Wine Fairy here, checking in with another recommended watering hole in our big old town of DFW! Read on for a local’s guide to CRÚ Food & Wine Bar in Plano’s Legacy East shopping center.
I’ve been going to CRÚ’s Plano location for approximately forever. My wife and I celebrated our first over-21 Valentine’s Day here circa 2008. (That was back before we knew that dining out on Valentine’s Day is for noobs. ) I still remember the opening course: A caviar-topped oyster with a slender flute of perhaps the first real Champagne I’d ever tasted in my life. Fancy!
Years later, we still look forward to popping into this intimate wine bar for a pre- or after-dinner drink. When travelling, we take advantage of CRÚ’s two airport locations, at DFW International and Dallas Love Field. There’s one in “Uptown’s Downtown” (Dallas’s West Village), too.
Elsewhere in the state, Houston, The Woodlands, Austin, and Fort Worth each have a CRÚ. And if you find yourself outside of Texas (hurry back, y’all), the wine bar chain also has outposts in Georgia, North Carolina, and Colorado.
Two decades haven’t changed CRÚ Plano very much. It’s still got that Food Network-y, New American menu of flatbreads and potstickers. It’s still got a well-crafted wine list with both familiar and adventurous picks. (Napa Valley and Tuscany are heavily represented here.) And happily, the focus is still wine: CRÚ has successfully dodged the menu sprawl (and cocktail creep) that plagues many suburban restaurants as they try to be all things to all people.
What to Drink at CRÚ
So let’s talk wine, shall we? CRÚ has an above-average selection of wines by the glass. I’ve always found the pours here to be fresh and generous. But arguably the best option for the adventurous (or undecided) wine drinker is to start with one of CRÚ’s wine flights.
Whimsical, thematic, and a great value on top of all that, CRÚ’s flights include three wines grouped under headings like “Dizzy Off Of Fizzy” and “War of the Rosés.” You get a little more than a tasting sample of each wine, and a little less than a glass.
Flights rotate seasonally, but there are usually about 15 classic and novel trios to choose from. Prices range from about $16 (for easygoing whites and rosés) up to $35 (for premium reds).
On our most recent visit, we opted to start with the “Exotic Whites” ($16). Moments later, three aromatic, summery pours arrived. (Chilled to a perfect temperature and in good glassware, of course.) “These white wines from all corners of the earth may be of little familiarity,” the menu breathlessly declares. Well then, Exotic Whites, I’m so pleased to meet you!
2025 is shaping up to be my Summer of Albariño, and the Abadia de San Campio was an ideal example: Aromas of orange blossom, ripe nectarine, and bright tropical fruit all synchronized-swimming in a sun-kissed pool of medium-bodied Spanish vino. (The Chablis was nice, too.)
There’s no need to jot down your own tasting notes, though–they’ve done it for you! One of my favorite things about CRÚ’s wine service is their “card catalog.” This is a plastic container of index cards that holds key details about each flight.
When you order, the server will thumb through the box, find the relevant card, and serve it along with your wine. Got a question about a wine–where it’s from, or what flavors you should be looking for in the glass? It’s all there at your fingertips. (I wish more places did this.)
Feeling fab and “flighty,” our party then moved on to the “Italian Stallion” ($21) and “Malbec Mania” ($18) flights. You can’t go wrong with Tuscany. Or Mendoza. (Honestly, it’s hard to go wrong with any of it.)
Hot tip: CRÚ’s wine manager usually hides one insane value pour on the wine flight list. For wine pros and price-conscious drinkers, it’s a fun game to try and spot the Easter egg.
If you go there and look at the current wine list, you can check my math. But my hunch is that this time, it was the 2019 Libero Brunello di Montalcino ($35/glass, included on the “Italian Stallion” flight). Beautifully earthy and nutty with tangy dried cherry flavors, this half-glass of oak-aged Sangiovese was promptly set aside from the other reds to savor as a dessert.
…And What to Eat
Speaking of dessert…oh yeah, CRÚ also serves food. Specialties include their stone-oven pizza, build-your-own cheese flight, and seasonal small plates like meatballs and bruschetta. For bigger appetites, there’s 3-4 featured entrees that rotate. (Think bistro classics such as braised short ribs and chicken Francese.)
Naturally, nothing goes with wine as well as bread and cheese. If I’m hungry at CRÚ, my go-to is the grilled cheese combo ($15). A crusty panini stuffed with Italian taleggio cheese and served with thick, savory tomato soup. Simple and hits the spot. The plate is garnished with a palate-cleansing posy of green grapes…because if you’re eating here, they know you like grapes.
One caveat for large and/or picky groups: For brunch, lunch, and dinner, it’s a one-page menu. That means that gluten-friendly and vegan options are extremely limited.
Likewise, the drink choices consist of mainly wine and bottled water: Cocktails, mocktails and draft beer aren’t really a thing here. (They do keep some emergency cans of beer behind the bar for non-wine drinkers–hello, Dallas Blonde! Also, I’m pretty sure you can get mimosas on Sundays.)
As I’ve said many times before on this blog, I admire a disciplined menu. The more a restaurant or bar stays sticks to its core strengths, the more likely it is that every item will be fresh, in-season, in stock, and skillfully prepared.
Some may be disappointed by CRÚ’s limited food selection–but there are very few duds on that pared-down list. There’s also many other walkable food options nearby in Plano’s Legacy East if nothing on the menu is calling to you.
Foodies, also keep your eyes peeled for holiday brunches and winemaker dinners that occasionally pop up on their calendar. CRÚ’s daily specials can be really good: Currently it’s half-off sparkling bottles on Thursday (including Champagne!), 1/3 off all bottles on Sunday, and free pizza on Monday if you buy a bottle of wine.
The Atmosphere
With its dark and quiet dining room, CRÚ is best for dates and for intimate wine tastings with friends. The cave-like ambience of the bar is a welcome respite on warm Texas days (and for melanin-challenged winos like me). Sun lovers can choose to bask on the small patio in front.
The dining area is usually set for two- and four-tops, some at counter height. There’s a private room in the back that can seat larger parties (up to 15-ish) for dinner.
Playing hooky from work? CRÚ has a decent–though rather early, given Plano traffic–happy hour every weekday from 3 PM until 5:30 PM. Deals include $9 “Somm Picks” (choose red or white wine) and $3 off other wines by the glass. They offer discounted select pizzas and small plates, too.
Have I not mentioned the turtles yet? Oh yes, friends–there are turtles nearby.
Down the block from the wine bar, across from the Stonebriar Marriott is a peaceful little park that abuts the hotel and some luxury condos. In the middle of the park is a fountain and a shallow pond full of cute and mossy red-eared sliders.
If the wine has convinced you that it’s a good idea to do so, it’s not too hard to lure the turtles over to play with them for a sec. (I mean, theoretically you could. Not that I’m advocating catching or messing with the turtles. Also, I hear they like dog food.)
The Endorsement
In short, I love this cozy wine nook, with its varied and ever-changing by-the-glass list. The bar staff are true wine enthusiasts who make me feel welcome every single time I visit. Although the menu and decor are showing their age a bit, CRÚ is still a fab place to sip on a cup of vino in a dimly lit, romantic atmosphere.
Many of Plano’s newest and trendiest restaurants lease space in the billion-dollar Legacy West multi-use complex. However, if you spend any time in North Dallas, you’ll find that many locals prefer to dine and shop across the Tollway, in the older Legacy East neighborhood. Parking is easier. There are fewer tourists and fewer roving bands of trust-fund teens. There’s shady sidewalks (due to the mature trees), less traffic noise, chiller vibes, and a even a little bit of wildlife (turtles!).
With its indoor-outdoor seating, helpful servers, and thoughtful, thematic flights, CRÚ is one of the best wine bars on the north side of town. It’s a lovely spot to savor a glass or a bottle with your crew.
Where: CRÚ Food & Wine Bar, 7201 Bishop Rd Ste E2 Plano, TX 75024
When: Monday through Thursday, 3 PM – 9:30 PM and Friday 3 PM – 10:30 PM (wine bar and dinner)
Saturday, 12 PM – 10:30 PM (lunch, wine bar, and dinner) and Sunday, 11:30 AM – 10:30 PM (brunch menu, wine bar and dinner)
How much: Small plates $13-$18, mains $24-$34, wine by the glass $12 and up
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
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