their twist on Beef Wellington for dinner.
They also offer lots of great coffee options for all of you coffee drinkers out there, and they have tons of delicious baked goods including muffins, cakes and cupcakes as well.
Here’s what you have to try for brunch: Take advantage of their Brunch Happy Hour and order one of their $5 Bloody Mary’s. Definitely try the Chicken & Waffles at some point – it’s like dessert for breakfast! The perfect combination of sweet and salty. You all know I’m a big Eggs Benedict guy, and I really loved their Paradise Benedict as well.
Urbano Enchilada and Taco Bar
1121 Gerault Rd #570, Flower Mound TX 75028
Probably one of the most highly-anticipated openings of the summer, Urbano Enchilada and Taco Bar finally opened its doors at the beginning of August and have been charming Flower Mound residents with their street-style Mexican food ever since.
We first met owners, David and Lynne Cerda, at their former restaurant in Bartonville – Mi Sueno Tex-Mex – where we fell in love with their award-winning menu of classic Tex-Mex choices.
The whole restaurant has an industrial, urban vibe to it which we absolutely love. And they came up with some clever design ideas including creating furniture out of wood pallets and planters made from old duct work found on the roof of the building.
Urbano offers a great menu full of classics like cheese enchiladas, carnitas tacos, and (of course) their margaritas.
Here’s what you HAVE to try: If you like margaritas, mix things up a little bit and try out their Spicy ‘Rita made with a jalapeno-infused tequila and blood orange liqueur. And DO NOT leave without trying their Mexican Street Corn. They come close to selling out of it on a daily basis, and once you try it, it’s easy to tell why that is. You can order it on the cub or cut – either way it comes smothered with Urbano Street Sauce, queso fresco, cilantro and a dusting of cayenne pepper.
Iggy’s Italian Ice
2608 Flower Mound Rd #120, Flower Mound TX 75028
Most recently, we visited a brand new Italian Ice spot in Flower Mound called Iggy’s Italian Ice. Owned by Mansfield resident, David McCleery, and his business partner.
Before you even head to Iggy’s, we’ll first tell you what Italian Ice actually is. Some people wonder if it’s the same as a sno cone and the answer is no. Italian Ice is a super soft, fine-textured ice that’s similar to sorbet and is flavored with all-natural fruit purees. You can also get it layered with some ice cream and that’s what they call a “Gelati.”
Iggy’s has lots of options, whether you want plain Italian ice, ice cream, or a Gelati. And I’ll just tell you that we sample A LOT and I’m not sure you can go wrong no matter what you choose.
Here were our personal favorites: If you want Italian Ice AND ice cream, we definitely recommend the Texas Sky which is their Texas Sunrise ice (banana, pineapple and mango) and their Texas Sunset ice (apples, peaches and oranges) with vanilla ice cream sandwiched in between. If you’re an ice cream kind of person, definitely give their Cookie Monster ice cream a try – but be careful, it’ll turn your mouth blue!
Jay Marks updates the Foodie Friday blog each week. Read more at https://iamjaymarks.wordpress.com/tag/foodie-friday/