Dakota’s Steakhouse to Anchor New Mixed-Use Development in Southlake

Dakota’s Steakhouse, the storied fine-dining restaurant with deep Dallas roots, will open a new flagship location anchoring a mixed-use development at 1901 W. Kirkwood Blvd. in Southlake, near State Highway 114.

The project, approved by Southlake’s City Council, will transform a 6-acre site into a destination for food, events, and boutique retail. Plans call for an 8,955-square-foot restaurant seating 250 guests, complemented by an 8,075-square-foot event hall with capacity for 200. Five freestanding retail buildings, totaling 11,700 square feet, will round out the project with specialty shops and services .

The new Dakota’s will replace a previously proposed Southlake location that fell through last year. This site has space for an outdoor dining patio and tree-lined buffers and drew enthusiastic support from both city staff and members of the Southlake Corridor Planning Committee.

The design aligns with Southlake’s “Restaurant and Specialty Retail Overlay,” which encourages developments that foster “a dynamic, destination restaurant district” featuring independent, chef-driven concepts .

Dakota’s owner, Tim McEneny of NL Southlake LLC, presented the project during public forums and underscored its culinary ambitions. The Southlake venue will serve dinner seven nights a week and feature partially underground construction reminiscent of Dakota’s landmark downtown Dallas space .

The event space will host private gatherings on weekends. Future retail tenants are expected to include hair salons, a yoga studio, and high-end boutique retailers .

“This restaurant will be an upscale offering, designed as a true destination,” McEneny told city staff.

City Council approved zoning changes and the concept plan unanimously on first reading, granting minor variances and deferring final traffic studies until the detailed site plan phase .

Dakota’s was founded in Dallas in 1984 and is known for its prime steaks, seafood, and classic American service style. The Southlake project reflects a wave of independent operators seeking out fast-growing suburban markets for flagship expansions.