Alexander's Cantina Has Opened in North Dallas

The restaurant expands from Plano to North Dallas, utilizing a larger footprint for private events and a new bar.

Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Bold vector editorial illustration of an empty restaurant dining area with terracotta tables, stucco walls, and sculptural light fixtures. — Alexander's Cantina & Cocina has officially opened a second location in North Dallas on Frankford Road to accommodate increased event hosting and bar service. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Alexander's Cantina & Cocina has officially opened its doors in North Dallas at 4805 Frankford Rd. #105, occupying the space formerly held by Casa Don Luis Tex-Mex.

Why it matters

The operator moved to this location to accommodate a need for more square footage, enabling an expansion into party hosting and bar operations that the original Plano site could not support.

The restaurant discontinued its $16 soft-serve margaritas due to poor demand relative to production costs, while maintaining standard menu pricing at $10 and happy hour house margaritas at $5.50.

The players

Bernardo Garduño

The owner and operator who developed the restaurant concept based on family recipes and his industry experience.

Alexander's Cantina & Cocina

A growing Tex-Mex restaurant operator that expanded from a single Plano location into a larger North Dallas footprint.

The details

To transition the site from its previous occupant, the owner completed renovations to add a dedicated bar and expanded party space. The menu features traditional recipes, including carnitas and mojarra frita, aimed at scaling operations beyond the capacity of the flagship Plano restaurant established in 2023.

Bernardo Garduño arrived in Dallas in 2015.
The original Alexander's Mex Cuisine opened in Plano in 2023.
Soft-serve margaritas were introduced in early 2026.
The North Dallas restaurant opened in October 2026.

Market Landscape

The opening marks a shift in the North Dallas dining scene, effectively replacing the shuttered Casa Don Luis Tex-Mex at the 4805 Frankford Rd. location. This move follows a common industry pattern of scaling successful concepts into larger footprints once initial brand proof is established in suburban markets.

Operators should monitor the cost-to-margin ratio of specialty menu items, as the decision to pull a $16 item suggests low demand can quickly outweigh high price-point potential. The shift to prioritize party space also signals a focus on high-margin catering and event revenue over complex labor-intensive drink production.

The takeaway

Successful scaling often requires pruning low-performance menu items while optimizing physical space for high-revenue services like events. When expanding into a former restaurant site, track the historical traffic patterns against your new service model to ensure the layout supports your primary revenue goals.