Best Restaurants in and around Dallas
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The density of the restaurants in Dallas is actually bigger than that of New York. With this big density, Dallas can really be called a “food lover’s paradise”.
The city’s myriad of restaurants offers a wide array of food choices coming from all over the world, many of which showcase innovative dishes mostly with Mexican, American, Asian and Italian flavors. A lot of the special restaurants in Dallas congregate around the downtown area.
Types of Food in Dallas
According to UrbanSpoon.com, there are various types of food offered for the restaurants in Dallas and Fort Worth area.
Here is the list in alphabetical order: Afghan, African, American, Asian, Bagels, Bakery, Barbecue, Brazilian, Breakfast, Brunch, Buffet, Burgers, Cajun/Creole, California, Caribbean, Chicken, Chinese, Coffee, Cuban, Desserts / Ice Cream, Dim Sum, Diner, Donuts, Eastern European, English / Irish, Ethiopian / Eritrean, European, Fast Food, Filipino, French, Gastropub, German,Greek, Hawaiian, Hot Dogs, Sausages, Indian, Indonesian, International, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Kosher, Latin American, Malaysian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Modern American, Moroccan, Noodle Soup, Organic, Pakistani, Persian, Pizza, Portuguese, Pub Food, Salads, Sandwiches / Subs, Seafood, Smoothies, Soups, Southern / Soul, Spanish, Steakhouse, Sushi, Tacos, Tapas, Tea, Teriyaki, Tex-Mex, Thai, Turkish, Vegetarian, Vietnamese, Wine Bar.
Out of all these types of available restaurants in Dallas, what the city is most famous for most is their wide array of Tex-Mex and authentic Mexican dishes, its barbecue, restaurant chains like Romano’s Macaroni Grill and Chilli’s, frozen margaritas, and most notably, Fearing’s restaurant. Fearing’s is located at the Ritz Carlton in Uptown Dallas which was awarded the much-coveted title “Best US Hotel” and “2nd Best Hotel in the World”, both in 2009, by Zagat.
Some of the restaurants in Dallas are nationally ranked including steakhouses with Bob’s Steak & Chop House ranking first based on the USDA Prime Steakhouses chart (below).
Hot Spots for the Good Restaurants in Dallas
If you’re looking for areas with high concentrations of restaurants in Dallas, visit the following locations:
- Beltline Road – This isn’t exactly a list of restaurants in Dallas – they are in Addison. This area goes through North Dallas and Addison, north of I-635. This area is considered to have the most number of restaurants per capita in the U.S. so whatever kind of food you are looking for, it is most likely that you will find it here.
- Greenville Avenue – This area runs from north to south of East Dallas. Along its length, you’ll find various restaurants there most especially in Lower Greenville.
- Knox and Henderson – If you’re looking for a stylish yet laidback type of dining places, you’ll find them along the streets of the “Knox/Henderson” neighborhood, just off US-75 Uptown.
- McKinney Avenue – This is the heart of Uptown Dallas and as such, also has a wide array of quality establishments.
- The West End – This is located in the northwestern part of Downtown and has a good mix of both successful chain restaurants and local establishments.
Top Ten Restaurants Based on Overall Dining Experience
According to DallasRestaurants.com (a Dallas restaurant reservation site that sends an electronic feedback form to all diners which in turn are counted as votes and tallied), here are the top ten best restaurants in Dallas based on an overall dining experience. This includes having the best service, best food, best ambiance, best wine list bar & selection, and best value for your money. As of this writing, there have already been 304,144 votes received through their feedback service since 2005. Here are today’s top ten best dining places in Dallas:
Top Ten Restaurants in Dallas
- The Capital Grille – serving American dishes
- III Forks – serving French cuisine
- The Place at Perry’s – serving steaks
- Bijoux Restaurant – serving American dishes
- Stephan Pyles Restaurant – serving Southwestern cuisine
- Al Biernat’s – serving steaks
- Nana – serving American dishes
- St. Martin’s Wine Bistro – serving French cuisine
- Pappas Bros. Steakhouse – serving American dishes
- Abacus – serving fusion dishes
Out of these 10 restaurants in Dallas – Did you notice that two are steak, two are French, four are American, one is Southwestern and one is fusion? In fact, not one in the top-ten is Tex-Mex (which the original Tex-Mex was known to have been in Dallas).
Major Restaurants in Dallas
Dallas also showcases quite a good number of its own restaurant chains. These have become successful over the years and have continued to offer unique local flavors in the city.
- Spring Creek Barbeque – This restaurant chain has 15 Texas style restaurants all over Dallas and in fact, all over Texas. Their menu is very simple which includes ham, beef, sausage, chicken, turkey, and ribs. They can be ordered for entrees or as part of a combo meal. Side dishes include beans, corn, potato salad, baked potatoes, and coleslaw. They also serve fresh homemade bread rolls (incredible!) with each dish and more will get delivered to your table per each meal ordered. Their servings are large but the prices are quite affordable at $10 being the most expensive on the menu. For a complete list of branches, please check it here: http://www.springcreekbarbeque.com/
- Cristina’s – There are several Cristina’s restaurants in Dallas and the Fort Worth area with lunch specials at very affordable prices. Whether the branch you’re in is family-owned or a franchise, the service here is always fast. They serve salsa and chips which are arguably the best in the Metroplex. Their signature dish, called “Queao Fameado” is a must-try as it has cheese melted by a server by the fire tableside and then wraps all this cheesy goodness in several freshly made tortillas. To find out more about Cristina’s, please check this link: https://cristinasmex.com/
- Taste of Addison (Addison Circle Park) – This one is located in 4970 Addison Circle Drive which showcases dishes from more than 50 of Addison’s most popular restaurants; it has live music, children’s entertainment, arts & crafts show, cooking demos and more. The Taste of Addison is held every springtime. To find out more, please go here: http://www.addisontexas.net/events/TasteAddison/
- Screen Door, One Arts Plaza – This one is a modern Southern restaurant located in the Arts District. They offer classic Southern dishes in a contemporary, beautiful setting, with patio to complete the view of the stunning Arts District. To find out more, please head here: http://www.screendoordallas.com/
- City of Tavern – This is located in Main Street, Downtown which has been through a lot of renovations over time. The area has numerous places to eat at and one that comes highly recommended is the City of Tavern. They have scrumptious, freshly made food served from morning until late in the evening, 7 days a week, including lunch and a late-night menu featuring many of the most famous dishes in Dallas at affordable prices. To find out more, please check their site: http://citytaverndowntown.com/
Whether you’re a tourist or a local, you won’t run out of food places to choose from. Dallas is a haven for food lovers, and if you’re not yet one, you’ll surely become a certified foodie once you’ve checked out the many restaurants in Dallas and the surrounding area has to offer you!