The most accessible Empire Baking outpost for Uptown visitors, sitting on McKinney Ave's restaurant row. Same daily-baked sourdoughs and sandwiches as the original, positioned for easy pre-or-post restaurant fuel.
Must order: Daily sourdough loaf; seasonal grain sandwich; morning scone
Tip: Smaller square footage than the Lovers Lane location; sell-outs happen earlier. Sandwiches go fast at noon.
Address: 3700 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75204
Oak Lawn Village Baking outpost serving the same award-winning French breads and pastries to the gym-going, brunch-hungry Oak Lawn crowd from 7am daily. Often cited as the cleanest-looking location of the five.
Order: Almond croissant; banana nut muffin; fresh-baked batard loaf
Tip: Parking lot behind the building. Saturday mornings before 8:30am are the best time to find a full pastry selection. Dog-friendly on the sidewalk tables.
Deep Ellum BBQ institution producing scratch-made banana pudding, peach cobbler, and lard biscuits alongside the brisket. The dessert program is as serious as the smoke, with pecan-loaded peach cobbler a must for any visit.
Order: Peach cobbler with ice cream; banana pudding; lard biscuit with butter
Tip: Desserts sell out before the meat sometimes. Order one immediately when you reach the counter. Weekday visits (Wed-Fri) have shorter queues.
Hare Krishna temple restaurant and bakery in East Dallas serving vegetarian Indian buffets alongside freshly baked sweets including barfi, halwa, and seasonal laddu that represent some of the most authentic Indian confectionery in the Metroplex.
Order: Buffet lunch with barfi dessert; fresh-made laddu; sesame halwa
Tip: Buffet only during lunch service; priced per pound. No meat, no eggs, no onion, no garlic. A serene garden patio on the temple grounds adds to the experience.
Oak Lawn Village Baking outpost serving the same award-winning French breads and pastries to the gym-going, brunch-hungry Oak Lawn crowd from 7am daily. Often cited as the cleanest-looking location of the five.
Order: Almond croissant; banana nut muffin; fresh-baked batard loaf
Tip: Parking lot behind the building. Saturday mornings before 8:30am are the best time to find a full pastry selection. Dog-friendly on the sidewalk tables.
One of five Dallas locations of Cindi's NY Deli Bakery, baking bagels in 15 flavours, challah, rye, and daily-sliced breads in-house. The Forest Lane location runs a full breakfast-all-day deli alongside the bakery counter.
Order: Everything bagel with lox and cream cheese; fresh challah on Fridays; black and white cookie
Tip: Challah is baked fresh every Friday and sells out by noon. The Forest Lane location has the most complete bakery counter of the five Dallas sites.
Woman-owned boutique bakery in the Lakewood neighbourhood run by chef Kelly Ball, turning out handmade kolaches, quiches, croissants, and scones using old European techniques alongside strong espresso drinks.
Order: Kolache with fruit filling; quiche lorraine; almond croissant
Tip: The kolaches sell out by 11am on weekends. Go early for the quiche while it is still warm from the oven. The espresso is made with single-origin beans and is the best coffee on Oram Street.
Dallas's best French artisan bakery, founded in 2004, turning out some of the finest almond croissants, pain au chocolat, and sourdough in the state from five Dallas locations. The Greenville original is the most beloved.
Order: Almond croissant; pain au chocolat; jambon et fromage baguette sandwich
Tip: Almond croissants are baked fresh each morning and sell out by 10am on weekends. Arrive at 7:30am to guarantee one.
