The Top 100 Places to Eat and Drink Near South Polk Pizzeria
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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 4. Smokey Joe's BBQ
Texas-Style Barbecue
- Texas Monthly 2025 · The 50 Best BBQ Joints in Texas
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Barbecue · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer Barbecue Shops · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
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Rank 5. 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 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Chef · David Uygar
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurant
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Maggie Huff
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Rank 6. 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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- 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 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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- 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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- 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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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 12. 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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Rank 13. 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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- Wine Enthusiast 2025 · Top 50 New Restaurants
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Place to Celebrate an Anniversary · Best of Big D
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- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Sourdough Loaf · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Bakery for Bread · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Bakery for Bread · Best of Big D
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Rank 16. Barbara's Pavillion
Dive Bar
Barbara's Pavilion, a low-key Oak Cliff dive that's been around for over 50 years, leans into its retro charm with karaoke nights on Thursdays and Sundays plus burlesque shows the third Wednesday of each month. The kind of unpretentious neighborhood bar where your bartender might already be a regular and the jukebox pulls everything from '70s disco to contemporary hip-hop.
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Hole-in-the-Wall Gay Bar · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Chocolate · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Chocolatier · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Chocolatier · Best of Big D
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- D Magazine 2023 · Best Brunch · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Chilaquiles · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Brunch · Best of Big D
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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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- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Place for a Post-Mountain Bike Ride Beer · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Brewery for the Whole Family · Best of Dallas
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- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Mediterranean · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Former Mayor's House · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer Neighborhood Staples and Gems · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
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Rank 26. Restaurant Beatrice
Contemporary Cajun & Creole
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Nominee · Best New Restaurant
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Cajun · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine #22 · The 50 Best Restaurants
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- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Italian Market · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Neighborhood Market · Best of Big D
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Revelers Hall transplants 1920s New Orleans brass-band energy to a corner of Bishop Arts, where Kevin Butler's big band plays with such infectious festivity that the room practically vibrates with the urge to dance. It's a bar with flatbreads, cheese boards, and charcuterie—decidedly not the place for a quiet drink, but exactly right if you want to be swept up in something loud and joyful.
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- D Magazine 2024 · Best Day-to-Night Combo · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Deli · Best of Big D
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Rank 35. Hola Café
Coffee Shop
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Specialty Lattes · Best of Dallas
- Eater The 15 Coolest Coffee Shops in Dallas
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Rank 37. Stock & Barrel
Texas American
Jon Stevens's Stock & Barrel pairs industrial charm with Texas favorites remade bold—wagyu meatloaf, deviled eggs with pickled rhubarb—in the Bishop Arts neighborhood. The convivial bar counter and friendly staff create the kind of consistently packed local spot where every visit feels unhurried.
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Rank 46. Tiny Victories
Cocktail Bar
A snug cocktail bar just west of the Bishop Arts District where a Bob Ross shrine evolved organically after a bartender put him on TV one day and a regular asked why he'd vanished the next. The drinks are taken seriously but never solemnly—try a properly made mai tai or the tongue-in-cheek House Shot, and hit happy hour Tuesday through Saturday for half-price cocktails.
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Cocktail Bar · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2023 · Best Happy Hour · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Chicken-Fried Steak · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer Classic Dallas Restaurants · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
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Rank 51. The Branca Room
Argentine Cocktail Bar
Slip down an alley in the Bishop Arts District and find this speakeasy hidden behind Chimichurri Bistro, marked only by a red light above an unmarked door. Crystal chandeliers and Argentine art set a ceremonious mood where the bartenders excel at spirit-forward drinks, especially those built on amaro or vermouth—order the Amaro Transfusion if you want house-made vermouth and rye served in an IV bag.
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Rank 52. 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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Rank 54. 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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- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Restaurant Doing Good · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Diner · Best of Dallas
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- D Magazine 2023 · Best Reclamation Project · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Live Music Venue · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Live Music Venue · Best of Big D
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Rank 68. Opening Bell Coffee
Coffee
A longtime Dallas music venue disguised as a coffee shop, Opening Bell has hosted Leon Bridges and other now-famous acts on its open mic stage, and the crowd still comes to catch the next local breakout. The Black Eye—a 16-ounce drip coffee spiked with two shots of espresso—will wire you through sets, or grab a beer and a sandwich if you're here to listen rather than stay caffeinated.
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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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- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Chicken Wings · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer Barbecue Shops · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
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Rank 74. Lee Harvey's
Dive Bar
Wood paneling, neon beer signs, and a patio that draws dogs and their people make this a Dallas dive bar where you can actually breathe and be yourself. The onion rings with chipotle aioli are the kind of bar snack that keeps you ordering rounds longer than you planned.
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- Dallas Observer Taquerias, Tex-Mex and More · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
- D Magazine #38 · The 50 Best Restaurants
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Rank 77. 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 2025 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Hotel Bar – U.S. Central
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Rank 79. Four Corners Brewing Co
Beer Bar
Four Corners Brewing Co. is a sprawling neighborhood brewery in The Cedars with an industrial taproom outfitted with inventive light fixtures and serious brewing equipment visible behind the bar. They've scaled up from home operation to full production, but the real draw is the experimental seven-barrel system where they're always testing smaller-batch, one-off beers.
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Bar Game Night · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Taproom · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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Rank 80. Partenope Ristorante
Neapolitan Pizza
- 50 Top Pizza 2025 · #17 · 50 Top Pizza USA
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Pizza · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Sandwich: The Super Jeff · Best of Big D
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Rank 83. 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 2023 · Best Fish and Chips · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2023 · Best Breakfast · Best of Big D
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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 88. Jettison
Cocktail Bar
A moody cocktail bar where vinyl spins and the drinks arrive with real imagination—think margarita-penicillin hybrids and unexpected savory touches that feel ahead of the curve. After a brief hiatus, Jettison reopened with the same inventive spirit but a friendlier walk-in-only approach.
- D Magazine 2023 · Best Seasonal Cocktail List · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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Rank 90. 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 2025 · Best Bar With a Stripper Pole · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Hot Dog · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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Rank 94. Kuluntu Bakery
Bakery
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Rank 95. Crown Block
Steakhouse
A revolving restaurant atop Reunion Tower, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame Dallas sunsets while diners in business attire order rare steaks and triple-cooked fries. The circular dining room seats over 200 but fills fast since its 2023 opening, requiring advance reservations.
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Rank 96. 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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- D Magazine #49 · The 50 Best Restaurants
- Dallas Observer Neighborhood Staples and Gems · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now