Here is a roundup of dining features that appeared in the Richardson edition of Community Impact Newspaper in 2021.

January

Richardson restaurant and spirits manufacturer Lockwood Distilling Co. finds voice amid pandemic

The business debuted in October 2019. Sally Batt and her husband, Evan, wanted to bring a distillery to their neighborhood that had increased accessibility to the public by including a restaurant space at the front.

February




Richardson local serves up 'hamburgers and hotrods' at Meteor Hamburgers on Belt Line Road

Scott Belshe spent 15 years in the corporate car industry before he decided to purchase a struggling restaurant as his retirement project. A customer at the Meteor Hamburgers in Wylie, Belshe said he felt connected to the business in more ways than one.

March

Ethiopian eatery Addis Abeba brings communal cuisine to Richardson




Tucked away in the Richardson Heights Shopping Center is one of only a few Ethiopian restaurants in the city. Addis Abeba, which opened in 2006, offers authentic food from Ethiopia, a landlocked country on the eastern edge of Africa.

April

Bigdash owners out to make Middle Eastern desserts popular in Richardson, beyond

Kareem Alrefaai and Asmaa Khattab have transformed their passion for food into an outlet for sharing their Syrian culture and cuisine. The husband and wife are owners of the Middle Eastern sweets shop Bigdash, which originated in Richardson and branched out last year to Frisco.




May

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse in Richardson filled with history, longtime employees

The restaurant serves a variety of meats, including pork, pulled chicken, sausage, ribs and two types of brisket. Other favorite dishes include stuffed baked potatoes, onion rings, hickory smoked wings and Frito pie.

June




Little Greek Fresh Grill in Richardson serves authentic cuisine with hints of Texas flavor

While visiting friends in Florida more than a decade ago, North Dallas natives Jan and Barry Rosen noticed one of their favorite restaurants, Little Greek Fresh Grill, was looking to expand. They said they jumped at the chance to open a location in Richardson.

July

Family-run Industrial Pizza + Brew serves gourmet-style pies in Richardson




Industrial Pizza + Brew offers unique, gourmet-style, thin-crust pizzas made with only fresh, local ingredients.

August

Friends team up to open family-run restaurant Pineda's Mexican Cuisine in Richardson

The Mexican restaurant opened in spring 2019 in Richardson. Pineda’s offers a unique twist on classic Mexican dishes, such as the Stiney’s Brisket Tacos and the smoked Quail Flautas.

September

Neighborhood eatery The Fifth: Fireside Patio & Bar offers seasonal menu, fine wine selection in Richardson

The dinner menu at The Fifth changes seasonally, and the chef strives for quality over quantity. The spring/summer menu features crispy Brussels sprouts, artisanal-style pizzas, pan-seared salmon and smoked short ribs, among other items. A fall/winter menu debuted around Oct. 15.

October

The String Bean: Restaurant and Bar brings Southern-style comfort food to Richardson

Through 30-plus years, four locations and a variety of twists and turns, Joe Gibson and Debbi McSwain keep pushing to make their restaurant successful. The husband-and-wife owners opened their original Dallas-area location in 1980. That menu had only four entrees, two sandwiches and three desserts. After moving the restaurant twice and starting a family, the couple settled in Richardson in 2010.

November

Food, wine and family bring life to Richardson restaurant Apollonia's Italian Kitchen

Romer Perez, owner and chef of Apollonia’s Italian Kitchen in Richardson, is no stranger to the restaurant industry. For nearly 40 years, he managed a wide variety of restaurants, mostly for hotel chains.

December

Asian Mint brings fresh Thai flavors to Richardson

Nikky Phinyawatana and her husband, Tan Noisiri, opened the first Asian Mint restaurant in 2004 in Dallas to create the Thai cuisine they could not find in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Fifteen years and three Dallas-based Asian Mint restaurants later, the couple opened their fourth location in Richardson in October 2019.