Gothic architecture, dark interiors, Eastern European comfort food, and cocktails until 2am in the most atmospheric room in Deep Ellum. The Hungarian food element is the city's only version of this offer.
Must order: Hungarian comfort food bites. A classic cocktail or one of the house originals.
Tip: The bar opens at 4pm on weekdays; arrive early for a quieter start. Weekends fill by 9pm.
Address: 2714 Elm St, Dallas, TX 75226
Deep Ellum's most-visited dining room: long communal tables, cold beer, and brisket that made national food media relocate their coverage of Texas BBQ from Central Texas to Dallas.
Order: Beef brisket by the pound. Jalapeño cheddar sausage. The beef rib on Saturdays.
Tip: The beef rib on Saturday is the highlight. Come at 11am or accept the queue. They sell out daily.
A specialty pie shop in a 1930s Victorian bungalow in Bishop Arts, with handmade pies that change seasonally. The most beloved dessert destination in the neighbourhood for over a decade.
Order: The seasonal pie of the month. The Drunken Nut on the permanent menu.
Tip: Whole pies can be ordered in advance. The patio is worth waiting for on warm evenings.
Dallas's longest-running vegetarian restaurant, set inside a Hare Krishna temple in East Dallas. The daily-changing Indian vegetarian buffet at $15 is one of the city's best food values.
Order: Daily Indian vegetarian buffet: fresh dals, sabzis, house-made chutneys, rice.
Tip: The garden is the most peaceful meal in Dallas. The buffet changes daily. Call ahead if you want to know what is being made that day.
Spanish tapas and one of the most extensive Spanish wine lists in the US in a casual Knox-Henderson patio bar. The food leans towards sharing and the wine list can take an entire evening to explore.
Order: Pan con tomate with jamón. A poured sherry or one of the Spanish house wines.
Tip: The patio fills early on Fridays. Order the cold dishes and a bottle of Txakoli to start; the hot dishes come out quickly.
All-day French brasserie at Preston Center, open from breakfast through dinner with a 1,200-sqft covered patio and a casual format that makes the serious French cooking accessible at any hour.
Order: Croque-monsieur at lunch. The Paris-Brest dessert.
Tip: The all-day format means you can treat this as a cafe in the morning, a lunch spot, or a dinner destination without the booking pressure of a dinner-only restaurant.
Michelin-recommended Mot Hai Ba on Lewis Street blends modern French technique with Vietnamese soul in a casual East Dallas room. Chef Peja Krstic's evolving seasonal menu is among the most inventive in Dallas.
Order: Seasonal pho; spring rolls with heirloom vegetables
Tip: Tuesday through Thursday is the easiest booking window. The seasonal menu changes frequently; the pho preparation is always the dish to watch. OpenTable from two weeks out.
Deep Ellum's most-visited dining room: long communal tables, cold beer, and brisket that made national food media relocate their coverage of Texas BBQ from Central Texas to Dallas.
Order: Beef brisket by the pound. Jalapeño cheddar sausage. The beef rib on Saturdays.
Tip: The beef rib on Saturday is the highlight. Come at 11am or accept the queue. They sell out daily.
