New restaurants are opening rapidly in Dallas, and this map answers the vital question, “Where are the buzziest places to eat right now?”
In this month’s update of the Eater Dallas Heatmap, winter is upon us with its typically up and down temperatures. April brings a much needed neighborhood bistro in Lake Highlands, a long-awaited breakfast and lunch cafe re-opening in Downtown, the latest Harwood restaurant, Israeli street food, New Haven-style pizza, and an unexpectedly fun Mexican food spot.
Fortunate Son
500 Main Street, Garland, Texas 75040
New Haven-style pizza has made its way to Dallas. Head to this spot in Garland to try this thin crust, coal-fired pie. The clam pie, a New England favorite, is already earning raves, as are the meatballs and cannoli.
Goldie's
9850 Walnut Hill Lane, Dallas, Texas 75238
(214) 586-3033
Lake Highlands gets a much-needed neighborhood bistro with this opening. Its signature dish, the magic chicken thighs with mashed yams and mustard greens, is reason enough to get in ASAP but the carefully selected list of wines by the glass and natural wine options are a fine reason to make plans to linger.
Sanjh Restaurant & Bar
5250 North O'connor Boulevard, Irving, Texas 75039
(972) 239-1800
Las Colinas adds a fine dining Indian restaurant with a menu that aims to represent every region of the country — no small feat. Dine on shakargandi amrak chaat (a Delhi street food) or bharwan paneer tikka. It also covers the history of India, reaching back thousands of years — for example, the scallops recheado, which is a take on the Goan dish with roots dating back to the time when the state was under Portuguese rule.
Mābo
6109 Berkshire Lane, Dallas, Texas 75225
(214) 444-6696
If the closure of Teppo on Lower Greenville left a hole in. your heart, great news — it’s owner has opened a new restaurant in the Park Cities. While it is, yes, more omakase, with a $200 per person price tag, what diners will get is a bit different than every other omakase in Dallas. This includes skewers of meats and four or five a la carte dishes crafted from seasonal ingredients. Expect grilled chicken, duck, wagyu, mushrooms, and more.
El Destino
10261 Technology Boulevard East, Dallas, Texas 75220
(214) 432-5381
The space that once hosted the grungy Gas Monkey Bar got a massive upgrade when this Mexican restaurant moved in. It has the space, so it still hosts live music and eating on the massive patio is still an option. But now it can be done over a birria burger, whole fried snapper, and Mexican street tacos.
JingHe Japanese Restaurant
5321 East Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, Texas 75206
(214) 258-5700
This family-owned place in Mockingbird Station serves Japanese barbecue, tapas, ramen, and dumplings. It also has a solid lunch menu with special combos of chicken karage, shrimp tempura, chashu, and teriyaki chicken weighing in at under $15 for a plate.
Kaiyo Dallas
2014 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75206
(214) 484-1888
Dallas is flush with great new sushi restaurants. This one, from Shoyo’s Jimmy Park, takes over the place of Teppo on Lower Greenville and adds some much needed casual sushi dining with rolls, nigiri, and maki.
The Landmark Prime Rib
3015 Oak Lawn Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75219
(214) 224-3152
If Lawry’s closing caught you off guard, not to worry — a new guard has stepped up in Cedar Springs. The Landmark Prime Rib is hosting guests for a dinner menu centered around thick, juicy cuts of beef. Service is interesting — the team refurbished a prime rib cart from the 1940s that’s the centerpiece of the dining room and customers are directed to it for a fresh cut when their meal is ready.
Shodo Japanese Kitchen
1628 Oak Lawn Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75207
(214) 764-2961
The Design District lands a new sushi joint — and it’s not omakase. Shodo serves classic cuts from across representations. The menu features tataki (pounded) beef, a poke bowl, yakitori (skewered), onigri (rice balls), and handrolls, along with sashimi and nigiri bites and sushi rolls.
NDA Brassiere
2801 North Harwood Street, Dallas, Texas 75201
(945) 910-4671
Looking for a power lunch spot? It is now a thing in the Harwood District. This breakfast and lunch brassiere, with a “theme” inspired by the law firm that occupies much of the building, pretty much every classic breakfast dish we could name. For lunch, there’s a lot of classic American going on, with just a hint of Gulf- and Creole-inspired dishes. We’re going for the lobster roll.
Miznon
2639 Main Street, Dallas, Texas 75226
This massive spot in Deep Ellum is a chain that started in Tel Aviv and has expanded worldwide to sell Mediterranean street food. Vegan and vegetarian options abound, in or out of a pita. And there are meaty options, including grass-fed beef, lamb, and chicken. There are also kebab plates and stews — dive in.
The Metropolitan on Main
2032 Main Street, Dallas, Texas 75201
(214) 741-2233
This spot has finally opened (re-opened?) after a massive makeover under new ownership. Pop in when you’re Downtown for breakfast, lunch, or happy hour — word is that dinner service will be added. Until then, order a coffee made by the Faema espresso machine and chow down on a plate of blackberry lemon mascarpone French toast or a lunch special plate.
Taipo
200 East Abram Street, Arlington, Texas 76010
(469) 602-8318
Dive into Nepalese fare at this South Arlington restaurant. Menu highlights include momo dumplings, filled with chicken, pork, beef, potato, and a veggie option. Other notable dishes worth trying are the keema noodles served with finely chopped meat and wok-cooked chicken chili. There’s also a speakeasy with a limited menu and cocktails open in the evenings.
Ribee's
923 East Seminary Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76115
This ribs-only spot in Fort Worth comes from Goldee’s owner Jonny White, and two of his childhood friends. The ribs are smoked on a rotisserie and served with fries, cole slaw, a roll, and a can of soda. There are four options: original, sweet ribs, spicy cayenne with red pepper flakes and chili powder, and hot honey. It’s all super simple and will probably be faster service than the notorious lines at Goldee’s.
