Founded 1918 by Mike Martinez, this is the restaurant most historians credit with formalising the Tex-Mex combination plate in Dallas. The McKinney location is the flagship; four Dallas locations remain open.
Must order: Cheese enchiladas with chili gravy. The daily combo plate.
Tip: The weekday lunch combo runs under $12. The chili gravy here is the reference version for the style.
Address: 1601 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75202
The street-taco counter of one of Dallas's most creative Mexican operations. Order at the bar, eat at the communal table, and consider booking Purepecha if you want the full tasting-menu experience next door.
Order: Al pastor tacos at the counter. The Sunday brunch taco buffet.
Tip: Sunday brunch buffet at the Elm St Gastro Cantina runs 11am-3pm. The main counter is more casual and faster.
A Design District BBQ lunch room that built its reputation on the smoked pork chop, a cut most Dallas operations overlook. Closes when the meat runs out, usually well before 3pm on weekends.
Order: Smoked pork chop. Beef brisket half-pound. The mac and cheese.
Tip: Go Tuesday or Wednesday for the most relaxed experience. Arrive at 11am on weekends or the pork chop will be gone.
A Lake Highlands chef-driven taqueria that starts serving at 7:30am and closes by 9pm. The breakfast tacos and slow-braised fillings place it consistently on D Magazine's best lists despite being far from the tourist circuit.
Order: Breakfast tacos; slow-braised fillings that change weekly.
Tip: Weekday morning is the quietest window. The bar extension makes evening visits much more pleasant than before.
An Oak Cliff Tex-Mex hold-out in the same W Illinois Avenue spot since 1949. The enchiladas here are as honest as Tex-Mex gets: chili gravy, fresh tortillas, and none of the compromise that larger operations introduce.
Order: Cheese enchiladas. Combination plate. Chips and queso on arrival.
Tip: Cash-friendly neighbourhood spot. Closed Sunday-Tuesday. The combination plate feeds two people if you order chips to start.
Bishop Arts' original all-day cafe: the chicken and waffles draw queues every weekend, the coffee programme is more serious than the casual room suggests, and the room is open from 7am on every day of the week.
Order: Chicken and waffles. The mimosa flight. Coffee is worth ordering here.
Tip: Brunch runs 7am-4pm daily. Arrive by 9am on weekends or queue for the chicken and waffles.
The Deep Ellum anchor of the late-night Dallas taco scene, with a rotating weekly special and a 4am Friday and Saturday closing time that makes it essential for the post-bar crowd.
Order: Weekly rotating taco. Nashville hot chicken. The WTF taco.
Tip: The weekly taco changes every Tuesday. The Nashville hot is always available. Find the lightest queue at 11pm midweek.
