1. Taste The Triumphant Tex-Mex at Avila’s
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Avila’s. Your family’s in town. They’re from somewhere that’s not Texas and they’ve never truly experienced great Tex-Mex food. Little do they know there is more than just Taco Bell and way more than their Northern taste buds could ever have fathomed.
You’ve had chicken chile relleno--but brisket? And the enchiladas! The pillow-soft corn tortilla, the tender meat, the aroma and taste of that delicious, hot cheese--I once saw a kid lick his plate inside this Oak Lawn
caliente-spot and I could tell his dad wanted to do the same thing.
But, stop! Don’t get full just yet because you
must try both a sopapilla
andthe bread pudding! Avila’s does something different with the milk, sugar and pecans that give it that orgasmic ending in your mouth.
Avila’s is Food Network-approved and that’s really left to say is posted on their wall, ¡Buen provecho!
2. Don’t Miss The Drool-Worthy BBQ At Pecan Lodge
Pecan Lodge is known for a über-simple casual menu available only during the lunch hours inside the Dallas Farmers Market--tender, perfectly-cooked barbeque.
Can’t decide between sausage, pork or brisket? Get the Pitmaster with extra jalapenos! It’s everything between buns!
You may hear people talking about the
Hot Mess here. If you want something that’s not completely BBQ but will still burst your belt buckle, get this football-sized baked ‘tater loaded with all the fixins. Girls, I hope you’re not on a diet, because this is Dallas. And this is how we eat.
3. The Fried Chicken At Babe’s Chicken Dinner House Is So Good You’ll Wanna Slap Your Mama
Yes, there are nine of these delectable delicacy houses scattered about--but Roanoke is where it all started. And the Roanoke location is where you go for greatness.
I’m always conflicted on whether to get the fried chicken or the monster chicken fried steak. Solution? Go with a friend who will sport similar fat-pants and share
all of the dishes!
The beauty of this place is that dishes are served family-style. And that’s good because Grandma’s Corn is so good, you’ll eat enough to feed a family. And those biscuits--good Lord, drizzle some honey and slather them with butter.
There’s always a line of bellies waiting to be filled with fried goodness. So, get there fast, because you will be waddling out of here very slowly.
4. The Vegetarian Food At Kalachandji’s Is So Good You Might Just Give Up Meat
OK, we’ve crossed Tex-Mex, BBQ and fried chicken now it’s tofu turkey time!
If you’ve spent a Thanksgiving in Dallas, you may have had the pleasure of dining in this place, while feasting on tofu turkey and letting the aromas of Indian food and flare fill your surroundings. But Kalachandji’s, located for years where the Hare Krishna temple sits just east of downtown Dallas, is much more than that.
Try a $10 vegetarian buffet complete with pakoras, dahl and veggies seasoned so beautifully and creatively, from sweet, savory to spicy. Please go after dark and dine in the beautifully-lit courtyard. After that, the next step is to take one of their cooking classes!
5. The Brunch at La Duni
Yes, there’s brunch
everywhere in Dallas. But if you’re stuck between sweet or salty (or savory), you can have all of the above and then some, when dining at La Duni.
The owners of La Duni are a married couple who feed off each other’s talents. Espartaco Borga is responsible for creating morning memories including the huevos rancheros and the always-filling breakfast tacos, while Dunia is the woman behind those perfect pastries like the chocolate cake pudding and non-spongy so-perfect cuatro tres leches.
Go all out and ask for a dangerously-delicious “cake platter.” Hell, you can have dessert in the morning if you want. Actually, that’s not a bad idea!
Pro-tip: Get a limonada, preferably with berries for a fresh morning burst of juice goodness!
6. A Picture-Perfect Steak Night at Pappas Bros.
There’s a lot of ground to cover in terms of barbeque when you’re creating any respectable food list in Texas. And no list would be complete without mentioning Pappas.
Their luscious lamb chops, porterhouse, and strip steak are all perfection on a plate. To get the full experience pair your steak with a wine from Pappas’ impressively extensive list.
Pro-tip: Order the crab macaroni and cheese, it’s so good you’ll swear its seasoned with unicorn tears.
7. Treat Yourself To A Jack Honey Milkshake Or Chocolate Martini At Pop Diner
Pop Diner is arguably one of the best-situated, most-convenient places to get a meal, a drink and dessert for the up-and-coming young-and-poppin’ crowd in Uptown (People still say “poppin’,” right?).
When you stumble out of a bar at 1 a.m. and you’re hankerin’ for waffles and wings, or you’re stumbling out and still dolled up and want a swanky martini. Pop Diner is there for you. More importantly, they are open 24/7 and are there with a full bar, most notably a Jack Honey Milkshake and the Milky Way Martini.
Some people have had Guinness shakes, vodka shakes, and even a Lone Star beer-shake (don’t ask)--but one mixed with Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey. Oh, baby. The honey and the vanilla; the sugar and the alcohol; the cold, sweet taste of the lush liquid leaving your lips and sliding down into your already-alcohol-filled belly. It’s just refreshing.
And the chocolate upon chocolate layers in the dessertini? That Milky Way is out of this world.
Don’t forget to wrap your sticky fingers around the free old-school arcade games before jettisoning off into a taxi back a few blocks to your overly-priced minipad.
8. Sink Your Teeth Into An Italian Sub at Jimmy’s Food Store
A while back, someone pointed out a shack on the corner of Bryan and Fitzhugh in Old East Dallas and said, “That place? That’s where you go for good Italian subs.” The place looks like a slowly-dying convenience store; whatever you say, pops.
Several weeks later, confirmation was achieved that this place, in fact, was the best to get a muffuletta.
Jimmy’s has perfected the art of sandwich-making, whether you want a prosciutto panino or a classic Italian sub. Even better--it costs less than $10 to walk out with savory cuts of meat, conquering cheese and some delicious, filling flaky bread.
But wait, there’s more. It’s called a store for a reason--you can buy cold cuts, cheese, a seemingly-endless display of wines and Italian espresso!!
Eccellente!
9. Tacos Go High Class At Revolver
$15 for a plate of tacos? $20?
Que es este? No,
guey, let me explain. This ain't a bean-and-cheese 69 cent taco that sat under a heat lamp for a day.
Picture tender pork,
spiced calabacita, seared duck breast, lobster and much more, cooked to perfection and placed onto handmade corn tortillas. You get all of this, and so much more, at Revolver Taco Lounge.
Also on your must-try list: The mole enchiladas, with that special sauce giving the meat such an often-lacking flavorful kick. Andrew Zimmern once called this place “beyond amazing.”
10. Life Doesn’t Get Any Sweeter Than At Fearing’s
Fearing’s is a steakhouse. Fearing’s also is where you go should you desire to enter into the most worth-it diabetic coma of your life.
Situated inside Dallas’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Fearing’s is a pricey palatial place where locals and tourists alike come to enjoy a night out on the town. But disregard the foie gras and lamb chops for one night, because this should be one of your top dessert destinations when visiting the Big D.
For starters, try a Chocolate Fluffer Nutter, complete with a vanilla shake and peanut butter brittle--combined, so salty, so sweet, it’s like a delicious volcano exploding inside of your mouth. Oh, no, that’s just the beginning. Have a friend order the downright-sinful Apple Trio, with fried apple pieces, apple spice cake and apple oatmeal crisp. Better yet, bring a group and split all the desserts--just don’t forget to order one of their tasty well-paired dessert wines.
11. Chow Down On Crawfish With The “Whole Sha-Bang” at The Boiling Crab
Of the dozens and dozens of seafood and cajun joints in Dallas, The Boiling Crab is a mandatory visit when in search of culinary crawfish.
It’s not rocket science when it comes to preparing the little critters, but seasoning and taste can be hard to come by. Enter: The Boiling Crab. No matter how many people you bring and no matter how many pounds you order, you simply
must get it covered ‘n smothered with the Whole Sha-Bang sauce--a tangy, garlicky, lemony cajun explosion of flavors that has people coming back for more--once they can feel their lips again, that is. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard “Woo!” or “Damn!” inside this place.
12. Gettin’ Happy With The Best Margaritas In Dallas at Gloria’s
Yeah, yeah we
all have our
favorite places for
the best margaritas (with massive air-quotes around the best), but you’ll be hard-pressed to do better and to stay sober when entering any Gloria’s across North Texas.
Gloria’s continues to gain popularity as a just-drinks spot, given the fact that the menu is a tad pricey. The food? Damn delicious. But you pay for it. But you can’t go wrong with the drinks and as a drunk man once said, “Mmmmmmargaritas here are ssssso good!” Go forth and conquer.
13. Binge On Biscuits ‘N Gravy At Bubba’s
Have you just run a marathon? Been through a breakup? Gotten paid? Going through a hangover? Or are you just looking to wreck your diet? Well look no further because Bubba’s welcomes you with greasy, Crisco-covered open arms and they want you to feast on everything on the menu--but go for the biscuits and gravy.
Good golly, miss Molly; the fresh-baked, soft, warm inside with the tender-yet-flaky outside of those monster bad boys smothered with warm, savory homemade Bubba’s gravy warms the coldest of hearts. It’s like Grandma used to make ‘em.
14. Get Something Un-Pho-Gettable At Mot Hai Ba
Do you speak Vietnamese? Now you do! Mot Hai Ba means one, two three. Mot Hai Ba also doubles as the definition for some of the best pho and other Vietnamese delicacies in DFW.
Usually, you have to settle on decent pho and everything else on the menu falls off as forgettable. Not here. At Mot Hai Ba, the papaya salad and the donut holes complete your pho for an easy one-two-three memorable dining experience (now the name makes sense).
Don’t be scared by the frog legs; they’re fried until crispy delicious and make for just a downright fun conversation starter for all of the first dates and meetups spotted here.
Not a pho fan? Pho-get about it and opt for another Hai, as no one complains about the shaking beef and the crab. And with the Lakewood location being so close to so much, skip the trip to North Vietnam and enjoy all of the fantastic flavors in North Texas.
15. Kickin’ Back With A Beer And A Burger At Lee Harvey’s
“Thank God it's Friday night and I just-just-just-just-juuuuuuust got paid.” N’Sync circa 2000. Anyone?
Anyone? Well, if you are alone in your boy band blogosphere, get out on a Friday night and hit up Lee Harvey’s.
Situated in South Dallas, Lee Harvey’s culminates what’s so great about being in the Big D. Live music, cheap beer, great fried eats and a chill, friendly vibe.
What’s especially nice is outdoor eatin’, which you can do with ease here with picnic tables and fire pits. Which is perfect, because this dog-friendly joint whips up mad burgers, including a monster belt-busting burgers completely customizable to your eyes, which will be bigger than your stomach when you look at the options.
Stick around, grab a whiskey and check out a new, local band with a friend.
Feature Image Source: The Boiling Crab via Facebook
