Jason Garrett did not ease quietly into the Dallas dining scene. The former Cowboys head coach marked the opening of his new Italian restaurant, Caffe Lucca, with a packed cocktail party in the Knox Street neighborhood, where the guest list looked a lot like a Sunday at AT&T Stadium. Current Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott turned up alongside former stars Michael Irvin, Zack Martin, Sean Lee and Russell Maryland, all on hand as Garrett introduced his Sicilian-leaning spot just off the Katy Trail near the Knox Hotel. The aim is clear: plant Caffe Lucca as a marquee player on the Travis Street/Knox corridor.
Who Showed Up
According to The Dallas Morning News, Garrett shared photos from the opening cocktail party showing Prescott flanked by former Cowboys Michael Irvin, Zack Martin, Sean Lee and Russell Maryland. The SportsDay staff noted that Garrett, now a studio analyst on NBC’s Sunday Night Football, hosted the private event and later posted images from the night across his social channels, turning the soft opening into a mini-reunion for Cowboys faithful.
Menu And Where It Sits
The restaurant’s site lists its home base on the Caffe Lucca website as 4445 Travis St., giving the cafe a front-row vantage point on the Katy Trail and the Knox Hotel. Early previews describe a kitchen rooted in Sicily with Mediterranean, Moroccan and Greek influences. Initial menus have featured spreads like hummus and muhammara, a Moroccan lamb meatball sandwich, pastas and branzino. Dining & Cooking highlighted busiate, a corkscrew-shaped pasta, as one of Caffe Lucca’s signature plates.
A Football-To-Restaurateur Pivot
The venture teams Garrett with chef-restaurateur Julian Barsotti, known locally for Nonna, and former Cowboys quarterback Babe Laufenberg. The restaurant’s name honors Laufenberg’s late son, Luke, according to The Dallas Morning News. Barsotti’s established track record in Dallas gives the project some instant credibility in a crowded restaurant landscape, while Garrett’s hospitality pivot fits neatly into the broader wave of high-profile athletes backing restaurant concepts across North Texas. D Magazine has previously laid out Barsotti’s local footprint and the cafe’s early blueprint.
What’s Next
For now, the Caffe Lucca team is keeping things relatively low-key, signaling life through private events and activity on social media, while the restaurant’s site still shows a “coming soon” notice for full public service. Diners eager to see what Garrett and company are cooking up will want to keep an eye on Caffe Lucca’s channels for reservation information and full menu details as the project moves from friends-and-family gatherings to regular service.
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