Dallas-Fort Worth is stuffed with good restaurants — trendy upstarts, longtime favorites and many in between. Where should you eat, and why?
In honor of a Dallas Morning News magazine we used to publish called The Hot List, we’re bringing that “hot” idea back, in digital form, with a new series. Feast on the Hot List at the beginning of every month at dallasnews.com/food. We’ll continually update you with delicious restaurant ideas in Dallas-Fort Worth.
All restaurants and bars are listed in alphabetical order.
Crumbl Cookies
with lots of locations in North Texas
It’s genius what this Utah-based company has built in a few short years — and the impact it’s had on Texans teens and young families. Here’s how it works: Crumbl releases a new menu of six oversized, craveable cookies every Monday. Flavors include brownie batter, funfetti milkshake, peanut butter brittle and more. They change every week, which means there’s always something new.
I can’t help it: I check every Monday to see if my family needs another box.
Find Crumbl Cookies in McKinney, Southlake, Plano, Fort Worth and many more D-FW cities. crumblcookies.com/stores.
Hang Time Sports Grill & Bar
in Rowlett
Put Hang Time on your list of restaurants you need to know, but not necessarily for a good reason: The Rowlett bar made national news after owner Tom Blackmer told two customers they weren’t allowed to wear their masks indoors. The customers said they were being extra cautious to protect their infant son with cystic fibrosis; Blackmer told them to “go somewhere else” if they won’t follow his rules. The story sparked outrage among Dallas Morning News readers. Blackmer stands by his no-mask rule.
Hang Time Sports Grill & Bar is at 9824 Lakeview Parkway, Rowlett.
Hayters Bar
in Arlington
Hayters is a new cocktail bar and taco shop next door to Hurtado Barbecue in Arlington. We don’t see enough pitmasters opening bars, do we? It’s a great place to try new dishes from a group already making good food.
Hayters is at 213 E. Front St., Arlington.
Hutchins BBQ
in McKinney
Hutchins is a long-time great barbecue joint that has been in McKinney since 1991 — well before barbecue got trendy. It suffered a fire on New Year’s Eve but is back open nine months later with a new pitmaster, John Mueller, son of Texas barbecue legend Louie Mueller. We’ve described John as a “salty” character known for his great food. A trip to Hutchins will, again, be worth the drive to McKinney.
Hutchins BBQ is at 1301 N. Tennessee St., McKinney.
Jane.
in Southlake
Ignore the strip-mall setting and Jane., a new coffee and cocktail bar, is dripping in sophistication. Coffee drinkers will order lattes from the long, beautiful bar. And then they’ll probably want to come back later, for a glass of wine on a date, for a gossip sesh with a friend, or for a patio party on the green turf. There’s brunch, too.
Jane. is at 1151 E. Southlake Blvd., Southlake.
Joe Leo
in Dallas
Maybe you think this town has enough Tex-Mex restaurants already. But it needed Joe Leo, an effortlessly fun queso and margarita spot with a big patio. The family-style fajitas are delicious. For a silly surprise for friends, order a round of tequila shots served in cored-out jalapeños.
Joe Leo is at 2722 N. Fitzhugh Ave., Dallas.
Loro
in East Dallas
Order-at-the-counter Asian smokehouse Loro shows off the culinary chops of its two founders: pitmaster Aaron Franklin (of Franklin Barbecue) and sushi chef Tyson Cole (of Uchi). The chefs bottled that dressed-down, chill vibe from Austin and drove it to East Dallas — and it works. Don’t miss the curried brisket rice, the Malaysian chicken bo ssam, and the smoked brime bavette.
Loro is at 1812 N. Haskell Ave., Dallas.
Rye & Apothecary
in East Dallas
This side-by-side restaurant and cocktail bar on Lowest Greenville in Dallas might be the most interesting new restaurant duo in Dallas right now. At Rye, diners will find a bold — sometimes odd — menu that’s an adventure for anyone willing to take some risks. At Apothecary, drinkers can sneak into a speakeasy making the most bizarre cocktails you’ve likely ever seen. I called Apothecary “Dallas’ most impressive date-night spot right now” because of its uniqueness and flair. Couple it with dinner at Rye, you’ll have a knockout date night that’ll feel very un-Dallas.
Rye is at 1920 Greenville Ave., Dallas. Apothecary is at 1922 Greenville Ave., Dallas.
Second Rodeo Brewing
in Fort Worth
Second Rodeo Brewing in Fort Worth sells beer “without the pretentious craft attitude,” and we all know what they mean. The giant indoor-outdoor space comes from Jason Boso, owner of the Truck Yard — another unpretentious bar that started on Lowest Greenville in Dallas and has spread to a bigger spot in The Colony. Second Rodeo looks like a Truck Yard, actually, with its purposefully mismatched patio furniture and old metal signs. Second Rodeo promises it’ll play country music from Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash but “none of that Nashville pop here.” In addition to beer, Second Rodeo sells frozen Trash Can Punch and Atomic Cool-Aid.
Second Rodeo Brewing is at 122 East Exchange Ave., Fort Worth.
Shoyo
in East Dallas
Easily one of the toughest-to-get seats in town, Shoyo is an intimate, 12-seat Japanese omakase restaurant. At the hands of chef/founder Jimmy Park and executive chef Shinichiro Kondo, diners will sample 16 to 17 courses of raw fish, expertly prepared. It’s certainly one of the most exciting new restaurants in Dallas this year — and possibly in the last five years or more.
Shoyo is at 1916 Greenville Ave., Dallas.
Sister
in East Dallas
Sister is the new restaurant where The Grape stood for many decades on Greenville Avenue. The room has been totally recreated by managing partner Chas Martin and his team, who opened The Charles in the Dallas Design District in 2018. Sister is “Italian-ish,” Martin calls it: There’s octopus panzanella and mussels and pastas. But the restaurant also dips into flavors from other countries, and why not? The babaganoush and charred carrots with whipped feta are some of the staff’s favorites.
Sister is at 2808 Greenville Ave., Dallas.
Suburban Yacht Club
in Plano
What a blast. This restaurant from chef Brian Luscher (formerly of The Grape) and his new team at 33 Restaurant Group managed to take a silly yacht theme and keep it on a tight enough rope. Some of the standouts on my first visit were the beer-battered fish tacos, mushroom-poblano tacos and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos elote. Drinks are more freewheeling: The Basic Beach looked cute but the ocean-colored margarita had more personality.
Suburban Yacht Club is at 5872 TX-121, Plano (at the Dallas North Tollway and Highway 121).
State Fair of Texas
in Fair Park
The State Fair of Texas is not a restaurant, of course, but it needs to be on your restaurant list in October 2021. Check out the fried gumbo balls, the fried toffee coffee cake, and the fried duck dumpling. OK, it doesn’t all have to be fried; check out how to eat healthfully at the fair.
The State Fair of Texas runs through Oct. 17, 2021. Find ticket discounts and tips on how to prepare for crowds amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Sylvan Avenue Tavern
in West Dallas
Dallas can always use another good bar. Sylvan Avenue Tavern is related to Bryan Street Tavern in East Dallas, so rest assured that it has wings, pizzas and a come-as-you-are vibe. Bargoers will surely appreciate the pool tables and rooftop patio.
Sylvan Avenue Tavern is at 1888 Sylvan Ave., Dallas (in Sylvan Thirty).
Tango Room
in Dallas’ Design District
I’d been waiting so long for Tango Room that I stopped dancing. And then, it opened without warning — like some beautiful girl who showed up to a party and acted like she’d been there the whole time. This steakhouse has the potential to be very flashy, if only you can get a seat.
Tango Room is at 1617 Hi Line Dr., Dallas.
Ten Bells Tavern
in Oak Cliff
Better get to Ten Bells Tavern in Oak Cliff now, before it closes in a few months. It’s getting bulldozed and turned into an apartment complex — one of many instances of what’s happening in that rapidly-developing area of Oak Cliff. Owner Meri Dahlke tells us she’s moving the bar just behind the existing one and will relocate in early 2022.
Ten Bells Tavern is at 232 W. 7th St., Dallas.
Thunderbird Pies
in East Dallas
A new restaurant dedicated to Detroit-style pizza has opened in East Dallas. Thunderbird Pies is next door to a Neapolitan pizza place, Cane Rosso, owned by the same guy. Are we discerning enough pizza eaters to pick which kind we want and keep both in biz? Owner Jay Jerrier thinks so. Inside Thunderbird Pies is an ice cream shop called Cow Tipping Creamery. Take the kids.
Thunderbird Pies and Cow Tipping Creamery are at 7238 Gaston Ave., Dallas.
The Yard Milkshake Bar
in The Colony
I’d never seen a milkshake like this until I dipped my straw — and my spoon — into a Mason jar stuffed with ice cream, whipped cream, a whole brownie and more at The Yard Milkshake Bar in The Colony. My 1-year-old actually dove face-first into it. (So bring some hand wipes if you’ve got littles.)
Observant foodies might have seen The Yard Milkshake Bar on Shark Tank a few years back — and even though Mark Cuban’s deal with them didn’t close, the company is still growing rapidly across the country this year. The shop in The Colony is North Texas’ first, and more are likely on the way.
The Yard Milkshake Bar is at 4940 State Highway 121 (at Castle Hills Crossing), The Colony.
