The Top 100 Places to Eat and Drink Near Babe's Chicken Dinner House
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Rank 4. Panther City BBQ
Barbecue
A former food truck now settled into a Fort Worth storefront, Panther City barbecues on offset pits in the Central Texas tradition—thick-cut brisket with a peppery bark, tender pulled pork—then folds that smoke into burritos and elote. The sides matter: smoked mac and cheese sharp enough to stand alone, a potato salad studded with cheese and green onion. Arrive early or accept the line.
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Rank 5. Sabar BBQ
Texas-Style Barbecue
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A casual spot where corridos play and Rogelio Cortez Jr. serves only birria—braised until it shreds at the merest suggestion. Corn tortillas arrive stuffed generous with meat, onion, cilantro, lime; the quesatacos, two tortillas bound with melted cheese and birria crisped at the edges, are a study in restraint and focus. One protein, infinite formats, and no need for anything else.
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Rank 8. 61 Osteria
Italian
- Texas Monthly 2024 · #4 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Eater Best New Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Essential Dallas Restaurants
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Rank 9. Starship Bagel
NY-Style Bakery
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bakery
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bakery
- Bon Appétit The Very Best Bagels in the US (Yes, Outside New York)
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Rank 10. Smoke'N Ash BBQ
Tex-Ethiopian Barbecue
An Arlington smoker joint where Tex-Mex barbecue meets Ethiopian spice: brisket and pulled lamb kissed with awaze, a fiery spice sauce that rewrites the regional rulebook. The platters invite grazing across smoked meats and unexpected sides—collard greens, fried okra, lentil stews—that feel like a conversation between two culinary traditions rather than a gimmick.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Patrick Hicks and Fasicka Hicks
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Fasicka Hicks and Patrick Hicks
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Ethiopian · Best of Big D
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Rank 11. Goldee’s BAR-B•Q
Barbecue
A modest barbecue shop where young pitmasters work Black Angus brisket over post oak, yielding meat so tender it dissolves on the tongue with a clean, mineral richness. Served on homemade bread with a mustardy sauce or unadorned, it draws hours-long lines for good reason—the real test is whether you can catch them before the day's smoke clears.
- Food & Wine 2024 · Best New Chefs · Jonny White, Jalen Heard, and Lane Milne
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Jalen Heard, Lane Milne, and Jonny White
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
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- D Magazine 2023 · Best Japanese · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Japanese · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Japanese · Best of Big D
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- Eater 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- D Magazine 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in Dallas
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Rank 19. Simply South
Southern Indian
- The New York Times 2024 · The Restaurant List
- Texas Monthly 2025 · Honorable Mentions · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
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- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Brisket · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer Barbecue Shops · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
- D Magazine #40 · The 50 Best Restaurants
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Rank 22. Zoli's Pizza
Pizza
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Rank 23. Roots Southern Table
Modern Southern
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Soul Food · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Southern Cooking · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Gumbo · Best of Dallas
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- D Magazine 2024 · Best Deli · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Sandwich Shop · Best of Dallas
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- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Korean · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Korean BBQ · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Korean · Best of Big D
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- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Chinese · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Dumplings · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Dumplings · Best of Big D
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- Texas Monthly 2025 · #2 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best New Restaurant · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer Neighborhood Staples and Gems · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
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- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Carnitas · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer New Restaurants on the Observers’ Top 50 · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
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Rank 39. Don Artemio
Mexican
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Nominee · Best New Restaurant
- Texas Monthly 2023 · #7 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
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- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Indian · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Spicy Cocktails · Best of Big D
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- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Hot Chicken · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Hot Chicken Sandwich · Best of Dallas
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Rank 51. The Mansion Restaurant
French New American
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- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Lunch Spot for Dogs · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Restaurant for Kids · Best of Dallas
- Eater The 38 Essential Dallas Restaurants
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Rank 58. Fearing's
Southwestern New American
Inside the Ritz-Carlton, Chef Dean Fearing's dining room reads traditional steakhouse but operates by its own rules. A Lone Star mosaic of raw tuna, wagyu, salmon, and barbecued eel arrives like stained glass; baklava s'more pivots toward pistachio marshmallow and burnt rosemary ice cream. American cooking with Southwestern swagger, built on surprise.
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- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Fish and Chips · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Bloody Mary · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Veggie Burger · Best of Big D
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- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Birria · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine #28 · The 50 Best Restaurants
- Dallas Observer Taquerias, Tex-Mex and More · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
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Rank 69. Cattleack Barbeque
Barbecue
Wood smoke announces Cattleack before you see the line. Pitmaster Andrew Castelan tends oak and hickory fires for brisket and ribs that need nothing but themselves, though the bright, tangy house sauce sits ready on every table. Sides—charred greens, burnt end beans, street corn—and cornbread complete the picture of a barbecue operation running exactly as it should.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Texas Monthly 2025 · The 50 Best BBQ Joints in Texas
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Barbecue · Best of Dallas
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Rank 70. Lucia
Italian
In the Bishop Arts District, David Uygur works from Italian foundations, building dishes around seasonal Texas produce and house-made pasta with the restraint of someone who trusts his ingredients. The menu turns with the seasons; wine leans Italian. Jennifer's warmth at the door makes the small room feel like it's been waiting for you.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Maggie Huff
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurant
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Chef · David Uygar
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- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Philly Cheesesteak · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer Neighborhood Staples and Gems · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
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Rank 76. Slow Bone
Texas-Style Barbecue
- Texas Monthly 2025 · The 50 Best BBQ Joints in Texas
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Barbecue · Best of Dallas
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- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Brunch · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Brunch · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Burger · Best of Big D
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Rank 81. Ayahuasca Cantina
Mezcal Mexican
You enter through a cafe's back hallway into a moody speakeasy where every bottle behind the bar hails from Mexico and cocktails trace the country's drinking history from pre-Columbian fermentations through modern riffs. The kitchen matches that ambition with pre-Hispanic dishes like octopus in ink and stone-cooked broths, prepared with enough authenticity that servers will happily decode the menu.
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
- Esquire 2024 · The Best Bars in America
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Margarita · Best of Dallas
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A narrow slip of a bar in Oak Cliff where bartender Hugo and chef Hugo fuss over cocktails with the same intensity they bring to small plates—the Ron Kon Cafe comes topped with a housemade Mr. Black and Guinness reduction and salted plantain puree. It's the kind of place where you meant to stay for one drink and instead linger through several, nursing oysters and watching two people who clearly love what they do.
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Seafood · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Seafood · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in Dallas
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Rank 83. Peticolas Brewing Company
Beer Bar
Peticolas is a small locally owned brewery in a West Dallas industrial building that helped put the city's craft beer scene on the map with brews like Velvet Hammer, a deceptively smooth imperial red ale. The split-level taproom is always tuned to some soccer match—Champions League or regional Mexican soccer—and has foosball, ping pong, and shuffleboard upstairs for when the field goes quiet.
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Local Brewery · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Taproom · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Brewery · Best of Big D
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- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Side: Grilled Leeks · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Restaurant in Oak Cliff · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in Dallas
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Rank 85. José
Jalisco Mexican
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman
- D Magazine #30 · The 50 Best Restaurants
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- Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Chopped Cheese · Best of Phoenix
- D Magazine 2024 · The Best New Restaurants in Dallas
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Rank 87. El Carlos Elegante
Mexican
The wood-fired grill anchors a warm dining room where crab cakes give way to pork al pastor and house-made masa for tableside taco assembly. Charred okra and Mexican chocolate pot de crème round out a menu built on grilled meats and shareable plates, paired with a serious tequila and mezcal program.
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Restaurant Patio · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2023 · Best Tequila Drink: The Negroni-ish · Best of Big D
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 88. MĀBO
Omakase Sushi
- Esquire 2024 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best New Restaurant
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Masayuki Otaka
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- D Magazine 2025 · Best Donuts · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Doughnuts · Best of Dallas
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Rank 91. Written By The Seasons
Contemporary New American
In the Bishop Arts District, a bright room hums with the rhythm of a kitchen that lets the season dictate its moves. Carrots arrive dusted with dukkah, branzino glazed in harissa, vegetables commanding the plate with the same authority as protein. The cocktail list shifts with the calendar, and the focaccia alone rewards a visit.
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Vegetarian Friendly · Best of Big D
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Essential Dallas Restaurants
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- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Local Beer: Royal Blood Blood Orange Ale · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Brewery for the Whole Family · Best of Dallas
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Rank 93. LadyLove Lounge & Sound
Cocktail Bar
Tucked into a quiet Bishop Arts corner with red-dimmed lighting and velvet-and-leather vibes, LadyLove is a lounge that strikes the rare balance of being intimate enough for conversation and lively enough for dancing. DJs spin on weekends, themed nights keep things fresh, and cocktails like the Rude Boy (tequila, aloe-peno syrup, lime) cost less than the beer.
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Lesbian Bar That Isn’t a Lesbian Bar · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Dance Party · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Dance Party · Best of Big D
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Rank 94. Midnight Rambler
Cocktail Bar
Dark and moody downstairs at the Joule, this subterranean cocktail bar channels speakeasy glamour with a mirrored liquor wall that glows like the crown jewels. The bartenders work with genuine precision on both classics and more obscure drinks, and they'll nail whichever direction you're heading.
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Top 10 Nominee · Best U.S. Hotel Bar
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service · Gabe Sanchez
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Top 10 U.S. Nominee · Best U.S. Hotel Bar
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- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Liquor Store · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Place to Buy Booze · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Liquor Store · Best of Dallas
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Rank 97. Community Beer Co.
Beer Bar
Community Beer Company is a sprawling two-story production brewery and biergarten just northeast of downtown, where the Mosaic IPA has become a local touchstone and families, friends, and dogs sprawl across 70,000 square feet on weekends. Nearly two dozen rotating house beers keep the taps fresh, and the whole place reads like a love letter to how far Dallas's craft beer scene has traveled in a decade.
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Local Beer: Honey Citrus Blonde · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2023 · Best Taproom · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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Rank 98. Mamani
Contemporary French
Chef Christophe De Lellis, formerly of Joël Robuchon in Vegas, opened this polished Dallas outpost around elevated bistro cooking and impeccable technique. Dover sole in brown butter and a textbook Paris-Brest suggest a kitchen that respects classical foundations while a serious wine list rewards the curious diner.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Texas Monthly 2025 · Dishes We Wanted Seconds Of: Rosa Sposa · The Best Things in Texas
- D Magazine 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in Dallas
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