The Top 100 Places to Eat and Drink Near El Jefe Cigars
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Rank 3. Double Wide
Dive Bar
A dive bar masquerading as a trailer park, Double Wide pours cheap, potent cocktails under string lights and serves as a refuge when Deep Ellum gets too packed. The real draw is the outdoor patio lined with salvaged toilets and road signs, plus a music venue across the way that hosts bands and DJs most nights.
- Wildsam The 50 Most Essential Bars in America
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Happy Hour · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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Rank 4. Tatsu Dallas
Sushi
Ten counter seats in a gin distillery building demand advance planning, but Chef Tatsuya Sekiguchi's edomae omakase—moving from delicate Alaskan salmon to briny Hokkaido uni to Maine eel—justifies the hunt. Rice and fish arrive in perfect proportion, each piece shaped to your preference, the ritual of a single seating binding strangers into witnesses of his craft.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- D Magazine 2023 · Best Tasting Menu · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Omakase · Best of Big D
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Rank 5. Tatsu
Omakase Sushi
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best New Restaurant
- D Magazine #4 · The 50 Best Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Essential Dallas Restaurants
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Rank 6. Saint Valentine
Cocktail Bar
Two experienced bartenders—one formerly of Deep Ellum's Black Swan—pour cocktails with names like Big Booty Trudy at this slinky East Dallas spot that carries itself with a studied cool. James Beard-nominated chef Misti Norris runs the kitchen, turning out obnoxiously good bar food like furikake fries that deserve a Mai Tai alongside them.
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. Central
- Texas Monthly 2025 · Dishes We Wanted Seconds Of: Loaded Nugs @ Rainbowcat · The Best Things in Texas
- Eater Best New Bar
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Rank 8. Las Almas Rotas
Mexican
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Agave Bar · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Agave Bar · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Margarita · Best of Dallas
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Rank 9. Dallasite Billiards
Dive Bar
A vintage cigarette machine by the restrooms sets the tone at this dive bar where pretense goes to die—spacious patio, pool tables, shuffleboard, and darts fill the room while the bartenders sling amaretto sours that actually deserve the hype. The bar grub is solid and the whole scene says cash-only, no-frills, and exactly what you need it to be.
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- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Regino Rojas
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best Chef: Texas · Regino Rojas
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Tasting Menu · Best of Big D
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- D Magazine 2025 · Best Ramen · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Ramen · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2023 · Best Ramen · Best of Big D
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Rank 16. Brick & Bones
Cocktail Bar
A Deep Ellum bar with unhurried charm that pours six house cocktails priced right and knows how to move a crowd without the scene. The small kitchen does a 24-hour-brined Mexican-inflected fried chicken that arrives shattering-crisp, and the whole place has the feel of old Deep Ellum before the polish arrived.
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Late-Night Grub · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Fried Chicken · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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A straightforward neighborhood bar in Deep Ellum that fills up with the AAC crowd before games and shows, with a kitchen turning out solid burgers, chili cheese dogs, and club sandwiches. The kind of place where you might come for one drink and the food and company keep you there much longer.
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Rank 22. Armoury D.E.
Cocktail Bar
A Deep Ellum bar with a mission to pair excellent cocktails and live music, Armoury D.E. serves Hungarian comfort food alongside a rotating burger special in a casual, convivial space. The real draw is the back patio, where free shows happen regularly and the music curation matches the care that went into the drink list.
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Bar Food · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Bloody Mary · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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Rank 23. Cold Beer Company
Beer Bar
A sprawling beer garden on Deep Ellum's eastern edge where the bartenders know their stuff and the taps rotate through local options alongside a solid can selection. The outdoor space has you covered year-round with heaters and misters, and there's a grilled pimento cheese sandwich that justifies lingering over a round or two.
- D Magazine 2023 · Best Place to Day Drink · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best New Restaurant
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Non-Dallasy Dallas Bar · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in Dallas
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Rank 27. Three Links
Beer Bar
This Deep Ellum bar runs nonstop with a relentless live music calendar, nearly every night after 7pm bringing in everything from local punk to indie rock behind a modest cover charge. Cheap Tullamore Dew and rotating taps keep the crowd loose and the place perpetually buzzing.
- D Magazine 2023 · Best Live Music Venue · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Bathroom · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Deli · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Place to Buy Wine · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Deli · Best of Dallas
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- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Bar Vibes · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Mexican · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2023 · Best Late-Night Eats · Best of Big D
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Rank 35. Dot's Hop House & Cocktail Courtyard
Cocktail Bar
Dot's is a sprawling Deep Ellum brunch spot with a massive dog-friendly patio where you can nurse a hand-crafted cocktail and order duck fat cheese fries or avocado toast bruschetta. The 99-tap beer menu and the Strawberry Smokeshow cocktail keep the place buzzing whether you're stopping by for a casual daytime meal or settling in for a longer session.
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Beer Selection · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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A Latin American restaurant and bar where the tequila and mezcal list goes deep, and even the cocktails come with mythological backstories served with real care. There's live music in the back room, The Limbo Room, where the sound system and sightlines rival venues twice the size.
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Rank 44. Cosmo's
Vietnamese
A corner spot with '60s lounge bones, a VHS-stacked bar, and a patio that feels miles from the street, Cosmo's pairs specialty cocktails—including a martini built with house-brewed Vietnamese coffee—with an eclectic kitchen that nails Vietnamese dishes. The garlic noodles are worth a special trip if they're available that night.
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Espresso Martini · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Vietnamese · Best of Big D
- D Magazine #44 · The 50 Best Restaurants
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Rank 45. Revolver Taco Lounge
Mexican
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Regino Rojas
- Texas Monthly 2023 · #5 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- D Magazine 2023 · Best Mexican · Best of Big D
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Rank 50. Apothecary
Avant-Garde Cocktail Bar
A discreetly unmarked cocktail lounge where mixologists spend months perfecting each drink and the menu reimagines itself entirely each year—find the dark, quiet room on Greenville and settle in for what the staff could spend hours explaining. The seasonal themes get genuinely playful, like the year they paired a dirty martini with deviled eggs shaped to match.
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bar
- Spirited Awards 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. Central
- Eater The 38 Essential Dallas Restaurants
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- D Magazine 2024 · Best Asian Barbecue · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2023 · Best Asian Barbecue · Best of Big D
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Rank 53. MộT Hai Ba
Fusion
A narrow room with wood floors and brick hides behind an auto repair shop, where Chef Peja Krstic blends Serbian roots with Vietnamese and French technique and Texas ingredients—beef brisket in steamed bao, tempura squash blossoms with nuoc cham, coconut lemongrass panna cotta with peanut crumble. The cooking is restless and curious, never settling into one tradition.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- D Magazine #7 · The 50 Best Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Essential Dallas Restaurants
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- D Magazine 2023 · Best Frozen Drink: The Peel Out · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Late-Night Grub · Best of Dallas
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Rank 56. Via Triozzi
Italian
- Texas Monthly 2024 · #8 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Italian · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2023 · The Best New Restaurants in Dallas
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- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Tasting Menu · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Vegetarian Friendly · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2023 · Best Place for Dessert · Best of Big D
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Rank 60. Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen
Vietnamese
Carol Nguyen's rustic-trimmed space on Lower Greenville channels Hanoi street food with an unpretentious hand. Green papaya salad arrives layered with herbs and house-made beef jerky; noodle bowls come crowned with chargrilled pork and imperial rolls, the cooking bright and balanced throughout. A neighborhood gathering place that serves the straightforward, well-executed thing.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Eater The 38 Essential Dallas Restaurants
- Dallas Observer Neighborhood Staples and Gems · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
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Rank 63. 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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Rank 64. Quarter Acre
New American
Chef Toby Archibald's intimate Dallas dining room channels a New Zealand-inflected aesthetic while his cooking balances classical technique with international flourishes, from pristine raw preparations to fire-kissed finishes. The tasting menu unfolds as a personal, seasonally calibrated narrative rather than a greatest-hits collection.
- Texas Monthly 2024 · #3 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Chef · Best of Dallas · Toby Archibald
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Tasting Menu · Best of Big D
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Rank 66. The Mansion Restaurant
French New American
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Rank 67. 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
- Food & Wine 2025 · The Top 10 Hotel Bars in the US
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Rank 69. Tei-An
Japanese Noodles
In a stark, gallery-like space in the Arts District, Tei-An grounds itself in the ritualism of handmade noodles—soba and udon served hot or cold with both classical and unorthodox accompaniments. The kitchen moves beyond its foundations with equal command, turning out tempura and grilled eel alongside tonkatsu, each dish executed with the precision of someone who has thought through every detail.
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Omakase · Best of Dallas
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- D Magazine #8 · The 50 Best Restaurants
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Rank 70. Gemma
Contemporary New American
A husband-and-wife team runs this intimate neighborhood spot with the ease of people who've learned their craft in serious kitchens. The roasted heirloom carrots and Idaho trout almondine anchor a seasonal menu that turns simple ingredients into small revelations, while a warm raisin scone and Meyer lemon tart bookend the meal with understated refinement.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outsdanding Hospitality
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Tater Tots · Best of Dallas
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Rank 72. Partenope Ristorante
Neapolitan Pizza
- 50 Top Pizza 2025 · #17 · 50 Top Pizza USA
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Sandwich: The Super Jeff · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Downtown Lunch · Best of Dallas
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Rank 73. Starship Bagel
NY-Style Bakery
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Bakery
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bakery
- Bon Appétit The Very Best Bagels in the US (Yes, Outside New York)
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Rank 74. R.L.Blues Palace 2
Dive Bar
A longtime Dallas blues venue on Grand Avenue where live music happens most weekends and the crowd skews decidedly grown-folk; it's BYOB, so people drift in with beer and snacks like they're settling in for the long haul. The place has had its share of closures and resurrections, but it endures as the kind of room where you go to hear the real thing.
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Rank 75. Ginger's
Cocktail Bar
Ginger's is a subterranean cocktail lounge in the historic East Quarter where knowledgeable bartenders sling solid drinks against a good music playlist, all without the velvet-rope attitude. The vibe is glamorous but genuinely welcoming—the kind of place that wants you to come as you are rather than dress for the occasion.
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Cocktail Bar · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Bar Stools · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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Rank 78. Mike’s Gemini Twin
Dive Bar
A Cedars bar that splits the difference between a neighborhood dive and somewhere the bartenders wear suits, Mike's Gemini Twin serves dirty martinis made with fresh-pressed olive juice and anchovy-stuffed olives alongside Meats by Linz hot dogs pulled from a roller grill. Pool table, darts, a decorative stripper pole, and a tiny back patio give the place its flirty, dark, unpretentious swagger.
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Hot Dog · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Bar With a Stripper Pole · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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The Alamo Club has the settled-in feel of a neighborhood fixture despite opening just a few years ago, with owner Austin Rogers working the room and chef Michale West turning out crowd-pleasing apps and entrées like a loaded club burger and pot roast pappardelle. It's the kind of unpretentious, all-purpose spot where you can linger over a quiet date, bring the family, or post up with friends for drinks without anyone feeling out of place.
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Rank 81. Strangeways
Beer Bar
A scrappy East Dallas craft beer bar where the eclectic wall art, curated music, and general vibe are precisely calibrated to repel people looking for mass appeal. The patio is great, the bar food punches above its weight, and flight nights and pop-up dinners keep things interesting for the crowd that gets what Strangeways is about.
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Beer Selection · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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Rank 83. 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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A second-floor jazz club next to the old Lakewood Theater where the dim lighting and tight quarters practically insist you dance close to whoever you came with. The Balcony Club trades in that convincing mid-century fantasy—intimate, a little worn in the best way, and genuinely a date night move.
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Rank 88. Catbird
Cocktail Bar
Climb to the ninth floor of the Thompson Hotel and squeeze through a flower tunnel into Catbird, an art deco fever dream of geometric prints, fireplaces, and a bedazzled Russian doll that feels like a surrealist gallery collided with a swanky lounge. Cocktails lean playful—think gin sippers infused with green tea and cold foam concoctions made with mineral water—and the rooftop wraps around the city like you've unlocked a secret level.
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. Central
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. Central
- Spirited Awards 2024 · Regional Honoree · Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. Central
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- D Magazine #49 · The 50 Best Restaurants
- Dallas Observer Neighborhood Staples and Gems · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
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- D Magazine 2025 · Best Tea Time · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Meal With a View · Best of Big D
- Eater The 38 Essential Dallas Restaurants
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Rank 93. JuJu's Coffee
Coffee
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Rank 94. Bar Colette
Cocktail Bar
Ruben Rolon, who built the drinks program at a Michelin-recognized restaurant, now runs this upscale cocktail bar where every drink takes days to develop and classics get thoughtful reinterpretation. The carefully curated spirits and global wines pair with refined bites like sashimi, and you'll need a reservation to secure a seat at this Dallas standout.
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best New Bar
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Hugo Spritz · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Cocktail Bar · Best of Dallas
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- Texas Monthly 2025 · Honorable Mentions · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Burger · Best of Big D
- Eater Sleeper Hit of the Year
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