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Jessie Washington opened his first restaurant in February 2022, after selling Brunchaholics’ shrimp and grits and burritos stuffed with catfish, mac and cheese and collard greens at pop-ups in Dallas for the last few years. If the name Brunchaholics sounds familiar, that’s because the Food Network said Washington sold one of the “most over-the-top burritos in the country” early in his food career — and he’s hosted long lines of fans ever since.

Two big-name chef-restaurateurs are hogging the spotlight in Dallas. Nick Badovinus, of Town Hearth fame, is doing a red-meat concept (Brass Ram), a casual bar with frequently changing themes (Pop Top), and a lavish twelve-table room dedicated to modern continental cuisine (Royal Bastard). Julian Barsotti, of Nonna, is rolling out a nook serving up pizza and jazz (Bacari Tabu), a bar near Southern Methodist University (Goodbye Horses), and an expansive Tex-Mex spot (Odelay).

On any given weekend, if you’re taking a stroll in the Trinity Groves area, it’s likely you’ll spot a line outside of Soiree Coffee Bar. It’s safe to say chef Jessie Washington is the reason. The Brunchaholics owner — and mastermind of the Soul Food Burrito — offers a rotating brunch menu, and the shrimp and grits is a star player. The Cajun Smothered Shrimp and Grits ($24) features stone-ground grits with cheddar, gouda, and thyme with Andouille sausage on the side.

One of the most 'grammable burritos in the nation can be found in the Dallas Farmers Market at Brunchaholics, as reported by the Food Network. Jessie Washington's soul-food burrito made national news when the foodie channel included it as one of "the most over-the-top burritos in the country." Washington says the burrito was the result of a craving, and he originally only made it to post on Instagram. But after the swaddled trio of fried catfish, smoked turkey collard greens, and mac and cheese started showing up on news feeds, the composition took on a life of its own. Now Brunchaholics draws lengthy lines on the weekends, and food is typically sold out in a couple of hours. Washington's aim is to give Dallas brunch the revival that it needs, and he is doing just that. Check their website for new pop-up locations.

A combination of meat, rice and salsa rolled into a tortilla, a burrito is one of the easiest foods to gussy up. See how chefs from coast to coast are giving the hand-held meal a crazy-delicious makeover.

Wrap unexpected items like fried catfish, mac and cheese, and greens in a tortilla and you’re bound to get a cult following. Just ask Jessie Washington, creator of the Soul Food Burrito, which was featured on the Food Network’s list of Most-Over-the-Top Burritos in the Country. Washington is the owner of Brunchaholics, which is open on weekends outside The Shed at the Dallas Farmers Market. While the burrito brings out foodies from all over, Washington has quite the creative arsenal. Other items he’s dishing out include Cajun smothered shrimp and grits, a blackened salmon BLT, and buffalo mac and cheese.

A soul-food burrito made in Texas has landed on a list of Food Network's "Most-Over-the-Top Burritos in the Country."
"Over-the-top" is accurate: It comes stuffed with fried or blackened Louisiana catfish, mac 'n cheese and turkey collard greens. This $15 burrito oozes with southern ingredients.

Chicken and waffles: Admit it. You’re over it. Or at least you’re over the lazy approach countless restaurants are taking to the dish, and many other brunch classics.
Brunch is supposed to be fun, so the food should live up to the hype. But honestly, is that truly the case in Dallas? Half the chefs cringe at the thought of brunch and only partake because they feel they must. But Jessie Washington, owner of Brunchaholics, isn’t one of them. And he’s looking to change the way people think about the beloved weekend indulgence, which is one of the reasons he left Houston.

A soul-food burrito made in Texas has landed on a list of Food Network's "Most-Over-the-Top Burritos in the Country." The burrito, which is from Brunchaholics (@brunchaholics_) in Dallas, comes stuffed with fried or blackened Louisiana catfish, mac 'n cheese and turkey collard greens. This $15 burrito oozes with southern ingredients.