"In select locations, we are exploring new concepts as well as conversions to amenities that further support our existing and prospective tenants and patrons." A Harwood International spokesperson gave that line to the Dallas Observer in late August, shortly after four Harwood Hospitality restaurants closed. The statement sounds like corporate housekeeping. Read alongside the restaurant that opens Thursday, Oct. 1, it describes a plan. The district is smaller now, and what remains centers on the Barbier-Mueller family's own art collection, its own beef program, and its hotel.
Before this summer, the Harwood District had about 15 restaurant concepts. PaperCity counted 10 still open in mid-September. If you live in a tower within walking distance of McKinnon Street, that gap affects where you can eat this weekend.
The four that closed, and what they had in common
According to the Observer, all four concepts were taken down from Harwood Hospitality's website, and each one's Google Maps listing now says permanently closed.
| Restaurant | Address | Opened | What happens to the space |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dolce Riviera | 2950 N. Harwood St. | 2016, reopened May 2022 | A new concept is in development for the patio, no operator named |
| Elephant East | 2823 McKinnon St. | 2021 | Nothing announced |
| Poco Fiasco | Sources disagree on the address | 2022 | Nothing announced |
| Tequila Social | 3100 McKinnon St. | Summer 2023 | Ground floor slated for redevelopment |
Tequila Social was the only one that closed on a schedule. The redevelopment of its ground floor was already planned, and it was always going to close before the World Cup. Harwood kept its courtyard, which seats 200, open through the four weeks of matches in Dallas, and the last day was Friday, Aug. 21. Poco Fiasco offered a pizza window, build-your-own martinis, and a happy hour with $6 bites and $7 to $8 cocktails. Dolce Riviera was built around the idea of an Italian Riviera summer, and it had added a bar called Parlor when it reopened.
These four were the district's casual, themed concepts with big outdoor spaces. Their closing is easier to understand once you see the restaurant that is opening.
Docent Steak is built from the family's own collection
Harwood Hospitality first announced Docent Steak more than two years ago. It is scheduled to open Oct. 1 at 2801 N. Harwood St., Suite 100, inside Harwood No. 14, the building designed by Kengo Kuma. More than 100 pieces from the Barbier-Mueller family's collection of art and cultural objects are part of the design. The family owns Harwood International. Its Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum: The Samurai Collection is a few blocks away, and the restaurant draws on it with large sculptures, armor, and horse and cattle imagery that references ranching.
The menu is built on HWD Beef, the in-house program that started with Stillwell's. Taylor Kearney, Harwood's vice president of culinary, leads it. The program works with ranchers in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, uses Akaushi cattle, and is served only at the group's own restaurants. Docent is a certified member of the Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association. The menu will include A5 Wagyu from Japan sold by the ounce and a rotating Kobe flight of five cuts. General manager Rhea Knight runs the beverage program. The cocktails include a Strawberry Lychee Martini and a wagyu-washed rye.
The space has two levels with different feels. The main dining room is a traditional steakhouse with white tablecloths and direct access to a wraparound patio. The lower level is more casual and has TVs. There are also several private dining rooms.
Things to know before you go:
- Hours: Monday through Thursday 4 to 10 p.m., Friday 4 to 11 p.m., Saturday 5 to 11 p.m., Sunday 5 to 10 p.m. No lunch service is listed.
- Reservations: Strongly encouraged but not required. OpenTable bookings opened Sept. 16.
- Address: Use Suite 100. The district's older directory lists Suite 200.
Docent and Stillwell's both serve HWD Beef, and both sit on McKinnon and Harwood a short walk apart. Since the closures, the group's own beef program and its own collection anchor the district's dining. Harwood told D Magazine in February that it planned to put more into its hospitality arm and bring new dining and experiential concepts to the district. Docent is the first of those new concepts to open.
What is still open, block by block
This list combines PaperCity's mid-September count with each restaurant's current official website.
At Hôtel Swexan, 2575 McKinnon St. Stillwell's, Isabelle's, and Léonie are open to the public. Stillwell's is recommended by the Michelin Guide. Its daily Cowboy Hour, with half-price cocktails and small bites, is listed through Dec. 31. Babou's, the hotel's cocktail lounge, is listed at 2598 N. Harwood St. Pomelo, the rooftop bar, is for hotel guests only.
On North Harwood. Harwood Arms is at 2850 N. Harwood St., Suite 100. It has trivia at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and live-band karaoke at 10 p.m. on Thursdays, both listed through Dec. 31. Magnolias Sous Le Pont, at 2727 N. Harwood St., currently lists its hours and offers online ordering. Mercat Bistro, at 2501 N. Harwood St., Suite 225, lists its current meal services.
On Olive Street and Harry Hines. Happiest Hour is at 2616 Olive St. Saint Ann Restaurant & Bar, at 2514 Harry Hines Blvd., serves lunch, dinner, drinks, and brunch. Te Deseo, at 2700 Olive St., is still pictured on Harwood Hospitality's concepts page. Its own website has expired, so call before you walk over.
Two of the restaurants that remain are in buildings slated for upgrades. TPG recapitalized a five-building portfolio that includes 2727 Harwood, where Magnolias is, and 2850 Harwood, where Harwood Arms is. TPG plans multi-year renovations to bring the buildings to Class AA, with PerkinsWill leading the work and Studio Outside redoing the landscaping. No completion dates have been announced.
Why the district's own website is out of date
The Harwood District's online dining directory still lists Elephant East, Poco Fiasco, Tequila Social, and Dolce Riviera with operating hours. Its events page still advertises Music Bingo at Poco Fiasco through Dec. 31. Those pages were built before the August closures and haven't been updated. If you are picking a place for out-of-town guests, check each restaurant's own website instead.
There is a larger plan behind the closures. D Magazine reported in February that Harwood had sold four towers to TPG and took a $100 million loan from TPG to build Harwood No. 15. Co-President Alexis Barbier-Mueller described the partnerships as "momentum, not retreat." The firm says it has about 5 million square feet of potential development ready to go. Harwood International's project page still calls Harwood No. 15 "coming soon," a 23-story office tower of more than 340,000 square feet, with no start or delivery date. When the spokesperson mentions "conversions to amenities," it most likely refers to ground-floor space serving those office tenants. That is why the vacant spaces on McKinnon may not all reopen as restaurants.
Klyde Warren Park's October calendar
Klyde Warren Park is a short walk south of the Harwood District. Its October calendar is full, and every event below is free.
- Saturday, Oct. 24, 5 to 9 p.m. The sixth annual Trick-or-Treating in the Park, hosted by the park's Corporate Council. Miyama USA Texas and the Miyama-Shibagaki family are honorary chairs.
- Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:15 to 9 p.m. Movies in the Park shows Toy Story 5, presented by Laura and Lloyd Pierson in honor of Scott K. Ginsburg, with support from First United Bank.
- Sunday, Oct. 25, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Boho Market.
- Friday, Oct. 30, 5 to 7 p.m. Yappy Hour with a beer tasting and dog activities, presented by Barney & Boots.
The park is about to grow as well. On June 29, the Texas Transportation Commission awarded the Phase 2 construction contract to Archer Western. Construction is expected to start before the end of 2026 and take about 24 months. The 1.7-acre expansion will extend west toward Field Street. It adds the 37,000-square-foot Jacobs Lawn, a winter skating rink, a glass-and-steel pavilion with 24,000 square feet of event space, and an 8,000-square-foot rooftop terrace.
For now, an easy Saturday close to home could be the movie on the lawn on Oct. 24, followed by dinner downstairs at Docent once it has been open a few weeks.
If you live near McKinnon and Harwood, the changes on the ground floor also change what your building is close to. Sharon Quist follows these shifts tower by tower. If you'd like to talk about how the Harwood District's changes affect your building, request a private consultation with Sharon.
