Sadelle's from Major Food Group brings its New York Jewish brunch institution to Highland Park Village: a $140 multi-tiered bagel tower stacked with lox, whitefish, tuna salad, and sturgeon is the theatrical centrepiece.
Must order: The Sadelle's bagel tower with smoked salmon, whitefish, and sturgeon
Tip: The bagel tower is meant for two to four people. Weekend brunch gets booked; weekday mid-morning is the secret window. Ask for the interior corner booth for the best room view.
Address: 1 Highland Park Village, Dallas, TX 75205
Oddfellows on the premier corner of Bishop Arts District is one of Bishop Arts' most established all-morning brunch spots. The fried chicken and waffles with crisp house-seasoned chicken and maple butter is the neighbourhood's most imitated dish.
Order: Fried chicken and waffles with maple butter
Tip: Weekend waits run 20-40 minutes by 10am; online check-in available. Duck bacon is house-made. The rooftop is the pick on cool days. Dinner kicks in at 5pm if you want to linger.
Beside the Granada Theater on Lower Greenville: rooftop patio, $2 mimosas all afternoon, and a full New American brunch menu.
Order: Chicken biscuits; $2 house mimosas
Tip: $2 mimosas run until 3pm daily, seven days a week. The rooftop patio is the pull; arrive by 10:30am on Saturday for patio seats. Gluten-free and vegetarian options throughout the menu.
Knox Bistro on Knox Street is a Michelin-recommended French casual that serves what is widely called the best brunch burger in Dallas: a Burger au Poivre built on a brioche bun with black pepper pan sauce, fries, and a glass of something Burgundian.
Order: Burger au poivre; croissant with seasonal jam
Tip: The burger is the call. The croissant service at the table is complimentary. Book ahead for Saturday; Sunday is slightly looser. Dinner opens at 4pm if you want to extend.
Xaman Cafe on Jefferson Boulevard is Oak Cliff's most distinctive brunch room: pre-Hispanic clay cantarito cups carry both espresso drinks and cocktails, and the chilaquiles with heirloom corn chips and chorizo are the best in the city.
Order: Chilaquiles with chorizo in rojo or verde; clay cantarito espresso drink
Tip: Walk-in only. Get there by 9:30am on Sunday or expect a line. Order the rojo version of the chilaquiles for the richer sauce. The agave bar opens at noon for mezcal-based brunch cocktails.
Pecan Lodge in Deep Ellum is the quintessential Texas BBQ brunch: pitmasters fire the post-oak smokers overnight and serve brisket, ribs, sausage, and smoked turkey from 11am on weekends until the meat runs out, typically by 3pm.
Order: Brisket plate with jalapeño cheddar sausage and banana pudding
Tip: The line starts forming at 10:30am on Saturday. Order the brisket and the jalapeño cheddar sausage in a single plate. The banana pudding sells out before the meat; grab it early.
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.
