In April 2024, the Hot List took a trip through the alphabet, and we named a new North Texas restaurant for every letter. In May 2024, we’re going smaller, with 14 great restaurants and bars in at least 14 Dallas-Fort Worth neighborhoods.
One coffee shop has five locations in Dallas alone, an effort to help you find a new place for espresso after Foxtrot closed.
It’s prime patio season in Dallas-Fort Worth, so we’ve noted which restaurants have great outdoor areas.
Restaurants are listed in alphabetical order.
The Blue Room in Fort Worth
There are dozens of food-related reasons to spend a day in Fort Worth. Put on that list The Blue Room in Fort Worth, the restaurant-within-a-restaurant at the new $250 million Crescent Hotel. The focused menu comes from Food Network chef Preston Paine, though he’s inviting guest chefs in for special occasions. Dallas chef Dean Fearing just cooked there in April 2024.
If you go, make a reservation; it’s that kind of place.
The Crescent Hotel is at 3300 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth. The Blue Room and its anchor restaurant, Emilia’s, are inside the hotel. The Blue Room is closed Sundays and Mondays.
Culpepper Cattle Co. in Deep Ellum
We’re jazzed that lower-priced steaks are gettable in Dallas. You just need to know where to look. Culpepper Cattle Co., the newest dinner spot in Deep Ellum, sells a filet, sirloin or rib-eye for 30-something dollars. The restaurant also sells fajitas, enchiladas, burgers and home cookin’ like chicken-fried steak and chicken-fried lobster. Culpepper in Deep Ellum is an expansion of the more-than 40-year-old restaurant by the same name in Rockwall. It has a great-looking shaded patio.
Culpepper Cattle Co. is at 3309 Elm St., Dallas. It opens May 1, 2024 for lunch and dinner.
Fortunate Son Beer Garden and Pizza House in Garland
Probably the most talked-about restaurant right now among my sources and friends is Fortunate Son, the pizza and pasta joint in downtown Garland. One of the reasons it’s popular is because culinary director David Peña’s pizzas are great. But also, it comes from the owners of Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House and Goodfriend Package, two east-of-the-lake spots that East Dallas folks love to love. Fortunate Son has a big patio and is great for kids.
Fortunate Son Beer Garden and Pizza House is at 500 Main St., Garland.
Goldie’s in Lake Highlands
Three cheers for neighborhood restaurants. Goldie’s was created by Lake Highlands people, for Lake Highlands people. The menu is concise and likeable: bone marrow bruschetta, mussels frites, a pork chop, a burger and the like. Here’s a look inside.
Goldie’s is at 9850 Walnut Hill Lane, Suite 305, Dallas. Reservations available but not required. Closed Mondays.
LDU Coffee: 5 Dallas locations
With the sudden closure of four Foxtrots, we should be talking about where else to get coffee in Dallas. LDU is in five corners of Dallas: near the Uptown Dallas/Knox area, in University Park, in Preston Hollow, east of White Rock Lake, and at Greenville Avenue and Lovers Lane. Now: LDU is not comfy like Foxtrot was. But the coffee is great.
Find an LDU address here.
The Metropolitan on Main in downtown Dallas
When The Metropolitan Cafe in downtown Dallas closed in 2021 after 20 years, fans took to social media. One man said he drove 40 miles each way for breakfast. A woman said the Greek chicken “got me through law school.” After Michael Vouras closed his sweet breakfast and lunch spot, former customer Noemi Chiriac took it over. It’s good to see this restaurant back to serving breakfast and lunch in downtown Dallas.
The Metropolitan on Main (formerly The Metropolitan Cafe) is at 2032 Main St., Dallas. Closed Saturdays and Sundays.
The Mexican in the Dallas Design District
At $11.5 million, is The Mexican one of Dallas’ most expensive restaurants? Yes, it is, according to a deep-dive I did about pricey restaurants in this renewed age of excessive luxury (and inflation). If you haven’t been back to eat at The Mexican since it opened in 2022, it’s time. The food is better than it was initially. The restaurant is often packed. And it’s as pretty as ever.
The Mexican is at 1401 Turtle Creek Blvd., Dallas. Reservations are recommended.
Miznon in Deep Ellum
Not all Dallas restaurants are expensive and excessive, and Miznon is a delightful example. This restaurant took a trip around the world, from its origins in Tel Aviv, Israel, to London, Singapore, New York City and more. The new restaurant in Dallas serves pitas, whole heads of cauliflower and cocktails. Consider it for your next lunch break or happy hour.
Miznon is at 2639 Main St., Dallas.
Radici in Farmers Branch
When Dallas chef Tiffany Derry isn’t in the kitchen, she’s probably filming a TV show. Try to catch our celebrity chef back home this month as she opens Italian restaurant Radici in Farmers Branch. We called it one of the most exciting new restaurants of 2024, and we can’t wait to try it. It opens May 1, 2024.
Radici is at 12990 Bee St., Farmers Branch. Closed Mondays. Find a reservation here.
Rise in Plano
I’ve got brunch on the brain as I glance through the menu at soufflé shop Rise, which opened recently in Plano (and has other locations in Dallas, Fort Worth and The Woodlands). Start with Marshmallow Soup, a savory carrot and tomato bisque with orbs of goat cheese that look like marshmallows. Then it’s on to soufflés: sun-dried tomato and pesto chèvre; ham and gruyère; or creamed spinach.
Rise is at 2444 Preston Road, Plano.
Sabar Barbecue in Fort Worth
If this list wasn’t in alphabetical order, I’d put Sabar Barbecue at the top. Owner Zain Shafi’s Texas barbecue, smoked low and slow like he learned from the Goldee’s Barbecue crew, is then seasoned with Pakistani spices that make the food all his own. The Sichuan lamb ribs are delicious. The brisket with coriander, nutmeg and clove is unlike any I’ve had in Texas. Grab a copy of The Dallas Morning News on Friday, May 3, 2024; Sabar is so good, it’s our Guide cover story.
Sabar Barbecue is at 194 Bryan Ave., Fort Worth. Look for the royal blue Sabar Barbecue truck. Saturdays only, from 11 a.m. until sell out.
Stop on this bar crawl: Midnight Rambler, Catbird and Saint Valentine, all in Dallas
The Spirited Awards recently named Midnight Rambler, Catbird and Saint Valentine as some of the best bars in the country, our Claire Ballor reported. We’ll drink to that. Let’s make a night of it: Start at Midnight Rambler, in the basement of the Joule in downtown Dallas. Then it’s just 0.1 miles away to Catbird, another hotel bar downtown, inside the Thompson. Next, get a safe ride to Old East Dallas, where Saint Valentine is serving inventive cocktails and cool bar food. Sounds like an awesome weekend date.
Midnight Rambler is at 1530 Main St., Dallas. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Catbird is at 1401 Elm St., Dallas.
Saint Valentine is at 4800 Bryan St., Dallas. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Check out past Hot Lists
- April 2024 — theme was ABCs of new restaurants
- March 2024
- February 2024 — theme was date night spots
- January 2024 — theme was healthy
- December 2023 — theme was restaurants with holiday decor
- November 2023 — theme was budget-friendly
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- June and July 2023
- May 2023
