The Top 100 Places to Eat and Drink Near The Alley
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Rank 2. 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 3. 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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- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Hot Chicken · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Hot Chicken Sandwich · Best of Dallas
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Rank 9. 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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- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Birria · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer Taquerias, Tex-Mex and More · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
- D Magazine #28 · The 50 Best Restaurants
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Rank 12. 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 13. 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 14. 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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- 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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- 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 17. 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 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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- 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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Rank 23. 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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- 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 29. 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 30. 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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- 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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- Wine Enthusiast 2025 · Top 50 New Restaurants
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Place to Celebrate an Anniversary · Best of Big D
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Rank 34. Zoli's Pizza
Pizza
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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 36. 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 38. 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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Rank 40. The Mansion Restaurant
French New American
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Rank 42. 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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- 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 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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Rank 49. 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 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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- D Magazine 2025 · Best Donuts · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Doughnuts · Best of Dallas
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Rank 55. 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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- 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 60. 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 62. 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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Rank 64. 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 65. 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 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 73. 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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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 79. 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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Rank 80. 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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Rank 84. 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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- 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 90. 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 Chicken-Fried Steak · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer Classic Dallas Restaurants · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
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Rank 93. 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 2025 · Best Restaurant for a Special Occasion · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer Splurge Worthy Spots · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
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Rank 97. Katy Trail Ice House
Texas Beer Bar
A sprawling patio off the Katy Trail where the beer list skews all-Texas and the crowd leans outdoorsy and thirsty. This ice house does Texas whiskeys and venison chili with the kind of casual, colorful ease that makes you want to stay longer than you planned.
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Spot on the Katy Trail · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Bar Patio · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer The Ultimate Dallas Bar Guide
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