Dallas Fair Food King Brings Old Mill Inn Back To Life At Fair Park

The Old Mill Inn, Fair Park’s timber-and-stone landmark, is officially back on the map under Isaac Rousso, the State Fair concessionaire behind more than a few viral fried creations. The historic spot has been revived as a full-service bar and restaurant timed to Dallas’s FIFA Fan Festival, with a roomy patio, a massive screen for World Cup matches, and a cozy, ranch-style interior. For now, it is a walk-in, mid-day hangout where fans and neighbors can catch games and sample Rousso’s spin on Texas fair food.

As reported by the Dallas Observer, Rousso is steering the Old Mill Inn into a full-service concept that leans hard into the building’s 90-year history. The Observer notes the structure was built in 1936 as a replica of the Burrus Flour Mill and incorporates original mill timber that dates back to the era of the Texas Republic. Rousso put it simply: "I'm restoring a Texas treasure, and I'm doing it right."

Open for the Fan Festival

The reopening is synced with the FIFA Fan Festival at Fair Park, which runs today through July 19, according to Fair Park. The festival footprint is set to include live match broadcasts, concerts, and a broad food program, giving Rousso a monthlong window to test-drive the Old Mill Inn concept before a fuller launch later this summer.

Inside and out

Inside, the wood-lined dining room seats about 120 guests, while the patio can handle roughly 300 and features a restored paddle wheel and that giant screen for World Cup matches. The menu taps Rousso’s fair-food pedigree, with items like a Cuban pulled-pork sandwich, along with burgers, wraps, flatbreads, charcuterie, and more than 20 wines. For now, the Old Mill Inn is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for walk-ins only, the Dallas Observer reports.

Rousso’s fair-food resume

Rousso’s concessions are a familiar fixture at the State Fair of Texas, with multiple Big Tex Choice Awards and finalist nods over the years. The official site for the fair lists his Cotton Candy Bacon on a Stick among 2024 winners, according to the State Fair of Texas. Local coverage has also repeatedly highlighted his inventive fair foods as crowd-pleasers, D Magazine notes. That festival track record, combined with an existing stable of concessions inside Fair Park, helps explain why he was tapped to revive the Old Mill Inn.

What visitors should know

The Old Mill Inn’s return folds into ongoing efforts to reactivate Fair Park’s historic buildings and bring in steady foot traffic beyond fair and festival days. Coverage over the last few years has followed renovations and management changes at the park as officials and private partners try to make landmarks like the Old Mill Inn more viable year-round, according to The Dallas Morning News.