Opening dates for Hudson House and Wonder remain uncertain. Wonder, a food hall, has been discussed since January but has not opened. Both were supposed to be serving food by the end of summer. Neither is.
If you've been looking forward to Hudson House oysters or a Wonder combo order, the latest reports below offer a status update, along with other fall options to consider while construction continues.
Where the Buildouts Stand
Hudson House announced its Southlake location back in October 2025, taking over the former RA Sushi space at 1131 E. Southlake Blvd in the Park Village shopping center, directly across from Gloria's Latin Cuisine. Vandelay Hospitality Group's East Coast-inspired concept, known for its raw bar and the "World's Coldest Martini," would be its 11th Dallas-Fort Worth location. The target was summer 2026.
Summer came and went. As Sarah Gunnip reported, Southlake Mayor Shawn McCaskill confirmed in late July that the space had been completely gutted for the buildout and construction was still underway, with no new opening date set. In an interview with CW33, founder Hunter Pond said:
"Southlake has been on our radar for years, it's a tight-knit community that values great hospitality and consistency."
A few miles west, Wonder's Southlake location is also under construction. Wonder, the New York-based food hall backed by roughly $700 million in funding raised in 2024, filed permits for a 3,868-square-foot space at 2055 W. Southlake Blvd, next to Baskin-Robbins in the Southlake Marketplace shopping center. Construction was slated to run from April 2 through June 12, which would have put doors open before Labor Day. Southlake is one stop in a Texas expansion plan that state filings show eventually touching Fort Worth, McKinney, Frisco, Richardson, and more than a dozen other cities, with Wonder's own executives describing ambitions for over 100 Texas locations by the end of 2027.
Here's where each stands as of late August 2026:
| Concept | Address | Original Target | Status Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hudson House | 1131 E. Southlake Blvd | Summer 2026 | Gutted, under construction, no new date |
| Wonder food hall | 2055 W. Southlake Blvd | Summer 2026 (construction wrap June 12) | Delayed past summer window |
| Ascension Coffee | 100 State St., Town Square | Late summer/early fall 2026 | Closest to opening, exact week unsettled |
Ascension Coffee's Opening Plans
Ascension Coffee is the exception worth paying attention to. The Dallas-based chain, which just won Best Coffee Shop at the 2026 CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards, is taking over the former Corner Bakery space at 100 State Street in the heart of Town Square, a 4,223-square-foot buildout that will be the company's seventh location and its second in Tarrant County after a Fort Worth shop that opened in 2020.
Even here, the exact week is a moving target. A Community Impact report projected an October opening, while Sarah Gunnip's report described it as opening "later this month," meaning September. The reports give different estimates, and no exact opening date is stated here. Across the reports, Ascension is described as the closest of the three to opening. As Fort Worth CultureMap reported, company president Jessica Keenan said the goal is to give Southlake "another place to gather and connect."
Other Southlake Dining Options
None of this means Southlake is short on places to eat while the newcomers finish construction. Whistle Britches remains the safer bet for a Saturday brunch that doesn't turn into a reservation gamble. Truluck's is worth booking for a special-occasion dinner, and it happens to be running a discount through early September, so if you've been saving that dinner for a milestone, the window to use the current pricing closes soon.
Southlake's established restaurants offer dining options while Hudson House, Wonder and Ascension Coffee move through their respective opening processes.
Fall Events on the Calendar
Southlake's fall calendar also includes recurring events alongside the restaurant projects covered above.
Oktoberfest Southlake turns 25 this year, and the Southlake Chamber of Commerce's three-day staple is keeping its format: free admission, free parking, Town Square filled for the weekend. This year's lineup has real specifics worth planning around:
- Friday night: Ashmore, a rock cover band that has shared stages with acts like Mötley Crüe and Bon Jovi, opens for headliner Back in Black, an AC/DC tribute act.
- Saturday night: Texas Flood, a blues act led by Tommy Katona, opens for 90s boy band tribute Larger Than Life.
Save October 16 and 17 for Oktoberfest Southlake.
September has its own fixed points too. The city's Celebrate Southlake event runs September 12 from 2 to 7 p.m. at Rustin Pavilion, marking the city's birthday with free admission. Later in the month, the annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration brings mariachi bands, Peruvian folklórico dancers, salsa and bachata performances, a marketplace of Hispanic and Latino artisans, and a kid-friendly zone to Town Square, also free. Both are run by the city and its partner organizations.
Planning Your Fall in Southlake
Southlake's established restaurants offer fall dining options while Hudson House and Wonder remain under construction and Ascension Coffee moves closer to opening. Restaurant announcements and opening dates may differ, so consider checking for updates before making a plan to visit.
Southlake's mix of established neighborhood spots and new restaurant projects is part of what makes the area worth paying attention to, whether you're deciding where to grab dinner this weekend or thinking further down the road about what life here looks like day to day. If that's a conversation you want to have, The TX Collective Group knows this market street by street, buildout by buildout, and we're always glad to talk through what living in the area is like.
