Eater Restaurateurs, chefs, and food writers weigh in on the spots they’ll miss the most Owning a restaurant is a hard business, with thin profit margins, difficult landlords, and a host of staffing issues — and that’s before they even let the customers in. DFW lost some great restaurants in 2024. Local chefs, owners, and food writers weigh in on the closings that hurt the hardest. Chef Jeff Bekavac of Goodwins: “I was sad to see Desert Racer close and Whistle Britches. I know Omar is going to come back with something really cool in that space though!” Dallas Morning News food editor Anna Butler: “Does a zombie restaurant count? I found myself driving to shuttered Foxtrots for weeks — for a breakfast taco and to work — after its sudden demise.” Gabe Sanchez of Saint Valentine and Black Swan Saloon: “The saddest closure was Sandwich Hag taking a hiatus. I miss drinking coffee and talking shop with Chef while waiting for my banh mi.” Dining critic Brian Reinhart of D magazine: “Bisous Bisous Patisserie. I hope Andrea is okay and that she’s getting the rest and care she needs with her cancer diagnosis. Honorable mention: my cat Elsie is inconsolable after the closure of Trompo, her favorite restaurant to try to steal my takeout from. I am afraid 2025 will be much, much worse for restaurant closures.” Chef Toby Archibald of Quarter Acre: “There may be a more trendy pick here but for me it was Carte Blanche. What the La Rues were trying to achieve there was possibly a little before it’s time. An intricate tasting menu only restaurant at a higher price point, it seems like the style of place that a select few Texas places got celebrated for in November in Houston. Not without their nay-sayers, but still a restaurant that had a goal that I think the city needed to help ‘rise the tide.’ What about those pastries!!!!? I miss them so much. They were right across the street from Quarter Acre and I took many a visiting friend or family member in there to eat what I thought were some of the best, yet least celebrated, pastries in the city. I know they have reopened the pastry shop in the form of ‘La Rue donut’ but they are no longer across the street and that makes me sad.” Editor for Eater Texas Courtney E. Smith: “I was sad to see Casa Rosa go. I’m pretty picky about Tex-Mex and in my opinion it was some of the best in the Metroplex. Not having it around is a huge loss.” Chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman of Jose: “Sal’s Pizzeria’s closing hit hard. My family and I used to go when we were younger after our soccer games. The pizzas were massive and could feed our whole family.” Chef Taylor Kearney of Harwood Hospitality: “Carte Blanche. This was a team of passionate, hardworking individuals who poured their hearts into creating something extraordinary. Their talent and vision deserved recognition at the highest level, and I hoped to see them earn a Michelin star. It’s a significant loss for the community and a reminder of how challenging the industry can be, even for those who operate at such a high caliber.” Dallas Morning News food writer Claire Ballor: “Some of the best tacos I’ve ever had came from Trompo, Luis Olvera’s spot in Oak Cliff. After a rocky few years, it permanently closed in August and I’m still coming to terms with that. I’ll forever remember the moment I stood at a metal counter inside the taqueria’s first brick-and-mortar space on Singleton Boulevard and bit into an al pastor taco loaded with lime and salsa verde. It was a euphoric experience.” Influencer Chris James Kahle: “Carte Blanche — miss the pastries so much!” Eater Dallas contributor Rachel Pinn: “2024’s saddest closure was Bisous Bisous Patisserie. Even though it will be taken over by Empire Baking Co., which is great, and even though chef Andrea Meyer so deserves this break, the holidays won’t be the same without her colorful, towering macarons, giant gingerbread creations. and festive patisserie.” Chef Michelle Carpenter of Restaurant Beatrice: “Thankfully, Al Biernat’s did not close, but Al Biernat’s death was a massive, irreplaceable loss to the industry in Dallas. He set fine dining standards for the city as a whole. He changed the landscape of Dallas dining because he influenced the proliferation of steakhouses in our city. If you opened a steakhouse, Al’s was the bar and these owners wanted to make their guests feel the way he did. Every upscale steakhouse was compared to Al’s. The training that he instilled in his employees was carried over when these employees left to work at other restaurants. The dining scene here is better because Al Biernat had the courage and vision to open his namesake restaurant.”