The Top 100 Restaurants Near Smoke'N Ash BBQ
-
Rank 1. 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
-
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Hot Chicken · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Hot Chicken Sandwich · Best of Dallas
-
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
-
-
-
-
-
-
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.
-
Rank 10. 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
-
Rank 11. The Mansion Restaurant
French New American
-
- 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
-
- 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
-
Rank 14. 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.
-
Rank 15. 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
-
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Lunch Spot for Dogs · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Restaurant for Kids · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer Neighborhood Staples and Gems · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
-
Rank 17. 61 Osteria
Italian
- Texas Monthly 2024 · #4 · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
- Eater Best New Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Essential Dallas Restaurants
-
- 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
-
- 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
-
Rank 20. 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
-
-
- 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
-
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
-
-
Rank 25. 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
-
- Wine Enthusiast 2025 · Top 50 New Restaurants
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Place to Celebrate an Anniversary · Best of Big D
-
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Philly Cheesesteak · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer Neighborhood Staples and Gems · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
-
-
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.
-
Rank 30. 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
-
-
Rank 32. Sabar BBQ
Texas-Style Barbecue
-
Rank 33. 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
-
Rank 34. 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
-
Rank 35. 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
-
Rank 36. 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
-
- 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
-
-
Rank 39. Slow Bone
Texas-Style Barbecue
- Texas Monthly 2025 · The 50 Best BBQ Joints in Texas
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Barbecue · Best of Dallas
-
-
Rank 41. 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
-
- 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
-
-
Rank 44. Zoli's Pizza
Pizza
-
Rank 45. 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
-
-
- 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
-
-
Rank 49. 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
-
-
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Texas · Regino Rojas
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best Chef: Texas · Regino Rojas
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Mexican · Best of Big D
-
- Eater 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- D Magazine 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in Dallas
-
Rank 53. Stillwell's
Steakhouse
On the seventh floor of the Hôtel Swexan, a clubby steakhouse named for a legendary Texas rancher serves drinks and seafood towers alongside HWD beef from the restaurant's own Akaushi breeding program north of the Red River. The white-jacketed staff move with the precision of a well-oiled machine, letting the meat speak for itself.
-
-
-
-
- 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
-
Rank 58. Simply South
Southern Indian
- The New York Times 2024 · The Restaurant List
- Texas Monthly 2025 · Honorable Mentions · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
-
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.
-
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Day-to-Night Combo · Best of Big D
- D Magazine 2025 · Best Deli · Best of Big D
-
-
-
- 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
-
-
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Chicken Wings · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer Barbecue Shops · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
-
Rank 66. 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.
-
-
Rank 68. Sushi Kozy
Sushi
Chef Paul Ko's omakase unfolds across a cypress counter in a spare, modern room, opening with composed bites that wander far from tradition—duck confit in phyllo, sea bass crudo with tarragon and apple—before settling into nigiri of restraint and precision: kanpachi kissed with shiso, anago dusted with sansho. The kitchen trades cozy intimacy for elegant refinement.
-
-
Rank 70. 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
-
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Chicken-Fried Steak · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer Classic Dallas Restaurants · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
-
-
Rank 73. 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.
-
Rank 74. Billy Can Can
Texas American
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Chili · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine #21 · The 50 Best Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Essential Dallas Restaurants
-
Rank 75. Georgie
Contemporary
Georgie dresses its dining room in peachy retro-modern tones while the kitchen plays with form—crispy potato churros, roasted chicken with sauce vin jaune—without losing sight of ingredient quality and classical technique. The prices are steep, but the attentive service and indulgent desserts justify the splurge.
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Emerging Chef · RJ Yoakum
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Chef · Best of Dallas · R.J. Yoakum
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Place to Celebrate an Anniversary · Best of Big D
-
-
Rank 77. 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
-
-
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Indian · Best of Dallas
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Spicy Cocktails · Best of Big D
-
-
-
-
- Wine Enthusiast 2025 · Top 50 New Restaurants
- Texas Monthly 2025 · Honorable Mentions · Texas’s Best New Restaurants
-
- D Magazine #49 · The 50 Best Restaurants
- Dallas Observer Neighborhood Staples and Gems · The Top 50 Restaurants in Dallas Right Now
-
Rank 85. Sachet
Mediterranean
Sunlight floods this corner room where the service feels as warm as the Mediterranean sprawl on the menu—North African spices, Levantine technique, Italian bones. Octopus arrives with freekeh; lamb settles into gigante beans. If the booths are full, the counter bar offers a front-row seat to the kitchen's assured hand.
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Place to Go On a Monday · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2023 · Best Wine Program · Best of Dallas
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
-
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.
-
Rank 87. 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
- Eater The 38 Essential Dallas Restaurants
-
-
-
Rank 90. 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
-
-
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Steakhouse · Best of Dallas
- Dallas Observer 2025 · Best Upscale Dessert · Best of Dallas
- Eater Steak · 14 Iconic Dallas Dishes Locals and Tourists Must Try
-
-
Rank 94. 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
-
- D Magazine 2024 · Best Deli · Best of Big D
- Dallas Observer 2024 · Best Sandwich Shop · Best of Dallas
-
-
-
-
-