Matt Whiteley, director of brands for Tex-Mex restaurant Lost Colony, said he and owner Mark Hulme fell in love with the “beachy jungle vibe” when they went to Tulum, Mexico. The duo then opened Lost Colony in Highland Village in November 2021.

“[Tulum] is kind of like a small enclave that’s built into the jungle and the beach with cool restaurants that use a lot of local ingredients and really fun flavors,” Whiteley said. “Something about it was just very appealing, and there’s nothing else like that anywhere.”

Zooming in

Whiteley said the menu is Tex-Mex with a “fresher and cleaner twist."

“Our executive chef has been really creative with what ingredients to use,” Whiteley said. “[There's] higher-quality proteins, and really fresh vegetables and everything. It’s sometimes subtle, but you can really taste it.”


Lost Colony has five different dining rooms, two bars and three patio areas, he said.

“We wanted to kind of create different atmospheres where people can sit where they want,” Whitely said. “I feel like it creates more of a vibe for people that fits them.”

The main dining room is called the Canopy, named after the large palm tree in the middle of the room and the greenery hanging from the ceiling.

Another dining room is the Jungle Lodge with a fireplace and a large tiger mural made of moss on the wall.


The smallest dining room is the Garden Room, where people can host Sunday brunches, receptions and showers.

One of the two patios, called the No Embargo Patio, is for guests age 21 and over with TVs mounted on the wall for adults to relax and unwind, Whitely said.

“The final [patio] that we just opened up is Stow Away Bay,” he said. "Stow Away Bay is the kid-friendly play area, family patio. There's a shaded patio for families and a shipwrecked-themed area for the kids. That's been really popular for families.”

Also of note


Whiteley said the Lost Colony team is hoping to start what he calls “Phase 2.”

“It's a slow process, but we want to expand our patio space even more, and do more live music and things like that,” he said.

Whiteley said Lost Colony holds a series of themed nights throughout the year. During football season, Adults age 21 and over are encouraged to wear a Dallas Cowboys jersey or shirt to get a free margarita during Cowboys games.

Quote of note


“I think our dedication to providing something that’s out of the ordinary for a dining experience is what makes us unique,” Whiteley said. “[It's] something that is familiar enough to where you don't feel lost by the menu or anything, but also you can kind of forget that you're just down the street from your house or whatever, and you can kind of be transported someplace different.”