The Tex-Mex sopapilla in Dallas is a puffed triangle of fried dough, hollow inside, served hot with a drizzle of honey as a dessert or side bread at Tex-Mex restaurants. It is the universal Tex-Mex dessert and table bread in Dallas.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
Sopapillas arrived in Texas through New Mexican and Northern Mexican culinary traditions, where a similar fried dough was a staple table bread. The Tex-Mex versions served in Dallas are sweeter and puffier than New Mexico's; the honey-drizzle finish became standard through the combination-plate Tex-Mex restaurants of the mid-20th century. El Fenix has served sopapillas as the standard dessert since the 1930s.
Common allergens: Gluten
Tip from the editors. The puff happens because steam forms inside the dough as it hits the oil. Make sure the oil temperature does not drop between batches; cold oil produces flat, greasy sopapillas.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
The oldest Tex-Mex restaurant in Dallas, operating since 1918. The enchiladas and combo plates come in at under $15 and represent the unbroken lineage of Dallas Tex-Mex cooking over more than a century.
Order: Combo plate: enchiladas, tamale, taco; cheese dip; sopapillas
Tip: The McKinney Ave location is the most accessible. The Tuesday special is the best value night. No reservations needed; the turnover is fast.
The brisket taco at Mia's costs around $6 individually, making it an affordable way to experience Dallas's most iconic Tex-Mex taco. Two brisket tacos and a house margarita stays under $25.
Order: Two brisket tacos; house margarita (happy hour); rice and beans
Tip: Happy hour runs daily from 4-7pm with discounted margaritas. Two tacos and a drink is the sweet spot for a budget Mia's visit.
Herrera's Cafe on W Illinois Avenue has been serving Tex-Mex breakfast since 1949, making it the oldest continuous Tex-Mex brunch counter in Dallas. The huevos rancheros and breakfast tacos are unchanged from the original recipes and the red salsa is made from scratch each morning.
Order: Breakfast tacos; huevos rancheros with house red salsa since 1949
Tip: Cash preferred, card accepted. Go early; the line builds from 9am on weekends. The breakfast taco with chorizo and egg on a fresh flour tortilla has been the standard since 1949.
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