Restaurants in Dallas
It wasn't that long ago that the Dallas dining scene was pretty unexciting: It was mostly run-of-the-mill Mexican and Tex-Mex, undistinguished steakhouses, and halfhearted Southwestern themes. That has changed drastically, and today the Dallas restaurant scene has exploded. While you can still get home cooking, Tex-Mex, and barbecue in abundance, Dallas has suddenly become resolutely cosmopolitan, with chic and sophisticated Pan-Asian, Italian, and Southwestern newcomers injecting life into the local dining scene, a vigor that has even jolted the old stalwarts. Some of the hippest new spots are in fashionable hotels, including the excellent restaurants Fearing's at the new Ritz-Carlton Dallas; Central 214 at Palomar Dallas; Hotel Lumen's Social; and Craft at W Dallas-Victory. The Dallas Visitors Bureau once claimed four times more restaurants per capita in Dallas than New York City; since I'm from the former and spend much of my time in the latter, I'm more than a bit dubious about such a claim, but it's certain that you won't suffer from lack of choice.
Picnic Places
Dallas isn't really the kind of place with great public spaces ideal for mounting a picnic lunch. Mostly it's either too hot or too cold, and people stick to their offices and cars. However, picking up some foodstuffs on your way over to the Dallas Arboretum and White Rock Lake is a fine idea. One of the best places to pick up some healthful eats is Whole Foods Market, 2218 Greenville Ave. at Belmont (tel. 214/824-1744). The market, which started in Austin, has a great selection of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and breads, as well as a cafe serving prepared foods and sandwiches. A superb gourmet takeout market is Eatzi's, 3403 Oak Lawn Ave. (tel. 214/526-1515), which has made inroads into New York City and stocks literally thousands of items, including dozens of prepared entrees and enough cheeses to make a Frenchman weep. The time to go is after 9pm, when the day's prepared foods that have to go are half-price.
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15 Results
- Steak
Al Biernats
A buzzy, clubby place with a handsome interior that looks like an arcade of a Mexican village and a guest list that often includes many of Dallas' boldface names, Al Beirnat's is quite the scene. On weekend nights, you'll have to use your elbows to get a martini at the bar, so it's…$$$Oak Lawn - Texan
Dallas Stampede 66
Here's the place to head if you've been disappointed that Dallas doesn't feel more Texan. It's a tongue-in-cheek version of the Lone Star State: massive mural of the state map, steer horns behind the bar, purposefully rough-hewn wooden floors, and the twang of country music. But its…$$Uptown - Mexican
El Ranchito
A Dallas institution since 1983, this charmer—with its lively murals and even livelier mariachi musicians—is still a nightly party. Bring a group if you can, because you'll feel less self-conscious if you get up to dance that way, and bring an appetite, too, because portions are…$Oak Park - Asian Fusion
Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck
Revolving restaurants: hokey or magical? Frankly, I fall into the latter camp. I love watching the landscape slowly change as I enjoy a meal. That's especially the case at this swank Wolfgang Puck outpost set at the top of a 50-story tower. You'll get to see both old Dallas (with the…$$Downtown - American
FT33
High cuisine in Dallas has long been defined by the names Dean Fearing and Stephan Pyles, the town’s top celebrity chefs. Add to their ranks Matt McKalister, the chef behind the smoking-hot FT33 in Dallas’ Design District, a fun place to explore in its own right. How…$$$Design District - Mexican
Fuel City
Though it has a plethora of fine dining experiences, it's the little mom-and-pop joints that fuel Dallas. In this case, almost literally. A gas station called Fuel City is also home to some of the best tacos in Texas. Costing just $1.50 each, they're made in front of your eyes, and…$Downtown Dallas - French Mexican
Madrina
It's not unusual to eat Mexican food in Dallas, but French-Mexican? Though French-Mexican fusion sounds odd at first blush, it has its roots in history. In the 1860's, the Second French Empire invaded Mexico and many of the upper classes adopted Gallic cooking techniques for the…$$$Park Cities - Italian
Nonna
Strip malls can hide the most remarkable finds. In this case, its a chic, ever-evolving Italian restaurant helmed by wunderkind (he's in his early 30s) chef Julian Barsotti. A protegee of Food Channel regular Paul Bertolli, Barsotti is a man devoted to the art of Italian cooking. In…$$Highland Park - Barbecue
Pecan Lodge
Barbecue, of course, is big throughout the South and true afficionados are willing to make a time commitment to get the good stuff. This is my way of saying you'll likely wait an hour—minimum—to try the 'cue at Pecan Lodge, which is only open for lunch and only until the meat…$Downtown - Southern
Sissy's Southern Kitchen
Welcome to the hipster South, a restaurant that does all the classic dishes (lots of fried food) but does them with twists. Instead of hush puppies, you get delightfully sweet "squash puppies," and the deviled eggs have a potent curry punch. The classics are just as good whether you…$$Knox/Henderson - Barbecue/American Regional
Smoke
Smoke takes a southwestern approach to BBQ, offering both smoked meats and Mexican-inspired dishes like the exquisite cabrito I was lucky enough to have there recently: pit-roasted young goat under a dome of masa with a tangy cream sauce and a circlet of thinly sliced…$$West Dallas - Southwestern/Global Fusion
Stephen Pyles
Arguably Dallas' most important restaurateur, and inarguably one of the founders of modern Southwestern cuisine, Stephen Pyles reshaped Dallas dining scene. Indeed, it could be said he put the city on the map with his flair for showmanship, his respect for the roots of Texan cuisine,…$$$Arts District - Japanese
Tei An
The essence of zen—there's even a little rock garden in the center—this Japanese restaurant serves the best sushi and soba noodles in Dallas. The sushi is super-fresh, much of it flown in from ports of call around the world (including Japan), and the soba noodles are toothsome…$$Arts District - American
The Mansion Restaurant at Rosewood Mansion
Rarified: That's the best term to describe dining in this extremely upscale hotel restaurant, widely considered one of the best in Dallas. Guests enter through elaborately carved doors that once hung in an ancient Spanish monastery, and they crane their necks to watch Laura and…$$$Park Cities area - American
The Mecca Restaurant
Everything is bigger in Texas. You only have to look at the cinnamon rolls at the Mecca to know that's true. Wider and longer than most customers' heads and slathered with a good quarter inch of frosting, these pastries are as much a stunt as food, and people come from all over just…$Uptown
