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.
Must 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.
Address: 2853 W Illinois Ave, Dallas, TX 75233
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.
The $1.50 street taco counter that makes every best-cheap-eats list in Dallas. Suadero, al pastor, counter service, and plastic trays. No complexity beyond the quality of the meat and the freshness of the salsas.
Order: Suadero tacos at $1.50 each. Al pastor off the spit.
Tip: Order ten minimum per person. The salsas are the differentiator; try all three.
The 24-hour Deep Ellum diner open Wednesday through Sunday, where musicians, bartenders, and everyone else converge for breakfasts at 3am without requiring a reason.
Order: French toast. Full breakfast plate. Egg sandwich at any hour.
Tip: Wednesday morning is the quietest. Weekend nights between midnight and 2am are the liveliest. Both are valid reasons to come.
Mariano Martinez invented the frozen margarita machine on May 11, 1971 at his original East Dallas restaurant. The Skillman location carries that legacy forward with Tex-Mex combination plates and the signature frozen margarita.
Order: The frozen margarita, made from the tradition of the 1971 original machine invention. Combination plate with cheese enchiladas.
Tip: The history of the margarita machine is on the wall. The original machine is now in the Smithsonian, but the recipe continues here.
Chef Matt Balke's Bishop Arts New American, where weekend brunch draws the neighbourhood and dinner runs a more serious menu Wednesday through Sunday in the former Bolsa space.
Order: Blue corn pancakes at brunch. The Southern-inflected small plates at dinner.
Tip: The blue corn pancake mix is sold at H-E-B if you want to make them at home. Dinner is easier to book than brunch.
